# AI for Project Management Course (Self-Paced)

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/ai-for-project-management-course-self-paced>

## Overview

This course is designed to introduce federal workers to the practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in project management. Participants will learn how AI tools, such as natural language processing, machine learning, and generative AI, can support project planning, execution, and monitoring. Through real-world government examples and hands-on activities, the course highlights how AI can streamline tasks like risk analysis, scheduling, reporting, and stakeholder communication. The course also addresses the limitations, ethical considerations, and compliance issues relevant to AI use in federal project environments (including OMB Memorandum M-25-21 and OPM AI Compliance Plan).

## What you'll learn

- Define artificial intelligence and its core concepts, including natural language processing, machine learning, and generative AI, in the context of project management.
- Explain how AI tools can enhance project planning, scheduling, risk management, reporting, and stakeholder communications.
- Apply real-world examples of AI use in federal project environments to improve efficiency and decision-making.
- Identify ethical, legal, and compliance considerations, including bias, privacy, transparency, and federal AI guidelines, that impact AI adoption.

## Curriculum

#### Module 1: AI 101 for Project Managers

- Define artificial intelligence and distinguish narrow vs. general AI
- Introduce core concepts: natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and generative AI
- Debunk common myths and set realistic expectations for AI capabilities and limits

#### Module 2: Why AI for Project Management

- Examine how AI is changing the modern workplace and project environments
- Map AI-enabled skills to PMI’s Talent Triangle® (Ways of Working, Power Skills, Business Acumen)
- Identify future-readiness steps for managing projects alongside AI tools

#### Module 3: AI Applications for Project Management — Planning

- Use AI to clarify project charters, scope statements, and WBS drafts
- Leverage AI for requirements gathering, stakeholder analysis, and risk identification prompts
- Apply AI-assisted estimation and scenario exploration to inform baselines

#### Module 4: AI Applications for Project Management — Scheduling, Risk, & Communications

- Generate schedule drafts, dependencies, and what-if analyses with AI assistants
- Strengthen risk analysis with pattern detection, probability cues, and mitigation optioning
- Enhance reporting and stakeholder communications with AI-written summaries and visuals

#### Module 5: Ethical, Legal, and Practical Considerations

- Address bias, privacy, transparency, and data provenance in federal contexts
- Define appropriate human-in-the-loop controls and oversight
- Align usage with federal AI guidance, policies, and compliance requirements

#### Module 6: Preparing for AI Integration

- Create a strategy for selecting, piloting, and scaling AI use cases
- Develop a communication plan for stakeholders, leadership, and teams
- Incorporate change management, training, and governance into rollout plans

## Instructors

### Steve Pesklo — Instructor

Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance.

Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years.

Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $899