Wollongong City Council Project Management Program

Industry partner

Wollongong City Council

UTS Partners

UTS Institute for Public Policy

Project dates

2023–2024 (Phase 1)

UN SDGS

4. Quality Education
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

Posted on 15 Jan 2025
4-minute read
Politics and society Business and law

The challenge: Developing project management skills to achieve community goals.

Wollongong City Council aimed to enhance staff capabilities in project management to support its vision of creating a sustainable, innovative, and vibrant community. A hands-on training program was developed to equip staff with practical project management skills, ensuring efficient project delivery aligned with council goals.

Key takeaways

The program is designed to improve staff confidence and capability in project management.
Workshops focused on practical applications, real project scenarios, and peer learning.
Confidence in project management improved significantly, with a 43% increase in participants reporting a good or high level of confidence.
The program aligns with council’s strategic goals and SDGs related to sustainable communities.

Wollongong City Council set out to strengthen its project management capabilities to support its strategic goals and deliver better services to the community.

The council’s vision, “From the mountains to the sea, we value and protect our natural environment and will be leaders in building an educated, creative, sustainable, and connected community,” served as the foundation for its project management efforts.

To bring this vision to life, the council identified six key community goals:

Value and protect the environment
Develop an innovative and sustainable economy
Create a vibrant and creative city
Build a connected and engaged community
Promote a healthy and liveable city
Ensure affordable and accessible transport

With these goals in mind, the council sought a training program to upskill staff in project management, ensuring they could manage a wide range of projects effectively.

The program needed to align with the council’s existing Project Management Framework, which follows industry best practices outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

Aerial view of Wollongong NSW, Australia

Program delivery: Practical, hands-on learning

The UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance (IPPG) developed a customised program designed to meet the council’s needs. The program began in November 2023, consisting of full-day workshops spread over seven months. Each session was highly interactive, combining expert-led presentations with collaborative peer learning.

Participants worked on real projects throughout the program, allowing them to immediately apply what they learned. Regular reflection and feedback sessions ensured continuous improvement.

Key topics covered included:

Project lifecycle management
Defining project scope and objectives
Governance and risk management
Stakeholder engagement and communication
Lessons learned and continuous improvement

The training was structured into seven key modules, each focusing on a specific aspect of project management. The table below outlines the program content:

This table outlines the content of a professional development programme in project management offered by the Institute for Public Policy and Government. The programme is divided into seven modules, each covering a key aspect of project management.

The first module introduces project management, explaining its value, process groups, and key knowledge areas. It also covers the steps to plan a project and the different stages of project management.

The second module focuses on defining project goals and expected outcomes. It includes aligning these goals to strategic intent and purpose and using SMART objectives to set clear targets.

The third module covers stakeholder management, teaching how to engage effectively with stakeholders. It includes the use of an engagement matrix and different approaches to stakeholder communication.

The fourth module addresses scope definition. It explains how to define what is included in a project, what is excluded, and any assumptions made. It also covers deliverables versus milestones, the work breakdown structure, and scheduling tools.

The fifth module deals with risk and mitigation. It covers identifying sources of risk, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies. It also explains risk mapping and hierarchy and how to apply risk management and project controls.

The sixth module looks at governance, monitoring, and problem-solving. It outlines key roles and responsibilities, project flow and dynamics, and strategies to overcome obstacles.

The final module focuses on closing a project effectively. It includes the handover process and capturing lessons learned for future projects.

The table is structured with each module leading into the next, showing a clear progression through the project management process.

So many valuable insights! Planning the right governance structure, linking multiple projects, phased scoping—this course covered it all.

Program participant