PRODUCTIVITY · INTERMEDIATE
Project Management for Small Teams
Run projects with a clear purpose and a realistic schedule, using just enough process for a team of three to fifteen people.
Small teams rarely need heavyweight project management, but they do need a clear scope, a realistic plan and a reliable rhythm for spotting problems early. This course gives you a lightweight, repeatable system: a one-page brief, a work breakdown with range-based estimates, a working method that fits your team, weekly check-ins and status reports, and simple tools for risks, changes and stakeholders. Every lesson ends with a task you apply to a real project you are running now.
- 4modules
- 12lessons
- 3h 29mof material
- Sept 2026last updated
CWClearwork course teamWritten and maintained by the Clearwork productivity curriculum team
What you will be able to do
- Define scope, out-of-scope items and measurable success criteria, and capture them in a one-page project brief
- Break work into deliverables and work packages, estimate them with ranges and buffers, and build a milestone plan with dependencies
- Choose between kanban and sprints, and make ownership explicit with a RACI chart
- Run 30-minute weekly check-ins and write status reports that stakeholders actually read
- Manage risks, change requests and stakeholder expectations, then close projects with a retrospective that improves the next one
Who it is for
- Team leads, founders and specialists who run projects without a full-time project manager
- New project managers in agencies, start-ups and small organisations who want a practical system
- Experienced practitioners looking for lighter processes for teams of 3 to 15 people
Before you start
- A real project you are running or about to start, to apply each lesson to
- Some experience of working in a team on projects lasting several weeks or more
- A shared task board or spreadsheet; no specific software is required
Curriculum
4 modules · 12 lessons · 3h 29m
Module 1Defining the Project3 lessons · 49 min
Agree what the project will deliver, how success will be measured and who is responsible for what, before any detailed planning starts.
- Defining scope and success criteriaTurn a vague request into a clear outcome, an explicit scope boundary and success criteria you can measure.18 min · free preview · worked example · exercise
- Writing a one-page project briefCapture purpose, scope, success criteria, constraints and roles on one page that everyone agrees before work begins.16 min · worked example · exercise
- Roles and the RACI chartMake ownership explicit with a simple RACI chart so that decisions, work and approvals do not fall between people.15 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
Module 2Planning the Work3 lessons · 58 min
Break the project into manageable pieces, estimate them honestly with ranges and buffers, and turn them into a milestone plan with clear dependencies.
- Breaking work down with a WBSDecompose deliverables into work packages small enough to estimate, assign and track.18 min · worked example · exercise
- Estimating with ranges and buffersReplace single-number guesses with ranges, put buffers where they belong and stop padding every task.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Milestones, dependencies and the critical pathSequence the work, find the chain of tasks that sets your end date and plan around it.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
Module 3Running the Project3 lessons · 49 min
Choose a lightweight way of working, run short weekly check-ins and report status so stakeholders know where things stand without chasing you.
- Choosing a lightweight method: kanban or sprintsCompare continuous flow with fixed-length sprints and pick the approach that fits your team’s work.18 min · worked example · exercise
- Running weekly check-insA 30-minute weekly meeting format that surfaces blockers, updates the plan and ends with clear owners.15 min · worked example · exercise
- Status reports people actually readWrite a short, honest weekly status report with a clear overall rating, the facts behind it and the help you need.16 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
Module 4Controlling Change and Closing Well3 lessons · 53 min
Keep risks and changes under control, communicate deliberately with stakeholders and close the project with lessons the team will actually use.
- Managing risks and changesKeep a short risk register, respond to risks before they become issues and handle change requests through a simple, fair process.20 min · worked example · exercise
- Communicating with stakeholdersMap who cares about the project, decide how and how often to communicate with each group, and handle difficult conversations early.15 min · worked example · exercise
- Retrospectives and closing a projectFinish projects properly: confirm acceptance, hand over, record results and run a retrospective that changes how you work next time.18 min · worked example · exercise
- Module quiz4 questions with explanations
