Introduction
Project management for non-project managers, running small workplace projects, is a 5-day course for staff, team leaders and functional managers who deliver projects alongside their main duties, ending with a one-page project plan and status report for a case workplace project. Organisations lose time and budget when internal improvements, office moves, system roll-outs and service launches are run informally, without agreed scope, owners, budgets or progress checks. Nominees already lead or support such initiatives without formal project training, and the course is taught through multi-sector case studies. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this project management for non-project managers course.
Course Objectives
- Distinguish a project from routine operations and place a workplace initiative within the five-phase project lifecycle
- Define project objectives, success criteria, scope boundaries and assumptions in a short project brief
- Break the work into deliverables and tasks, estimate durations and build a milestone plan and simple Gantt chart
- Prepare a simple project budget and a RACI chart that clarifies who decides, who does the work and who is informed
- Track progress with traffic-light updates, a risk and issue log and a change request routine for scope creep
- Run focused project meetings and close projects with handover, acceptance and a lessons learned review
Target Audience
- Staff who are asked to deliver an internal project in addition to their usual workload
- Team leaders responsible for improvement initiatives, roll-outs or launches within their unit
- Functional specialists from finance, HR, IT, operations or service areas who lead cross-team tasks
- Line managers who sponsor or supervise small projects run by their teams
- Administrative and support staff responsible for organising events, relocations or process changes
Course Outline
Day 1: Projects, the Lifecycle and the Part-Time Project Lead
- Project Versus Routine Operations Distinction Using Workplace Examples
- Five-Phase Project Lifecycle From Initiation to Closure
- Triple Constraint of Scope, Time and Cost with Quality
- Part-Time Project Lead Role Alongside Line Responsibilities
- Lightweight Project Tools Compared From Spreadsheets to Kanban Boards
Day 2: Frameworks, Objectives and Scope for Small Projects
- PMBOK Guide and PRINCE2 Principles Explained in Plain Terms
- SMART Project Objectives and Measurable Success Criteria
- Project Brief Template With Purpose, Benefits and Constraints
- In-Scope and Out-of-Scope List with Key Assumptions
- Deliverable-Based Work Breakdown Applying the 100% Rule
Day 3: Planning Time, Money and People
- Task Duration Estimates Using Expert Judgement and Analogous Projects
- Milestone Plan and Simple Gantt Chart in a Spreadsheet
- Simple Project Budget Covering Labour, Purchases and Contingency
- RACI Chart for Sponsor, Lead, Team and Line Managers
- Stakeholder Influence and Interest Quick Map for Small Projects
Day 4: Keeping Small Projects on Track and Closing Them Well
- Traffic-Light Progress Update and Weekly Highlight Report
- Simple Risk and Issue Log With Likelihood and Impact
- Change Request Form and Scope Creep Decision Steps
- Project Meeting Agenda, Decisions and Action Follow-Up
- Project Closure Checklist, Handover and Lessons Learned Review
Day 5: Case Study Work on the One-Page Project Plan and Status Report
- Case Workplace Project Brief Analysis and Scope Definition
- Case Work Breakdown, Milestone Plan and Budget Build
- Case Risk and Issue Log With Change Request Scenario
- Mid-Project Status Report Drafted From Case Progress Data
- One-Page Project Plan and Status Report Completion and Peer Review
Skills You Will Gain
- Project Scoping
- Objective and Success Criteria Setting
- Work Breakdown Structuring
- Duration Estimating
- Small Project Budgeting
- Responsibility Assignment
- Progress Tracking
- Scope Change Control
Why Attend This Course
- Produce a one-page project plan and status report for a case workplace project, ready to share with the line manager or sponsor
- Decide which requests belong inside the agreed scope and which need a formal change request before work starts
- Avoid missed deadlines and budget overruns caused by unclear owners, unrecorded risks and unmanaged additions to the work
- Pass on the project brief, risk and issue log and progress update templates to colleagues who run similar initiatives
Conclusion
Back at work, the participant gives the one-page project plan to the line manager or sponsor, who uses it to approve the scope, budget and milestones of an internal initiative before work begins. During delivery, the status report and risk and issue log give the sponsor an early view of slippage and decisions needed, without a dedicated project office. After the first project closes, the unit should review how accurate the estimates were, which risks occurred and which templates need simplifying for the next initiative.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What do participants need before the project management for non-project managers course?
No formal project training is needed. Participants should currently lead, support or expect to run a workplace initiative alongside their main role. Bringing a real or planned project idea helps them apply the brief, plan and status templates to their own work during the case study sessions.
How does project management for non-project managers differ from an advanced project management course?
It covers the essentials needed to run small and medium workplace projects with simple tools. Integrated baselines, critical path scheduling software, earned value and complex multi-contractor delivery belong to advanced and specialist planning courses and are not taught here.
Why do small workplace projects need a project plan at all in project management for non-project managers?
A short plan agrees the scope, owners, milestones and budget before work starts. Without it, small projects drift as extra requests arrive, people assume someone else owns a task and sponsors learn about delays too late to act.
What do participants take back from the project management for non-project managers course?
Participants return with a one-page project plan and status report built on a case workplace project, plus templates for a project brief, simple budget, RACI chart, risk and issue log and change request that can be reused on their next initiative.
