Project Management

Date: 23rd and 24th March 2026

Modality:  In-person

Duration: Two days, 9:00am-4:00pm

Price: $2,409 (incl. GST). If you are eligible for the UoA Staff or Auckland Council Training Member discount, please email shortcourses@auckland.ac.nz.

Project management is the process through which you execute and deliver a positive change in an organisation, by planning, directing and controlling resources and activities to produce results within a set time and on budget. It involves technical skills, such as critical path analysis and Gantt charting, and people skills, including motivating, influencing, and managing inter-group conflict.

This course deals with the fundamentals of project management in both traditional and agile environments. It covers methods of planning projects, organisational structures and information management for project teams, project leadership, conflict management, risk management, scheduling and cost control.

This course is highly interactive, including small group work, role plays, breakout sessions and open forum discussion of issues. The primary objective of the course is to provide practical hands-on techniques and approaches that can be applied immediately in the workplace. A set of basic project management tools and templates in electronic form is made available to participants to customise for use in their own work environment.

Short course structure and topics covered:

PM Framework and context

• Definition of project management.
• Key drivers of success.
• Traditional and agile approaches to project management.

Organising and planning

• Roles and responsibilities.
• Planning communications.
• Defining the scope.
• Identifying a timeline.
• Dealing with limited resources.
• Budgeting and cost estimation.

Controlling

• Tracking progress.
• Managing changes.
• Managing issues and risks.
• Health and safety.
• Administrative closure.

Directing

• Servant leadership.
• Conflict as a problem-solving technique.
• Principled negotiation.
• Delegation.
• Inter-personal communication.

Short course benefits and learning outcomes:

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Plan, manage, and deliver small to medium-sized projects successfully, ensuring objectives, timelines, and resources are met.
• Demonstrate leadership skills to influence and motivate people who do not directly report to you in order to achieve project results.
• Evaluate and select appropriate project management approaches (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) based on project needs and context.
• Apply basic project management tools to organise and track project activities.
• Explain and apply the stages of the project management life cycle, from initiation and planning through execution, monitoring, and closure.

Benefits for your organisation:

• Improved probability of business goal achievement.
• Optimal use of resource, reduced cost, and reduced lead time to operational use.
•  Improved coordination of inter-group activity and ability to measure output.

Who should attend? / any entry requirements?

• Any manager or employee who finds themselves managing a project from time-to-time or is new to project management.
• Project team members who wish to understand the environment in which they are working.
• Anyone who would benefit in their role from discipline, planning and forethought.

     Previous participant reviews:

"The content of the course is easily transferable to many workplace situations, giving clear visibility into what an effective project manager should do, and the process that should be followed. I had a particular interest in the session on managing conflict and negotiation; this is a skill every project manager needs to have in their toolkit."
Shannon Thomas, Warehouse Stationery Ltd.

"I thought this was a fantastic course. The content was highly relevant, and I will implement a lot of the learnings in my role."
Laura Broome, National Hauora Coalition   

Payment for short courses is normally by credit card. If you need to pay by invoice or require assistance, please email shortcourses@auckland.ac.nz. Please note that the University does not issue individual invoices for amounts less than $500 New Zealand dollars.