About the course
Develop postgraduate competence in planning and governing projects. You will evaluate delivery approaches, coordinate resources and produce evidence-based controls for cost, risk, quality and stakeholder expectations.
What you'll learn
- Develop a justified project scope and delivery plan.
- Analyse schedule, resource and cost relationships.
- Select controls for project risk and quality.
- Compare predictive and adaptive approaches for a case.
- Evaluate project benefits and communicate decision-ready reports.
Requirements
- Entry requires a relevant bachelor’s degree or an assessed equivalent. English Language is required. BMIT assesses any professional registration, prior practice or supervised-placement requirement specific to this postgraduate diploma.
- African Kalanga is a compulsory graduation subject in every year of this programme. BMIT confirms the approved entry route, any recognition of prior learning and access to required practical facilities before enrolment.
Course content
Subjects in this programme
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
13 subjects are listed below, with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundations
- Project Management Foundations. Organise a defined piece of work with a clear objective, scope and responsibilities. You will distinguish projects from continuing operations and prepare basic plans for time, resources and communication. The module develops practical records for monitoring progress and recording agreed changes.
- Project Scheduling and Resource Planning. Translate project work into a realistic schedule and resource plan. You will examine activity dependencies, estimate effort and assess the consequences of resource constraints. Activities require visible assumptions and comparisons between an initial baseline and changes affecting delivery dates or available capacity.
- Project Finance and Cost Control. Plan project expenditure and monitor the relationship between cost and progress. You will estimate resources, develop a budget and analyse changes against a baseline. Cases distinguish cash flow, committed expenditure and performance measures, with clear explanations of the assumptions supporting forecasts.
- Project Risk, Quality and Procurement. Coordinate uncertainty, quality requirements and purchased resources within a project. You will develop risk responses, plan quality checks and define supplier responsibilities. Cases connect these decisions with project scope and schedule so controls support delivery rather than becoming detached administrative records.
- Project Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement. Coordinate project work through clear responsibilities, constructive communication and stakeholder participation. You will analyse interests, manage team relationships and prepare responses to conflict. Activities connect leadership choices with project constraints, stakeholder expectations and the need to document decisions and unresolved concerns.
Stage 2: Core subjects
- Agile and Adaptive Project Delivery. Organise iterative work where requirements develop through feedback. You will compare predictive and adaptive approaches, prioritise a backlog and review completed increments. Cases require a reasoned choice of approach and show how governance, quality and stakeholder accountability still apply during adaptation.
- Programme and Portfolio Management. Coordinate related projects and choose investments against organisational priorities. You will examine dependencies, benefits and resource competition, then design governance and review arrangements. Cases emphasise the difference between completing project outputs and achieving the wider change or service improvement expected from a programme.
- Procurement Contracts and Negotiation. Prepare and administer purchasing agreements with clear requirements and responsibilities. You will plan negotiation, examine performance provisions and manage variations or disputes. Cases distinguish a commercially useful agreement from unsupported legal assumptions and use the jurisdiction specified in the assessment materials.
- Quality Management and Improvement. Examine how quality is designed, monitored and improved in goods and services. You will define requirements, analyse variation and investigate causes of failure. The module connects improvement tools with customer evidence, process ownership and the practical need to verify whether a change works.
- Research Methods and Evidence Analysis. Plan an enquiry suited to a specific social or organisational question. You will compare qualitative and quantitative approaches, prepare ethical data collection and assess evidence quality. The module connects research questions to sampling, analysis and clear reporting of uncertainty and limitations.
- Applied Project Management Portfolio. Integrate planning, delivery and evaluation in a complete project management case. You will maintain consistent scope, schedule, cost and risk records, then explain changes and lessons. The portfolio demonstrates how management decisions respond to evidence throughout a project's life cycle.
African History and Pan Africanism
- African History and Pan Africanism 101 (Level 1, compulsory core module): Study African history through oral, written and archaeological evidence. Examine the diversity of African societies, knowledge and exchange, then trace the emergence of Pan African ideas about identity, solidarity and self-determination.
- African History and Pan Africanism 201 (Level 2, compulsory core module): Examine colonial change, resistance and liberation across Africa, with attention to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Compare Pan African movements, organisations and debates, including contributions from women, workers and diaspora communities.
Assessment and practical learning
- Planning, scheduling and cost exercises.
- Project-risk and delivery-method case assessments.
- An integrated project dossier and oral defence.
Practical application
Produce a proposed project dossier from a realistic organisational brief. Include a business case, scope, schedule, budget, risk register, communication arrangements and a benefits-review plan.
African History and Pan Africanism practical learning
- African History and Pan Africanism 101: Create an annotated timeline or digital learning poster on a selected African society or historical development. Compare at least two credible sources and explain one connection with your field of study.
- African History and Pan Africanism 201: Develop a comparative case study of a liberation issue or Pan African debate relevant to Southern Africa. Use a historical document alongside a scholarly account and explain differences in purpose and interpretation.
Subject descriptions
Each subject below includes its purpose, learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment approach.
Project Management Foundations
Stage 1: Foundations
Organise a defined piece of work with a clear objective, scope and responsibilities. You will distinguish projects from continuing operations and prepare basic plans for time, resources and communication. The module develops practical records for monitoring progress and recording agreed changes.
Learning outcomes
- Define a project scope
- Build a work breakdown structure
- Report project progress
Main topics
- Project purpose
- Life cycle
- Scope
- Work breakdown
- Responsibilities
- Progress reporting
Practical task
Prepare a project charter, work breakdown and progress report for a small initiative.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Project Scheduling and Resource Planning
Stage 1: Foundations
Translate project work into a realistic schedule and resource plan. You will examine activity dependencies, estimate effort and assess the consequences of resource constraints. Activities require visible assumptions and comparisons between an initial baseline and changes affecting delivery dates or available capacity.
Learning outcomes
- Construct a project schedule
- Calculate a critical path
- Resolve a resource conflict
Main topics
- Activity definition
- Dependencies
- Estimation
- Critical path
- Resource loading
- Schedule control
Practical task
Develop a linked project schedule with a resource-adjustment scenario.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Project Finance and Cost Control
Stage 1: Foundations
Plan project expenditure and monitor the relationship between cost and progress. You will estimate resources, develop a budget and analyse changes against a baseline. Cases distinguish cash flow, committed expenditure and performance measures, with clear explanations of the assumptions supporting forecasts.
Learning outcomes
- Prepare a project budget
- Analyse cost performance
- Forecast completion expenditure
Main topics
- Cost estimation
- Budgeting
- Cash flow
- Cost baselines
- Performance measures
- Forecasts
Practical task
Produce a project budget and a cost-control report from supplied progress data.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Project Risk, Quality and Procurement
Stage 1: Foundations
Coordinate uncertainty, quality requirements and purchased resources within a project. You will develop risk responses, plan quality checks and define supplier responsibilities. Cases connect these decisions with project scope and schedule so controls support delivery rather than becoming detached administrative records.
Learning outcomes
- Prepare a project risk response
- Define an acceptance criterion
- Plan a project purchase
Main topics
- Risk identification
- Risk responses
- Quality planning
- Acceptance criteria
- Project procurement
- Supplier control
Practical task
Compile a risk, quality and procurement plan for a fictional project.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Project Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement
Stage 1: Foundations
Coordinate project work through clear responsibilities, constructive communication and stakeholder participation. You will analyse interests, manage team relationships and prepare responses to conflict. Activities connect leadership choices with project constraints, stakeholder expectations and the need to document decisions and unresolved concerns.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse stakeholder interests
- Plan project communication
- Resolve a simulated team conflict
Main topics
- Team roles
- Stakeholder analysis
- Communication planning
- Conflict
- Negotiation
- Engagement review
Practical task
Prepare a stakeholder and team working plan and facilitate a simulated project meeting.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Agile and Adaptive Project Delivery
Stage 2: Core subjects
Organise iterative work where requirements develop through feedback. You will compare predictive and adaptive approaches, prioritise a backlog and review completed increments. Cases require a reasoned choice of approach and show how governance, quality and stakeholder accountability still apply during adaptation.
Learning outcomes
- Compare delivery approaches
- Prioritise an iteration backlog
- Evaluate an increment and improvement action
Main topics
- Delivery approaches
- Backlogs
- Iteration planning
- Team coordination
- Reviews
- Retrospectives
Practical task
Run a simulated delivery iteration and submit its backlog, review and retrospective.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Programme and Portfolio Management
Stage 2: Core subjects
Coordinate related projects and choose investments against organisational priorities. You will examine dependencies, benefits and resource competition, then design governance and review arrangements. Cases emphasise the difference between completing project outputs and achieving the wider change or service improvement expected from a programme.
Learning outcomes
- Compare project investment priorities
- Map programme dependencies
- Design a benefits review
Main topics
- Portfolio selection
- Programme governance
- Dependencies
- Benefits
- Resource balancing
- Programme assurance
Practical task
Prepare a programme business case with portfolio choices and benefits measures.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Procurement Contracts and Negotiation
Stage 2: Core subjects
Prepare and administer purchasing agreements with clear requirements and responsibilities. You will plan negotiation, examine performance provisions and manage variations or disputes. Cases distinguish a commercially useful agreement from unsupported legal assumptions and use the jurisdiction specified in the assessment materials.
Learning outcomes
- Prepare a negotiation plan
- Evaluate a contract provision
- Document a contract variation
Main topics
- Contract specifications
- Negotiation planning
- Terms and responsibilities
- Performance clauses
- Variations
- Dispute processes
Practical task
Produce a negotiation brief and contract administration file for a fictional purchase.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Quality Management and Improvement
Stage 2: Core subjects
Examine how quality is designed, monitored and improved in goods and services. You will define requirements, analyse variation and investigate causes of failure. The module connects improvement tools with customer evidence, process ownership and the practical need to verify whether a change works.
Learning outcomes
- Specify a quality requirement
- Analyse process variation
- Evaluate an improvement result
Main topics
- Quality requirements
- Process variation
- Quality costs
- Root-cause analysis
- Improvement cycles
- Quality systems
Practical task
Complete a quality improvement investigation with baseline and follow-up measures.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Research Methods and Evidence Analysis
Stage 2: Core subjects
Plan an enquiry suited to a specific social or organisational question. You will compare qualitative and quantitative approaches, prepare ethical data collection and assess evidence quality. The module connects research questions to sampling, analysis and clear reporting of uncertainty and limitations.
Learning outcomes
- Formulate a research question
- Select a defensible research design
- Prepare an ethical data collection plan
Main topics
- Research questions
- Literature review
- Design choices
- Sampling
- Ethics
- Data analysis
Practical task
Submit a research proposal, instruments and a worked analysis of a pilot dataset.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Applied Project Management Portfolio
Stage 2: Core subjects
Integrate planning, delivery and evaluation in a complete project management case. You will maintain consistent scope, schedule, cost and risk records, then explain changes and lessons. The portfolio demonstrates how management decisions respond to evidence throughout a project's life cycle.
Learning outcomes
- Integrate a project baseline
- Control a documented change
- Evaluate project results
Main topics
- Business case
- Integrated baseline
- Delivery controls
- Change management
- Handover
- Lessons and benefits
Practical task
Submit a complete project file and present a handover and lessons briefing.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
African History and Pan Africanism 101
Compulsory core module · Level 1
Study African history through oral, written and archaeological evidence. Examine the diversity of African societies, knowledge and exchange, then trace the emergence of Pan African ideas about identity, solidarity and self-determination.
Learning outcomes
- Place selected African societies and events within a supported historical timeline.
- Compare historical sources and identify perspective, evidence and uncertainty.
- Explain the foundations of Pan Africanism and the contributions of Africans and the diaspora.
Main topics
- Historical inquiry, chronology, oral traditions and source evaluation
- African civilisations, states, trade, livelihoods and knowledge systems
- Southern African history, including Mapungubgwe and Great Zimbabwe
- Slavery, the African diaspora and changing ideas about identity
- Origins of Pan Africanism, solidarity, self-determination and cultural expression
Practical task
Create an annotated timeline or digital learning poster on a selected African society or historical development. Compare at least two credible sources and explain one connection with your field of study.
Assessment
Submit the timeline or poster, an annotated source list and a short explanation of the evidence. Assessment considers chronology, historical accuracy, source judgement and the clarity of your interpretation.
Learning resources
African History and Pan Africanism 201
Compulsory core module · Level 2
Examine colonial change, resistance and liberation across Africa, with attention to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Compare Pan African movements, organisations and debates, including contributions from women, workers and diaspora communities.
Learning outcomes
- Analyse the effects of colonial rule on land, labour, institutions and social relations.
- Compare liberation movements and Pan African arguments using contextual evidence.
- Explain how different groups shaped independence, solidarity and debates about freedom.
Main topics
- Colonial rule, land, labour, education and forms of resistance
- Nationalism, liberation and the end of colonial rule and apartheid
- Pan African congresses, organisations and contrasting interpretations
- Women, labour movements and diaspora participation
- The Organisation of African Unity and debates about unity, sovereignty and development
Practical task
Develop a comparative case study of a liberation issue or Pan African debate relevant to Southern Africa. Use a historical document alongside a scholarly account and explain differences in purpose and interpretation.
Assessment
Submit the case study, a source comparison and a reflection on your conclusions. Assessment considers context, evidence, recognition of different perspectives and the quality of your argument.
Learning resources
Instructors
Enrolment options
Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management
Develop postgraduate competence in planning and governing projects. You will evaluate delivery approaches, coordinate resources and produce evidence-based controls for cost, risk, quality and stakeholder expectations.
- Teacher: ImfundoSpace Administrator
- Enrolled students: There are no students enrolled in this course.


