Planning a project is one thing. Deciding how to respond when the plan meets reality is another.

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Throughout this program, you will manage a simulated project that evolves from session to session. You will plan, make decisions, and respond to changes, constraints, and unexpected situations as you take the project from initiation to closure.

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So you can be better prepared for the challenges of managing a real project.

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Who is this program for?

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This program is designed for professionals who want to build a structured understanding of project management and become better prepared to apply it in real work situations. Previous experience in a Project Manager role is not required.

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This program may be right for you if you:

• are planning to move into a Project Manager role;

• already manage a project or part of a project and want to structure your knowledge;

• are taking on greater project responsibility in your current role;

• are a specialist or team member who wants to develop the knowledge needed to manage a project as a whole;

• know some project management tools but want to understand how they connect across the full project lifecycle.

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Methodological Foundation

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The program is informed by PMI project management standards and the PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition.

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What will you learn?

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By the end of the program, you will know how to:

• initiate and structure a project effectively;

• connect a project to organizational goals;

• define project objectives, outcomes, and success criteria;

• manage requirements and project scope;

• plan activities, dependencies, and timelines;

• plan and manage resources;

• develop and control a project budget;

• identify, assess, and manage risks;

• define and control quality;

• manage procurement and suppliers;

• manage stakeholders and project communications;

• monitor project performance and identify deviations early;

• assess the impact of changes and manage change;

• apply Agile (Scrum) in an appropriate project environment;

• balance project constraints and assess possible courses of action in complex situations;

• close a project properly and evaluate the results achieved.

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Practical Approach

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Throughout the program, participants will work on a simulated project that evolves from session to session.

They will develop key project documents, respond to changes and constraints, and make decisions that influence how the project develops.

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Participants will not only learn project management tools but also practise making decisions, evaluating outcomes, and adjusting their approach when necessary.

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At each stage, they will receive feedback on their work, decisions, and chosen approach.

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AI Tools in Practical Work

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AI is not taught as a separate theoretical topic in this program.

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Instead, you will learn to use AI within the project management workflow where it can support information processing, accelerate work, and assist in preparing project documentation.

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The program will also focus on evaluating AI-generated outputs: what you can rely on, what needs to be verified, and where professional judgment from the project manager remains essential.

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Certificate

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Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate from KN Institute for Leadership & Resilience.

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Program Syllabus

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Session 1 — How to Start a Project Effectively

• What a project is and how it creates value

• How projects connect to organizational goals and strategy

• Key project management approaches: Predictive, Agile, and Hybrid

• Selecting and tailoring the project management approach to the project context

• The internal and external project environment

• Key project roles and responsibilities

• Project governance and decision-making authority

Practical work: Analyze the initial information and environment of the simulated project: what do we know, what information is missing, and what needs to be clarified before project planning begins?

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Session 2 — How to Define the Project's Purpose and Foundation

• Identifying the project need

• Defining the project objective

• Expected outcomes

• Success criteria

• Assumptions and constraints

• Identifying key stakeholders

• Key components of the Project Charter

Practical work: Develop the Project Charter based on the additional information provided.

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Session 3 — How to Define Project Scope

• Identifying and clarifying requirements

• Defining project deliverables

• Defining project scope

• What is included and excluded from the project

• Breaking work down into manageable components

• Defining acceptance criteria

• Preventing uncontrolled scope growth

Practical work: Clarify project requirements and scope and develop the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

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Session 4 — How to Plan the Project Schedule

• Defining project activities

• Activity sequencing and dependencies

• Estimating activity durations

• Defining key milestones

• Developing the project schedule

• Visualizing the schedule

Practical work: Develop the project schedule based on the WBS and assess the impact of a new constraint.

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Session 5 — How to Plan and Manage Project Resources

• Human, material, and other project resources

• Assessing resource requirements

• Resource availability and workload

• Assigning roles and responsibilities

• Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI)

• The impact of resource constraints on the project

• Key principles of effective teamwork

Practical work: Plan project resources and responsibilities, develop a RACI matrix, and revise the plan in response to a new resource availability constraint.

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Session 6 — How to Develop and Manage the Project Budget

• Estimating project costs

• Developing the project budget

• Contingency reserves

• Budget constraints

• The relationship between budget, scope, schedule, and resources

Practical work: Develop the project budget based on the existing scope, schedule, and resource plan and assess the impact of a budget constraint.

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Session 7 — How to Manage Stakeholders and Communication

• Identifying and analyzing stakeholders

• Assessing stakeholder interests, influence, and expectations

• Planning and managing stakeholder engagement

• Identifying project information needs

• Communication channels and frequency

• Reporting to support decision-making

• Communicating project status effectively

• Managing difficult communication, disagreement, and expectations

Practical work: Develop the project's stakeholder and communication approach and respond to a challenging communication situation that emerges within the project.

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Session 8 — How to Manage Project Risks

• Identifying project risks

• Formulating risks effectively

• Assessing probability and impact

• Prioritizing risks

• Developing risk responses

• Assigning risk owners

• Reserves and contingency actions

• Monitoring risks

Practical work: Develop the project's risk register, assess risks, and plan responses. As the project evolves, reassess risks based on new information and determine appropriate actions.

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Session 9 — How to Manage Quality in a Project

• Defining quality requirements

• Acceptance criteria

• Quality planning

• Quality assurance

• Quality control

• Identifying and managing quality issues

Practical work: Define the project's quality requirements and control approach and assess a quality issue that emerges during execution against the established acceptance criteria.

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Session 10 — How to Manage Procurement and Suppliers

• When external procurement is needed

• Defining procurement needs

• Supplier selection criteria

• Evaluating proposals

• Key contract types

• Project risks associated with contracts

• Monitoring and managing supplier performance

Practical work: Evaluate supplier options for the project, justify the selection, and assess and manage a challenging situation related to the selected supplier's performance.

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Session 11 — How to Monitor and Control Project Performance

• Comparing the project plan with actual performance

• Identifying and analyzing variances

• Key performance indicators and milestones

• Determining corrective actions

Practical work: Compare the project plan with actual performance data, assess variances and their causes, and determine the next actions.

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Session 12 — How to Manage Project Changes

• What constitutes a project change

• Receiving and assessing change requests

• Change impact analysis

• Assessing options and trade-offs

• Change approval

• Change control

Practical work: Assess the impact of a significant change request on scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, or stakeholders; compare possible options and justify your recommendation.

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Session 13 — How to Apply Agile (Scrum) in Project Management

• When an Agile approach is appropriate

• Core Agile principles

• Key Scrum accountabilities

• Key Scrum events and artifacts

• Tailoring the approach to project needs

Practical work: Assess a specific part of the ongoing project to determine whether an Agile approach is appropriate and develop a suitable way of working.

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Session 14 — How to Manage a Project Through Complexity and Deliver Results

• Seeing the project as an integrated whole

• The interrelationship between scope, time, budget, resources, quality, and risk

• Assessing multiple simultaneous issues

• Setting priorities

• Evaluating options and trade-offs

• Making and justifying decisions

• Escalating issues to the appropriate level

• Acceptance and handover of project deliverables

• Project closure

• Evaluating project results, value delivered, sustainability considerations, and overall success

• Capturing lessons learned

Practical work: Assess the final state of the project developed throughout the previous 13 sessions, prioritize multiple simultaneous issues, evaluate possible actions and trade-offs, make and justify decisions, close the project, and review the results and lessons learned.

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Program Details

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• Duration: 14 live online sessions | 38 hours

• Format: Small cohort (online)

• Language: English

• Start date: 23 October

• Founding Cohort Fee: €320

• Learning materials: Topic readers, project templates, and simulation materials

• Certificate: Certificate of Completion

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Trainer — Kristine Nachkebia, PMP®, PMI-ACP®

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Project and program professional with extensive international experience across multiple sectors. PMP®  (2016) and PMI-ACP® (2023) certified. See detailed profile here.

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After registration, you will receive information about the program schedule and next steps.