Introduction to ISO 21502: Guidance on Project Management

Name: Introduction to ISO 21502: Guidance on Project Management
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Practical fundamentals for initiating and managing projects successfully

Created byITCERT ®

Last updated 1/2026

English

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What you'll learn

To understand the principles of project management in accordance with ISO 21502:2020.
Mastering the project life cycle.
Applying essential principles such as the triple constraint and continuous justification.
Managing roles, responsibilities, and stakeholders.

Course content

4 sections • 22 lectures • 1h 25m total length

Core Concepts in Project Management4:38
Explore the fundamentals of project management per ISO 21-502-2020, clarifying what a project is as a temporary endeavor, how it differs from operations, and how it creates value.
Operation: Definition and Purpose4:45
Maintain operations within organizations through repetitive, stable, continuous activities, contrasting with temporary, unique projects aimed at change. Plan, monitor, and control to adapt deliverables and outcomes to context.
Practical Application of the Concepts4:07
Clarify the differences between projects, programs, and portfolios, as a collection of products and programs aligned with strategy, with a mobile app example and governance notes.
Scenario: Project Closing Meeting4:34
Explore how a project closing meeting validates deliverables, stakeholders, and the business case, and captures lessons learned to guide future ISO 21502 project management.
The Project Management Ecosystem4:34
Explore how the project management ecosystem links external environment, organizational context, and project governance to execute strategy through portfolio, program, and project management.
From Project to Profit4:37
strategically select and manage projects to ensure deliverables are integrated into operations, generating stakeholder value through portfolio management, alignment, feasibility, impact, and capacity.
Project Feasibility and Conditions4:57
Explore project feasibility and conditions for a university platform through a business case. Justify initiation, set constraints, and align objectives, scope and impact, resources, risks, planning with goals and returns.
Final Reflection on the Business Case2:52
The business case acts as a strategic tool that justifies and structures the project, aligning objectives with strategy and informing senior management decisions, while constraints define mandatory boundaries.
Interrelation between Constraints5:18
Learn how interrelated constraints shape projects, balancing scope, time, and cost while negotiating priorities with stakeholders and using a constraint precision matrix to manage changes.

Project Life Cycle Owerview4:37
Explore how a project unfolds from idea to closure, through initiation, planning, execution and control, and closing to deliver value and assess benefits under ISO 21502.
Project Start-Up-Keys to Successful-Up3:44
Initiate projects by validating need, exploring alternatives, and assessing feasibility to secure formal authorization. Build a solid business case, identify stakeholders, and prevent zombie projects.
Formalizing the Start-up4:32
Formally authorize a project with a charter and kickoff, identifying sponsor and roles, then create a robust plan detailing scope, schedule, costs, risks, quality, and communications.
Defining the "What": Deliverables and Scope3:45
Define project deliverables and scope with a work breakdown structure to prevent scope creep, then plan schedule and costs using Gantt charts, CPM, PERT, while addressing risk, quality, and communications.
Execution and Control-From Action to Assurance of Results4:31
Coordinate project execution through effective work management, resource allocation, and team direction. Monitor performance with KPIs and progress, then apply control and adapt to keep objectives in reach.
Project Closeout-Learn,Deliver and Formalize3:38
Learn the essentials of project closure: deliver results, verify promises, and formalize outcomes with formal acceptance while capturing lessons learned to improve future projects.
The Project Life Cycle in Action: Case Study3:17
Apply the project lifecycle to a real-world case: developing an educational app for a university. Initiate, plan, execute, control, and close, guided by a business case and baselines, schedule, costs.
Project Management: From Processes to Roles3:12
Explore how processes provide project structure and roles drive execution. Learn initiation, planning, execution, control, and closing, then align responsibilities and resources for efficient collaboration.

Organizational Structure and Role Framework3:16
Explore organizational structure and role framework in project management, highlighting a projectized organization with clear roles, authority, and agile decision making to drive project delivery.
Project Board: Management and Governance2:37
Explore how the project board, or steering committee, validates business case, approves deliverables, ensures strategic alignment, and supports the project manager, while the PMO standardizes processes and monitors project performance.
Ejecutive Leadership and Project Execution2:37
Understand the sponsor and project manager roles, responsibilities, and their complementary relationship; the sponsor provides strategic support and clears barriers, while the project manager drives daily execution.
Collaborative Execution and Stalkeholder Management2:22
Coordinate the product team’s execution and stakeholder management to deliver value, mapping stakeholders, aligning sponsor and PMO, and ensuring collaboration across roles.

Requirements

There are no formal prerequisites for this certification.

Description

This course is a clear and practical introduction to Project Management, ideal for those who want to start from scratch or strengthen their foundations with an orderly and easy-to-apply approach. Through a simple and progressive methodology, you will learn how to structure a project and what elements are key so that an initiative advances with control, avoiding frequent improvisations and errors in organizations, undertakings or work teams.

During the course you will learn about the essential fundamentals of Project Management, including the difference between projects and operations, and how program concepts and portfolios are related. You will also review the project life cycle, understanding what occurs at each stage: initiation, planning, execution, control and execution. Furthermore, concepts that are widely used in the professional world are explained, such as the business case, the triple restriction (reach, time and cost) and the main themes that every project must consider, such as risks, quality, communications and stakeholder management.

A very valuable point is that you will also learn about roles and governance, understanding functions such as Sponsor, Project Manager, PMO and how to coordinate to achieve results.

The course includes 90 minutes of video with guided explanation and, additionally, access to advice to resolve queries about the contents, so that you can clarify doubts and move forward with greater safety. It is perfect for students, professionals, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to take their first steps in project management.

Who this course is for:

Professionals transitioning into project management roles.
Students and recent graduates.

Introduction to ISO 21502: Guidance on Project Management

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Module 1: Fundamentals of Project Management according to ISO 215029 lectures • 40min

Module 2: Project Life Cycle and Key Processes8 lectures • 31min

Module 3: Roles and Responsibilities in Project Management4 lectures • 11min

Extra Class1 lecture • 3min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: