Estimating in Project Management
Intermediate – suitable for professionals looking to strengthen their estimating capability within project and programme environments.
Ideal for Project Managers, Planners, PMO professionals, Delivery Leads, and subject matter experts involved in estimating, forecasting, or planning project work.
Typically delivered over 1–2 days, with options for virtual, classroom, or blended delivery.
Overview
Improve confidence, accuracy, and credibility in project estimation
Accurate estimating is at the heart of successful project delivery—but it remains one of the most challenging areas in project management. The Estimating in Project Management course from CITI is designed to help you move beyond guesswork and build robust, reliable estimates that stand up to scrutiny and support confident decision-making.
Built on CITI’s Beyond Method® approach, this course equips you with the thinking, techniques, and practical insight needed to estimate effectively—even in complex and uncertain environments.
Beyond Method is learning constructed using our own best practice created from our inception as a specialist university institute in 1983; fusing the expertise of Cranfield University with the interests of six major users of change management: British Aerospace, British Gas, British Petroleum, British Telecom, Cable & Wireless and Longman.
A significant amount of research and investment was made into Cranfield Information Technology Institute (shortened to CITI in 1988) to take change professionals beyond methodologies – and learn how to successfully implement change!
This Estimating in Project Management course focuses on the critical role that estimating plays in delivering projects successfully. You will explore why estimates often go wrong, how assumptions and uncertainty impact accuracy, and how better estimating supports improved planning, control, and decision-making.
Rather than treating estimating as a technical exercise, the course explores it as a discipline that combines judgement, experience, data, and collaboration. You will gain a clearer understanding of how to approach estimating in real-world environments—where information is often incomplete and time pressures are high.
The course explores the principles and practices of effective estimating, including how to develop realistic assumptions, break work into manageable components, and apply appropriate estimating techniques. You will examine different approaches to estimating depending on the context—ranging from early-stage high-level estimates to more detailed and structured forecasts.
Key areas include managing uncertainty, understanding the relationship between estimating and risk, and ensuring alignment between estimates, plans, and project objectives. You will also explore how to communicate estimates effectively, manage stakeholder expectations, and respond when assumptions change or new information emerges.
The content is grounded in practical examples and real-world scenarios, helping you develop a more disciplined and confident approach to estimating in complex delivery environments.
This Estimating in Project Management course is delivered using CITI’s Beyond Method® approach, which focuses on building practical capability that can be applied immediately. Rather than teaching a single method, we draw on a range of proven techniques and adapt them to suit different contexts and levels of complexity.
Learning is interactive and experience-led. Through facilitated discussion, hands-on exercises, and real-world scenarios, you will explore how estimating is applied in practice—and how to improve your own approach. You will be encouraged to reflect on your current challenges, test new thinking, and build strategies that deliver greater confidence and accuracy.
Beyond Method® learning blends technical understanding with behavioural insight, ensuring you leave not just with better estimating techniques—but with stronger judgement and the confidence to apply them effectively.
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Corporate Portfolio Management
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Enquire today to find out more about our Estimating in Project Management course and how it can be tailored to your organisation.
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