IT Project Leadership
Lead mid-size IT projects: hybrid delivery, governance, earned value, vendors, business cases, technical and security risk, recovery and your path to PMP and program management.
Leads to: IT Project Manager
Before you start
This course builds on Agile Delivery: Scrum & Kanban and Business & Systems Analysis. Take them first if you are new to the topic.
About this course
This mid-level course is for people who already know the basics of project management, agile delivery and business analysis and want to lead real IT projects. Following one running example, a clinic group's online booking portal, you will choose predictive, agile or hybrid delivery for each workstream, influence people who do not report to you and prepare steering committee packs that get decisions made. You will compute earned value indices (CPI and SPI) and a cost forecast, compare fixed-price and time-and-materials contracts, and write a business case with ROI and payback. You will learn to surface technical risk by asking engineers the right questions, build security and privacy gates into the plan, and recover a troubled project. The last module covers PMI's CAPM and PMP credentials (always check the official handbook), the difference between projects, programs and portfolios, and how to grow into program management. Each lesson has a reading, curated free videos and a practical task.
Course content
Module 1
Leading Delivery
3 lessons · 2h 10mChoose predictive, agile or hybrid delivery, influence people who do not report to you, and set up governance and steering committees.
- 35mHybrid and predictive deliveryReading
Choose between predictive, agile and hybrid delivery for each part of an IT project, and explain the choice to a sponsor.
- 54mLeading without authorityReading
Influence engineers, managers and vendors who do not report to you by understanding what they value and building trust.
- 41mGovernance and steeringReading
Set up decision rights, tolerances and escalation for a project, and prepare a steering committee pack that gets decisions made.
Module 2
Money and Contracts
3 lessons · 1h 28mTrack cost and schedule with earned value, choose the right vendor contract, and write a business case with ROI and payback.
- 27mBudgets and earned valueReading
Use earned value management to compare planned value, earned value and actual cost, and compute CPI, SPI and a cost forecast.
- 17mVendors and contractsReading
Compare fixed-price, time-and-materials and cost-reimbursable contracts, and manage vendors through a clear statement of work.
- 44mBusiness casesReading
Write a business case that compares options and shows costs, benefits, ROI and payback, so sponsors can decide whether to invest.
Module 3
Risk and Technology
3 lessons · 2h 10mSurface technical risk early, plan security and privacy gates, and recover a project that is in trouble.
- 52mTechnical risk for PMsReading
Spot the technical risks that sink IT projects and ask engineers the questions that bring them to the surface early.
- 36mSecurity and compliance in projectsReading
Build privacy and security gates into an IT project plan from the start, and know which laws and standards to ask about.
- 42mRecovering a troubled projectReading
Diagnose a troubled IT project, reset scope and plan with stakeholders, and write a recovery plan that rebuilds trust.
Module 4
Credentials and Growth
3 lessons · 1h 26mPlan for PMI's CAPM and PMP, understand programs, portfolios and PMOs, and map your path into program management.
- 35mCAPM and PMPReading
Understand what PMI's CAPM and PMP certifications are for, check your eligibility at the source, and plan your hours and study.
- 15mPortfolios and programsReading
Tell projects, programs and portfolios apart, and explain what a PMO does and how it affects your work as a project lead.
- 36mGrowing into program managementReading
Map the career paths open to an IT project manager and write a development plan for the skills your next role needs.