1. Course Overview

This program equips Strategy and Projects Department personnel with the competencies required to design, execute, monitor, and evaluate strategic initiatives within government, NGOs, financial institutions, and private-sector organizations. The course blends strategic thinking, project management, analytical skills, and leadership capabilities to enhance organizational performance.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Interpret and translate organizational strategy into actionable projects.

• Apply modern project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid).

• Conduct strategic analysis using global frameworks.

• Develop project charters, business cases, and implementation plans.

• Manage stakeholders, risks, budgets, and timelines effectively.

• Use data-driven tools for monitoring and evaluation.

• Lead cross-functional teams with confidence and clarity.

• Align departmental initiatives with organizational goals and KPIs.

Target Audience

• Strategy & Planning Officers

• Project Managers and Coordinators

• Monitoring & Evaluation Officers

• Business Analysts

• Departmental Heads and Supervisors

• Professionals transitioning into strategy or project roles

Course Modules

Strategic Foundations & Organizational Alignment

Topics

• Understanding Strategy: Vision, Mission, Values

• Levels of Strategy: Corporate, Business, Functional

• Strategic Planning Cycles

• Environmental Scanning (PESTLE, SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces)

• Translating Strategy into Departmental Priorities

• Strategy Maps & Balanced Scorecards

Practical Activities

• Develop a mini-strategy map for a sample organization

• Conduct a SWOT analysis for participants’ departments

Project Management Essentials

Topics

• Project Life Cycle: Initiation to Closure

• Project Governance Structures

• Project Selection & Prioritization

• Business Case Development

• Project Charter Creation

• Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)

Practical Activities

• Draft a project charter for a strategic initiative

• Create a WBS for a departmental project

Modern Project Methodologies

Topics

• Waterfall vs Agile vs Hybrid Approaches

• Scrum Framework: Roles, Ceremonies, Artifacts

• Kanban for Workflow Optimization

• Choosing the Right Methodology for Strategic Projects

Practical Activities

• Simulated Agile sprint planning

• Kanban board creation exercise

Strategic Project Planning & Execution

Topics

• Logical Framework Approach (LogFrame)

• Gantt Charts & Scheduling

• Resource Allocation & Budgeting

• Procurement Planning

• Quality Management in Projects

Practical Activities

• Build a Gantt chart for a real project

• Develop a LogFrame for a strategic program

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

Topics

• Stakeholder Identification & Mapping

• Power–Interest Grid

• Communication Planning

• Managing Difficult Stakeholders

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Practical Activities

• Create a stakeholder engagement plan

• Role-play: Managing a high-power stakeholder

Risk Management & Compliance

Topics

• Risk Identification, Analysis & Prioritization

• Risk Registers & Mitigation Strategies

• Compliance Requirements (sector-specific)

• Crisis Management & Contingency Planning

Practical Activities

• Develop a risk register for a strategic project

• Scenario-based crisis response simulation

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

Topics

• M&E Frameworks & Indicators

• KPIs, Outputs, Outcomes & Impact

• Data Collection Tools & Techniques

• Reporting Dashboards & Visualization

• Learning & Continuous Improvement

Practical Activities

• Build an M&E plan for a project

• Create a dashboard using sample data

Leadership, Change Management & Team Dynamics

Topics

• Leadership Styles for Strategy & Projects

• Change Management Models (Kotter, ADKAR)

• Building High-Performance Teams

• Conflict Resolution & Negotiation

• Emotional Intelligence in Project Leadership

Practical Activities

• Change management simulation

• Team leadership self-assessment

Digital Tools for Strategy & Project Management

Topics

• MS Project, Trello, Asana, Monday.com

• Data Analysis Tools (Excel, Power BI)

• Automation & AI for Project Efficiency

• Document Management & Version Control

Practical Activities

• Build a project dashboard in Power BI

• Create an automated workflow for reporting

Capstone Project

Participants will work in teams to design and present a full strategic project, including:

• Strategy alignment

• Project charter

• Work plan & budget

• Risk register

• M&E framework

• Final presentation to a review panel

Training Methodology

• Interactive lectures

• Case studies (local & international)

• Group work & simulations

• Hands-on digital tool practice

• Real-world project assignments

• Peer learning & reflective sessions