Course Overview
Managing Successful Programmes(MSP) is the OGC's (Office of Government Commerce) approach for managing change and delivering business benefits from a set of related projects and is an integral part of the OGC's best practice portfolio.
MSP comprises a set of principles and processes that are used when managing a programme. Although founded on best practice it is not prescriptive. It is a flexible approach to managing the full programme lifecycle and can be adapted to suit the needs of individual programmes, and organisations.
MSP identifies and describes the programme lifecycle, identifying the responsibilities and activities that will need to be undertaken during the life of a programme and the type of information that will need to be produced in order to complete the programme definition. MSP also identifies the need to create and maintain strategies that will ensure that the portfolio of projects and any related activities are managed and delivered consistently whilst maintaining focus on the required benefits.
The aim of the course is to provide delegates with a comprehensive and applied understanding of MSP and to prepare delegates for the MSP Foundation, and Practitioner Certificate.
The course fee includes the latest copy of the MSP manual and examination fees for the Foundation and Practitioner exams.
Audience
The course is based on the 2007 edition of the MSP Manual and is designed 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
The course is intensive and delegates are advised to undertake some revision work in the evenings to prepare for the MSP Foundation and Practitioner examinations that are taken during the course.
Prerequisites
Delegates need at least a basic awareness of programmes and project work in the delegate's own business environment.
The last two days of the practitioner course are designed to give delegates an understanding of the practitioner objective testing method and prepare them for the practitioner examination.
Skills Gained
Delegates will learn how to:
- 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, Intermediate, and Practitioner Examinations administered by the Association of Project Managers Group (APMG)
Course Outline
Introduction and Overview
Drivers for change, the need to focus on benefits, critical success factors, programme management and the transformational flow.
Programme Management Themes
Defining and discussing the basic principles that underpin the definition, governance and delivery of a programme. Including:-
- Organisation and leadership (Defining the programme management team, cross organisational programmes and integrating project organisations)
- Benefits Realisation Management (Identifying and defining benefits, developing a benefit management strategy and tracking and reviewing benefit realisation)
- Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement (Defining leadership, identifying and analysing stakeholders, defining a stakeholder management strategy and planning communications)
- Blueprint Design and Delivery (The importance of the blueprint and the blueprint and its relation to other programme information)
- Risk Management and Issue Resolution (The risk management strategy, identifying and responding to risk, embedding risk management, the issue resolution process and defining an issue resolution strategy)
- Quality Management (Quality management strategy, configuration management and assessing and reviewing quality)
- Business Case Management (Evolution of the business case and business case management)
- Vision (The importance of a clear and consistent vision and defining an ideal Vision Statement)
- Programme Planning and Control (Contributions to the programme plan, delivering a portfolio of projects in tranches, monitoring progress and the resource management strategy)
The transformational Flow
Describing the programme lifecycle and the typical governance activities, responsibilities and information requirements for each flow lifecycle element from identifying and defining a programme through managing the tranches and the eventual closure of the programme.
MSP in practice
Tailoring MSP for different business environments. Developing strategies that can be applied appropriately at all levels to help ensure the achievement of business and strategic objectives.
Applying MSP
How MSP principles can be applied to a given programme and how MSP can help maintain the programme's focus and the commitment of its stakeholders.
Case Studies
A realistic case study scenario is used throughout the course to allow delegates to consolidate their knowledge of MSP in a practical setting through syndicate work.
