APMP Training - United States

APM Introductory Certificate (PFQ) Course Outline

During this 2-day course, delegates will produce various documents required to plan, monitor, and control any project. There will be many opportunities to discuss their findings, their understanding of the processes and their approach to Project Management. Throughout the course, additional information will be given to ensure that delegatesobjectives of each session. Individual exercises will also be used to consolidate the subjects taught.

Module 1: Understand Project Management and the Operating Environment

• Define the Term Project
• Projects Vs Business as Usual
• Define the Term Project Management
• Purpose of Project Management
• Define the Term Program Management
• Define the Term Portfolio Management
• PESTLE Analysis

Module 2: Understand Project Life Cycles

• Project Life Cycle
• Linear Project Life Cycle
• Iterative Project Life Cycle
• Hybrid Life Cycle
• Extended Project Life Cycle

Module 3: Understand the Roles and Responsibilities within Projects

• What is Project Sponsorship?
• Role of the Project Sponsor
• What is an Organization?
• Project Team Structure Example
• Project Sponsor and Project Manager
• Project Governance
• Project Team Members
• End Users
• Product Owner
• Project Management Office

Module 4: Understand Project Management Planning

• Define the Term Deployment Baseline
• Linear Vs Iterative Life Cycles
• Stakeholders of a Project Management Plan
• Purpose of a Business Case
• Typical Contents
• Role of a Project Sponsor and Project Manager in a Business Case
• What is Stakeholder Management?
• Stakeholder Analysis Process
• How a Stakeholder Analysis Supports Effective Stakeholder Engagement
• Define the Term Benefits Management
• What is Estimating?
• Typical Estimating Methods
• Purpose of the Estimating Funnel
• What is Project Success?
• What is Success?
• When to Define Success?
• Success Criteria
• Reporting
• Purpose of Project Progress Reporting
• Benefits of Project Progress Reporting

Module 5: Understand Project Scope Management

• Scope Management
• Scope Management within Linear and Iterative lifecycles
• Breakdown Structures
• Product Breakdown Structure
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Cost Breakdown Structure
• Organizational Breakdown Structures
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix
• Configuration Management
• Change Control
• Why Change Control
• Change Control Process
• Configuration Management Process

Module 6: Understand Resource, Scheduling and Optimization in a Project

• What is Scheduling?
• Purpose of Scheduling
• Purpose of Critical Path Analysis
• Purpose of Milestones
• Time Boxing
• What is Resource Optimization?
• Resource Levelling
• Resource Smoothing
• Procurement Strategy

Module 7: Understand Project Risk and Issue Management in the Context of a Project

• What is Risk?
• What is Project Risk Management?
• Purpose of Risk Management
• Risk Management Process
• Use of Risk Registers
• What is an ‘Issue’?
• Terminology
• Purpose of ‘Issue Management
• Differentiate Between an Issue and a Risk
• Issue Resolution Process

Module 8: Understand Quality in the Context of a Project

• Definition of Quality
• Quality Management
• Quality Components
• Quality Planning
• Quality Control
• Quality Assurance
• Decision Gates
• Post Project Reviews
• Benefit Reviews
• Project Audits

Module 9: Understand Communication in the Context of a Project

• What is Communication?
• Communications in Projects
• Face-to-Face Communication
• Physical Communication
• Virtual Communication
• Contents of a Communication Plan
• Benefits to a PM of a Communication Plan

Module 10: Understand Leadership and Teamwork within a Project

• Leadership
• Impact on Team Performance
• Challenges to a Project Manager
• Tuckman Team Development Model
• Belbin Roles

APM Project Professional Qualification PPQ Course Outline

Domain 1: Delivering Projects through Effective Leadership and Management

Module 1: Provide Visionary Leadership for a Project

• Evaluate Ethical, Flexible, Inspirational and Collaborative Approaches
• Project’s Strategic Goals
• High-Performance Teams

Module 2: Establish and Develop Teams to Achieve Project Aims and Objectives

• Tools, Techniques and Leadership Behaviors
• How to Respond to Changes in a Project’s Environment?
• Develop And Maintain an Effective Team
• Role of Monitoring and Feedback
• Relationship Between Performance Management, The Team Development Cycle, and Motivation to the Success of a Project
• Evaluate the Usage of Conflict to Improve Individual and Team Performance.

Module 3: Maintain an Engaged and Constructive Team through a Positive Approach to Conflict Management

• Why and How to Act with Objectivity, Impartiality and Honesty
• Analyse Appropriate Actions
• Evaluate Ways to Address Challenges, Issues and Conflict
• Maintain an Awareness of Challenges, Issues, and Conflict

Module 4: Resolve Problems Taking a Logical Approach to the Problem-solving Process

Module 5: Make Decisions which Support the Objectives of a Project

• How to Maintain Decision-Making Hierarchies?
• How Decision-Making Relates to the Organization's Governance Structure?
• Logical and Recognized Approach to Decision Making

Module 6: Communicate Effectively with Stakeholders to Achieve a Project’s Objectives

• Analyse Ways Appropriately Communicate with Stakeholders
• Evaluate Ways in Which to Communicate Throughout a Project
• Effective Verbal Communication

Module 7: Negotiate Effectively with Stakeholders to Achieve a Project’s Objectives

• How to Effectively Negotiate with Internal Stakeholders?
• How to Effectively Negotiate with External Stakeholders?

Domain 2: Delivering Projects through Effective Governance and Oversight

Module 1: Establish and Maintain the Governance Structure of a Project to Ensure Alignment to Organizational Practice

• Evaluate Appropriate Structures and Hierarchies for a Project
• Why and How to Establish Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships within a Project
• Establish and Maintain the Reporting Hierarchies and Structure During the Life of a Project

Module 2: Use Information to Inform Reviews and Help Manage Deviations from a Project Plan

• Key Stages in a Project-Based Life Cycle
• Importance of Aligning Reviews with Organizational, Legal and Regulatory Requirements
• Analyse Situations and How to Resolve Them
• Reasons for Accurately Documenting Deviations from a Project Plan

Module 3: Manage Change Control Processes and Protocols

• Implementation And Maintenance of Change Control Process
• Determine The Impact on a Project’s Scope and Objectives
• Implement And Manage Approved Changes to a Project
• Why and How Trends Analysis is used to Add Value?

Module 4: Manage Stakeholder Influence, Interest and Engagement for the Benefit of a Project

• Techniques to Determine Stakeholder Power, Influence, and Interest
• Develop and Implement a Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Plan
• Monitor and Amend a Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Plan
• Evaluate Relevant Feedback from Stakeholders
• Why and How to Provide Relevant Stakeholders with Financial Reports

Module 5: Deliver the Intended Benefits of a Project

• Importance of Confirming the Intended Benefits
• Develop a Benefits Management Strategy
• Importance of Prioritizing the Achievement of Benefits
• Create a Benefits Realization Plan
• Evaluate Ways to Maximize Achievement of the Planned Benefits

Domain 3: Delivering Projects through Effective Planning and Control

Module 1: Manage Project Costs within Agreed Budgets Which Supports Management of a Project

• Cost Tracking Tools and Techniques
• Importance of Cashflow and Cashflow Forecasting
• Establish Cost Trends and Monitor the Financial Performance
• Importance of Cost Analysis and its Role
• Importance of Completing all Financial Transactions

Module 2: Respond to Risks to Minimize Threats and Increase Opportunities

• Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Risk Identification and Analysis
• How to Record and Plan Responses to Risks
• Why and How to Implement Appropriate Responses to Risks
• Importance of Reviewing How Risks Were Managed

Module 3: Respond to Issues in a Way that Supports the Management of a Project

• Why And How to Record and Plan Responses to Resolve Issues
• How to Implement Appropriate Responses to Issues?
• Importance of Reviewing How Issues were Resolved During a Project

Module 4: Develop and Implement an Integrated Plan to Support the Management of a Project

• Document the Outcomes of a Project’s Planning Process
• Fundamental Components of Scope, Schedule, Resource, Budgets, Risks and Quality
• Purpose of an Integrated Plan
• Why And How to Monitor the Progress of a Project?
• Why and How to Adjust an Integrated Plan?

APM PMQ for PRINCE2® Practitioners Course Outline

There are 73 assessment criteria that are covered for the PMQ Certification – 26 of these are covered by PRINCE2® Practitioner. Therefore PRINCE2® Practitioners shall only be examined on the remaining 47 assessment criteria. Here are the learning objectives for the PMQ for PRINCE2 Practitioners Course:

Module 1: Structure of Organizations and Projects

• Distinguish Between Different Types of Organizational Structure
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Relationship Between Project Sponsor and Manager
• Functions and Benefits of Project Office

Module 2: Project Lifecycle

• Overview
• Iterative Project Life Cycle
• Hybrid Life Cycle
• Project Lifecycle Phases
• Differentiate Between Project Lifecycle and Extended Lifecycle
• Benefits of Conducting Reviews

Module 3: Project Context and Environments

• Project Context, Environmental Factors
• Use of PESTLE, SWOT
• Difference Between Project and Business as Usual
• Characteristics of Program Management
• Challenges of Program Management
• Situations Where Portfolio Management is Used
• Distinguish Between Project Management and Portfolio and Program Management
• Health Safety and Environment Legislation

Module 4: Governance and Structured Methodologies

• Principles of Governance of Project Management

Module 5: Communication

• Ensuring the Exchange of Relevant Information
• Communication in Projects
• Face to Face Communication
• Physical Communication
• Virtual Communication
• Communication Plan, Barriers to Communication
• Importance of Effective Communication
• Conflict Management
• Negotiation

Module 6: Leadership and Teamwork

• Leadership
• Impact of Leadership on Projects
• Situational Leadership Approach
• Which Style When?
• Creation and Management of Teams

Module 7: Planning for Success

• Business Case, Ownership, Authorship
• Benefits Management
• Information Management
• Project Management Plan
• Approval
• Project Management Plan Contents
• Estimating
• Earned Value Management
• Earned Value Calculations and Interpret Earned Value Data
• Stakeholder Management
• Use of Payback, Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value
• Project Reporting Cycle

Module 8: Scope Management

• Product Breakdown Structure (PBS)
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Configuration
• Requirements
• Change Control

Module 9: Schedule and Resource Management

• Project Scheduling
• Categories and Types of Resources
• Resources Smoothing and Levelling
• Financial and Cost Management
• Budget and Cost Control

Module 10: Procurement

• What is Procurement?
• Procurement Process
• Procurement Strategy
• Supplier Relationships
• Contracts
• Supplier Selection
• Supplier Evaluation

Module 11: Project Risk Management and Issue Management

• What is Risk?
• What is Project Risk Management?
• Purpose of Risk Management
• Risk Management Process
• Risk as Threat and Opportunity
• Benefits of Risk Management
• Distinguish Between a Risk and an Issue

Module 12: Project Quality Management

• Describe Quality Management
• Quality Planning
• Quality Assurance
• Techniques
• Techniques in Quality Control
• Example Ishikawa Diagram
• Pareto Chart (80/20 Rule)
• Control Charts