Practical Project Management in Humanitarian and Development Contexts

Self-Study Certificate Course
Start: Immediate Access
Time: Around 15 hours to complete

Turning Experience into Results

Many humanitarian and development professionals bring strong technical expertise and field experience to their work. However, without systematic project management skills, even experienced practitioners struggle with the complexity of managing a project. Since projects are interconnected systems, one delay or change can cascade through budgets, timelines, and outcomes. Common challenges include:

• Managing by instinct rather than proven methodologies
• Difficulty translating field knowledge into formal plans and budgets
• Struggling with the shift from doing the work to managing the work
• Lack of frameworks for coordinating multiple stakeholders
• Uncertainty about adaptive management when contexts change

This practical training provides the systematic project management foundation that humanitarian and development professionals need, whether you're transitioning into management or seeking to strengthen your existing practice. You'll develop practical tools and frameworks that complement your experience while building confidence across the full project cycle. Through this training, you'll be able to:

• Manage proactively rather than reactively
• Master the complete project cycle from initiation through evaluation
• Develop competencies in budgeting, monitoring, and reporting
• Build confidence in strategic planning and stakeholder coordination
• Integrate best practices into your management approach
• Apply adaptive management when contexts shift

How You'll Learn

This self-paced course combines video lessons, practical exercises, and assessments:

• Video presentations with downloadable transcripts and handouts
• Practical templates and tasks for immediate application
• Reflection exercises to adapt concepts to your context
• End-of-module knowledge checks
• Certificate upon completion

Course developed and presented by Neil Kendrick, founder of ELD Impact, with 25+ years of experience training humanitarian professionals across 20+ countries