How to Develop an Effective Project Management Essentials Course?

[Afi Hazim Zahari]

Hi everyone,

I'm developing a new Project Management Essentials course for my training company and would love your input. Our goals are to create high-quality, easy-to-learn content that remains consistent across different trainers. I've attended courses using project-based learning, which I found very effective.

I’d appreciate your opinions based on your experience in project management:

1. Core Topics: What topics do you think are essential for a foundational course?
2. Teaching Methods: Have you found project-based learning effective for grasping concepts? Any other methods you prefer?
3. Course Duration: How would you structure a 2-day intensive course to ensure comprehensive coverage?
4. Interactive Elements: What types of activities or exercises helped you learn project management effectively?
5. Assessment and Feedback: How do you think participants’ understanding should be assessed and feedback provided?

Your insights would be invaluable. Thank you!

[James Hendrix]

Not a complete list, but ensure you cover the following very PRACTICAL PM skills:

• Risk management
• Scorecards, status reporting, etc.
• Communication management
• Stakeholder and participant management
• Change management
• Project financial management
• Decision management
• Task management

Your assessment level should reflect the stakes of your course. For a training company that is not prescribing any particular method or process (company agnostic) as a matter of course portability, a level two assessment (on the Kirkpatrick Model) is the most common. Ensure your assessment aligns to your course objectives. Write course objectives first, and use Bloom's Taxonomy to align the level of training and assessment you intend. The higher the level of learning (on Bloom's), the better your training, but the more expensive (usually) in terms of time, complexity, and planning required.

Hope this helps!

[Martin Luenendonk]

This sounds like an exciting project! For a foundational course, topics like risk management, stakeholder communication, and task prioritization are critical to cover. I’ve found project-based learning particularly effective because it mirrors real-world scenarios and encourages active participation.

For a 2-day intensive course, I’d suggest starting with foundational concepts on day one and progressing to hands-on exercises on day two. Including case studies or simulated project environments can help participants apply what they’ve learned.

If you're looking to expand your curriculum, you might find this guide on Jira Project How to helpful for integrating tools into project management training.

Wishing you all the best with your course development!