Mastering Construction Project Management: Strategy, Execution, and Innovation
Gold Seal: 10 Credits
Description
This comprehensive course is designed to provide a complete understanding of the construction project management process. It combines interactive live sessions with flexible on-demand video content to accommodate diverse learning styles and busy schedules. The course covers the full lifecycle of a construction project—from pre-construction planning and estimating to site management, leadership, various methodologies including critical path and introduction to lean construction, and emerging technologies like AI. Ideal for both newcomers and professionals seeking a structured approach to managing construction projects more effectively.
Course Format
- Live Interactive Online Sessions: 6 sessions × 2 hours = 12 hours
- Asynchronous YouTube Videos: 18 plus hours
- Total Learning Time: 30 hours
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will:
- Understand the end-to-end construction management process
- Develop skills in effective project management, budgeting, and quality management
- Recognize common causes of project waste and how to mitigate them
- Apply leadership and communication strategies on real-world projects
- Explore how AI and digital transformation are reshaping construction
Course Outline
Live Session 1: Construction Management Foundations & Project Lifecycle
- What is construction management?
- Why construction projects fail
- Project phases (initiation to closeout)
- Roles & responsibilities of key stakeholders
- Contract types and project delivery methods
- Overview of critical documents (drawings, specifications, scopes)
- YouTube Companion Videos:
- Introduction to the Construction Industry
- Roles on a Construction Project
- Understanding Project Delivery Models
Live Session 2: Pre-Construction Planning
- Feasibility, due diligence, and approvals
- Building scopes of work and work breakdown structures (WBS)
- Preliminary budgeting
- Risk assessments in early planning
- Constructability, value engineering, and team alignment
- Runing Effective meetings
- YouTube Companion Videos:
- Pre-mortem
- Meetings
- How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure
Live Session 3: Scheduling, Phasing & Time Management
- Project scheduling fundamentals (Gantt, milestones, sequencing)
- Time constraints and critical activities
- Site logistics, zoning, and phase planning
- VUCA
- Manage yourself in order to manage your projects
- Lean and Last Planner System
- Communication of schedule expectations
- YouTube Companion Videos:
- Scheduling Basics in Construction
- Milestones, Float, and Critical Path
- 8 Areas of Waste
- Phasing a Construction Project for Better Flow
Live Session 4: Cost Control, Procurement & Risk
- Establishing and maintaining project budgets
- Cost control mechanisms and reporting
- Procurement processes: materials, trades, and timelines
- Change orders and contingency management
- Risk identification and mitigation strategies
- YouTube Companion Videos:
- Cost Control for Construction Managers
- Change orders: the good, bad, and ugly
- Understanding Construction Procurement
- Managing Risk on Construction Projects
Live Session 5: Quality, Safety, and Site Coordination/Logistics
- Daily site management best practices
- Safety plans, reporting, and hazard mitigation
- Quality control vs. quality assurance
- Coordinating multiple trades and site workflows
- Managing inspections and compliance
- YouTube Companion Videos:
- Safety and Quality in Construction
- Coordinating Trade Workflows
- Field Communication
Live Session 6: Leadership, Communication & AI in Construction
- Leadership styles in construction teams
- Conflict resolution and communication dynamics
- Managing stakeholder expectations
- Lessons learned and project closeout
- Emerging Trends: Artificial Intelligence in Construction
- Current uses (schedule forecasting, takeoff automation, safety alerts)
- Ethical considerations and integration challenges
- YouTube Companion Videos:
- Leading Construction Teams
- Project Closeout Essentials
- AI in Construction: Opportunities and Challenges
Deliverables: End of course online test
Outcome
Participants will walk away with a structured framework for managing construction projects from start to finish—ready to lead with clarity, mitigate risks, and embrace innovation in a rapidly evolving industry.
Delivery Method: Virtual Session – Zoom Meetings
Course Fee Includes: Access to the course, course materials, and a digital certificate upon completion.
This course is delivered in partnership with local and provincial construction associations across Canada. You will be participating with a group of industry peers from multiple regions.
Sharing a single registration between two or more individuals is not permitted. Please register each person that will be in attendance.
Tom Stephenson is an award-winning professor and best-selling author. His diverse teaching disciplines include construction project management, business management, architecture, carpentry, and brick and stone masonry. As a dual-professional, Tom is called upon by industry leaders to translate knowledge, reinvigorate corporate culture, and inspire innovation in emerging and established companies across Canada.
Who Should Attend
Anyone wanting to improve their role and better understand and apply construction project management principles and practices including:
- New and aspiring construction project managers
- Site supervisors, coordinators, and estimators
- Forepersons & Tradespeople advancing into project roles
- Small builders looking to professionalize operations
- People with aspirations of management positions in the construction industry