Approved curriculum edition
English participant curriculum
New Era Project Manager: leading change and teams in the AI era
- Status
- Approved edition
- Language of instruction
- English
- Version
- 2026-09-14.v1
- Provider
- Ettevõtluskeskus OÜ (14127891)
- Edition date
- 2026-09-14
1. Curriculum group
Management and administration (ISCED-F 0413)
2. Learning objectives
The programme develops practical skills for working as a New Era project manager and PMO consultant: understanding a situation, making value and dependencies visible, choosing a suitable way of working, using AI responsibly and presenting stakeholders with a clear business recommendation.
A common organisational problem is trying to manage very different kinds of work with the same method. The programme helps participants distinguish when work calls for learning and experimentation, when it calls for managing flow, and when conventional planning and execution are more suitable. Different parts of the same initiative may need different ways of working.
3. Who this programme is for
Specialists, project managers, team leaders, people leading development initiatives, and career changers who need to lead change, projects or cross-functional work in an environment where technology, AI and collaboration are changing rapidly.
4. Entry requirements
Basic computer skills and readiness to participate in online meetings, undertake independent study and work in a group. Previous project management experience is helpful but is not required.
Teaching is in English. To join, participants need English at least at the programme's described B2− level (B2 minus): they can follow the trainer's explanations in English, understand the main points of learning materials, take part in group discussions, explain and give reasons for their ideas, and complete spoken and written learning tasks in English. Their English does not have to be error-free, but it must allow them to participate in the learning activities. In this programme, B2− means practical English approaching B2; it is not a separate official CEFR level.
Participation requires a quiet learning environment, a stable internet connection and a computer. A laptop or desktop computer is recommended, preferably with two monitors. A mobile phone alone is not suitable for completing the programme. Participants should allow approximately 14 hours per study week.
5. Study workload
- 180 academic hours (45 minutes each); 135 clock hours (60 minutes each), as entered in the source.
- 60 academic hours of guided contact learning; 120 academic hours of independent learning.
- Independent learning includes 93 academic hours of other independent work and 27 academic hours of reflection and outputs. These are rounded subcategories, not additional contact hours.
6. Learning outcomes
- 1. Use AI tools responsibly to make sense of project information, explore ideas, prepare communications, and validate their own decisions.
- 2. Visualize needs, value, capabilities, and dependencies in ways that enable stakeholders to discuss the situation together.
- 3. Select appropriate management and work methods based on the nature of the work, and justify the selection through the lens of learning needs, flow management, or planning requirements.
- 4. Manage stakeholder communications, distinguish facts from assumptions, and leave a clear record of decisions and next steps.
- 5. Develop a practical business recommendation for addressing a problem or improving flow or quality that connects the visible situation, the chosen work method, identified risks, and a small, controllable next step.
7. Syllabus and workload by learning unit
| Learning unit | Content | Academic hours (45 min) | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | Introduction: AI, Miro, the programme rhythm and the NovaCore simulation | 18 | 1, 5 |
| Week 1 | The system view, value, dependencies and Wardley mapping | 18 | 1, 2 |
| Week 2 | Choosing a way of working for the nature of the work: learning, Agile, Scrum, Kanban and conventional planning | 18 | 2, 3 |
| Week 3 | Communication that creates value and a clear record of decisions | 18 | 4, 5 |
| Week 4 | A3 thinking, root-cause analysis and a small countermeasure | 18 | 3, 5 |
| Week 5 | Team health: trust, accountability, conflict and results | 18 | 4, 5 |
| Week 6 | Flow, work in progress, lead time and bottleneck thinking | 18 | 2, 3 |
| Week 7 | Building quality in: Definition of Done and shift-left | 18 | 3, 5 |
| Week 8 | PMO expansion: recruiting New Era project managers in a new country | 18 | 4, 5 |
| Week 9 | Synthesis, reflection and passing on one working method. Participants make one working method teachable and pass it on to a partner group in seven minutes. | 18 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
8. Learning methods
Independent study using workbooks, examples and supplementary programme materials. Mentor-led exploration of concepts and practical exercises. Autonomous group work on NovaCore cases. Demonstrations, feedback and retrospectives. Miro activities and practical outputs. Reflection on AI use and checking AI-generated outputs.
The official workload is 60 academic hours of contact learning and 120 academic hours of independent study. Independent study comprises other independent work (rounded to 93 academic hours) and reflection and outputs (rounded to 27 academic hours). The exact scheduled volumes are 70 and 20 clock hours respectively, totalling 90 clock hours or 120 academic hours. Reflection and outputs are completed independently at a time chosen by the learner. Reflection within a mentor session is already included in contact learning; S2 group work with tutor support is also contact learning.
9. Learning environment
Google Meet for online meetings and group work. Google Drive for sharing learning materials and outputs. Google Chat for communication and reminders. Miro for visual thinking, discussion and group work. AI tools for exploring ideas, drafting text, framing questions and checking one's own thinking. NotebookLM or a similar AI-supported approach to working with learning materials.
10. Learning materials
Learning materials include weekly workbooks, mentor guides, group-work instructions, Miro board instructions, supplementary programme materials, short summaries and reflection forms. Some supplementary materials are prepared for use in an AI-supported question-and-search environment such as NotebookLM.
Participants who wish to explore further may use optional Google project management e-learning materials. These materials are not a condition of programme completion, and a third-party certificate is not a promised programme outcome.
11. Assessment of each learning outcome
| Learning outcome | Assessment method | Pass criterion |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reflection on AI use, practical exercises and learning notes | The learner describes why AI was used, its limitations and how its output was checked. The learner does not present unchecked AI output as fact. |
| 2 | Tasks that visualise value, dependencies and the system view | The map or Miro work makes a user or stakeholder need, the main capabilities and at least one significant dependency visible. |
| 3 | Justification of the chosen way of working in NovaCore cases | The learner explains when learning and experimentation are appropriate, when flow needs to be managed and when a conventional plan is more suitable. |
| 4 | Communication and decision-record exercises | The recommendation distinguishes facts, assumptions and unknown information, and shows who can act on the decision. |
| 5 | Practical tasks involving A3, flow, work in progress, quality and the final recommendation | The recommendation starts from the visible situation, explains the business value for a stakeholder and proposes a small, verifiable next step. |
12. Completion conditions
Assessment is pass / not passed against all five outcomes.
Participation in at least 70% of guided contact learning, or completion of agreed substitute assignments. Completion of reflection questionnaires for at least six programme weeks. Submission of the required practical outputs at a passing standard. A final demonstration or a consolidated presentation of outputs to the mentor and/or group.
13. Documents issued on completion
A certificate of completion is issued to a learner who achieves all learning outcomes and meets the completion requirements. A statement of participation (tõend) is issued to a learner who takes part in the programme but does not achieve all the learning outcomes. Documents are issued in accordance with the current continuing education standard and the provider's procedure.
The document identifies the learner, provider, programme, training period and trainers. It records the volume in academic and clock hours, as specified in the source curriculum. The statutory details also include the learner's personal identification code or, if unavailable, date of birth; the provider's registration code and EHIS activity-notice or licence number; the document number; and its country and date of issue. The certificate or its appendix records the learning outcomes achieved and the assessment methods or, where needed, results. Documents are signed or carry a qualified electronic seal under the provider's procedure.
14. Trainer qualifications
The trainer is Alek Kozlov, whose extensive experience includes Agile and Lean process improvement, product development and support for organisational change. At Skype, Alek helped an international development organisation adopt Scrum. This experience also includes advising private and public sector organisations and training hundreds of people.
Alek Kozlov delivers the teaching in English and has the competence needed to teach the programme's AI topics.
The programme's trainer and mentor requirements cover practical experience in project management, change management, digital collaboration, AI-supported ways of working and supporting adult learning:
- Practical experience in leading projects, development initiatives or organisational change.
- Ability to use online learning and collaboration environments.
- Ability to support adult learners as a mentor or coach.
- Understanding of responsible AI use in work and learning.
- Readiness to give specific feedback that supports the learner's development.
15. Quality assurance
Programme quality is evaluated through participant reflections, demonstration and review discussions, mentors' observations, completion results and feedback questionnaires. Feedback is used to simplify and improve learning materials, guides, Miro boards and communication on an ongoing basis.
16. Changes in this edition
Updated on 14 September 2026 using the owner's input: B2− English entry requirement with a practical description, and confirmation of Alek Kozlov's AI competence and ability to teach in English. Learning environment requirements are consistent across the Estonian and English versions. Learning hours, outcomes and assessment are unchanged.