Project Management Basics

Project Management Basics, a learning path on Breni, teaches how to plan and deliver projects using both traditional and agile methods. It contains 8 courses: what project management is, starting a project, planning and scheduling, budgets, agile and Scrum, risk and change, communication, and closing a project. Learners finish able to write a charter, build a Gantt chart, find the critical path and run a sprint. Planning is taught before agile so the two can be compared, with every course unlocking once its predecessor is done.

  • 8 courses
  • 10 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Write a project charter with goals, scope and stakeholders
  • Build a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart with dependencies
  • Find a schedule's critical path and estimate a basic budget
  • Run a two-week sprint with a backlog, stand-ups and a retrospective
  • Keep a risk register and handle change requests without scope creep

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Planning

1. What Project Management Is: Basics

Describe what makes work a project and what a project manager does. Units, in order: Projects compared with ongoing work; The project life cycle; Scope, time and cost; The project manager's role; Waterfall, agile and hybrid approaches.

  • — Projects Versus Ongoing Work
    Learn how projects differ from daily tasks and routine work.
    • What is a project
    • Routine work differences
  • — The Project Life Cycle
    Understand the main stages every project goes through from start to end.
    • Starting and planning stages
    • Executing and closing stages
  • — Scope, Time, and Cost
    Master the triple constraints that balance every project plan.
    • Project scope basics
    • Time and cost limits
  • — The Project Manager Role
    Explore what project managers do to keep work on track.
    • Core manager duties
    • Team leadership basics
  • — Waterfall, Agile, and Hybrid
    Compare traditional, flexible, and combined ways to manage projects.
    • Waterfall method basics
    • Agile and hybrid methods

2. Starting a Project

Define a project's goal, scope and stakeholders before work begins. Units, in order: Writing a project charter; SMART objectives; Identifying stakeholders; Defining what is out of scope; The kickoff meeting.

3. Planning and Scheduling

Turn a goal into a schedule of tasks, dependencies and milestones. Units, in order: Work breakdown structure; Estimating effort; Task dependencies; Gantt charts; The critical path.

4. Budgets and Resources

Estimate what a project will cost and who it needs. Units, in order: Building a project budget; Assigning people to tasks; The RACI chart; Contingency reserves; Tracking spending against plan.

Part 2 · Delivery

5. Agile and Scrum

Run work in short cycles with Scrum and Kanban. Units, in order: The agile mindset; Scrum roles and events; User stories and backlogs; Kanban boards and work in progress limits; Retrospectives.

6. Managing Risk and Change

Spot risks early and handle changes to scope without losing control. Units, in order: Risk registers; Likelihood and impact; Responding to a risk; Change requests; Avoiding scope creep.

Part 3 · Leading projects

7. Project Communication and Teams

Keep a team and its stakeholders informed and working well together. Units, in order: Status reports; Running effective meetings; Handling conflict in a team; Managing stakeholder expectations; Remote and hybrid teams.

8. Closing Projects and Choosing Tools

Finish a project cleanly and pick tools that fit the work. Units, in order: Measuring progress with KPIs; Closing a project and handing over; Lessons learned reviews; Trello, Asana and Jira compared; Planning a small project end to end.

Sample: What Project Management Is: Basics

The opening tier, (Projects Versus Ongoing Work). Learn how projects differ from daily tasks and routine work.

What is a project

Define a project as a unique effort with a clear goal.

Routine work differences

Compare projects with ongoing operations that repeat every day.

Questions about Project Management Basics

Can I learn project management with no experience?

Yes. Project Management Basics on Breni starts with what a project is and builds up to schedules, budgets and sprints.

Does this path prepare me for the PMP or CAPM exam?

No. It teaches the core ideas those exams draw on, but it does not follow any exam syllabus.

What is the difference between agile and waterfall?

Waterfall plans the whole project up front and moves through stages in order. Agile delivers work in short cycles and adjusts the plan as it goes, and the path teaches both.

Which project management tools does the path cover?

The last course compares Trello, Asana and Jira, but the methods work in any tool, including a spreadsheet.

Do I get a certificate for this project management course?

Yes, completing all 8 courses earns a Breni certificate of completion. It is a record of finishing the path, not a professional credential.

Related learning paths

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