10 PRINCE2 courses in Sheffield

PRINCE2® Foundation: In-House Training Projects fail for a variety of reasons including poor planning, lack of defined quality criteria, poor understanding of the business drivers, inadequate control, and lack of senior management involvement in other words, lack of a structured best practice approach to project delivery. PRINCE2® (6th Edition is the current version) is a structured, process-based approach to project management providing a methodology which can be easily tailored and scaled to suit all types of projects. It is the de facto standard for project management in the UK Government and is used extensively in more than 150 countries worldwide with in excess of 20,000 organizations already benefiting from its powerful approach. It can be used easily in combination with PMI®'s PMBOK® Guideto provide a robust project management methodology, or to augment an existing PMBOK®-based methodology with additional rigor around areas such as Quality, Organization, and Benefits Realization. The goals of this course are to provide participants with a thorough grounding in PRINCE2® and its benefits and to prepare them to sit the Foundation exam. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Identify the benefits and principles underlying a structured approach to project management Define the PRINCE2® method in depth, including the principles, themes, and processes Prepare and practice for the Foundation exam Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Overview of the PRINCE2® Foundation exam PRINCE2® Introduction Introducing PRINCE2® The structure of PRINCE2® What PRINCE2® does not provide What makes a project a 'PRINCE2® project'? Project Management with PRINCE2® Defining a project Managing a project Controlling the variables The Project Manager's work PRINCE2 Principles PRINCE2® Principles The Seven Principles Tailoring and Adopting PRINCE2® Defining tailoring Defining embedding What can be tailored? Who is responsible for tailoring? Introduction to the PRINCE2® Themes What is a PRINCE2® Theme? What are the PRINCE2® Themes? Tailoring the themes Format of the theme chapters Business Case Need for a business case Elements of a business case How a business case is developed Managing Benefits Organization Need for a special type of organization PRINCE2® organization structure Roles in a PRINCE2® project Combining roles Quality Relevance of quality to project work Quality, quality control, and quality assurance Quality management approach and the quality register Who is responsible for quality? Plans Need for plans and their hierarchy Approach to planning Content of a PRINCE2® plan Product-based planning Risk The need to manage risks What is a risk? Risk and continued business justification A risk management option Change Change is inevitable Different types of change Baselines and configuration management Issue and change control in PRINCE2® Progress Controlling a PRINCE2® project The application of tolerance Types of control Raising exceptions Introduction to Processes Processes and the project lifecycle The PRINCE2® journey Structure of the process chapters Tailoring the processes Starting up a Project Appointing people to the PRINCE2® roles Establishing some baselines Should we go further with this work? Planning for initiation Directing a Project Should we start / continue the project? Responding to internal / external influences Should we close this project? Initiating a Project Establishing the project's approaches Creating the project plan Refining the business case Assembling the PID Controlling a Stage Authorizing and reviewing work Monitoring and reporting Handling non-planned situations Triggering the next process Managing Product Delivery Accepting work from the Project Manager Getting the work done by the team Routine and non-routine reporting Handing back the completed work Managing a Stage Boundary Taking stock of what we have done Updating the PID Consider the options for continuing / stopping Producing exception plans Closing a Project PRINCE2® at the end of a project Transition of product to operational use How well did we do? Tying up all the loose ends

PRINCE2® Practitioner : In-House Training Projects fail for a variety of reasons including poor planning, lack of defined quality criteria, poor understanding of the business drivers, inadequate control, and lack of senior management involvement in other words, lack of a structured best practice approach to project delivery. PRINCE2® (6th Edition is the current version) is a structured, process-based approach for project management providing a methodology which can be easily tailored and scaled to suit all types of projects. It is the de facto standard for project management in the UK Government and is also used extensively in more than 150 countries worldwide with in excess of 20,000 organizations already benefitting from its powerful approach. It can be used easily in combination with PMI®'s PMBOK® Guide to provide a robust project methodology, or to augment an existing PMBOK®-based methodology with additional rigor around areas such as Quality, Organization, and Benefits Realization. The goals of this course are to take participants to the next level of understanding and application of the PRINCE2® methodology and to prepare them to sit the Practitioner exam. Using APMG provided sample exam papers and additional project case studies, participants will learn how to apply what they learned during the Foundation course and how to approach the OTE Practitioner exam, which is aimed at testing their ability to apply PRINCE2® in an actual project environment simulated via a case study provided as part of the exam. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Tailor and apply the principles, themes, process structure, techniques, and management products of PRINCE2® within a work environment, via carefully selected case studies Define the PRINCE2® 6th Edition method at the Practitioner level Prepare for and take the Practitioner exam Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Tailoring PRINCE2® Tailoring PRINCE2® Adopting PRINCE2® Tailoring PRINCE2® to suit different projects Adopting PRINCE2® in an organizational environment Controlled Start Recap management products Study business case and risk Study activities and responsibilities in: Starting up a project Initiating a project Controlled Progress Study management products and risk Study activities and responsibilities in: Getting work done Monitoring and reporting Issues and escalation Controlled Close Study Activities and Responsibilities in Closing a Project Activities and roles Roles and Responsibilities Principles Exercise Product-basedPlanning Producing a product breakdown structure (PBS) Producing a product flow diagram (PFD) Linking product breakdown structures and product flow diagrams to product descriptions

PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation: In-House Training PRINCE2 Agile® provides structure, governance, and control when working with agile concepts, methods, and techniques. It is a solution combining the flexibility and responsiveness of Agile with the clearly defined framework of PRINCE2. PRINCE2 Agile® framework covers a wide range of agile concepts, including SCRUM, Kanban, and Lean Startup. The PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation certificate is designed to help professionals deliver agile projects by tailoring PRINCE2® management controls with a broad toolset of agile delivery techniques and frameworks. PRINCE2 Agile® is an extension module tailored for forward-thinking organizations and individuals already benefiting from PRINCE2®. It provides further guidance on how to apply agile methods to the world's most recognized project management method. The purpose of the Practitioner qualification is to demonstrate that you can apply and tailor PRINCE2 Agile® in a scenario situation. What you will Learn Understand the key aspects of PRINCE2® Understand basic concepts behind common agile ways of working Demonstrate the purpose of combining PRINCE2® with agile Be able to fix and flex the aspects of a project in an agile context Apply the PRINCE2® principles and tailor the themes, processes, and management products to a project in an agile context Incorporate the areas that can support a PRINCE2 Agile® implementation To prepare Participants for the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation exam Benefits Agile methods allow organizations to realize the benefits of products and potentially an earlier return on investment while products are being developed and improved. Improved communication through the use of common terminology across PRINCE2® and agile disciplines. Develop a clear definition of how agile can govern a project's delivery, while PRINCE2® governs projects as a whole. Seamless integration: PRINCE2 Agile® will complementPMBOK® GuideandAPM Body of Knowledge®just as PRINCE2® does currently. It will also be of interest for Program Managers with MSP® who need to understand how projects relate to the delivery mechanism. The most up-to-date and relevant view of Agile project management methodologies, PRINCE2 Agile® references the 'flow-based' working featured in Kanban in addition to other agile concepts not covered in other qualifications. Introduction - Getting Started Part 1 An overview of PRINCE2 Agile Overview Blending PRINCE2 and Agile What to fix and what to flex Part 2 Agile behaviors ad the PRINCE2 Principles Agile and the PRINCE2 Themes Part 3 Focus areas Agile and the PRINCE2 Processes Examination preparation Examination. Summary - What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environment?

PRINCE2 Agile® Practitioner: In-House Training PRINCE2 Agile® Practitioner is a solution combining the flexibility and responsiveness of Agile with the clearly defined framework of PRINCE2®. PRINCE2 Agile® framework covers a wide range of agile concepts, including SCRUM, Kanban, and Lean Startup. The PRINCE2 Agile® Practitioner certification teaches you to blend structure, governance, and control with agile methods, techniques, and approaches. The strength of PRINCE2® lies in the areas of project direction and project management, whereas Agile has a very strong focus on product delivery. When PRINCE2® and agile are combined, project direction, project management, and project delivery are optimized to create a complete project management solution. PRINCE2 Agile® is an extension module tailored for forward-thinking organizations and individuals already benefiting from PRINCE2®. It provides further guidance on how to apply agile methods to the world's most recognized project management method. The purpose of the Practitioner qualification is to demonstrate that you can apply and tailor PRINCE2 Agile® in a scenario situation. What you will Learn Understand the basic concepts of common agile ways of working Understand the purpose and context for combining PRINCE2® and the agile way of working Able to apply and evaluate the focus areas to a project in an agile context Able to fix and flex the aspects of a project in an agile context Apply the PRINCE2® principles and tailor the themes, processes, and management products to a project in an agile context To learn through the use of theory and practical exercises Prepare for the PRINCE2 Agile® Practitioner exam Benefits Agile methods allow organizations to realize the benefits of products and potentially an earlier return on investment while products are being developed and improved Improved communication through the use of common terminology across PRINCE2® and agile disciplines Develop a clear definition of how agile can govern a project's delivery, while PRINCE2® governs projects as a whole Seamless integration: PRINCE2 Agile® will complementPMBOK® GuideandAPM Body of Knowledge® just as PRINCE2® does currently. It will also be of interest for Program Managers with MSP® who need to understand how projects relate to the delivery mechanism. The most up-to-date and relevant view of Agile project management methodologies, PRINCE2 Agile® references the 'flow-based' working featured in Kanban in addition to other agile concepts not covered in other qualifications Agile Overview & Blending PRINCE2 and Agile Agile overview Blending PRINCE2 and Agile Fix and Flex, Agile and PRINCE2 Processes & Starting a Project Fix and Flex Agile and the PRINCE2 Processes; Starting up a project and Initiating a project Business case theme Change and Organization Themes& Principles Change theme Organization theme Agile and PRINCE2 Principles and the Agilometer Managing Product Delivery and Scrum & Plans and Progress Themes Managing product delivery and Scrum Plans Theme and Progress Theme Quality, Controlling & Managing a Stage and Directing Projects and Contracts Quality Theme Controlling a stage and Frequent Releases Managing a stage boundary Directing a project and contracts Closing a project Tailoring PRINCE2 Productsand Other Practices Tailoring PRINCE2 products and other practices

AgilePM® Practitioner: In-House Training This course offers preparation for the Practitioner-level examination to gain the APMG-International™ / Agile Project Management Practitioner Certification. Agile Project Management (AgilePM) is the result of collaboration between APMG-International and The DSDM Consortium. DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) is the longest-established Agile method, launched in 1995, and is the only Agile method to focus on the management of Agile projects. The method has evolved over the years and the DSDM Agile Project Framework is the latest version of which AgilePM is a subset. DSDM has always operated predominantly in the corporate environment and has consistently demonstrated its ability to successfully work with and complement existing corporate processes. APMG-International is a global Examination Institute accredited by The APM Group Ltd. It is one of the Examination Institutes accredited by AXELOS. APMG-International has regional offices located in Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Malaysia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Their portfolio of qualifications includes the Best Practice qualifications of ITIL®, PRINCE2®, MSP®, M_o_R®, and P3O®. AgilePM is one of their specialist management qualifications, which also include Change Management and Service Catalogue. The course covers all the Practitioner elements of the AgilePM Handbook v2 with: Clear explanations of the method and practical examples provided by your course tutor Sample exam paper for the Practitioner-level exams to enrich your knowledge and understanding A case study to allow you to practice the application of the method to an agile project The Traditional Classroom option includes the Practitioner exam to provide you with the right opportunity to verify your new skill set by way of a professional qualification The Virtual Classroom option includes a Practitioner exam voucher to allow you to choose the date and time of your online exam to verify your new skill set by way of a professional qualification What You Will Learn You will learn how to: Identify and apply the concepts, tools, and techniques described in Section 2 (Digging Deeper) of the APMG-International's Agile Project Management Handbook (v2.0) to agile projects Tailor and customize AgilePM to suit the needs of different projects Use AgilePM in conjunction with other project management methods such as PRINCE2® Prepare yourself for the Practitioner exam in AgilePM Roles and Responsibilities - The PM View The roles Key project manager relationships Agile Project Management - Through the Lifecycle The DSDM process and the project lifecycle Project management focus phase by phase The Effective Use of Products The products Deliver on Time - Combining MoSCoW & Timeboxing Ensuring effective prioritisation Bringing MoSCoW and timeboxing together People, Teams, and Interactions Effective communication Collaboration Requirements and User Stories What is a requirement? User stories Estimating - How and When Coping with uncertainty Estimating through the lifecycle Project Planning through the Lifecycle Planning in a DSDM project Planning activities phase by phase Quality - Never Compromise Quality What do we mean by quality? Solution and process quality Risk Management Project risk How DSDM helps mitigate project risk Tailoring the Approach The project approach questionnaire Summary and Next Steps

Managing Benefits™ Foundation: In-House Training The APMG International Managing Benefits and Swirl Device logo is a trademark of The APM Group Limited, used under permission of The APM Group Limited. All rights reserved. Benefits are not simply just one aspect of project and programme management (PPM) - rather, they are the rationale for the investment of taxpayers' and shareholders' funds in change initiatives. Managing Benefits is designed to complement existing best practices in portfolio, programme and project management (such as PRINCE2®, MSP®, P3O® & MoP®), and consolidates existing guidance while expanding on the specific practices and techniques aimed at optimizing benefits realization. The purpose of the Managing Benefits guidance and certification scheme is to provide you with generally applicable guidance encompassing benefits management principles, practices, and techniques, and to prepare you to take and pass the Foundation exam on the last day. Managing Benefits provides: An overview of benefits management - what it is, the case for doing it, and some common misconceptions that can limit its effectiveness in practice Descriptions of the seven principles upon which successful approaches to benefits management are built, and examples of how they have been applied in practice Guidance on how to apply benefits management at a portfolio level, as well as at an individual project or programme level Details of the five practices in the Benefits Management Cycle and examples of how they have been applied in practice Advice on how to get started in implementing effective benefits management practices and sustain progress What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Define benefits, benefits management and related terms, and the objectives of benefits management Explain the principles upon which successful approaches to benefits management are based Define the practices contained within the Benefits Management Cycle and relevant techniques applicable to each practice Describe key elements of portfolio-based benefits management, as well as the scope of key roles and responsibilities for benefits management and the typical contents of the main benefits management documentation Identify barriers to effective benefits management and strategies to overcome them, including the key success characteristics of benefits management Improve your ability to pass the APMG Managing Benefits Foundation Certification exam Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Overview of Managing Benefits The Benefits Management Model Key Benefits Management Practices What is Benefits Management? Definitions Value and Value Management Why do we need benefits management? Objectives Benefits Management Principles Align benefits with strategy Start with the end in mind Utilize successful delivery methods Integrate benefits with performance management Manage benefits from a portfolio perspective Apply effective governance Develop a value culture The Benefits Management Cycle Barriers to effective and efficient benefits management and overcoming them Key success characteristics of effective benefits management Key roles, responsibilities, and documentation Benefits Management Practice 1 - Identify and Quantify Benefits Management Practice 2 - Value and Appraise Benefits Management Practice 3 - Plan Benefits Management Practice 4 - Realize Benefits Management Practice 5 - Review Portfolio-based Benefits Management Implementing and Sustaining Progress APMG Managing Benefits Foundation Exam

RESILIA™ Foundation: In-House Training AXELOS RESILIA™: Cyber Resilience Best Practice is designed to help commercial and government organizations around the world prevent, detect, and correct any impact cyber attacks will have on the information required to do business. Adding RESILIA to the existing AXELOS global best practice portfolio, including ITIL® and PRINCE2®, brings a common cyber resilience best practice for security, IT service management, and business. Active cyber resilience is achieved through people, process, and technology. The RESILIA™ Foundation course starts with the purpose, key terms, the distinction between resilience and security, and the benefits of implementing cyber resilience. It introduces risk management and the key activities needed to address risks and opportunities. Further, it explains the relevance of common management standards and best practice frameworks to achieve cyber resilience. Subsequently, it identifies the cyber resilience processes, the associated control objectives, interactions, and activities that should be aligned with corresponding ITSM activities. In the final part of the course, it describes the segregation of duties and dual controls related to cyber resilience roles and responsibilities. What you will Learn At the end of this course, you will be able to: Demonstrate your knowledge of the purpose, benefits, and key terms of cyber resilience Demonstrate your knowledge of the risk management and the key activities needed to address risks and opportunities Demonstrate your knowledge of the purpose of a management system and how best practices and standards can contribute Demonstrate your knowledge of the cyber resilience strategy, the associated control objectives, and their interactions with ITSM activities Demonstrate your knowledge of cyber resilience design, the associated control objectives, and their interactions with ITSM activities Demonstrate your knowledge of cyber resilience transition, the associated control objectives, and their interactions with ITSM activities Demonstrate your knowledge of cyber resilience operation, the associated control objectives, and their interactions with ITSM activities Demonstrate your knowledge of cyber resilience continual improvement, the associated control objectives, and their interactions with ITSM activities Demonstrate your knowledge of the purpose and benefits of segregation of duties and dual controls Course Introduction Course Learning Objectives Course Agenda Activities Course Book Structure RESILIA Certification Introduction to Cyber Resilience What is Cyber Resilience? Defining Cyber Resilience Balancing in Cyber Resilience Characteristics of Cyber Resilience Risk Management Understanding Risk Management: Discussion Defining Risk Management Addressing Risks and Opportunities Managing Cyber Resilience Why and What of Management Systems? Management Systems Common Management Standards and Frameworks Cyber Resilience Strategy What is Strategy? Cyber Resilience Strategy and Activities Security Controls at Cyber Resilience Strategy Interaction Between ITSM Processes and Cyber Resilience Cyber Resilience Design Why Cyber Resilience Design? Cyber Resilience Design Activities Security Controls at Cyber Resilience Design Aligning ITSM Processes with Cyber Resilience Processes Cyber Resilience Transition Why Cyber Resilience Transition? Basics of Cyber Resilience Transition Cyber Resilience Transition: Controls Interaction Between ITSM Processes and Cyber Resilience Cyber Resilience Operation The Purpose of Cyber Resilience Operation Security Controls in Cyber Resilience Operation Interaction Between IT Processes and Cyber Resilience Interaction Between ITSM Functions and Cyber Resilience Cyber Resilience Continual Improvement Continual or Continuous Improvement Maturity Models Continual Improvement Controls The Seven-Step Improvement Process The ITIL CSI Approach Cyber Resilience Roles & Responsibilities Segregating Duties Dual Controls

Masterclasses? Refreshers? Introductions? It depends what you're looking for and where you want to pitch them, but here are six tried-and-tested highly focused sessions that organisations can take individually or as a series, to help develop their teams' project management capabilities one topic at a time. Objectives for each individual session are set out below, as part of the session outlines. Taken together, as a series, however, these modules are an ideal opportunity to develop your team's levels of project management capability maturity, whether that's by introducing them to the basic principles, refreshing them on best practice, or giving them the opportunity to really drill down into a specific area of challenge in your particular operating environment. Session outlines 1 Stakeholder management Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand why stakeholders matter to projects Be able to identify and engage stakeholders Be able to categorise stakeholders by their significance 1 Key principles What does 'stakeholder' mean - in theory? What does this mean in practice? Why stakeholders matter Consequences of missing stakeholders The stakeholder management process:IdentifyAssessPlanEngage 2 Identifying stakeholders Rapid listing CPIG analysis PESTLE analysis Drawing on the knowledge and experience of others Other ways to identify stakeholders 3 Assessing stakeholders Which stakeholders are significant? Stakeholder radar Power-interest maps Power-attitude maps 4 Planning The adoption curve Dealing with obstacles Who should engage which stakeholder? How should the project's organisation be structured? How will communication happen? 5 Engaging Seven principles of stakeholder engagement 2 Requirements and prioritisation Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand how clarity of requirements contributes to project success Use different techniques for prioritising requirements Agree requirements with stakeholders Manage changes to requirements 1 Understanding and managing stakeholder needs and expectations What are 'requirements'? What is 'requirements management'? Sources of requirements - and the role of stakeholders Are stakeholders sufficiently expert to specify their needs? Do they understand the detail of what they want, or do they need help to tease that out? What do stakeholders want to achieve? Working within constraints Prioritising requirements - three techniques 2 MoSCoW prioritisation 'Must have', should have', 'could have, 'won't have this time' When to use MoSCoW 3 The Kano Model Customer satisfaction - 'attractive' and 'must-be' qualities When to use Kano 4 Value-based prioritisation Understanding risk v value Using risk v value to prioritise features and schedules 5 Agreeing requirements Perfect v 'good enough' Establishing acceptance criteria Requirements traceability Agreeing project scope 6 Changing requirements Why requirements change Why change control matters Impact on projects A formal change control process Paying for change - managing change for different types of project 3 Estimating Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand the different purposes estimates satisfy Be able to use different estimating techniques Understand how to achieve different levels of accuracy 1 Key principles What's an estimate? Informed guesswork What needs to be estimated? Costs, resources, effort, duration Tolerances Precision v accuracy 2 Estimating through the lifecycle Start Plan Do 3 Early estimates Comparative ('analogous') estimating Parametric estimating Using multiple estimating techniques 4 Bottom-up estimating Bottom-up ('analytical') estimating Pros Cons 5 Three-point estimating Three-point ('PERT': Programme Evaluation and Review Technique) estimating Uncertainty and the range of estimates Calculating a weighted average Three-point with bottom-up 4 Scheduling Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand how to create a viable schedule Be able to use different forms of schedule Understand the concept of the critical path 1 Key principles The planning horizon Rolling wave planning Release planning 2 Viable scheduling Creating a viable schedule Define the scope Sequence the work Identify the risks and build in mitigations Identify the resources Estimate the effort and durations Check resource availability Refine until a workable schedule is produced 3 Critical path analysis The critical path Network diagrams Sequence logic Practical application:Network diagram with estimated durationsThe 'forward pass'The 'backward pass'Calculating total floatIdentifying the critical pathCalculating free float Gantt charts 5 Risk and issue management Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand the difference between risks and issues Be able to identify and assess risks Understand ways of mitigating risks Manage issues 1 Key principles Understanding risk Threats and opportunities The risk management processPreparation - proactive risk managementThe process - identify, assess, plan, implementStakeholder communication Roles and responsibilities Risk management strategy The risk register Risk appetite 2 Risk identification Brainstorming Interviews Assumption analysis Checklists 3 Risk assessment and prioritisation Probability, impact and proximity Triggers Qualitative risk assessment Qualitative impact assessment Qualitative probability assessment Probability / impact grid Bubble charts Risk tolerance 4 Planning countermeasures To mitigate or not to mitigate? Categories of risk response Avoid and exploit Reduce and enhance Transfer Share Accept Contingency Secondary risks 5 Issue management What is an issue? Tolerances Issues and tolerances The PRINCE2 view of issues Ownership of issues An issue management process Issue register 6 Budgeting and cost control Session objectives This session will help participants: Understand what to include in a budget - and why Choose - and use - the appropriate estimating technique Align the budget with the schedule Understand how to monitor spend and control costs Trouble-shoot effectively to get projects back within budget Session format Flexible. The session can be tailored to the participants' average level of project management maturity - a 60-minute session (delivered virtually) is an effective introduction. A 90-minute session allows for more in-depth treatment. A half-day session (face-to-face or virtual) gives time for a more challenging workshop, particularly to discuss specific cost control issues with any of the participants' current projects. 1 Where is the money coming from? Can we pay from revenue? Do we need to borrow? How long will the project take to pay back? The lifecycle of the budget Through-life costs Stakeholder involvement 2 Estimating costs Reminder: the relationship between estimates Reminder: possible estimating techniques What do we need to estimate?PeopleEquipmentMaterialsFacilities and operating costsWork package estimateEstimated project costs Estimating agile projects 3 Aligning budget and schedule Scheduling and financial periods Spreading the budget 4 Reserves and agreeing the budget Contingency reserve Management reserve Agreeing the budget 5 Cost control Planned spend over time Actual spend over time Work completed over time Evaluating different scenarios: delivery v spend 6 Trouble-shooting Why are we where we are? What has caused the project to spend at the rate it is? Why is it delivering at the rate it is? What are the root causes? What can we do about it?

Many organisations find that project teams struggle to create and maintain effective plans. Estimates are often overly optimistic and risks go unmanaged until the inevitable happens. Resource managers also find it hard to forecast the likely loading on their departments and requests for support are not provided in a consistent format. This programme has been developed to address these needs in a very practical, hands-on format. Case study work can be based on simulations or on the organisation's current projects for maximum benefit to participants. The aim of this training is to develop and enhance participants' planning and risk management skills in order to maximise the success of project work undertaken by the organisation. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: Provide a structured, integrated approach to planning and risk management Demonstrate practical tools and techniques for each stage of planning Show how to organise and involve relevant people in the planning process Explain how to use the plan for forecasting and pro-active project control Identify ways to improve planning, both individually and corporately The course will emphasise the importance of participative planning techniques that improve the quality of plans whilst reducing overall time and cost of planning. The course will encourage discussion of internal procedures and practices and may be customised to include them if required. DAY ONE 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Projects and planning Why plan? The benefits of good planning / penalties of poor planning Planning in the project lifecycle; the need for a 'living' plan The interaction between target setting and the planning process Team exercise: planning the project 3 Planning the plan Defining the application and structure of the plan Impact of planning decisions during the project lifecycle Using available time to create an effective plan 4 Defining deliverables Assessing the context; reviewing the goals and stakeholders Developing the scope and defining deliverables; scope mapping Understanding customer priorities; delivering value for money Case study: defining the project deliverables 5 Creating the work breakdown Building the work breakdown structure Detailing the tasks and sub-tasks; structured brainstorming Defining task ownership; the task responsibility matrix 6 Creating and using a logical network Developing the logical network; task boarding Determining the critical path and calculating float Accelerating the plan; concurrent programming and risk Individual and group exercises DAY TWO 7 Developing resource schedules Deriving the Gantt chart from the network Developing the detailed resource schedules Calculating the expenditure profile ('S' curve) 8 Estimating task durations and costs Understanding estimates: effort, availability and duration Estimating tools and techniques Application of estimating techniques during the project lifecycle 9 Case study Developing the project plan Refining the project plan Team presentations and discussion 10 Managing risks and refining the plan Awareness of contractual issues associated with risk Identifying and evaluating risks; deciding ownership Managing risks: determining levels of provision and contingency Controlling risks: maintaining an up-to date risk register 11 Planning for pro-active control The earned value analysis (EVA) concept and its predictive value Deriving the measures needed for cost and delivery performance Practical issues associated with implementing EVA 12 Using and maintaining the plan Tracking progress and updating the plan Publishing and controlling the plan 13 Course review and transfer planning (Course sponsor present) Identify ways of implementing the techniques learnt Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals Conclusion

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the principles and practice for leading and managing a portfolio of smaller projects in a multi-project / multi-task environment. It presents a range of practical methods and techniques relevant to the smaller project scenario, using exercises and case studies to show how these can be applied. The scope of the programme includes: The course also emphasises the importance of the leadership and team-working skills needed by project managers and team members in carrying out their roles. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: Explain and demonstrate the key principles of successful project management Demonstrate a range of useful project management tools and techniques Define the role, and help participants understand the skills required by, the project leader Provide a structured framework to help participants manage multiple projects Identify opportunities to improve project management within the organisation DAY ONE 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Managing smaller projects Projects and project management Lessons from past projects; the essential requirements for success Differences between projects; characteristic project life cycles Key issues and challenges of smaller projects The multi-project world; project portfolio management 3 Project exercise Syndicate teams plan and manage a small project Review of the project exercise: What are the keys to successful management of small projects? 4 Setting up the project Getting organised Managing the definition process Identifying and managing project stakeholders Working with the customer to define the scope and agree deliverables 5 Case study 1 Defining the project scope and deliverables Syndicate teams define the scope and deliverables for a typical project 6 Project planning The importance and cost benefit of effective planning Planning the plan; deciding how detailed a plan to create Packaging the work and estimating timescales and costs Developing project / resource schedules; setting milestones for control v Identifying and managing critical path activities 7 Case study 2 Creating the project plan Syndicate teams develop and analyse the project plan DAY TWO 8 Managing project risks Identifying risks to the project outcome, timescale and cost Evaluating risks and adopting an appropriate risk strategy Defining risk ownership; keeping a simple risk log Keeping risk management up to date; staying pro-active Integrating planning and risk management 9 Project control Managing change, minimising scope creep Selecting the data needed to provide early warning of problems Monitoring performance easily with 'S' curves and slip charts Using trend forecasting to assess true project status Running project review meetings 10 Managing a multi-project portfolio Understanding the world of multiple projects Establishing ownership of project / programme management Classifying projects and creating the 'master schedule' Defining and applying project lifecycle management Resource management: essential pre-requisites and mechanisms Project prioritisation criteria and techniques; pain / gain analysis 11 Managing the multi-project team Characteristics of small project teams / part-time team membership Clarifying line and project management responsibilities Implementing effective manpower planning Establishing professional working practices in the team Developing project management competences in the team Establishing team roles and integrating team members 12 Course review and transfer planning (Course sponsor present) Identify actions to be implemented individually Identify corporate opportunities for improving project management Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals Conclusion