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CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ONLINE SERIES



Skills & Knowledge of Cost Engineering

  • AACE-Certified Cost Consultant/Certified Cost Engineer
  • Certificate Of Completion

cNI and its partner, the Virtual University at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, are pleased to present this series of outstanding online courses in collaboration with AACE International (the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering).

Prepare for a renowned designation as a Certified Cost Consultant or Cost Engineer.



About AACE


Since 1956, AACE International has been the leading-edge professional society for cost estimators, cost engineers, schedulers, project managers, and project control specialists. With more than 7,000 members worldwide, AACE International is the largest organization serving the entire spectrum of cost management professionals.


AACE International is industry independent, and has members in 78 countries and 71 local sections. You can learn more about AACE by entering its web site at http://www.aacei.org/membership/about/overview.shtml


AACE International offers courses in construction estimating, project management, and courses that will help you hone your skills in planning and scheduling, contracting, production control, productivity, and many more topics.


Certification


These courses and the series are primarily an aid to prepare for the examination to become an AACE-Certified Cost Consultant or Certified Cost Engineer, a designation recognized throughout the world. The Certification recognizes "specialists who meet a demanding set of earned value management criteria by a rigorous examination, experience, education and ethical qualifications."


The CCC/CCE requirements, which include the Certification Exam apart from these courses, reflect the sophistication of individuals in today's earned value industry and it fairly measures their knowledge, experience and adherence to best management practices..


NOTE: Completing this series of courses or the individual exams in each course, does not result in Certification. The series is to prepare an individual for the rigorous Certification Exam, which requires the individual to apply directly with AACE, complete the examination application process, and take the AACE exam.



Certificate of Completion


If you choose not to pursue the CCC/CCE Certification exam with AACE after completing the courses, you will nonetheless gain invaluable professional knowledgeable and skills by taking and completing individual courses or by completing the series. Every individual will receive a Certificate of Completion for each course completed, or for the series for completing all seven sections.


The Certificate of Completion does not fulfill the requirements to become an AACE-Certified Cost Consultant or Certified Cost Engineer


Why Enroll in This Program?


The CCC/CCE Certification reflects a commitment to best management practices, and to a high level of skills and knowledge in the discipline of cost engineering, value management and professional ethics. Although completing these courses do not result in Certification, they do prepare the individual for the Certification Exam and increase the chances of becoming AACE Certified. Whether enrolling as an individual or on behalf of an organization or company, the value added is applicable to your career advancement, as well as to the organizational credentials of the employer.


As the online version of the classroom-based Certification Prep Course which can involve 2-4 days of instruction away from work and home, these courses provide convenience of access, save travel time and cost and decrease time away from the job (productivity).


Program Description


The online courses are offered in English and consist of 7 sections. The sections can be taken as stand-alone courses, or as an entire series. If you are interested in becoming CCC/CCE Certified it is highly recommended that you enroll and complete the entire series prior to taking the certification examination.The courses include:


Cost


Due to the importance of the term the basic 'anatomy' of costing is discussed in this section. By dissecting how cost is organized, categorized and what makes up its parts, as relates to activities and/or assets, a solid knowledge foundation is laid for the succeeding sections that build upon it. Upon completion of this section, the participant will be able to, without reference:

  • Understand what makes up cost-i.e. the basic resources (material, labor, etc.) that are needed to perform an activity or create an asset.
  • Understand the distinction between cost elements that are directly applied to an asset and those that are indirectly applied.
  • Relate the cost elements to the life cycle of the asset acquisition, use, and disposal.
  • Use the understanding of cost elements to further understand how cost is measured, applied, and recorded to arrive at the total activity and/or asset cost.
  • Apply the knowledge gained to solve problems related to cost element source and definition.

Cost Estimating


Project success cannot be supported without accurate knowledge of the cost ceilings to which the project must be controlled, and those ceilings are imposed by budgets derived from cost estimates. Upon completion of this section, professionals will better understand cost estimating and will be able to, without reference:

  • Explain the common industry classifications of cost estimates.
  • Explain common methodologies applied to prepare cost estimates of the various classifications.
  • Relate the accuracy of estimate types to the typical definition of scope and viable methodologies for the types.
  • Explain how to apply risk analysis techniques to determine appropriate contingency for an estimate.

Planning and Scheduling


The Planning and Scheduling section will be available in June 2009.


Progress and Cost Control
When the participant completes this section, he or she will be able to define, explain or clarify the process, purpose, advantages, and disadvantages succinctly in writing the following elements of progress and cost control:


  • Measuring Work Progress
  • Cost and Schedule Performance
  • Productivity
  • Fixed Budget
  • Variable Budget
  • Budget Baselines
  • Schedule Baselines
  • Control Account Baselines
  • Status
  • Analysis, Trending, and Forecasting
  • Success Index (SI)
  • Variability
  • Incentives

Project Management


In today's difficult, global business environment, it is vital that project management identify and control risks, maximize cost savings, minimize schedule delays, and improve economic return. This only can be achieved with effective and meaningful project planning and organization. Upon completion of this section you will be able to:

  • Delineate the role of the project manager in project planning.
  • State common planning strategies.
  • List and explain the major components of project planning.
  • Explain the importance of project planning.
  • Calculate installed quantities (progress) for construction activities.
  • Define how actual labor work hours are collected using time cards.
  • Analyze labor cost performance using earned value.
  • Analyze labor cost performance using unit rates.
  • Define the three components of labor costs: quantities, installed production rates, and wage rates.
  • Analyze labor cost performance using variance analysis.
  • List and explain the basic requirements of a contract.
  • Understand how contracts may become defective and, possibly, unenforceable.
  • State the types of contracts typically employed in capital projects, their requirements, and the potential advantages and disadvantages of each.
  • Relate typical project delivery methods to provisions of the contracts that are employed for each method.
  • State and explain various key clauses in contracts.
  • Clarify what sorts of claims may arise on contracts for capital projects.
  • State how disputes arising under contracts may be resolved.

Economic Analysis


Engineering economic analysis is a technique that assists in the solution of substantial engineering problems where economic aspects dominate over a considerable period of time. In this section the participant will review this technique of engineering economic analysis and upon completion of this section will be able to, without reference:

  • Calculate simple and compound interest rates and solve interest problems using basic single payments, uniform series, and gradient formulas.
  • Calculate present value, future value, and equivalent uniform annual value of a cash flow series.
  • Determine the discounted rate of return of a cash flow series.
  • Evaluate and select the best alternative using present value, future value, equivalent uniform annual value, and discounted rate of return.
  • Compare alternatives using the benefit-cost ratio.

Statistics, Probability & Risk Management


The successful company collects information so that when analyzed, good decisions can be made. Statistics constitutes methods useful for the analysis of this information. One of the greatest risks to projects is the lack of adequate and appropriate planning and an important part of project planning is risk management. Risk management in all its forms both simple and complex will potentially have a positive effect on the implementation of projects. Upon the completion of this section, the participant will be able to:

  • Explain basic definitions and terminologies in probability and statistics.
  • Describe frequency distribution, cumulative probability curve and normal curve.
  • Apply statistical techniques in decision making such as market and/or risk analyses.
  • Explain basic steps of a risk management process.
  • Describe risk mitigation options.
  • Apply decision tree analysis.

To Register


To take the courses and series, you may register directly with cNI on this web site or with AACE at http://www.aacei.org/education/dl/welcome.shtml. 


Fees:


You may register for individual courses or for the series. You will have access to each course/section, for which you are enrolled for two weeks. During this period each course is open to you anytime and from anyplace in the world you have access to the Internet. If you are registered for more than one section you may take the sections sequentially or concurrently - that is up to you as your schedule allows. Your registered time begins when you enter a course for the first time. If you have registered for the entire series you will have access for 14 weeks.


AACE Member


  • $400 per person, per course
  • $2,200 per person, per series (7 courses)

Non-Member


  • $500 per person, per course
  • $2,500 per person, per series

Note: These courses do not result in Certification as an AACE-Certified Cost Consultant or AACE-Certified Cost Engineer. For information regarding Certification please go to http://www.aacei.org/certification/




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Testimonials:

"The construction industry has always had quality training and education resources but they have been fragmented across organizations and industry sectors. cNI's vision of aggregating these resources represents a great opportunity to bring together the best of these in one place. The fact that cNI is doing so online represents an extraordinary step as the industry continues to build its image as a wellpaying and honorable career."
Steve McClain Vice President, Klondyke, Inc.
"Construction industry employees, from the crafts worker to the professional construction manager, need training and education resources available to them conveniently and readily. With a shortfall of over 250,000 employees annually, this becomes even more critical for the people entering the industry. The idea that people can be educated and trained anytime and anyplace is a longoverdo concept."
Tony Rojas Manager, Construction & Engineering Services, Salt River Project

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