Introduction

Welcome to this 4-week course, Project Management for a Changing Climate. My name is Susan Todd and I designed this course.

Adapting to a changing climate will involve governments, businesses, societies and other organizations with diverse perspectives, mandates and capacities. Project managers, through their effective direction of complex projects, occupy a critical role and must ensure that their projects consider the implications of a changing climate. This course will help you recognize climate change factors that could affect successful outcomes for your project and formulate strategies you can use to address them.  You can expect to leave this course better prepared to add a climate change lens to your project planning.

For this course, the definition of “project” is broad and the content is suitable for a diverse range of professionals who enjoy multidisciplinary learning environments.

The course is structured in four modules, that cover:

• Perspective: perspectives that are key to developing a climate change lens for project management;
• Engaging: engaging team members, and those affected by climate change;
• Planning: planning for climate change throughout the project life; and
• Applying: applying a climate change lens to a real project.

Each week you will have readings and/or videos for information and perspective, and activities where you will engage with peers to reflect upon and integrate core concepts. We will also use a case study about a project manager in a fictional transit agency that will challenge you to practise your learning as we go.  In the final module, you will apply your learning to a real project you’re involved in.

Most of the learning activities you can do when the time is right for you.  However, it is recommend that you complete the activities for each module in the order specified so that you’re prepared to engage with peers in a synchronous session on Friday afternoon each week.  I will post the highlights from each week in a course Announcement as a summary of our learning. Please note: the synchronous questions are provided as part of sharing this Creative Commons licensed content. You can find them at the end of each module.

The course requires a foundational understanding of climate change impacts and risks.  This can be provided by Dr. Stewart Cohen’s course titled Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals.  If you haven’t taken this course, we strongly recommend reviewing the two key reports that are highlighted as Foundational Reading in Module 1.