Organisational Roles in Project Management

Consider the roles and responsibilities of the following:

• Sponsor – The person with overall responsibility for the outcomes of the project

• Project manager – the lead when it comes to planning, executing, controlling, monitoring and closing out projects. Accountable for all project scope, the resources and team, the budget for the project and the success or failure of the project.

• Team members – contribute to the project objectives and collaborate with other members of the team

• Project supplier – supplying essential resources and supplies and providing expertise and correct information.

Remember to relate these to the responsibilities laid out in the APM body of knowledge.

The Different Parts of the Project Management Plan

The project management plan is made up of several parts, the main ones of which are:

Executive summary

• Purpose scope, main deliverables
• Strategy for procurement
• Criteria for success
• Project dependencies and constraints
• Organisation and roles in the project
• Assumptions

Policy and procedures

• Risk management for both plan and policies
• Quality plan
• Procedure for change control
• Information management plan
• Safety plan
• Configuration management plan

Project schedules and plans

• Change log
• Risk register
• Budgets and cost plan
• Communication plan and stakeholder analysis
• PBS/WSB
• Schedule – Gannt chart

Requirements Management

This is the module that covers all of the requirements from the management sections of the “APM Body of Knowledge”. It is important to look at the descriptions of the requirements management process, including:

• Capture – pulling together all relevant data and creating connections that are useful
• Analysis – the analysis of business operation processes in great detail
• Prioritisation – working out the priority of your projects so that you can allocate resources effectively for the best outcome
• Testing – planning and allocating resources effectively, including human resources and testing environments
• Factors used to structure requirements
• Importance of requirements management

Read up on all the parts of the process and ensure you understand each element’s individual requirements.

Project Success And Benefits Management

Remember to consider all the factors of project success and benefits management, including:

• Success criteria – timescales, budgets and successful outcomes according to project scope
• KPIs
• Critical success factors – those factors that are necessary in order to achieve the project goal
• Benefit management process – the aim is to ensure that desired benefits are measurable, specific, agreed upon, realistic and also time-bound.

Budgeting and cost management

In any successful project, the management of budgets is critical. The following should be considered:

• Accruals
• Commitments and accruals
• Planned and variance analysis
• Controlling actual expenditure
• Forecasting work
• Cost to come

Remember to consider those points that you know about that need to form part of your budget and also those that you do not yet know about, those costs that could arise from something unexpected occurring. You need to leave room in your budget for the latter, although there is a possibility that you will not need them.

Gantt Charts and Items not on the Critical Path

Drawing Gantt charts can be complex for those who have not had much experience, so it is well worth taking the time to read up on these. One question we have been asked on a fairly frequent basis is, “How do you show total float on a Gantt chart?”

Defined as the amount of time that an individual task or a project can afford to be delayed without any impact on the overall completion time for the project – total float is an important factor in any project.

Within any good project management software with the capability to produce Gantt charts, you will find appropriate menus to select total float, as well as other types of float. These will then appear in your chart in the order you have selected them. The order can be changed within the menu.

Project Quality Management

This part of the course covers a range of issues within the project environment. These are the aspects that you should consider reading up on as part of your self-study:

• Quality planning
• Quality assurance
• Quality control
• The benefits of quality management

Sample questions

A very important part of self-study is remembering that it is not enough to simply read through your notes and books. This will help you to remember some of the information, but it is also important to test this knowledge in a more complex manner. This can be best achieved through sample questions which cover some of the more  complex areas of the APM PMQ syllabus.

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Here, we plan to take a look at some of the questions that have come up from people preparing to sit their APM PMQ exam and the best way in which they can be tackled.

We will also provide some all-important tips that will hopefully help you when it comes to sitting your APM PMQ exams because no matter how long ago, or how recently, you sat your last set of exams in any subject, it never hurts to be as prepared as possible.

Examples of questions

Describe five of the key principles of project governance.

This question comes up a lot, so it can be a good idea to consider your answer structure. It is important to ensure that your answer includes five clear points. You should also describe what governance is, and also why it is important. Where possible, you should aim to give an example for each point that you make.

List and describe five steps in creating a robust schedule.

Ensure that you begin by listing all of the steps, as this will help with the structure of your answer. The five steps are:

1. Producing WBS
2. Estimating durations for executing work packages
3. Preparing precedence diagram, and also calculating floats
4. Determining any critical path
5. Determining all your Project Milestones

You should also ensure that you give each item in your list a good description before moving on to the next one. Add examples where appropriate.

Explain The Primary Use Of Earned Value.

This is another of those questions that might come up, so it can be a good idea to make sure that you understand exactly what the question is looking for.

Earned value allows the project manager to have an understanding of whether a project is making good progress or not. This is a term that is used for describing products that have already been delivered to a project and, therefore, cannot be removed. A calculation is used to multiply that which has been delivered to the project by the planned completion date and the time that has actually been spent.

Once you have a brief explanation that will answer the question, ensure that you also add an example to explain it fully, for example:

If the costs of a project are under what the planned costs were expected to be, then this is good news. However, you should conduct further analysis in order to ascertain if this is true. It may in fact be that whilst you haven’t spent as much as you expected to, you may also not have actually produced anything either and this isn’t good news.

Does spelling and grammar matter in the exam?

With such an everyday reliance on technology for those things that we write, it can be hard when we find ourselves needing to use pen and paper, and when you add in the stress of an exam situation, it can be even more challenging. Whilst spelling and grammar undoubtedly matter in the world of work, the good news is that in an exam situation, there is a lot more leeway.

What you should be concentrating on with the answers on your exam paper is ensuring that you should you have a good understanding of the course materials and how to apply project management scenarios in the real world. A few spelling and grammar mistakes shouldn’t make too much of a difference, but do try to ensure that you spell the names of terms correctly to avoid any possible misunderstandings.

Tips for exams

Exams can be stressful no matter what level of your career you are at. With this in mind, it is important to take on board a few general pieces of information that can really help no matter what exam you are taking.

Be prepared

Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for your exam. That means setting aside some time in the run-up to the actual exam to revise the course material. Read through your notes and the course materials that you have. Make more notes, and if you have any questions, contact your instructor. They will be happy to clarify things for you so that you understand them.

Make sure that you take breaks during your revision; research has shown that this is actually one of the best ways to retain information for exams. Last-minute revision sessions are not as helpful as a revision plan that is undertaken in this way.

Complete past papers

This is a great way of seeing what type of questions you might be up against in the exam. Consider the marks that each question is worth and work out how much time you should be giving to the question during the exam. Plan your answers out and ask for feedback where possible. This will allow you to see where you might be able to improve your answers.

Read questions thoroughly

There is nothing worse than answering the question you think you read only to lose marks because you later realise that you misread it. It may seem obvious, but read each question over very carefully to ensure that you are answering them correctly. The difference this could make to your marks could be the difference between a fail and a pass.

Look at the marks for each question

The marks indicated for each question will also help when it comes to formulating your answer. If the question is worth 50 marks and asks you to talk about 5 things, then you should assume the marks are equally spaced for each item you need to discuss. Try to give examples to ensure as many marks as possible.

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So you could be a perfectly successful project manager without any specific PM training or project management qualifications – or could you?

What professional PM training provides is re-enforcement of the methods that work – that have been tried and tested over huge numbers of projects in all sorts of businesses and industries. The recognised project management methodologies are a catalogue of best practices but also of the behaviours and attitudes that a PM requires. So whether you opt for a foundation course such as the APM Project Fundamentals course or one of the more advanced APM courses of study a PM training course will ensure you are managing you projects to the best of your ability. It will also ensure you are continuing to develop as a professional and not stagnating by doing things the way you have always done.

Yes, of course, real-world experience is essential and much can be learnt from real-world successes and mistakes. The experience gained on a range of projects and especially on complex projects can never be taught, but relevant training and gaining professional PM qualification is also essential for developing and progressing in a career as a project manager.

That’s not to say a project manager with accreditation such as the APM PMQ qualification (previously known as the APMP qualification) is more successful at leading and directing projects (because that measure depends on so many other factors such as personal traits, the industry and type and complexity of projects), but the qualification is an indication that you take your professional development seriously and provides formal recognition of that fact. So a professional project management qualification can increase your worth in the jobs market and improve your career prospects.

So, quite simply, it is worth studying for PM Qualifications – even if you have to fund the training yourself. Fortunately there are plenty of less expensive options than traditional classroom courses such as e-learning or distance learning.

Take a look at this sample lecture from the new distance learning course by Parallel Project Training for the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification – it will give you a taste of distance learning…

Some larger companies encourage their employees to study for professional qualifications and allow time off for study as well as funding the course and exam fees. Other companies require PM qualifications before you would even be invited for an interview so failure to achieve a recognised PM qualification will hold you back in your career. There is even evidence to indicate that those with the right professional PM certification earn higher salaries. It looks set to become ever more essential gain accreditation as project management moves more towards being recognised as a profession in the way that accountancy and law are with their emphasis on qualifications and continuous professional development.

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It was the UK governmental body OGC (Office of Government Commerce) that back in 1989 first defined the structured methodology that has evolved today into the internationally recognised PRINCE2 methodology. It was originally established to help Government departments deliver the best value possible from its capital expenditure and is an acronym for Projects In a Controlled Environment. Of course, there are also other knowledge-based methods from APM (Association for Project Management) and PMI (Project Management Institute).

Formal methodologies are commonly used for software development, manufacturing, engineering, and construction projects to plan, schedule and control all of the tasks and activities required. More and more they are also being used by services and solutions companies in order to add discipline and control to their projects.

Consequently, managing projects is now a fundamental part of many businesses and the role of project manager is now a professionally recognised one, which involves not only planning, scheduling and controlling activities but also expertise in the management of risk, change and quality. The skills required to successfully complete projects are very much in demand in the competitive business environment and include not only a technical ability to efficiently manage tasks but also people management skills and good business awareness.

An internationally recognised qualification can be a real advantage but equally important are other skills such as:

• An open-minded attitude to each new task
• The ability to select the right software tools
• Understanding the business case
• Describing the business goal that the project is striving for
• An ability to tailor methods and techniques to particular projects
• Effective prioritisation of every part of the project
• Negotiating skills for requesting additional resources
• Learning lessons from previous projects to avoid repeating mistakes
• Questioning all assumptions made
• Diplomatic skills to gain support where required

Of course, all of these skills will only benefit a project manager with a good, sound understanding of professional methods and techniques.

It is essential to create a written document that clearly states the scope of the project. This might be known as the Scope Document, the Project Charter or the Business Requirements Document. Whatever it is called in your organisation the key factor is that the scope of the project, what is included and what is specifically excluded, is clearly and unambiguously documented and that it is approved by all of the stakeholders to the project.

This document will prove invaluable later on in the project when issues are bound to arise over what exactly should be delivered and where certain responsibilities lie. It will also help with assessing how realistic initial schedules and budgets are. A scope document should include a breakdown of the different tasks required to complete the project and an assessment of the likely benefits versus the costs in a cost-benefit analysis.

It is also essential to ensure that there is a communication plan in place so that all stakeholders, managers, team members and anyone else with an involvement in the project are kept fully aware of the progress of the project. Communicating is a two-way thing so the plan should allow for feedback and, more importantly, all feedback received should be assessed. Ignoring the concerns of anyone involved in the project, no matter how junior they might be, runs the potential risk of failing to deliver the project on-time and on-budget. By communicating effectively, vital commitment and cooperation will be gained from the team, and support from those who are affected but maybe not involved to any great extent. A lack of communication only serves to raise objections and generate resistance to a new project.

And while all this is going on a professional project manager will not forget to motivate and encourage the project team, to repeatedly monitor progress and adjust the project plans, where necessary, and to manage all the potential risks within the project. After all project management is simply about getting things done whether you choose to follow a PRINCE2, PMP, APM PFQ or APM PMQ methodology.

The post The Importance of Professional Project Management appeared first on Project Accelerator News.

This includes the new role of the Product Owner. The role of the product owner is to represent the views of the users in the project. They bring the voice of the users into the project and express those things that are important to the users. As such the Product owner act as a counterweight to the sponsor and project manager.

This is a new role added to the 7th Editions of the Body of Knowlege as part of the move to include agile approaches.

The product owner acts as the following functions

1. They have a key role in collating the user’s requirements early in the project. Often they will use a MOSCOW approach to classify these requirements.
   1. Must have features those features essential for the operation of the business, such as the ability to process data securely.
   2. Should have features thing than the product can live without but will need some adaptation by the users. Such as a sales system automticaly posting data into an accounts package without manual entry.
   3. Could have requirements things that are nice to have, they will bring benefit but the benefit is marginal. Such as integration between the sales system and social media marketing.
   4. Won’t have features that are excluded from the scope, They support the testing and any piloting of these requirements. Remote support for invoicing via a mobile app.
2. They play a key role in understanding how the products will be used in practice by the users.
3. They need to review the proposed changes from users to understand if they are essential.
4. They have a key role in organising user acceptance, feedback and testing.

This is a formalisation of the role that was often referred to as the senior users in PRINCE2.

Learn more about the latest changes to the 7th Edition of the APM Body of Knowledge and the updates to the APM Project Management Course including the APM PFQ and APM PMQ  (previously known as APMP) at Parallel Project Training.

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The process for application for Chartered Project Professional seems quite pragmatic too. The forms are not too difficult, but this does not mean the standard will be easy to attain. With ten core competence and then a realistic set of elective options. And reviewing the details of these competencies they seem to fit with what we would expect for a practising project manager.

The post Parallel Leads the Way with Chartered Project Professional appeared first on Project Accelerator News.

At the time of writing our exam prep forum has over 1200 members and 350 typical exam questions and answers that have been moderated by Parallel Trainers. Note that APM PMQ used to be known as APMP so exam tips may still refer to this older name of APMP but are still relevant as it is simply a new name for the qualification.

Typical questions we have answered on the study group are:

1. 3.4. Describe what is meant by project context. Explain a tool or technique for ascertaining a project’s context
2. List and describe three implications of splitting tasks. (30 marks)
3. List and describe five components of an information management process.
4. Describe 5 key attributes of a project and describe how they differ from business as usual.
5. How to answer APM PMQ exam questions the secret tips.

The study group is now hosted at http://www.parallelprojecttraining.com/community/groups/viewgroup/2-apmp-study-group

This study group is part of Parallel’s innovative approach to taking the APM Project Management Qualification. We offer a wide range of training options including

1. Distance learning package including a the printed study guide written in partnership between the APM and Parallel Project Training.
2. E-learning covering the contents of the study guide.
3. Podcasts to download and listen to as you travel.
4. Virtual or face to face training to support your study.

For more information about our APM PMQ training options visit our website at http://www.parallelprojecttraining.com

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So what is the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)

The APM PMQ is a knowledge-based qualification for project managers set by The Association for Project Management, the professional body for project managers in the UK. It established all the foundation of effective project management such as:

1. Defining the project management roles.
2. Understanding the context of the project including legal, political and economic constraints.
3. Establishing a lifecycle including the necessary reviews.
4. The importance of project management governance and also the role of a method.
5. Core project control documents including the Business Case and the Project Management Plan.
6. Core planning and control process such as cost control, scheduling, change control and reporting.
7. Leadership and dealing with conflict.
8. Working with customers and suppliers as part of the project supply chain.

The APM PMQ; now called The APM Project Management Qualification (APM PMQ) is recognised as a baseline of knowledge in many sectors including infrastructure project, IT, defence. However, it is only one step in the journey towards professional project management and it is likely that many people new to project management will start out with a Project Fundamentals course and qualification such as APM PFQ.

Format of the APM PMQ Exam

It’s awarded following a written exam of two formats. The most common form of the exam is a three-hour exam from which candidates must complete 10 short essay style questions from a paper of 16 questions. If you already hold PRINCE2 qualification then you can take a shorter 2-hour exam, with 6 questions from 10 on the paper. Typical questions include both the hard and soft topics of project management.

1. List and describe five attributes of an effective project manager?
2. Explain five stages in a risk management process
3. List and describe five ways in which project managers can control project scope?
4. Explain five ways in which a project manager can plan, forecast and control project costs?
5. With reference to a known model, list and describe five the ways in which project managers deal with conflict.
6. List and describe five contents of a procurement strategy?

These are all typical skills and knowledge areas that are essential for many project managers.

APM PMQ Training Options

Parallel Project training has been delivering APM PMQ training for many years. We offer a wide range of options to study for the APM PMQ qualification. These include open public courses and also in-house corporate courses. A typical selection of approaches include

Public Options

1. Self study distance learning with an exam prep and exam day at our office in Reading.
2. 6-week virtual APM PMQ with 6 weekly webinars, weekly homework, a mock exam and exam prep/exam day at our office in Reading. With this option, we can also arrange an exam at most British Council offices around the world.
3. 5 day APM PMQ classroom with the exam on Friday

In-house of on-site options

In addition to delivering the options above; for corporate groups, we can also offer

1. A modular APM PMQ made up of three modules (two 2-day modules plus a 1-day exam prep/exam module).
2. A fact track guided self-study course of three 1-day sessions including the exam.

For more information please do get in touch with http://www.parallelprojecttraining.com

The post APMP becoming APM Project Management Qualification (APM PMQ) appeared first on Project Accelerator News.

For example – imagine the organisation you work at is an electronics company –all projects follow a theme that is well understood and familiar. However, in a heritage organisation, say that is  restoring a 17^th century tapestry this would be a completely different context . So project context covers different areas of business but also different countries or culture, or a different legal framework.

So you need a way of determining the project context and the APM have an acronym to help you do that – P E S T L E

PESTLE – these are the Political, Economic, Sociological, Technical, Legal and Environmental factors surrounding your project.

Political – working in a local authority for instance you would come under  pressure from elected politicians so it would matter which government was in power.

Economic – factors such as the overall economy, public sector borrowing, economic factors , the cost of steel or fuel prices, inflation etc.

Sociological – people live longer, we have a more diverse population, people are working more from home, part-time or on flex-time – all of these factors have a bearing on planning a project.

Technological – this is obviously relevant for an IT project , but can also relate to restoration technology (in our example of restoring an ancient tapestry) or a business that uses a lot of robots. Some project last 4/5 years so by the time they are implemented the technology can be out of date.

Legal – legislation such as health and safety, employment, discrimination,  equal opportunities, contract law, freedom of information may all influence your project.

Environmental – reducing our carbon footprint and reducing waste – we need to understand what that means for project. It is perhaps easy to understand in the construction environment but less so in an office environment but even then there is more awareness of, say, energy waste.

The post APM Project Fundamentals Podcast – Project Context appeared first on Project Accelerator News.

This podcast from the Parallel Project Training’s APM Project Fundamentals distance learning course looks at the typical roles in a project.

The post APM project Fundamentals Podcast – Project Roles appeared first on Project Accelerator News.