Developing Project Management Skills

Why it’s important

Project management is important for all of us who work in universities for several reasons:

1. Efficient use of resources: including funding, equipment, and personnel. Project management helps ensure that these resources are used effectively and efficiently.

2. Meeting deadlines: This is particularly important when there are grant or funding requirements that need to be fulfilled.

3. Collaboration among multiple researchers, staff, and departments. Project management helps ensure that everyone is working together effectively and efficiently towards a common goal.

4. Risk management: Projects in universities can be complex and involve many uncertainties. Project management helps identify potential risks and develop plans to mitigate them.

5. Quality control: To ensure that the research is conducted to the highest standards of quality.

6. Communication with stakeholders, such as funding agencies, institutional leaders, and the public. Project management helps ensure that communication is clear, effective, and timely.

In summary, project management is important for us because it helps ensure that projects are completed on time, on budget, and to the highest standards of quality. It also helps facilitate collaboration, risk management, and effective communication.

Project management skills are also highly transferable within the research context in any organisation, within the HE environment, and for roles in other sectors. Benefits from time spent developing such skills include increased effectiveness in your current role, and a broader range of career prospects.

How we can help

Here are some ways that we can support you in developing your project management skills:

Webinars are a great way to learn project management skills. They are usually short and focused on a specific topic, which can be beneficial if you're looking to learn something specific.

PODs project management webinars are currently in development.

LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that provides courses on a wide range of topics, including project management. The courses are taught by experienced professionals, and you can access them at your own pace.

LinkedIn Learning also offers a certification program in project management. The University pays for a license so that staff can access training at no cost.

Access to training: Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education offers several online and in person courses on project management.

These courses are very popular and we recommend booking in advance to secure a place. As a member of University staff, POD have agreed a 20% discount on the course fees for you. Courses include:

Participating in face-to-face training: Joining a training session can be beneficial if you prefer to learn in a classroom setting or if you want to network with colleagues, learning from real life experiences.

POD are currently running a pilot programme in Project Management essentials. Please check back as dates will be released termly.

In summary, there are many ways to develop your project management skills, including webinars, LinkedIn Learning, access to training, and attending face-to-face training.

Choose the method that best fits your learning style and schedule.

If you are interested in our project management training

Sign up here