Delivery Management · Intensive Course · 2023

Managing client engagements end-to-end

DURATION

23 Oct – 11 Dec 2023

FORMAT

15 live sessions · 1.5 hrs each

TOTAL TIME

92.5 hours

PLATFORM

laba.ua

About the programme

This course was led by a Delivery Director at a global IT services and outsourcing company, with 14+ years of experience managing large-scale programmes with budgets exceeding $30M and IT outsourcing organisations of 200+ FTE across EMEA, APAC, AMERS, and MENA.

The course is accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Laba holds the status of an authorised PMI training partner, meaning the course content meets international PMI standards.

LECTURER

Delivery Director · Global IT services company · 14+ years experience

ACCREDITATION

PMI Authorised Training Partner

Curriculum

15 sessions covering the full scope of what it means to run a client engagement end-to-end in an IT services context - from pre-sales and contract negotiation through to delivery governance, financial management, leadership, and IT architecture.

Overview and onboarding for Delivery Manager

Introduction to the delivery process

Delivery Manager in pre-sales

From pre-sales to contract

Delivery management as a business

Contract management process

Client communication

Online workshop

Leadership

People Management

IT architectural styles and design patterns

Delivery management

Online workshop

Deliverables

Each session included practical homework built around real business cases from Retail, Banking, and eCommerce. All deliverables fed into a single cumulative artefact - the Engagement Passport - a structured document covering every dimension of a client engagement.

Engagement Passport - covering company overview, org structure, reporting lines, roles and responsibilities, and RACI matrix

Value Proposition Canvas and Business Model Canvas - built on a provided business case

RFP response - including approach, solution, deliverables, timeline, risks, assumptions, team structure, governance, and pricing

Business case and T&M opportunity assessment - with recruitment strategy, resource utilisation rate, and 30% target margin calculation

Rate card and P&L - including T&M and Fixed-price contract calculations, overtime provisions, invoice calculation, and budget projection

Client communication case studies - stakeholder conflict resolution and production incident escalation management

Risk mitigation strategies - three response strategies for a 30% client budget reduction scenario at month 5

Competency matrix - personal skills assessment across delivery management dimensions

What I learned

This programme gave me a structured view of delivery management that goes far beyond project execution. The role of a Delivery Manager sits at the intersection of commercial management, client strategy, team leadership, and technical understanding - and this course covered all of it. What stood out most was the financial dimension: building P&Ls, calculating margins, structuring contracts, and defending business cases. These are skills I had exposure to in my TAM roles but never owned end-to-end. The architecture modules also added valuable depth - understanding how technical decisions affect delivery scope, risk, and cost is something most delivery managers lack, and it is a direct complement to my engineering background.

Engagement Management - structuring client engagements from pre-sales through to delivery and renewal

Commercial Models - T&M, Fixed-price, Fixed-capacity: when to use each and how to defend the choice

P&L and Financial Management - building rate cards, calculating margins, tracking budget, invoicing

Contract Management - SOW structure, budget tracking (GAAP: Contract CAP), attrition calculation, resource buffer

RFP Response - translating client requirements into a structured commercial proposal

Client Communication - formal vs. informal communication flows, trust building, negotiation, escalation management

Leadership and People Management - transition from PM to Delivery Manager, cross-functional team dynamics, conflict resolution, feedback

IT Architecture - monolithic vs. microservices, cloud architecture, functional and non-functional requirements, SAR/ASR

Delivery Governance - governance models, communication events (QBR, Monthly Service Review, Status Meetings), release management, change control

KPI Definition - forming KPIs for non-billable units and delivery teams for maximum project profitability