Practical Project Management for College Leaders and Managers

This two-day programme is designed for professionals within Further Education and Skills organisations who are expected to manage projects as part of their wider role, rather than as full-time project management specialists.

The programme is relevant for anyone in a leadership position who wishes to develop their project management knowledge and skills. The content is delivered in a way that is relevant to colleagues from across both professional services and learning delivery. For example, senior leaders who are developing plans for V level implementation, middle leaders with specific responsibilities for project planning and delivery and colleagues tasked with ensuring the successful delivery of important projects and change management.

Delegates will develop a practical project management toolkit they can apply immediately. The programme focuses on applying the right level of project management — providing enough structure, clarity, control, and confidence to support successful delivery without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

This two-day workshop will take place on 24th and 25th February 2027 at Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham.

This workshop is suitable for leaders and managers who are responsible for delivering projects, improvements, or change initiatives alongside their existing roles, including:

• Heads of department and curriculum leaders
• Service and operational leads
• Business support managers
• Change and improvement leads
• Managers responsible for implementing new initiatives
• Anyone required to coordinate project activity across teams

• Understand Project Management in an FEA Context
  Explore how practical project management approaches can support improvement, change, and implementation activity within colleges and wider Further Education and Skills organisations.
• Define and Establish Successful Projects
  Develop the ability to clearly define projects from the outset, including objectives, scope, roles, responsibilities, and success criteria.
• Create Practical Project Plans
  Learn how to develop realistic delivery plans that support progress while recognising competing priorities and wider workload pressures.
• Engage Stakeholders Effectively
  Understand how to identify, engage and communicate with stakeholders to build support and maintain project momentum.
• Build and Lead Effective Project Teams
  Develop confidence in coordinating and motivating project teams, including situations where team members are not direct reports.
• Manage Risk, Issues and Change
  Learn practical approaches for identifying risks, managing issues, controlling changes and making informed project decisions.
• Monitor Progress and Communicate Clearly
  Develop the skills needed to track delivery, provide effective updates and communicate confidently with sponsors and stakeholders.
• Support Successful Project Closure and Benefits Review
  Understand how to complete projects effectively through handover, closure, lessons learned and reviewing whether expected benefits have been achieved.

• Identify When Work Requires Project Management
  Ability to recognise when an activity should be managed as a project and apply appropriate project management approaches.
• Create Clear Project Documentation
  Confidence in developing project briefs, initiation documents and key information needed to establish a clear direction.
• Define Scope, Deliverables, and Milestones
  Ability to clarify project boundaries, expected outputs, dependencies, constraints and key delivery milestones.
• Develop Proportionate Project Plans
  Skills to create practical project plans that support successful delivery while remaining realistic and achievable.
• Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
  Ability to establish accountability across project teams and wider stakeholder groups.
• Identify and Manage Project Risks
  Confidence in identifying potential risks and agreeing practical responses to minimise impact.
• Control Issues and Changes Effectively
  Ability to manage emerging issues and project changes in a structured and controlled way.
• Monitor and Report Project Progress
  Develop the confidence to provide clear updates, communicate progress and escalate decisions appropriately.
• Lead Effective Project Meetings
  Skills to facilitate focused, purposeful meetings that result in clear actions and accountability.
• Successfully Close and Transition Projects
  Ability to complete projects effectively, support handover into business-as-usual activity and review lessons learned and benefits achieved.

Eileen Roden

To make a booking, select the number of places required, add them to your cart and you will be directed to our online checkout to pay by credit card.

If you require assistance in completing your online booking, please contact Jack.Moriarty@fea.co.uk

To make a booking and pay by invoice, please complete the form below: