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Description

Project Meetings: Preparing Sessions, Leading Discussions and Confirming Decisions

One and a half days to make project meetings produce decisions rather than minutes

  • 1.5 days — 10.5 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Meetings take up a considerable share of any project's time. They follow one another and all look alike: endless round-table introductions, technical topics debated in front of twelve people and decisions pushed back to the next session. Participants end up sending someone else in their place or dealing with their inbox during the meeting.

These 10.5 hours cover the full range of project meetings: kick-off, progress reviews, decision reviews and closure. Participants prepare a real session, practise refocusing a discussion that is going off track and draft a decision log that can actually be used. Virtual facilitation and hybrid formats are addressed during the session.

Learning objectives

  • Select the type of meeting suited to the objective pursued
  • Prepare an agenda that leads to decisions
  • Facilitate discussions while managing time and difficult behaviours
  • Produce a decision log that is followed through
  • Adapt facilitation to virtual and hybrid meetings

What makes this programme different

Each participant facilitates a meeting from their own project and receives feedback from the group
Dedicated work on virtual meetings and silent participants
A decision log template tested on a session that has actually been facilitated

Programme

1Meeting Types and Preparation

One meeting, one objective

  • Kick-off, progress and decision meetings
  • Selecting participants according to the objective
  • Agenda and documents circulated in advance
  • Duration and sequencing of agenda items

2Running the Session

Holding the course and the clock

  • Opening the meeting and restating the framework
  • Prompting and reformulation techniques
  • Managing time and digressions
  • Distributing speaking time among participants

3Difficult Situations and Decisions

Getting the group to decide

  • Handling technical disagreements
  • The dominant participant and the absent participant
  • Decision-making modes and announcing the chosen option
  • Refocusing a discussion that strays from the topic

4Records and Follow-Up

What remains after the session

  • Decision log and action plan
  • Distribution and turnaround time for sending
  • Tracking actions from one session to the next
  • Specific features of virtual and hybrid meetings

Who is it for

Project managers · work package leaders and contributors required to facilitate project meetings.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.