MSP™ Foundation and Practitioner incl. Exams
Pre-requisites
Delegates should have a good appreciation of the principles and sound practical experience of Project and Programme Management, ideally utilising a recognised structured methodology. It would be helpful if they have some knowledge and/or experience of strategic or business planning and is highly recommended that they have a Prince2 or equivalent accreditation.
Delegates must pass the Foundation level exam before moving on to the Practitioner exam.
Objectives
- Recognise the ways that MSP addresses the factors which enable successful programmes
- Apply the main MSP principles
- Identify the key pieces of programme information
- Define and apply the governance strategies
- Tailor MSP to a specific business environment
- Scale MSP for use with different programmes
- Undertake programme risk analysis and management
- Prepare for and take the MSP Foundation and Practitioner Examinations administered by the Association of Project Managers Group (APMG)
This course is auitable for:
- Senior managers wanting to gain a more detailed understanding of MSP and apply MSP principles to their programmes
- Candidates who wish to gain Foundation and Practitioner accreditation
- Existing Programme Managers requiring an understanding of the MSP processes and principles to gain practitioner accreditation
- New, or potential Programme Managers
- Experienced Project Managers who are expanding into Programme Management and wanting to gain practitioner accreditation
Who should attend
The Foundation course gives delegates a good working knowledge of the MSP programme management method. They will also become familiar with the principles, processes and tools that comprise the method • The course will benefit those who work within a programme environment or are working at the highest level in a business which needs to introduce programme management
Pre-course
Delegates are expected to undertake about ten hours of Pre-course work
Overview of programmes and programme management
An introduction to programmes and to the MSP manual
Programme management principles
The MSP Principles will be discussed and illustrated.
They are:
- Remaining aligned with corporate strategy
- Leading change
- Envisioning and communicating a better future
- Focusing on the benefits and threats to them
- Adding value
- Designing and delivering a coherent capability
- Learning from experience
Governance Themes
- The course will consider each of the Governance Themes
- Organisation: the need for and the factors contributing to good leadership;
- the roles needed for effective programme management
Vision:
- defining and documenting the needed future state, the development of the Blueprint Leadership and stakeholder engagement
- the differences between leadership and management, identifying interested parties and engaging with the stakeholders
- Benefits Realisation Management:
- identifying, defining, tracking, measuring the desired benefits, benefits modelling
- Blueprint design and delivery:
- basis for modelling benefits and designing the Projects Dossier, key responsibilities for its creation, maintenance and use, the relationship between the future state, the Blueprint and the Projects Dossier
- Planning and control: programme planning, control of the programme, projects and the transition, performance measurements
- The Business Case: the life-cycle of the Programme Business Case, the development processes for creation, review and maintenance
- Risk management and issue resolution:
- the definition of risks and issues, the Risk Management Approach, the impact and control of issues and the processes and responsibilities involved
- Quality management: the concepts of Quality Management, Configuration Management and Information Management.
- The development of the Quality Management Strategy, controls and process
The Transformational Flow
The steps of Transformational Flow will be considered, how they operate, are linked and interrelate.
- Identifying a Programme
- sponsorship, Programme Mandate, Programme Brief
- Defining a Programme
- Programme Definition Document
- Managing the Tranches
- implementing the changes with processes and procedures
- Delivering the Capability
- working with projects, monitoring and controlling progress
- Realising the Benefits
- pre-transition, transition and post-transition
- Closing a Programme
- recognising when a programme has completed and disbanding it
Adopting Managing Successful Programmes
The course will discuss the differences between portfolio management, programme management and project management and how MSP might be used in the ‘real world’
Programme office
The importance of and the requirements for a Programme Office will be discussed
Practitioner structure
Fourth and fifth day of guided study with worked examples followed by the Practitioner exam
Exams & Evening work
The MSP Foundation exam will be taken on the afternoon of the third day and the Practitioner exam on the afternoon of the last day • Evening work: Delegates will be expected to undertake at least two hours of study each evening of the course (except the last day)