Managing Successful Programs (MSP) Foundations (Course Code: 165)

Overview:

Without skilled management, the combination of complexity, high risk and multiple projects in the program environment can result in high profile failure rates. Program Management is a pragmatic approach that will ensure organisations deliver and realise the required benefits, innovation, and new ways of working that will take them through the next decade.

Program management is the co-ordinated management of interdependent projects which all contribute to a new business capability. However, co-ordinating the project portfolio, ensuring that benefits are realised and making sure that the program stays in touch with business strategy, is a major management challenge. It is this challenge to which MSP responds, MSP is a framework for Managing Successful Programs. It provides the vital link between business strategy and projects. MSP gives your organisation a framework for program management. The MSP method is flexible and adaptable for any type and size of program where delivery of strategic change is the desired outcome.

The UK Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) Managing Successful Program (MSP) method is becoming accepted as the leading 'best practice' program management approach.

This course is designed to provide a basic grounding on the first day and then lead you through the essential and important steps of managing a program. It will introduce you to the elements of a program and develop your thinking and understanding of the issues and responsibilities facing people who control project portfolios with Program Management.

On the final day you take the multiple-choice Foundation exam to obtain the APMG Foundation accreditation.
The course extends, if required, to include the Intermediate and Practitioner accreditation examinations.
MSP courses and examinations are provided by Codarra Advanced Systems Pty Ltd - an APMG MSP Accredited Training Organisation.

Learning method:

This is an instructor led course, with ample opportunity for discussion and practical work.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is targeted at organisations or individuals seeing the need for a controlled approach to managing their program. It is particularly relevant to policy and strategy developers who are commissioning change and those accountable for the delivery of such.

The course is suitable for:

• Senior managers from any discipline who must lead critical programs to successful delivery of benefits.
• Change leaders and business strategists who want to increase the probability of early and substantial success.
• Program Managers seeking professional recognition and greater leverage in managing programs.
• Project Directors and senior Project Managers from all disciplines who want to acquire the skills to run projects in a program environment.
• Program Office Professionals who want to be more effective in supporting change programs.

Pre-requisites:

Before attending this course you should have some experience of leading or managing major change. A sound understanding of Project Management would also be an advantage.

What can you expect to gain from this course?

At the end of the course you will be able to:

• Provide senior management with a flexible and relevant framework, so they can work with program management to direct the change process
• Effectively manage the program's business case
• Gain "buy-in" from the key stakeholders in the program
• Align projects to the overall business strategy
• Provide a framework for senior staff to be involved with the direction of the change process
• Retain focus on objectives in a changing environment
• Gain efficient control of a whole range of complex project and business change activities
• Use clear role definitions to avoid confusion and conflict
• Manage risk more effectively and in a more timely fashion
• Control and use resources more efficiently
• Improve control of costs, standards and quality
• Manage the transition from current to future operations more effectively
• Through a formal process, be able to quantify performance during and after the program
• Provide participants with an opportunity to obtain a recognised Program Management qualification

At the end of the course you will be able to:

• Change and Program Management - using Program Management for successful delivery
• Managing the Program Business Case – ensuring ongoing viability in a changing environment
• Program Organisation and Leadership – designing your program team to ensure responsibilities and lines of communication are clear
• Program Planning and Control - planning the work of the program in a way which achieves the best results
• Stakeholder Management - ensuring that all interested parties are involved and managed
• Quality Management - ensuring that delivered capability is of appropriate quality
• Managing program - level risks and issues
• Benefits Management - ensuring that the organisation does benefit from undertaking the program
• Integrating the processes, information and roles in the program delivery framework
• Identifying the aim of the program and envisaged benefits to the organisation
• Defining the program, and specifying how the organisation will be different afterwards
• Establishing the program
• Monitoring and co-ordinating the projects within a program to a successful conclusion
• Managing the business changes resulting from the program, and ensuring benefits are optimised
• Closing the program and ensuring the ‘end goal’ has been achieved