Project Management Techniques for Development Professionals

Are you involved in managing projects?  Have you ever worked on an IDB financed project or think you might?  If so, this course may interest you.

The IDB is offering a free course on Project Management Techniques for Development Professionals.

Why this Course?

Professionals across the Caribbean are engaged daily in project management activities as they undertake the numerous initiatives designed to change the living standards of the general population.  Cognizance of these challenges, the IDB, given its role as a premier development institution, is making available a free course on Project Management Techniques for Development Professionals through the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) delivery medium, in partnership with EdX.  The course is now being offered in English specifically to cater to Caribbean professionals.

This Online Training on Project Management Techniques for Development Professionals was also designed by the IDB using the PM4R methodology as the conceptual basis for the course.  Related course content, informed by the PMBOK[1] Guidebook, will cover key fundamentals in project management including tools and techniques that facilitate planning, effective communication; cost scheduling and risk management.

At the end of the Modules, participants will be able to solidify their knowledge and hone their skills in effective project management practices and processes which they will use to help them better identify factors that determine how to successfully manage a project.  Those professionals new to the field of project management will be exposed to planning and management skills that will guide them in implementing successful projects.

Who should take this Course?

The course is designed for professionals who have on-the-job experience in project management financed by private sector, public entities and non-governmental organizations.  At the same time, the course is designed, bearing in mind, those professionals who are thinking of entering the field of project management or those who are desirous of developing new skills.

Benefits of the Course for the Caribbean Professional

This course is unique in that it is designed by practitioners within an institution.  The IDB has been engaged in the economic and social development of Latin America and the Caribbean for over 50 years.  As such, the course content and delivery options take account of lessons learned from the expansive work supported by the IDB in the region with a strong focus on results monitoring.  The course therefore demonstrates to the learner how practice is combined with theory, differentiating it from other project management offerings.

The course offers practical ways for addressing project management issues and is therefore suitable for professionals who are already working at various aspects of the project cycle, whether at the initiation, closing or evaluation stage.  It will help them structure their everyday practice according to modern project management methodology.

For those who wish to advance their career in project management, the course serves as a launching pad as it allows for the accumulation of PDUs[2] recognizable by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Also, this course was developed with the new entrants to Project Management in mind.  Accordingly, the online training will expose these participants to a series of modules in modern project management techniques and tools with practical application.

The course is flexible as classes can be taken at your own pace and at your convenience given your availability and access.   Improving your job skills via a MOOC is one way in today’s fast paced world for you to position yourself for a promotion or find a new job or career. The IDB encourages you to take advantage of this flexible, accessible and open education course.

The IDB’s Project Management course in English will start on April 26 and continues through May 2, 2016.  Click here  to sign up.  For US$25 and a passing grade a certificate will be given.

_{[1] A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2013.}

_{[2] Professional development units}

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