Project management fundamentals for new project leads

For new and aspiring project leads: start, plan, run and close small projects with confidence, using predictive, agile and hybrid methods.

For: New and aspiring project managers and staff who run small projects at work

  • 3 contact hours
  • 9 modules
  • 9 interactives
  • 4 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Explain what a project is, the project life cycle and how predictive, agile and hybrid approaches and the PMBOK Guide principles and performance domains shape project work.
  • Initiate a project with a business case, signed charter, SMART objectives, clear scope and a stakeholder engagement plan.
  • Plan scope, schedule, budget and resources using a work breakdown structure, dependencies, a Gantt chart, the critical path and basic earned value.
  • Identify, assess and respond to risks and issues, and plan communication and responsibilities.
  • Monitor progress, control change, manage quality and report status honestly, escalating with options.
  • Close a project with acceptance, handover and lessons learned, and choose suitable tools.

Learn the fundamentals of project management from first idea to closing: business case, charter, SMART objectives and scope; stakeholder engagement; work breakdown structures, Gantt charts and the critical path; budgets, resources and earned value; risk, issues, quality and change control; reporting, closing and lessons learned. You will practice with real-world scenarios and leave with ready-to-use templates.

Designed for new and aspiring project leads in any sector. Scenarios follow a college registration system upgrade, an ERP rollout, a hotel renovation, a city arts festival, a nonprofit program launch and a software Scrum team.

The course explains predictive, agile (Scrum) and hybrid approaches and the principles and performance domains of the PMBOK Guide, Eighth Edition (2025), in plain language, then focuses on what you will actually do on Monday. It is practical, current and honest: it awards a certificate of completion, not a credential.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Write a one-page charter with SMART objectives and an out-of-scope list, and get it signed.
  2. Turn your to-do list into a deliverable-based WBS and find your critical path.
  3. Give every top risk an owner and a response.
  4. Route the next scope request through a simple change log with impact analysis.
  5. Report status with outcome measures and agreed color definitions.

Curriculum

9 modules · 36 lessons · about 3 contact hours

01What is a project, and what does a project lead actually do?Free preview18 min
  1. Projects versus everyday operations
  2. Who does what on a project
  3. The project life cycle
  4. A word on standards, credentials and this course
  • Sort activity: Project or operations?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

02Which approach fits: predictive, agile or hybrid?20 min
  1. Predictive (plan-driven) approaches
  2. Agile approaches and the Scrum framework
  3. Hybrid approaches
  4. Choosing an approach
  • Decision tree: Which approach fits?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

03What do the PMBOK Guide's principles and performance domains mean in practice?18 min
  1. Principles: how to think
  2. Performance domains: what to pay attention to
  3. Tailoring: right-sizing the method
  4. Using the guide without drowning in it
  • Matching activity: Performance domains

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

04How do you start a project well: business case, charter, objectives and scope?22 min
  1. The business case: why are we doing this?
  2. The project charter: authority in writing
  3. SMART objectives
  4. Scope: what is in, what is out
  • Spot the issue: Spot the weaknesses in a draft charter

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

05Who are your stakeholders, and how do you engage and communicate with them?20 min
  1. Identifying stakeholders
  2. Analyzing and prioritizing
  3. Clarifying responsibilities with a RACI chart
  4. Planning communication
  • Ethics dilemma: The VIP shortcut

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06How do you break down the work and build a schedule?24 min
  1. The work breakdown structure
  2. From work packages to activities and dependencies
  3. Gantt charts, milestones and the critical path
  4. Keeping the schedule realistic
  • Branching scenario: The outreach slip

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

07How do you plan the budget and resources, and track cost?22 min
  1. Estimating costs
  2. Planning and managing resources
  3. Tracking cost: beyond "spent so far"
  4. Lighter-weight tracking for small projects
  • Spot the issue: Spot the warning signs in a status report

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

08How do you manage risks, issues, quality and change?24 min
  1. Risks versus issues
  2. Assessing and responding to risk
  3. Quality: fit for purpose, built in
  4. Change control
  • Sort activity: Name that risk response

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

09How do you monitor, report, close the project and learn from it?24 min
  1. Monitoring: are we on track?
  2. Status reporting and escalation
  3. Closing the project
  4. Lessons learned and choosing tools
  • Self-assessment: Project management habits self-check

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 29 questions, 80% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

The outreach slip

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

The outreach slip

You are Soledad. Learner outreach (on the critical path) is running two weeks late. Enrollment opens in five weeks. What do you do?

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Sort activity2
  • Decision tree1
  • Matching activity1
  • Spot the issue2
  • Ethics dilemma1
  • Branching scenario1
  • Self-assessment1

Job aids you keep

  • Project Lead Checklist: Start to FinishChecklist
  • One-Page Project Charter TemplateTemplate
  • Project Scenario Worksheet: Risk and ChangeWorksheet
  • Project Fundamentals Quick ReferenceReference sheet

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 3 contact hours of instruction. It is not approved or accredited by the Project Management Institute or any other professional body or accreditor, and it does not award professional development units or any credential. If you hold a credential that accepts self-reported education, check that body's rules to see whether this course qualifies, and keep your certificate as a record.

Pathways we may pursue include becoming an Authorized Training Partner so the course can be offered for PMI professional development units, and IACET accreditation. Neither exists today; the course page will show an approval only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Does this course award PDUs or continuing education credit?

No. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for 3 contact hours of instruction. The course is not approved or accredited by PMI or any other body and does not award professional development units directly. If you hold a credential that accepts self-reported learning, check that body's rules to see whether this course qualifies.

Will this course prepare me for a project management certification exam?

No. It teaches practical fundamentals for new and aspiring project leads, referring to the PMBOK Guide, Agile Practice Guide and Scrum Guide descriptively. It is not an exam preparation course and is not affiliated with PMI or any certifying body.

Who is this course for?

New or aspiring project managers and anyone running small projects at work, such as office moves, system upgrades, program launches, events or renovations, in any sector.

Does it cover agile as well as traditional methods?

Yes. It covers predictive, agile (including the 2020 Scrum Guide) and hybrid approaches, how to choose among them and how to tailor them to your project.

How long does it take and how do I pass?

Plan on about three hours across nine modules, with interactive exercises and job aids. The final assessment has 29 questions, including scenarios, and a passing score of 80%.

What will I be able to use afterward?

You will leave with a one-page charter template, a start-to-finish checklist, a risk and change worksheet and a quick reference for key formulas and Scrum timeboxes, ready to use on your next project.

This course is general education and training awareness from CE Courses Hub on project management fundamentals. It is not legal, financial or professional advice and does not replace your employer's policies, your licensing board's rules, or advice from a qualified professional. PMBOK is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, used descriptively; this course is not affiliated with or endorsed by PMI. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.