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Description

The Occasional Project Manager: Scope, Mobilise Without Authority and Close

Two days to deliver a project entrusted to you on top of your role, without it consuming all your time

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Running projects is not your job title: the assignment comes on top of an already full workload, and you have neither a dedicated team nor line authority over the people contributing. Heavy project management frameworks are out of proportion in this situation and are usually abandoned within a few weeks.

These fourteen hours offer a deliberately minimal toolkit that holds up over time: a one-page scoping document, a simple schedule, a short progress review and an explicit closure. The programme differs from courses aimed at project contributors through its focus on leading the project and making trade-offs.

Learning objectives

  • Scope a project on a single page validated by the sponsor
  • Build a schedule proportionate to the size of the project
  • Secure commitment from contributors over whom you have no authority
  • Run short progress reviews that produce decisions
  • Make trade-offs between the project and day-to-day activity
  • Close the project and hand the outcome over to operations

What makes this programme different

A toolkit reduced to four documents that take minutes a week to maintain
Situations worked on address the realities of limited availability and no authority
Each participant builds the governance set-up for the project they have been given

Programme

1Scoping quickly and well

One page that commits the sponsor

  • Restating the request and what is at stake
  • Scope, deliverables and completion criteria
  • Identifying the contributors required
  • Sponsor sign-off on the scoping document

2Planning in proportion

Just enough schedule

  • Main tasks and decision milestones
  • Rapid effort estimation
  • Allowing for the part-time availability of contributors
  • Buffers and points requiring close attention

3Mobilising without authority

Securing commitments that hold

  • Negotiating availability with line managers
  • Making clear requests with firm dates
  • Sustaining commitment over the life of the project
  • Dealing with repeated failures to deliver

4Steering and closing

Keeping the pace to the finish

  • Short and effective progress reviews
  • Trade-offs between the project and day-to-day activity
  • Escalating to the sponsor when the project drifts
  • Closure, handover and lessons learned

Who is it for

Activity owners, subject-matter experts and first-line managers responsible for a project in addition to their usual duties.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge required

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.