Practical Project Planning and Control Skills Training Course
1Summary
Most projects don't fail because the plan was wrong on paper — they fail because nobody managed the gap between the plan and what actually happened week to week. This Training Course focuses on that gap: giving everyone involved in project delivery a professional, repeatable way to plan realistically, track progress honestly, and keep a project under control when circumstances change.
Built around well-established project management concepts, methods, and tools, the course is practical rather than theoretical — participants leave with techniques they can apply on their very next project, from scoping and estimating through to leading the team that has to deliver it.
2Objectives and target group
Knowledge and Benefits
After completing the programme, delegates will be able to:
- Apply a professional, systematic approach to managing projects and project activities.
- Define project scope, set realistic objectives, and identify the stakeholders and deliverables that matter.
- Build realistic project plans, determine the critical path, and proactively manage risk.
- Mobilise resources, track performance accurately, and keep the project under control as it progresses.
- Lead project teams effectively — recognising team dynamics, playing to strengths, and managing weaknesses.
Who Should Attend?
- Project managers and directors.
- Project professionals responsible for carrying out project assignments.
- Project administrators, supervisors, and support staff.
- Project owners, clients, contractors, and suppliers.
3Course Content
Module 1: Why Projects Succeed or Fail
- What separates large, complex projects from small, simple ones
- The project life cycle and the real role of project management within it
- Current trends, professional associations, and qualifications shaping the discipline
Module 2: Defining Project Scope and Roles
- Understanding project context, environment, and stakeholder priorities
- Setting realistic objectives and defining scope and deliverables
- Roles, responsibilities, and boundaries — using RACI charts effectively
- Key financial concepts: Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, and Payback Period
Module 3: Building the Project Plan
- Developing a work breakdown structure and specifying work packages
- Building a cost breakdown structure and making preliminary time and cost estimates
- Applying a structured, appropriate project planning method
Module 4: Estimating, Risk, and the Critical Path
- Building a realistic plan with Gantt charts and activity networks
- Identifying the critical path, setting milestones, and securing buy-in from key players
- Qualitative and quantitative risk management, and minimising timescales through trade-offs
- Keeping plans and risk registers alive through continuous updating
Module 5: Controlling Delivery
- Running effective change control processes as challenges arise
- Performance tracking systems: Gantt charts, burn-down charts, and earned value methods
- Proactive versus reactive control, and using early-warning measures
- Managing project communication, decisions, and documentation effectively
Module 6: Leading the Project Team
- Building collaborative working relationships within project teams
- Leadership qualities that build team cohesion through the team development cycle
- Influence, persuasion, delegation, and motivation as leadership tools
- Managing senior stakeholders and applying lean, continuous-improvement thinking