Project Portfolio Management Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Portfolio Managers, PMO Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-PM-055

Before you join: Participants should understand basic project management terms such as scope, schedule, budget, risk, milestones and stakeholders.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Organisations often approve more initiatives than they can fund, staff or govern effectively. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) provides the discipline for selecting the right work, balancing investment against capacity, monitoring delivery, and stopping or reshaping initiatives when evidence changes. Without a consistent portfolio process, executives receive inconsistent status reports, teams compete for the same specialists, and strategic priorities are diluted by low-value demand.

This course teaches participants to design and operate a practical PPM system using Smartsheet. Participants establish intake and business-case requirements, apply strategic alignment and prioritisation models, build portfolio roadmaps, assess resource capacity, manage portfolio risks, and create governance routines. They use weighted scoring, WSJF, financial appraisal, benefits-realisation planning, stage gates, RACI matrices and scenario analysis to support investment decisions. The course also covers Smartsheet sheets, reports, dashboards, Control Center, Resource Management, automation, Data Shuttle, Bridge and Dynamic View.

Instructor-led sessions combine concise briefings with realistic portfolio cases from public programmes, banking transformation, infrastructure delivery, technology change and NGO-funded initiatives. Participants progressively build a portfolio workspace, moving from intake and prioritisation during the first week to governance, automation, reporting, benefits and operating cadence during the second. They leave with a completed portfolio management design: a Smartsheet-enabled intake-to-review model, prioritisation method, portfolio roadmap, governance structure, executive dashboard and implementation plan.

The course suits professionals responsible for choosing, governing, reporting or supporting multiple projects and programmes. It is particularly relevant where leaders need a clearer evidence base for investment, resource and delivery decisions.

What you will be able to do

  • Design a Smartsheet-based portfolio operating model with defined decision rights and data flows
  • Build standardised demand intake forms, project registers and business-case records
  • Apply weighted scoring, WSJF and financial appraisal to prioritise investment proposals
  • Create portfolio roadmaps that integrate dependencies, funding, resources and benefits
  • Configure Smartsheet reports, dashboards and Control Center templates for portfolio visibility
  • Assess portfolio capacity, resource contention, budget variance and aggregate risk exposure
  • Establish stage-gate governance, RACI accountability and management-by-exception routines
  • Present a complete portfolio recommendation supported by scenarios, evidence and decision records

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible portfolio recommendations using transparent prioritisation criteria
  • Configure Smartsheet portfolio reports and executive dashboards with controlled source data
  • Lead stage-gate and portfolio review meetings focused on decisions and exceptions
  • Translate strategy, benefits, risks and capacity constraints into investment choices
  • Build a reusable portfolio management design for immediate workplace application

For your organisation

  • Creates a consistent route from demand submission to investment decision
  • Improves visibility of portfolio funding, capacity, risks, milestones and benefits
  • Reduces duplicated reporting through connected Smartsheet sheets, reports and dashboards
  • Makes project selection and cancellation decisions traceable and evidence-based
  • Establishes governance routines that focus leadership attention on material exceptions

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can define a portfolio management approach, its boundaries and its principal decision roles.

  • Portfolio, programme and project distinctions under PMI portfolio management guidance
  • Strategic portfolio management lifecycle from intake through benefits realization
  • Demand categories, investment themes and portfolio boundary definitions
  • Portfolio manager, sponsor, steering committee and delivery manager accountabilities
  • Value, risk, capacity and timing as portfolio decision criteria
  • Smartsheet PPM architecture: sheets, reports, dashboards, workspaces and Control Center

Participants can structure controlled Smartsheet data for project and portfolio reporting.

  • Smartsheet sheet anatomy: columns, hierarchy, predecessors, attachments and conversations
  • Build project plans using Gantt view, baselines and critical path
  • Configure dropdowns, contacts, symbols and validation rules for controlled data
  • Formula patterns for status, dates, weighted scores and exceptions
  • Reports and dashboards that surface portfolio data without duplicate entry
  • Workspace permissions, sharing levels and publishing controls for portfolio access

Participants can create a standard demand intake process that supports early portfolio decisions.

  • Standardized intake forms capture sponsors, objectives, estimates and requested dates
  • Conditional form logic routes demand by investment type and threshold
  • Data mapping from intake sheets into portfolio registers and project templates
  • Initial triage criteria distinguish ideas, mandatory work and funded initiatives
  • Service-level targets set response expectations for submitted demand
  • Intake audit trails preserve decisions, assumptions and approval evidence

Participants can test proposed initiatives against strategy and classify them for portfolio decisions.

  • Strategy maps link initiatives to objectives, outcomes and investment themes
  • OKR alignment tests proposed projects against measurable strategic results
  • Weighted scoring models translate strategic criteria into comparable project scores
  • MoSCoW categorization separates mandatory commitments from discretionary investment choices
  • Portfolio heat maps expose concentration by objective, region and sponsor
  • Decision records document rationale for approval, deferral, rejection or cancellation

Participants can assess project proposals using structured financial, benefit and uncertainty analysis.

  • Business case structure defines problem, options, costs, benefits and assumptions
  • Net present value, payback period and ROI for investment appraisal
  • Cost estimates separate capital expenditure, operating expenditure and contingency
  • Benefits profiles identify owners, measures, baselines and realization dates
  • Three-point estimating quantifies uncertainty using optimistic, likely and pessimistic values
  • Assumption logs distinguish validated evidence from planning hypotheses

Participants can rank competing initiatives using transparent and repeatable prioritisation methods.

  • Weighted decision matrices rank proposals using agreed scoring criteria
  • Analytic Hierarchy Process tests relative priority through pairwise comparisons
  • WSJF calculations sequence work using cost of delay and duration
  • Bubble charts compare value, risk, cost and strategic alignment
  • Constraint analysis identifies funding, resource, regulatory and timing limits
  • Selection thresholds create transparent and repeatable investment recommendation rules

Participants can create portfolio roadmaps that show timing, dependencies and investment choices.

  • Portfolio roadmaps sequence approved initiatives across quarters, releases and milestones
  • Dependency mapping identifies predecessor commitments, handoffs and external constraints
  • Time-phased funding plans align budget releases with delivery milestones
  • Scenario comparisons show consequences of sequencing, deferral and cancellation decisions
  • Milestone health definitions distinguish achieved, forecast, at-risk and missed dates
  • Smartsheet timeline views communicate portfolio timing to executive stakeholders

Participants can standardise project setup and portfolio reporting through Control Center design.

  • Control Center blueprints standardize project structures, metadata and reporting fields
  • Blueprint templates define folders, sheets, reports, dashboards and automation
  • Project profiles carry portfolio attributes into provisioned project workspaces
  • Global Updates distribute approved changes across active project portfolios
  • Provisioning controls protect template integrity and naming conventions
  • Archive patterns retain closed-project records while reducing operational clutter

Participants can assess capacity constraints and develop portfolio-level resource scenarios.

  • Resource Management by Smartsheet tracks assignments, availability and utilization
  • Role-based capacity plans convert demand forecasts into staffing requirements
  • Skills matrices expose capability gaps across proposed and active projects
  • Resource heat maps identify overallocations, underuse and scheduling conflicts
  • Capacity scenarios test hiring, contracting, reprioritization and schedule changes
  • Escalation rules resolve resource contention through documented portfolio decisions

Participants can monitor portfolio budgets, forecasts and funding decisions using consistent financial measures.

  • Portfolio cost baselines separate approved budgets, forecasts, actuals and commitments
  • Earned value measures use PV, EV, AC, CPI and SPI
  • Forecast at completion calculates expected cost using current performance data
  • Funding gates link expenditure authority to evidence and approval conditions
  • Variance thresholds trigger management attention before budget tolerance is exceeded
  • Financial rollups combine project data into portfolio-level investment views

Participants can identify, aggregate and respond to risks that affect portfolio value and delivery.

  • Portfolio risk taxonomy groups strategic, delivery, financial, regulatory and operational risks
  • Risk registers record causes, events, impacts, owners and response actions
  • Probability-impact matrices prioritize exposure using agreed scoring scales
  • Monte Carlo simulation estimates schedule and cost confidence ranges
  • Aggregate risk analysis identifies correlated threats across multiple initiatives
  • Risk appetite statements set escalation thresholds for portfolio governance

Participants can establish portfolio governance that assigns authority and controls investment decisions.

  • Portfolio governance charters define decision rights, forums, thresholds and escalation routes
  • RACI matrices assign accountability for intake, funding, prioritization and reporting
  • Stage-gate reviews test readiness before funding, release or continuation decisions
  • Decision logs capture approvals, conditions, dissent and follow-up actions
  • Exception management distinguishes tolerances from issues requiring executive intervention
  • Assurance reviews test data quality, controls and policy compliance

Participants can produce decision-focused dashboards and reports for senior portfolio stakeholders.

  • Portfolio dashboards combine KPIs, milestones, risks, budget and resource signals
  • Executive scorecards focus attention on decisions rather than activity volumes
  • Smartsheet reports filter project data by owner, status, sponsor and theme
  • Metric definitions establish common calculation rules and reporting frequencies
  • Traffic-light criteria use evidence-based thresholds rather than subjective status labels
  • Dashboard design applies visual hierarchy, exceptions and action prompts

Participants can automate portfolio data collection, approvals and controlled information exchange.

  • Automation rules send alerts, approval requests, reminders and update notifications
  • Update requests collect status, forecasts and risk data from owners
  • Data Shuttle imports and exports controlled data between approved systems
  • Bridge workflows orchestrate multi-step processes using triggers and conditional logic
  • Dynamic View protects sensitive fields while collecting assigned-user updates
  • Integration controls document ownership, refresh frequency and data reconciliation

Participants can evaluate changes and rebalance the portfolio when priorities or constraints shift.

  • Integrated master schedules expose cross-project dependencies and critical interfaces
  • Change control evaluates scope, cost, benefit, risk and capacity effects
  • Impact assessments trace proposed changes through roadmaps, budgets and resources
  • Configuration management maintains approved baselines, versions and change histories
  • Dependency owners agree handoff dates, acceptance criteria and contingency actions
  • Portfolio rebalancing responds to new priorities, constraints and performance evidence

Participants can track expected and realised benefits beyond project completion.

  • Benefits realization plans define measures, owners, milestones and evidence sources
  • Logic models connect inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and intended impact
  • Benefits dependency networks identify conditions required for value realization
  • Baseline measures establish credible before-and-after performance comparisons
  • Post-implementation reviews test adoption, benefit delivery and unintended consequences
  • Benefits dashboards distinguish forecast value from realized value

Participants can plan the roles, controls and adoption actions required for sustainable PPM.

  • PPM operating model defines processes, roles, systems and decision cadence
  • Stakeholder analysis maps influence, interest, concerns and engagement approaches
  • Change impact assessments identify affected groups, behaviours and support needs
  • Training plans address system use, governance responsibilities and reporting standards
  • Data governance assigns ownership, quality checks, retention and access controls
  • Adoption metrics track usage, timeliness, completeness and decision compliance

Participants can run portfolio review cycles that maintain decision quality and process discipline.

  • Monthly portfolio reviews examine performance, exceptions, decisions and actions
  • Quarterly rebalancing assesses strategic fit, capacity, funding and benefits
  • Portfolio Kanban visualizes demand flow from submission through closure
  • Management by exception focuses forums on tolerance breaches and decisions
  • Continuous improvement backlogs prioritize process, template and data-quality changes
  • Portfolio maturity assessments identify practical next improvements by capability area

Participants can compare portfolio options and present clear recommendations under uncertainty.

  • Scenario models compare baseline, constrained, accelerated and disruption cases
  • Sensitivity analysis tests which assumptions most affect portfolio value
  • What-if resource plans reveal consequences of capacity changes and delayed hiring
  • Investment frontier charts show efficient trade-offs between value, risk and cost
  • Stress tests examine resilience under budget cuts, delays and demand spikes
  • Recommendation papers present options, trade-offs, assumptions and requested decisions

Participants can build, review and present a complete Smartsheet-enabled portfolio management proposal.

  • Portfolio charter states mandate, scope, governance roles and decision criteria
  • Smartsheet portfolio workspace links intake, project data, reports and dashboard
  • Prioritization model ranks candidate initiatives using weighted strategic criteria
  • Roadmap aligns approved work, dependencies, resources, funding and benefits milestones
  • Executive dashboard highlights exceptions, choices, owners and review dates
  • Capstone presentation defends recommendations with data, assumptions and decision records

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Portfolio management operating model template
  2. Smartsheet demand intake and project register design
  3. Weighted prioritisation and investment appraisal model
  4. Portfolio roadmap and dependency map
  5. Stage-gate governance and RACI checklist
  6. Executive portfolio dashboard specification

Who should attend

  • Portfolio Managers — need repeatable methods for selecting, balancing and governing investments
  • PMO Managers — need consistent intake, reporting, assurance and portfolio review processes
  • Programme Managers — need to manage dependencies, resources and benefits across related projects
  • Project Managers — need to position project data within portfolio decisions and reporting
  • Transformation Leaders — need evidence-based choices across change initiatives and investment themes
  • Smartsheet Administrators — need to configure scalable portfolio structures, controls and reporting

Skills and tools covered

Portfolio prioritisationSmartsheet PPM configurationInvestment appraisalResource capacity planningPortfolio governanceExecutive portfolio reporting

Tools and standards

Smartsheet, PMI Standard for Portfolio Management, Management of Portfolios (MoP), RACI matrix

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by case work, group analysis, configuration demonstrations, simulations and structured application planning. Participants work with realistic demand pipelines, business cases, portfolio registers, resource constraints, budget changes and delivery exceptions. Smartsheet demonstrations cover sheets, reports, dashboards, forms, automation and portfolio-scale controls. Each module adds an element to the participant's portfolio design, with peer review used to test assumptions, governance choices, metrics and executive reporting. The final capstone brings these elements into one portfolio management proposal.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic project management terms such as scope, schedule, budget, risk, milestones and stakeholders. Experience contributing to project status reports, business cases, PMO processes or Smartsheet sheets is useful. Participants should be comfortable working with spreadsheets and interpreting basic budget and resource information. Prior experience as a portfolio manager is not required. No coding, database administration, advanced finance qualification or prior use of Smartsheet Control Center is required. The course explains the PPM methods before applying them in Smartsheet.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with project management terms and should be comfortable reading spreadsheet-style information. Previous portfolio management experience and prior use of Smartsheet Control Center are not required.

Bring a laptop suitable for live online or classroom configuration work, together with any non-confidential examples of your current intake forms, reports or governance documents. A Smartsheet account is useful where available, but trainers provide structured examples for the course activities.

The course is designed for portfolio managers, PMO leaders, programme managers, transformation leads, project managers and Smartsheet administrators. It is most useful for people who need to make or support decisions across multiple initiatives.

Project management courses focus on delivering an individual project, while this course focuses on selecting, balancing and governing a collection of investments. Smartsheet fundamentals teach core platform use; this course applies Smartsheet to intake, portfolio reporting, capacity, governance and executive decisions.

Participants leave with a portfolio management design that can be adapted to their own governance structure, demand process and reporting requirements. The templates and models support an initial pilot with a defined set of initiatives, sponsors and decision forums.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, with about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes portfolio methods, intake, prioritisation, roadmaps and Smartsheet structures; the second week focuses on capacity, governance, reporting, automation, benefits, scenarios and the capstone.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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