Brownfield and Greenfield Capital Project Management Course

Course Introduction

The Brownfield and Greenfield Capital Project Management Course provides a comprehensive, practical framework for planning, executing, controlling and delivering capital projects across existing operational facilities and newly developed sites. It examines the distinct challenges of brownfield investments, where construction and modifications must be integrated with existing assets, utilities, operations and infrastructure, alongside greenfield developments that require new-site development, infrastructure establishment and coordinated project mobilization. Participants learn how to align project delivery strategies with business objectives, technical requirements, operational constraints and long-term asset performance.

Capital projects in industrial, energy, mining, manufacturing, infrastructure, utilities and process industries require disciplined management of scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety and commercial commitments. Brownfield projects are particularly sensitive to live-plant interfaces, hidden conditions, aging equipment, shutdown windows and operational continuity, while greenfield projects face land access, permitting, site preparation, infrastructure readiness and first-time commissioning challenges. This course explores how these different risk profiles influence project definition, engineering, procurement, construction planning, resource allocation and management decision-making throughout the capital investment lifecycle.

A central component of the programme is the development of robust project strategies and execution plans that reflect the maturity, complexity and uncertainty of each investment. Participants examine feasibility assessments, front-end engineering design, scope definition, constructability reviews, estimate classification, schedule development, risk analysis and stage-gate approvals. The course also addresses how to establish realistic cost and schedule baselines, manage contingency, assess estimate uncertainty, evaluate execution alternatives and strengthen investment decisions before major financial commitments are made.

The course places strong emphasis on project controls, contracting and interface management across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and operations. Participants explore work packaging, procurement planning, contractor coordination, change control, progress measurement, earned value management, schedule forecasting and commercial administration. Special attention is given to brownfield tie-ins, temporary works, plant isolation, permit-to-work interfaces and shutdown integration, as well as greenfield enabling works, site infrastructure, logistics planning and coordinated construction sequencing. These capabilities help project teams identify emerging problems earlier and manage their effects on delivery performance.

Modern capital project environments increasingly depend on digital engineering, integrated project information, data analytics and technology-enabled assurance. Participants examine building information modelling, digital twins, common data environments, drone-enabled progress monitoring, automated reporting and emerging applications of artificial intelligence in forecasting and risk identification. The course considers responsible AI use, data quality, cybersecurity, information ownership and human oversight to ensure that digital tools improve decision quality without compromising safety, confidentiality or accountability. Sustainability, climate resilience, environmental management and lifecycle cost considerations are also integrated into project planning and execution.

By the end of the programme, participants will be better equipped to lead capital projects from concept development through commissioning, handover and benefits realization. They will understand how to tailor governance, controls, contracting and delivery models to the realities of brownfield and greenfield investments, strengthen collaboration between project and operations teams, and improve the reliability of capital expenditure decisions. The course supports organizations seeking safer execution, stronger cost and schedule predictability, improved asset readiness, transparent accountability and sustainable long-term value from their capital investment portfolios.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Capital project directors, programme directors and project managers responsible for major investment delivery.

• Engineering managers and discipline leads overseeing design development and technical integration.

• Construction managers and site managers coordinating contractors, work fronts and construction sequencing.

• Project controls managers and specialists responsible for cost, schedule, risk and performance reporting.

• Brownfield project managers managing modifications, upgrades and expansions within operational facilities.

• Greenfield development managers overseeing new sites, facilities and supporting infrastructure.

• Operations and maintenance managers involved in project planning, shutdowns, tie-ins and asset readiness.

• Plant managers and facility managers responsible for maintaining production and operational continuity.

• Procurement, contracts and commercial managers handling packages, tenders, claims and supplier performance.

• Commissioning, completions and start-up managers responsible for system turnover and operational acceptance.

• Process, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation engineers involved in capital projects.

• Risk, safety, quality and environmental professionals supporting project assurance and regulatory compliance.

• Finance, investment planning and capital allocation professionals evaluating project viability and expenditure.

• Asset management and reliability professionals integrating new or modified assets into operating systems.

• Consultants and advisers supporting feasibility studies, project execution planning and delivery assurance.

• EPC, EPCM and construction contractor personnel managing complex industrial and infrastructure projects.

• Project sponsors, steering committee members and senior executives overseeing capital investment portfolios.

• Digital engineering, project information and data analytics professionals supporting technology-enabled delivery.

Course Objectives

• Develop a clear understanding of the strategic, technical, commercial and operational differences between brownfield and greenfield capital project environments.

• Apply structured project lifecycle management practices from opportunity identification and feasibility assessment through execution, commissioning and benefits realization.

• Establish effective project governance, decision rights, stage-gate reviews and assurance arrangements that match investment complexity and delivery risk.

• Improve scope definition, design maturity, requirements management and front-end planning to reduce uncertainty before major capital commitments.

• Prepare more reliable cost estimates, integrated schedules, resource plans and contingency provisions using appropriate assumptions and documented risk analysis.

• Identify and manage brownfield constraints such as hidden conditions, aging assets, live operations, interface dependencies and restricted shutdown windows.

• Plan greenfield site development, enabling works, utilities, access, permits, logistics and infrastructure readiness to support efficient construction mobilization.

• Strengthen procurement, contracting, package management and supplier coordination to improve commercial outcomes and reduce delivery disruptions.

• Apply integrated project controls, earned value analysis, change management and forecasting methods to monitor performance and support timely corrective action.

• Integrate constructability, operational readiness, process safety, quality assurance and environmental requirements into engineering and construction decisions.

• Use digital engineering, project information systems, analytics and carefully governed AI applications to improve visibility, coordination and decision quality.

• Improve commissioning, handover, asset data completion, lessons learned and post-project evaluation to support safe operations and sustainable investment benefits.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Capital Project Fundamentals and Investment Strategy

• Capital project lifecycles, investment drivers and strategic alignment across industrial and infrastructure sectors.

• Brownfield and greenfield project characteristics, delivery constraints and comparative risk profiles.

• Capital expenditure prioritization, portfolio alignment and value-based investment decision-making.

• Project success criteria, benefits realization, asset performance objectives and lifecycle value measurement.

Module 2: Brownfield and Greenfield Project Selection

• Opportunity identification, screening criteria and strategic justification for asset upgrades and new developments.

• Comparative assessment of site expansion, replacement, redevelopment and new-site investment alternatives.

• Technical, operational, environmental, commercial and socioeconomic considerations in project selection.

• Option analysis, preliminary risk assessment and investment recommendations supported by documented evidence.

Module 3: Feasibility Studies and Front-End Development

• Technical and economic feasibility assessments, preliminary engineering and project definition requirements.

• Front-end loading, design maturity assessment and readiness criteria for investment approval.

• Capital cost estimates, schedule assumptions, contingency development and estimate uncertainty analysis.

• Business cases, investment approvals, sensitivity analysis and independent project challenge processes.

Module 4: Scope Definition and Requirements Management

• Development of project objectives, scope statements, design bases and measurable acceptance criteria.

• Work breakdown structures, deliverable registers, interface boundaries and responsibility allocation.

• Management of scope gaps, assumptions, exclusions, design changes and stakeholder requirements.

• Requirements traceability, configuration management and prevention of uncontrolled scope growth.

Module 5: Brownfield Site Assessment and Existing Asset Integration

• Existing-facility surveys, asset condition assessments, records verification and site data validation.

• Identification of underground services, concealed conditions, obsolete equipment and undocumented modifications.

• Live-plant interfaces, operational access restrictions, temporary systems and production continuity planning.

• Field verification, intrusive investigations and uncertainty allowances for existing asset modifications.

Module 6: Greenfield Site Development and Infrastructure Readiness

• Site selection, land access, geotechnical investigations, topographical surveys and environmental baseline studies.

• Site preparation, earthworks, drainage, roads, utilities and temporary construction infrastructure.

• Permitting, land-use approvals, stakeholder engagement and development of enabling works packages.

• Construction logistics, workforce accommodation, access planning and readiness for major equipment installation.

Module 7: Engineering Management and Design Integration

• Multidisciplinary engineering coordination, design deliverables, technical reviews and design maturity tracking.

• Process design, civil and structural engineering, mechanical systems, electrical works and instrumentation integration.

• Design interface management, design change evaluation and technical query resolution across project packages.

• Digital engineering, building information modelling and coordinated model-based design reviews.

Module 8: Constructability, Work Packaging and Execution Planning

• Constructability reviews, construction methodology selection and early contractor involvement strategies.

• Work breakdown into manageable packages, workface planning and constraint removal before field execution.

• Brownfield access limitations, congestion management, temporary works and live-facility construction sequencing.

• Greenfield construction sequencing, site productivity planning, equipment access and logistics optimization.

Module 9: Cost Estimating, Budgeting and Capital Cost Control

• Capital estimate development, estimate basis documentation and alignment between scope maturity and accuracy.

• Direct and indirect costs, escalation, foreign exchange exposure, contingency and management reserve governance.

• Cost breakdown structures, commitment tracking, cash-flow forecasting and expenditure authorization controls.

• Cost variance analysis, estimate-at-completion forecasting and evidence-based corrective action planning.

Module 10: Integrated Scheduling and Shutdown Coordination

• Development of integrated engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and start-up schedules.

• Critical path analysis, schedule logic validation, resource loading and realistic productivity assumptions.

• Brownfield shutdown planning, tie-in sequencing, isolation dependencies and management of limited outage windows.

• Schedule risk analysis, progress measurement, recovery planning and time-impact assessment for changes.

Module 11: Procurement, Contracting and Commercial Management

• Contract strategy selection across engineering, procurement, construction, EPC, EPCM and specialist packages.

• Tender preparation, technical and commercial evaluation, bid clarification and supplier capability assessment.

• Long-lead equipment procurement, expediting, logistics coordination and vendor document management.

• Contract administration, claims prevention, variation assessment, dispute avoidance and commercial closeout.

Module 12: Risk, Process Safety, Quality and Environmental Management

• Integrated risk registers, quantitative risk analysis, mitigation ownership and escalation arrangements.

• Management of change, hazard studies, constructability hazards and process safety interface requirements.

• Quality plans, inspection and test plans, nonconformance management and supplier quality surveillance.

• Environmental permitting, waste management, climate resilience and monitoring of project sustainability performance.

Module 13: Project Controls, Performance Reporting and Change Management

• Integrated project controls frameworks linking scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality and resource performance.

• Earned value management, performance indicators, trend analysis and forecast reliability assessment.

• Formal change control, impact evaluation, baseline protection and approval of authorized scope adjustments.

• Executive dashboards, exception reporting, decision logs and early-warning indicators for emerging delivery problems.

Module 14: Stakeholder, Interface and Contractor Coordination

• Stakeholder mapping, communication planning and engagement with regulators, communities and asset owners.

• Interface registers, battery limits, system boundaries and accountability across multidisciplinary contractors.

• Coordination of engineering, construction, operations, maintenance and commissioning responsibilities.

• Collaborative problem-solving, escalation protocols, meeting effectiveness and resolution of competing priorities.

Module 15: Digital Project Delivery, AI and Emerging Technologies

• Common data environments, digital document control, model coordination and project information governance.

• Digital twins, reality capture, drone-enabled progress verification and data-driven asset readiness assessment.

• Responsible AI applications for risk screening, schedule forecasting, reporting automation and decision support.

• Cybersecurity, data quality, access controls, human validation and protection of sensitive project information.

Module 16: Commissioning, Handover and Benefits Realization

• Systemization, completions management, pre-commissioning tests and commissioning readiness reviews.

• Brownfield tie-in verification, reinstatement, operational acceptance and controlled return to service.

• Greenfield start-up, performance testing, reliability demonstration and resolution of outstanding deficiencies.

• Asset data handover, maintenance readiness, final account settlement, lessons learned and benefits tracking.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.