Essentials of Project Management

Welcome to Module 1. In this module, you will be introduce to the project management framework. One of the main objectives with this course is to introduce you to project management through a problem-based approach. You will learn how to tackle project management challenges and leave with tangible tools that you can apply to your day-to-day work. We will also approach this course through a global health lens.

This first week will provide you with an introduction to key concepts that you will use throughout the 10 weeks. For starters we will explain some differences between project and program management. We will also discuss the five phases of a project life cycle along with some common challenges associated with each phase.

Another critical topic we will cover is the constraints triangle (time, scope, and budget/resources) and how each of the constraints can impact your project’s success.

Last, you will spend some time reflecting on your own project management experience and skills. This self assessment will be something you can refer back to throughout the course and hopefully by the end of the 10 weeks identify and make plans to address or mitigate those possible weaknesses.

Note: If you have trouble watching the lectures due to a slow Internet connection, try downloading the lecture or the transcript listed below each video. Right click the link and select "Save Link as" to download.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Distinguish between project and program management;
  • Describe the main activities associated with the five phases of a project cycle and challenges associated with each (project initiation; planning; implementation; monitoring, evaluation and control; transition);
  • Name the elements of the constraints triangle (time, scope, and budget or resources) and describe how each could impact project success;
  • List and describe the key skills or practices required by project managers; and
  • Assess strengths and weaknesses in project management skills and make a plan for addressing or mitigating weaknesses.

Video: Essentials of Project Management (18 minutes)

Watch this video lecture about the essentials of project management. It will give you an overview of the difference between program and project management.

Downloads: Video (30 MB), Audio (10 MB), Transcript

Video: Overview of the Constraints Triangle (13 minutes)

This video lecture will introduce you to the constraints triangle and how it correlates with project management.

Downloads: Video (20 MB), Audio (28 MB), Transcript

Reading: Project Challenges (15 minutes)

Read this excerpt on the challenges of managing projects. As you read, think about challenges you have faced when working on projects—either as a manager or as a contributor on a team.

Projects in the Development Sector. PMD Pro: Project Management for Development Professionals Guide. Sections 1.1 and 1.2. PM4NGOs. 2017.

Discussion (20 minutes)

Please post to the discussion forum:

  • Introduce yourself to your group.
  • Review the project challenges cartoon from the reading.
  • Choose one that illustrates a situation you have been in.
  • Briefly (in a few written sentences) offer an example of a typical project failure, as illustrated by the picture you chose.

Example: For one of my projects, the delay illustration best describes what I'm experiencing. I am working on creating an infection prevention and control online training with an international organization who is also involved in fighting an Ebola outbreak. Their team keeps getting sent to countries with Ebola, which means they can't send me content (or review modules) while they are traveling.

Go to Discussion

Video: What Makes a Good Project Manager? Part 1 (10 minutes)

Watch this video with interviews by experienced project managers from different countries. They describe the skills they think are important in project management.

Downloads: Video (32 MB), Audio (9 MB), Transcript

Video: What Makes a Good Project Manager? Part 2 (10 minutes)

Watch this video with interviews by experienced project managers from different countries. They describe the skills they think are important in project management.

Downloads: Video (23 MB), Audio (21 MB), Transcript

Activity: Project Management Self-Assessment (30 minutes)

Complete this short assessment to assess your own project management skills.

Please keep a copy of your assessment and note where you scored high and low. You can refer back to this assessment later in the course, perhaps at the end, to contrast your knowledge and assessment of your own skills in Week 1 to the same in Week 10.

Take a moment to reflect, which skills do you feel you have now? Which do you need to work on? How will you gain this experience?

Video: Mentoring (2 minutes)

Watch this interview with Mr. George Owiso, MPH, MA, in Kenya, about how to improve your project management skills.

Downloads: Video (12 MB), Audio (1 MB), Transcript

Reading: Managing Projects (15 minutes)

This reading gives common project management definitions, describes one model of a project cycle, provides some reasons why projects fail, and suggests some ways to successfully manage projects.

Managing Projects. Capacity Building for Local NGOs: A Guidance Manual for Good Practice. Chapter 6. 2005. Progressio 75. (7 pages)

Reading: Module Summary (5 minutes)

In this module, you learned about the difference between program and project management. Program management is the active process of managing multiple projects or a series of projects as part of an overall program. Project management is the active process of creating plans and managing resources to accomplish a specific assignment or project. A project tends to have discernable outcomes, a timeline, is usually temporary, and has a defined budget and a scope of work.

At the project level, more time is spent doing hands-on problem-solving with clients or your constituents to make the project happen. You are much more likely to be reacting to changes in the timeframe, scope, or budget for your project. It’s much more focused and detailed than program management.

Project managers need to identify, select, and employ the right tools and processes to make sure that a project succeeds throughout its lifecycle: from the assessment and planning and design phases to implementation monitoring and evaluation. But a lot of project management falls into the category of the art of management. For instance, strong project managers need good interpersonal skills. They need to be able to effectively communicate, inspire other people, build teams, and resolve conflict.

And on an even more personal level, self-management skills are needed by a strong project manager. This means being able to recover from setbacks; being able to project an attitude of hope to your team and the people around you; being able to show restraint in your actions and patience in the processes; being able to prioritize when everything at times seems equally important; being able to manage your time and organize your work.

This module also taught you about the phases of project management (which is how this course is organized):

  1. Project identification and design,
  2. Project set up,
  3. Project planning,
  4. Project implementation, and
  5. Project monitoring, evaluation, and control (which occurs throughout each of the phases).

In global health, projects are generally constrained by scope, time, and budget—known as the constraints triangle. All three of these constraints potentially impact on the quality of what you can produce. They also impact one another. Each project is going to be different and will have its own mix of constraints. The constraints triangle can help you be more realistic in your project planning and can help you anticipate challenges that may arise.

It’s important to be proactive in response to the emergence of constraints. When negotiating with people who are applying constraints to your project, be sure you are able to explain how changing that constraint will affect the other factors (e.g., you can speed up the project but that means reducing the scope or dedicating more resources). Be transparent about the impact requested changes will have on the project.

We often manage projects in highly complex environments where challenges are common. That is exactly why project managers with strong project management skills are so important!

Quiz (15 minutes)

Go to Quiz 

*Please note that in this sample course there is no access to the quiz.

Optional Resources

Project Management for Development Organizations
On-demand or instructor-led courses on project management from PM4DEV. Please note that there is a fee for these courses.

  • Fundamentals of Project Management
  • Effective Project Management