General Project Management

APMP Complete Project Management

The dynamic and transient nature of projects and the need for pro-active management of a group of people, who may never have met before, may never work together again and yet are asked to perform well, immediately, is a source of constant challenge and concern. This 5 day event has been developed to make exercising the discipline of project management a little easier. The fifth day of the event features the exam for the APMP qualification: the APM’s foundation level qualification. A pre-reading pack is provided to assist delegates in their preparation. This recommends that delegates complete a minimum of 20 hours work prior to attending the course.   

DESIGNED FOR

This event is open to anyone who wishes to immerse themselves in the theory and practice of effective project management and attain an internationally recognised accreditation. However, it would be beneficial if delegates had a minimum of two years experience of the management of projects in a hands-on role.     

THE BENEFITS

 By the end of the course, delegates will:

• Have updated their knowledge of project management principles and techniques
• Have acquired the level of understanding needed to pass the APMP examination

COURSE CONTENT

(09:00-17:00 Monday to Thursday and exam 10:00-13:00 on Friday with additional individual evening work) This highly interactive and participative course covers the following areas:

• Exam Overview - Delegates are given details on the structure and content of the APMP examination syllabus.
• Introductions - An opportunity to familiarise delegates with the course content, desired outcomes and individual requirements.
• Anatomy of a Project - This session differentiates between project and operational work, looks at the project life cycle and the benefits of adopting a structured approach to Project Management. It also defines project management and the project management process as well as the roles and responsibilities within projects and discusses the importance of the project sponsor.
• Projects in their Environment - This session addresses the context within which projects are managed. It distinguishes between programmes & portfolios, their management and the benefits of each. Project governance is discussed and the different types of organisation are identified. It also looks at the project office and project management methods and procedures.
• Concept Phase - Delegates discuss benefits management, needs statements, requirements management, stakeholder management, and success criteria for projects. This session looks at option selection and investment appraisal techniques such as Payback, Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return. The Business Case is also covered, including an overview of the typical contents of a Business Case.
• Definition Phase - In this session delegates look at the importance and contents of the Project Management Plan. They also discuss Information and Document Management.
• People in Projects - Delegates discuss the ‘soft’ skills associated with managing people. This includes areas such as communication, teamwork, motivation, leadership, negotiation and conflict management.
• Planning - Effective planning and estimating help to define the optimum approach to executing a specific project. The WBS helps to break a project into manageable ‘chunks’. Delegates will become familiar with the process of developing the WBS and other structures. They will look at estimating techniques and techniques that can be used to enable efficient utilisation of resources during the project lifecycle whilst ensuring that time constraints are satisfied. Fundamental techniques such as networks, critical path analysis, resource and cost planning are also covered.
• Specific Knowledge Areas - Delegates are provided with the skills necessary to identify, assess and manage project risks. This session also addresses the activities required to ensure that the project complies with any relevant Health & Safety standards and meets the necessary quality requirements. Finally, it looks at the procurement process, strategy and contracts.
• Implementation - In this session delegates look at project monitoring and control. They will learn about earned value management and how it can be used to monitor the ‘health’ of a project. The session also looks at issue management and the importance of implementing change in an informed and controlled manner. There is a close link between change and configuration management – the process of ensuring that the project utilises and delivers what it is obliged to.
• Hand-over and Post Project Review - The final session looks at the importance of ensuring that there is a controlled handover of project deliverables to the ‘client’. The importance of organisational learning from project experience and disbanding the project team in an effective manner are also covered.

APMP Examination

• During the course and the pre-read process, delegates are provided with multiple opportunities to practice sample exam questions and are also given advice on how to approach the exam, including appropriate revision and exam techniques.
• The exam is a 3 hour written examination where delegates answer 10 questions from a possible 16 questions. All questions carry equal marks.

The Complete Project Management course is delivered by our partner company PMProfessional Learning.