This document provides an overview and outline for a basic Project Libre course. It introduces Project Libre as an open source alternative to Microsoft Project that can read and write Microsoft Project files. The course covers topics like getting started, adding and linking tasks, scheduling tasks, assigning resources, using views and tables, filtering and sorting, and finalizing the task plan. It includes descriptions of key project management and Project Libre concepts for each topic.

1. PRJ101XL – Project Libre
Basic
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2. Project Libre Basic
Note: The basic outline for this course and
much of the material was adapted from a
similar Microsoft Project course (which we
also offer) by Logical Operations, formerly
Element K.

3. Project Libre
 Open Source alternative to Microsoft
Project
 Can read and write Microsoft Project
files

4. PRJ101XL Project Libre Basic
 Introduction (s)
 Facilities
 Course Packet (May vary by course and class)
– Student Questionnaire
– Collaterals (Maps, Catalog, Etc.)
– Copy of PowerPoint slides used
– Evaluation form
– Training certificate

5. 5

6. Project Libre: Basic
1. Getting started
2. Tasks
3. Task scheduling
4. Resource management
5. Views and tables
6. Filters, groups, and sorting
7. Finalizing the task plan

7. GETTING STARTED
Topic 1

8. Project constraints

9. Links between project phases
Initial
phase
Planning
phase
Close-out
phase
Implementation
phase
Monitoring
phase
Initiating
tasks
Planning
tasks
Executing
tasks
Monitoring
tasks
Closing
tasks
Controlling phases and communication

10. Typical project management tasks
Project management tasks
Planning tasks
Monitoring and
tracking tasks
Build the plan
Fine-tune the plan
Link tasks
Assign resources and costs
Set a project start date
Enter task names and duration
Set a baseline
Communicate with the team
Enter actuals
Track variance
Adjust the schedule
Print reports

11. Gantt Chart view

12. A task list in Gantt Chart view

13. Resource Sheet view

14. The Project Libre interface
Ribbon
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15. File commands

16. A sample file in Gantt Chart view
Indicator column Column heading chart pane
Sheet pane
timescale
Gantt bar

17. Open a Project file
1. Click the File Tab
2. Click Open in the ribbon File Group
3. Navigate to and select the Project file
that you want to open
4. Click Open (or double-click the file)

18. Set the project start date
1. Click the File Tab
2. In the ribbon Project Group, click
Information
3. Set the start date

19. Project Information dialog box

20. Save a new project file
1. On the ribbon, click the Save button
(or press Ctrl+S)
2. In the Save As dialog box, navigate to
the location where you want to save
the project file
3. Enter a file name
4. Click Save (or press Enter)

21. TASKS
Topic 2

22. Add tasks to a task list
1. In the Task Name column, select the
cell below the location where you
want to insert the task
2. On the Task tab, click Insert Task
(Or right-click the cell below where you
want to insert the task and choose New)
3. Type the task information in the new
row

23. Delete tasks
 Click Delete on the task tab, or
 Right-click the task and choose
Delete Task

24. Cut and paste a task
1. Click a row number to select the row
2. Click Cut
3. Click the row number below where
you want to insert the cut task
4. Click Paste

25. Drag selected tasks
1. Click the row number to select the
row, or drag across row numbers to
select sequential tasks
2. Drag the selected rows to a new
position in the task list

26. Summary tasks

27. Convert a task into a milestone
1. In the Sheet pane, double-click the
task to open the Task Information
dialog box
2. Click the Advanced tab
3. Check “Display task as milestone”
4. Click Close

28. TASK SCHEDULING
Topic 3

29. When you link tasks:
 Project Libre automatically applies a
Finish-to-Start task dependency
 The start of the second task depends
on the completion of the first task

30. Linking tasks
1. Select the tasks
2. On the Task tab, click the Link button

31. Change a task’s predecessor
1. In the Sheet pane, locate the task
whose predecessor you want to
change
2. In the predecessor column, enter the
task ID of the task that you want to
set as the predecessor

32. Lag time
 A delay that adds time after the
completion of a task
 Example: “Install trim”
– If you add lag time to its predecessor,
“Paint,” the paint will have time to dry
before the trim installation begins
Lead time
 The overlap between dependent tasks
(when a task can start before its
predecessor finishes)

33. Lead and Lag Time

34. Apply lead time or lag time
1. Double-click a task in the Sheet pane
2. Click the Predecessors tab
3. To apply lag time, enter a positive
value in the Lag field for the
predecessor
To apply lead time, enter a negative
value
4. Click OK

35. Nodes in Network Diagram view

36. Dependencies
Dependency Gantt bar example Description
Finish-to-Start (FS) Task B cannot start
unless Task A is finished.
Start-to-Start (SS) Task B cannot start
unless Task A starts.
Finish-to-Finish
(FF)
Task B cannot finish
unless Task A is finished.
Start-to-Finish (SF) Task B cannot finish
unless Task A starts.

37. Task Dependency dialog box

38. Task types
Type Description
Fixed Duration Has a constant time value
Fixed Work Has a constant value for
the total work to be
performed
Fixed Unit Has a constant quantity or
units-of-resource value

39. Task Types

40. Task constraints
Constraint Description
As Late As Possible Schedules a task to start
as late as possible
As Soon As Possible Schedules a task to begin
as early as possible
Finish No Earlier Than Schedules a task to finish
on or after a specified date
Finish No Later Than Schedules a task to finish
on or before a specified
date
continued

41. Task constraints, continued
Constraint Description
Must Finish On Schedules a task to finish
on the specified date
Must Start On Schedules a task to start on
a specified date
Start No Earlier Than Schedules a task to start on
or after a specified date
Start No Later Than Schedules a task to start on
or before a specified date

42. Task Constraints

43. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Topic 4

44. Calendars

45. Create a base calendar
1. On the File tab, click Calendar
2. Click Create New Calendar
3. Type a name for the calendar
4. Select “Create new base calendar” and click OK
5. Make the necessary changes in the calendar
6. Specify the calendar exceptions and working times
for the work days
7. Click OK
8. On the Ribbon, click Information
9. Select the new base calendar and click OK

46. Change Working Time
This change made Saturdays a work day

47. Resource types
 Work resource
– Performs work on a task
– Examples: people, equipment
 Material resource
– Item used to perform work on a task
– Examples: paint, wood, steel, fuel

48. Create a resource calendar
1. In Resource Sheet view, in the Name
field, select the resource to which you
want to assign a calendar
2. On the Resource tab, click Calendar
3. Make the necessary changes in the
calendar and click OK
4. Click OK

49. Assign resources
1. Switch to Gantt Chart view
2. Select the task to which you want to
assign a resource
3. On the Task tab, click Assign
Resources
4. Select a resource and click Assign
5. Click Close

50. Assign Resources

51. Assign a resource to multiple tasks
1. Hold down Ctrl and select the tasks
to which you want to assign a
resource
2. Open the Assign Resources dialog
box
(Or open the dialog box first and then
select tasks in the Sheet pane)
3. Select the resource name and click
Assign
4. Click Close

52. Assign multiple resources to a task
1. Open the Assign Resources dialog
box
2. Select the task to which you want to
assign multiple resources
3. Select the resource you want to
assign
4. Press and hold Ctrl, and select the
other resource name(s) that you want
to assign to the task
5. Click Assign, and then click Close

53. Task Calendars
 Create a new calendar
 Open Task Information Dialogue
 Assign task calendar under advanced
tab

54. VIEWS AND TABLES
Topic 5

55. Views
 Click the View Tab
 Select the view
 Select a sub-view if desired

56. Insert a column
1. Right-click the column heading that’s
to the right of where you want to
insert the column
2. Choose Insert Column
3. Select the column name and click OK
4. Resize the column as needed

57. FILTERS, GROUPS AND
SORTING
Topic 6

58. Filter a view
1. Click the View tab
2. From the Filter list, select a filter
3. To return to an unfiltered view,
choose [No Filter] from the Filter list

59. Find
1. In the Sheet pane right click the
column header
2. Do either of the following:
– Select the field
– Type in the search term and click Find

60. A grouped task list

61. Grouped Task List

62. Group a task list
1. Click the View tab
2. Click grouping select list and select a
group option

63. Sort a task list
1. Click the View tab
2. Click Sorting select list and select a
sort option

64. FINALIZING THE TASK PLAN
Topic 7

65. Slack
 The amount of time you can delay
tasks without affecting the project
schedule
– Free slack — The amount of time a task
can be delayed before it delays another
task
– Total slack — The amount of time a task
can slip without delaying the project
completion date

66. Make a task non-effort-driven:
1. Double-click the task name to open
the Task Information dialog box
2. Click the Advanced tab
3. Clear Effort driven and click OK

67. Resource Usage view

68. Options to level resources manually
 Replace the over-allocated resource
with an under-allocated resource
 Assign an additional resource to the
task
 Reduce the work assignments for a
task, and increase the duration for its
completion
 Increase the working time of the
resource

69. Project Libre Basic
 Please fill out your evaluations and
submit them to your instructor
 Enjoy using Project Libre!
 If you want to know more: PRJ102XL
(Project Libre Advanced - monitoring & tracking
projects)