You are here: American University School of International Service Certificates Project Management for International Development

Back to top

Project Management for International Development Professional Project Management for a More Demanding Development Landscape

In today's increasingly competitive international development landscape, organizations face growing pressure to deliver results efficiently, transparently, and sustainably. Success no longer depends solely on technical expertise—it demands strong project management capabilities.

The Project Management for International Development (PMID) professional certificate is designed to prepare professionals to meet this new standard. It equips participants with the modern mindset, methods, and tools needed to lead complex projects in development contexts, combining predictive and agile approaches aligned with international best practices such as Scrum and PMI® standards.

Selected
Curriculum
Career Outlook
Instructors
How to Register
Tuition & Fees

Delivered in a hybrid format—two days in-person at American University (Washington, DC) followed by 11 weeks of online live sessions—this course offers a practical, simulation-based experience grounded in real project environments. 

Each module builds practical skills through applied tools, case studies, and simulations.

Participants who successfully meet the course requirements will be awarded the Project Management for International Development (PMID) Professional Certificate, recognizing their ability to apply modern project management practices in complex development settings. Course requirements include active participation, completion of all assignments, and satisfactory performance in the final assessment.

Why take this certificate program?

  • Increasing competition: Funding agencies and partners expect greater accountability, speed, and impact.

  • Higher professional standards: Organizations are actively seeking staff with advanced project management skills.

  • Career advantage: Mastery of project management tools and frameworks positions you as a leader in development projects.

  • Applied focus: You will not only learn concepts—you will simulate an entire project lifecycle and apply what you learn immediately, demonstrating your competency with PMI standards.

Students in the Project Management for International Development certificate program will learn from seasoned project management practitioners. Courses are led by Ernesto Mondelo, and supported by additional instructors Lisbeth Albarrán, Ricardo Sánchez Orduña, and Mariko Russell. 

If your goal is to learn how to improve the results of your international development projects, register today! Spots are limited and will be filled on a first come basis. Teams of 3 or more should reach out to partnerships@american.edu for special rates.

Register now!

Participation costs $1,700 and will include the cost of the course. Travel and lodging for attending the in-person sessions are not included. Teams of 3 or more should reach out to partnerships@american.edu for special rates.

Registration is open now

If your goal is to learn how to improve the efficiency and outcomes of your international development projects, consider registering for the PMID certificate program today!

Register Now

Course Structure

This module is one day and in-person. This module is composed of the following goals:

  • Understand PMI’s 12 principles and their 4 categories: Alignment, Collaboration, Impact, Agility
  • Explore systems thinking, project context, complexity, and governance
  • Apply foundational project concepts: triple constraint, life cycle, and tailoring

This module is one day and in-person. This module is composed of the following goals and tasks:

  • Build a Team Agreement and develop collaboration norms
  • Use Empathy Maps to understand beneficiaries
  • Create a Project Vision that aligns stakeholders
  • Develop a Project Charter with scope, objectives, and governance roles

This module lasts eight weeks and takes place online. Each week focuses on a key project planning domain with an associated tool:

  1. Scope: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
  2. Schedule: Network Diagram & Critical Path
  3. Cost: Cost S-Curve
  4. Procurement: Procurement Matrix
  5. Risk: Risk Matrix
  6. Stakeholders: Stakeholder & RACI Matrices
  7. Communication: Communication Matrix
  8. Integration & Governance: Planning Matrix & Change Control Mechanism

This module lasts two weeks and takes place online. This module is composed of the following tasks and goals:

  • Prioritize deliverables using Critical Path and Value-Effort analysis
  • Build a Quarterly Implementation Plan (QIP) with 6 sprints
  • Assign roles and tasks for team execution

This module lasts one week and takes place online. This module is composed of the following tasks and goals:

  • Implement the QIP using a Kanban Board
  • Facilitate sprint execution with visual workflows
  • Conduct After Action Reviews (AAR) and capture lessons learned

International

Explore our certificate program

Learn more about the Project Management for International Development certificate program!