- Alex Högback
Introductory
Event Organizer(s)
Description
This course provides government officials, project managers, and public sector professionals with a practical foundation in project and grant management for school connectivity. Through concise instructional content, interactive activities, and scenario-based exercises, participants will learn how to initiate, plan, implement, monitor, and close school connectivity projects while managing stakeholder expectations, project risks, donor requirements, and financial compliance. The course introduces key tools and frameworks such as the Project Canvas, Project Charter, Work Breakdown Structures, Gantt charts, bottom-up grant budgets, risk registers, probability–impact matrices, results chains, and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting frameworks. Participants will also explore how to develop realistic schedules and budgets, design stakeholder engagement and communication plans, apply change control and accountability principles, and plan for sustainability beyond donor funding. The course concludes with a Capstone Application Project in which participants apply the tools and frameworks learned to a representative school connectivity scenario.
This course is intended for government officials, public sector professionals, project and program managers, and others involved in the design, implementation, or oversight of school connectivity initiatives, in particular initiatives that are donor funded.
This is an introductory course and is open to all learners. No prior experience in project or grant management is required. Familiarity with school connectivity initiatives and approaches may be useful but is not mandatory.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define project scope, clarify project value, analyse stakeholders, and prepare a structured Project Charter for a school connectivity initiative.
- Develop realistic project schedules using core estimation techniques and prepare bottom-up grant budgets that distinguish direct and indirect costs.
- Manage key stages of the project lifecycle, including initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring, accountability, change control, and closure.
- Apply grant management principles to school connectivity projects, including proposal development, financial compliance, results-based planning, reporting, sustainability, and close-out.
- Identify, assess, prioritise, monitor, and respond to project risks using structured tools such as risk registers and probability–impact matrices.
- Apply the course tools and frameworks to a representative school connectivity scenario through a Capstone Application Project.
The course combines concise instructional content with knowledge checks, interactive activities, and scenario-based exercises that allow participants to apply project and grant management concepts progressively. The learning journey moves from project initiation and planning to implementation, grant management, risk management, monitoring, reporting, and closure. The course concludes with a Capstone Application Project, where participants apply selected tools and frameworks to a representative school connectivity scenario.
Assessment is based on quizzes and problem-solving exercises completed throughout the course. These activities are designed to check understanding of the main concepts and reinforce the application of project planning, budgeting, stakeholder engagement, grant management, risk management, monitoring, reporting, and close-out tools. A final assessment takes place at the end of the course. A total score of 80% or higher is required to obtain the ITU digital badge.
Module 1- Project Initiation, Scope, Value and Stakeholder Alignment
- Define project scope boundaries and articulate the project’s value to key stakeholders.
- Apply the Project Canvas as a one-page strategic planning tool.
- Conduct a stakeholder analysis that informs the Project Charter.
Module 2- Planning for Time, Grant Budgets and Initial Risk
- Apply three core estimation techniques (Analogous, Parametric, and Three-Point) to create realistic project schedules.
- Construct a bottom-up budget that accurately accounts for direct and indirect costs, reducing the risk of overspending.
- Create a preliminary risk register suitable for a project proposal, focusing on immediate operational threats.
Module 3- Project Implementation, Accountability and Closure
- Define the project lifecycle and explain the purpose of each phase from initiation to closure.
- Describe the role and core responsibilities of a project manager in a connectivity programme.
- Conduct a stakeholder analysis and build a stakeholder register for a school connectivity project.
Module 4- Grant Management, Financial Compliance: From Planning to Close-Out
- Define grant management and apply its core principles to school connectivity projects.
- Navigate each stage of the grant life cycle and understand the roles of donors and implementing partners.
- Develop strong proposals, realistic budgets, and compliant grant agreements.
Module 5- Practical Project Risk Identification and Management
- Analyse why managing risks is essential and explain the consequences of ignoring them.
- Apply ISO 31000 principles and PMI risk management processes to school connectivity projects.
- Identify risks systematically using structured methods and classifications.
Module 6- Capstone Application Project
- Extract key information from complex project narratives.
- Apply project management principles to create foundational documents.
- Structure a Project Canvas, Stakeholder Matrix, and Risk Register in a Giga context.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
