About This Course
Engineering projects are growing in complexity, scale, and cross-functional scope. Yet many technically brilliant engineers find themselves underprepared when they are asked to lead teams, manage budgets, negotiate with stakeholders, or report to executive boards. The transition from individual contributor to project leader demands an entirely different toolkit — one that combines rigorous project management discipline with the interpersonal and strategic skills of effective leadership.
TrainingComplex's Engineering Project Management & Technical Leadership course is designed specifically for that transition. Over five intensive days, participants work through the full project lifecycle — from scope definition and schedule planning through execution, risk management, quality assurance, and close-out — using frameworks drawn from PMI's PMBOK, FIDIC contract principles, and agile engineering practices. Real-world African and global infrastructure and industrial case studies anchor every concept in practical reality.
Beyond the technical project management content, the course dedicates significant attention to the human side of leadership: building high-performance engineering teams, managing conflict, communicating technical information to non-technical decision-makers, and influencing without authority. Participants leave not only with a structured project management methodology they can apply immediately, but also with greater self-awareness and confidence as leaders of technical teams and programmes.
Who Should Attend
- - Civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers transitioning into project or programme management roles
- - Engineering project managers seeking to formalise and strengthen their methodology and leadership approach
- - Construction and infrastructure site managers responsible for multi-disciplinary teams
- - Technical team leaders in energy, water, telecommunications, and manufacturing sectors
- - Senior engineers aspiring to head-of-department or director-level positions
- - Government and parastatal engineers overseeing capital works and public infrastructure programmes
Learning Objectives
- - Apply the full engineering project lifecycle framework from initiation through close-out using PMI and FIDIC-aligned approaches
- - Develop a comprehensive project charter, work breakdown structure, and integrated project schedule for a technical project
- - Identify, assess, and respond to engineering project risks using quantitative and qualitative risk analysis tools
- - Manage project budgets, track earned value, and report cost and schedule performance to senior stakeholders
- - Lead and motivate multi-disciplinary engineering teams using situational leadership and coaching techniques
- - Communicate complex technical information effectively to non-technical executives, clients, and regulators
- - Manage engineering contracts, contractor performance, and change control processes in line with industry standards
- - Implement quality management plans and conduct technical audits to ensure project specifications are met
- - Apply agile and hybrid project management principles to fast-changing engineering environments
- - Develop a personal technical leadership development plan aligned to career and organisational goals
Course Modules
Module 1: Engineering Project Management Foundations
- The engineering project lifecycle: phases, gates, and governance
- PMI PMBOK and FIDIC frameworks adapted for engineering contexts
- Defining project success criteria beyond time, cost, and scope
- Project initiation: developing a robust project charter and business case
- Roles and responsibilities of the project sponsor, project manager, and technical authority
- Establishing project governance structures: steering committees, reporting cadence, and decision rights
Module 2: Scope, Schedule, and Work Breakdown Structure
- Defining and decomposing engineering scope using WBS methodology
- Sequencing activities and identifying critical path using CPM and PERT
- Building a realistic integrated master schedule with resource loading
- Managing scope creep: change control boards and variation management
- Applying schedule float analysis and near-critical path monitoring to reduce delivery risk
- Integrating procurement and long-lead item milestones into the master schedule
Module 3: Engineering Project Cost Management
- Developing engineering cost estimates: bottom-up, analogous, and parametric methods
- Project budgeting, contingency reserves, and management reserves
- Earned value management: CPI, SPI, and forecasting to completion
- Cost reporting to clients, boards, and financiers in infrastructure projects
- Identifying and controlling cost drivers specific to engineering and construction environments
- Life-cycle costing principles and their application in capital project investment decisions
Module 4: Risk Management in Engineering Projects
- Risk identification techniques: HAZID, HAZOP, bow-tie analysis, and risk registers
- Qualitative and quantitative risk assessment for technical projects
- Risk response strategies: mitigation, transfer, acceptance, and contingency planning
- Monitoring and controlling residual risks throughout the project lifecycle
- Monte Carlo simulation and probabilistic cost and schedule risk analysis
- Integrating risk management into engineering design reviews and procurement decisions
Module 5: Engineering Contract Management
- FIDIC contract suites: Red, Yellow, Silver, and Gold Books overview
- Drafting and negotiating key contract clauses for engineering works
- Contractor and subcontractor performance management
- Handling claims, disputes, and contract close-out procedures
- Understanding NEC4 contract options and their application alongside FIDIC in engineering projects
- Managing the contract administrator and engineer roles: duties, authorities, and liability exposure
Module 6: Quality Management and Technical Assurance
- Developing a project quality management plan aligned to ISO 9001
- Inspection and test plans, hold points, and witness points in construction
- Conducting technical audits and non-conformance management
- Handover, commissioning, and as-built documentation standards
- Root cause analysis techniques for recurring quality failures in engineering projects
- Managing supplier and subcontractor quality surveillance and third-party certification requirements
Module 7: Technical Leadership and Team Management
- Situational leadership models applied to engineering team dynamics
- Building and sustaining high-performance multi-disciplinary project teams
- Managing conflict, underperformance, and difficult conversations on site
- Coaching and mentoring junior engineers for succession and capability growth
- Leading geographically dispersed and cross-cultural engineering teams on international projects
- Fostering psychological safety and a speak-up culture to support technical risk identification
Module 8: Stakeholder Engagement and Technical Communication
- Stakeholder mapping and influence strategies for engineering projects
- Presenting technical information to boards, clients, and regulators
- Writing effective engineering project reports, executive summaries, and briefs
- Managing community, environmental, and regulatory stakeholder expectations
- Developing and executing a stakeholder communication plan aligned to project phases
- Navigating media, public inquiry, and crisis communication scenarios in high-profile infrastructure projects
Module 9: Agile and Hybrid Approaches in Engineering Projects
- Principles of agile project management and their applicability to engineering
- Hybrid frameworks: combining waterfall and agile for infrastructure projects
- Sprint planning, backlog management, and iterative delivery in technical contexts
- Scaling agile across large engineering programmes and multi-site projects
- Using Kanban and visual management boards to improve workflow transparency in engineering teams
- Measuring velocity, cycle time, and delivery predictability in hybrid engineering project environments
Module 10: Project Close-Out, Lessons Learned, and Leadership Development Planning
- Engineering project close-out: final accounts, punch lists, and handover protocols
- Conducting structured lessons-learned reviews and knowledge capture
- Building a project management office (PMO) capability within engineering departments
- Personal technical leadership development: self-assessment and 90-day action planning
- Benchmarking project performance against industry KPIs and feeding insights into organisational standards
- Designing a career development roadmap that integrates technical expertise with programme leadership credentials
Requirements & Prerequisites
- A minimum of three years of professional engineering or technical project experience
- A degree or higher national diploma in any engineering, built environment, or applied science discipline
- Basic familiarity with project scheduling concepts (e.g. Gantt charts, milestones)
- Participants should bring a real or representative project from their work context to use during practical exercises
Training Methodology
- This course uses a blended, experiential learning methodology designed to maximise practical application and peer learning. Each day combines facilitated instruction with structured workshop activities in which participants apply concepts directly to engineering project scenarios drawn from infrastructure, energy, construction, and manufacturing sectors. Case studies of real-world projects — including both successful and failed engineering programmes across Africa and the Middle East — are used to surface critical lessons and spark discussion. Participants work in cross-functional syndicates to simulate the dynamics of real project teams, tackling challenges in scheduling, risk response, stakeholder communication, and team leadership. Individual reflection exercises and a personal leadership assessment instrument help participants identify their leadership style and development priorities. On the final day, each syndicate presents a full project management plan for a capstone project, receiving structured feedback from the facilitator and peer groups. Participants leave with a comprehensive toolkit of templates, checklists, and frameworks they can apply immediately in their organisations.
Organisational Benefits
- - Improved on-time and on-budget delivery of engineering and capital projects
- - Stronger internal technical leadership pipeline reducing reliance on external consultants
- - Reduced rework, cost overruns, and scope creep through disciplined project controls
- - Enhanced stakeholder confidence through professional project reporting and governance
- - Better risk anticipation and mitigation, reducing costly project disruptions
- - Higher team productivity and morale through more effective engineering leadership
- - Consistent application of project management standards across engineering departments
- - Improved contractor and vendor management leading to better contract outcomes
Where Is Engineering Project Management & Technical Leadership Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Arusha, Addis Ababa, Kisumu, Pretoria, Zanzibar, Nakuru, Dubai, Nairobi, Abuja, Mombasa, Kigali, Riyadh, Lagos, Cape Town, Naivasha, Kampala, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,100 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
10 Oct 2026 – 1 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,500 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
+237 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal project management certification to attend this course?
No formal certification is required. The course is designed for experienced engineers who may not hold a PMP or PRINCE2 qualification but bring substantial practical project experience. The content complements and provides a strong foundation for those who may later pursue formal certification.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend all five days and complete the capstone project presentation will receive a TrainingComplex Certificate of Completion in Engineering Project Management & Technical Leadership. The certificate can be used for professional development records and CPD submissions.
Is this course relevant to both construction and non-construction engineering sectors?
Absolutely. While several case studies draw from infrastructure and construction environments, the frameworks and leadership content apply equally to mechanical, electrical, process, telecommunications, and energy engineering projects. Participants are encouraged to contextualise exercises using projects from their own sector.
What materials and tools will participants use during the course?
All participants receive a comprehensive course workbook, a set of editable project management templates (project charter, risk register, WBS, schedule template, stakeholder matrix, and quality plan), and access to TrainingComplex's post-training digital resource library for 90 days after the course.
Can this course be customised and delivered in-house for our engineering department?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers fully customised in-house delivery of this course tailored to your organisation's project portfolio, contract environment, and leadership challenges. In-house programmes can also incorporate live project reviews and bespoke case studies. Contact us for a scoping conversation and proposal.
