The Project Planning module sets out the skills needed to use project management software for effective management of projects. This includes preparing, monitoring, and managing different elements of a project such as time, costs, tasks, resources, priorities, and collaborators.

With the changes to working practices and the increase in digital roles, the benefits of project management have become apparent in all sectors. Specialist software can help to support project management responsibilities from conception to sign-off: giving oversight of all the inputs, outputs, and resources of a project. 

To remain competitive and resilient, all organisations need to ensure high levels of productivity. Workers are increasingly expected to apply project management skills to their daily tasks, regardless of what type of role they are in.These skills are no longer exclusive to senior managers or project managers. What’s more, they are relevant in both professional and private life.

Module overview

Category Skill set
Project management tools
  • Key concepts
Project creation
  • Working with projects
  • Starting a new project
Tasks
  • Creating tasks


  • Scheduling and relationships
  • Constraints and deadlines
  • Notes, hyperlinks
Resources and costs
  • Resources Costs
Project monitoring
  • Critical path
  • Monitoring progress and rescheduling
Prepare outputs
  • Setup
  • Print

The main benefits of this module

  • Understand the conceptual principles of project management and how software can support them
  • Recognise the constraints and deadlines of a project
  • Identify project resources and costs, understand their relationships and impacts on each other
  • Know how to create, modify, maintain, and monitor all the elements of a project 
  • Understand how to output from project management software to effectively report on projects

The goals of this module

Successful candidates will be able to use software to help with project management, reducing the need for manual activities such as monitoring constraints, resources, and time. This ICDL module looks at the concepts of project management as well as the skills required to use software effectively. Having successfully completed this module, candidates will feel confident launching, overseeing, and closing-off projects. The syllabus is standardised and vendor-independent, so skills are always transferrable.

This module answers key questions such as:

  • What is involved in managing projects successfully?
  • How do the features of project management software allow projects to be managed more efficiently? 
  • How are tasks, milestones, and durations created and modified? 
  • What are logical relationships? How are relationships and schedules handled? 
  • What effect do constraints and deadlines have on a project? How are they managed?
  • What are critical paths and critical tasks? How is progress monitored and tasks rescheduled?
  • How are projects outputted so they can be shared as files or printed documents?

Why choose ICDL?

  • Modules cover the key skills and main concepts of financial and management roles
  • Certification is internationally recognised
  • ICDL modules are developed with input from computer users, subject matter experts, and practising computer professionals from all over the world
  • Syllabus content reflects day-to-day tasks and responsibilities in this sector
  • Consistency is maintained by our rigorous quality assurance standards

Other ICDL Professional modules supporting Finance & Management include:

Advanced Spreadsheet – Project Planning

Modules can be combined in any way to create a unique ICDL Profile.

Syllabus

The detailed syllabus for the Project Planning module is publicly available, so that there is complete clarity about what is covered.

The syllabus document, which sets out the specific skills and knowledge that you will learn and against which you will be certified, can be downloaded here.


Sample tests

Do you want to better understand the Project Planning module and how we test skills and knowledge?

Try out the Project Planning sample tests here to get a feel for the coverage of the module, or practice before your certification test.

ICDL Professional

Digital skills for occupational effectiveness

ICDL Professional is designed to meet the needs of modern professionals in a range of sectors and develops an advanced level of skills for those with technology reliant roles. From the use of business applications to the fundamentals of advanced technologies, these skills allow them to manage different types of workload as well as collaborate with technical teams.

ICDL Professional contains a range of modules which can be combined in any way to create a unique ICDL Profile. The syllabus content of each module is supported by learning materials that mirror day-to-day tasks and responsibilities typical of a role in the sector or industry.

The modules in ICDL Professional are:

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