This course will be useful for anyone whose primary primary responsibility is not project management, but who manages projects on an informal basis; who contributes as members of a project team; or who wishes to incorporate project management practices into their personal work. You will begin by identifying key processes and requirements of project management. You'll then create a project scope/vision statement and identify essentials skills and risks for a project.

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Project Management: Project Foundations and Initiation
This course is part of Project Management: Predictive/Adaptive Method Fundamentals Specialization

Instructor: Bill Rosenthal
Included with
What you'll learn
In this course, you will identify the key processes and requirements of project management and initiate a project.
Skills you'll gain
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January 2026
1 assignment
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There are 3 modules in this course
You actively participated in a project. Now, you want to move from participating in projects to managing projects. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the basic terminology used in project management, examine the various project management approaches, and identify the leadership roles and responsibilities in a project. To successfully lead and manage a project, you need to be able to use your management skills with sound knowledge of the processes to achieve your goals. By identifying the key elements of effective project management, you can enhance your chances of success in managing a wide range of projects across application areas and industries.
What's included
1 reading7 plugins
You have some knowledge of the project life cycle and the skills required to be a project manager. Having understood the basic elements of project management, you are ready to begin the initial stages of a project. In this lesson, you'll discover how to initiate a project and perform the critical steps involved in laying the foundation for your project's success. Starting a project is like starting a new job; the more you know about the company, your team members, and what is expected of you, the more likely you are to hit the ground running and make a good impression. Ensuring that your project starts out right will not only save you time and resources, but will also eliminate the need to backtrack once your project is officially underway.
What's included
1 video6 plugins
You'll wrap things up and then validate what you've learned in this course by taking an assessment.
What's included
1 reading1 assignment
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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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