“I expect all our staff to hold APMP by the end of the year” says Julian Foster, programme Directory at BAA. In an interview with the Assocaition for project management he identified the follwoing benefits

1. Common language
2. Consistent approach
3. Best in class approach
4. Flexibility

It is good to see another major project organisation such as BAA Heathrow recognising the important of APMP, as part of an integrated approach to development of project management capability and competence. Liz Wilson from the APMP said.   “We are delighted that such an important employer and contributor to the UK economy has recognised the practical and business value of APM’s flagship qualification.” As a leader in the industry Parallel Project Training is delighted that BAA have implemented their commitment to develop their project managers. They are setting the benchmark others in the sector should seek to follow.Similar Posts:

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Download the how to pass the APMP presentation

How the Pass the APMP

• The APMP Project Management Qualification Adds £10k to Your Market Value
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It has never been so important to be well prepared for the workplace. With fewer companies hiring and greater competition for jobs, individuals need to be skilled and educated in order to excel. For this reason, Parallel Project Training is committed to empowering students, now offering a new and improved website to support business education for motivated professionals.

Parallel Project Training offers a range of educational opportunities for individuals who wish to aspire in project management. These opportunities include cutting edge coursework both in the classroom and through distance learning. To this end, Parallel Project Training is accredited by the Association for Project Management and is a PMI Registered Education Provider. These credentials ensure students that their time with Parallel Project Training will be well spent, especially since the courses and support staff have helped countless students achieve their educational and career goals. Specific courses include APM certification, PRINCE2 courses, PMP certification and more. These options are ideal for a wide range of career goals, supporting individuals who wish to get started in project management for the first time and those who want to take their skills to the next level.

While Parallel Project Training has offered these services for some time, the new website offers some distinctive improvements for students to enjoy. The first noticeable improvement is the ample opportunities for students to better connect with others. This includes the integration of social networking, allowing students to use familiar mediums to thrive in their studies. In particular, the website is now fully integrated with Facebook, widening the effectiveness of the program overall. In addition to established social networking options, Parallel Project Training now also has online study groups, which are designed to help students get the support needed to succeed in their coursework.

These connective additions are noticeable gains but the website redesign has other perks as well. At first glance, many visitors may notice the improved layout, which has been conceptualized to streamline navigation. On top of this, the site also hosts podcasts covering a range of topics related to the industry, all offered free of charge for individuals who are interested in extending their learning even further.

Overall, the improvements only enhance the powerful content and curriculum offered by Parallel Project Training. Coursework continues to be offered both on site and remotely. Individuals who are interested in these opportunities should call 0845 519 2305 or visit http://www.parallelprojecttraining.com.

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Everyone seems to recognise that the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority have done a fantastic job. Even the press is struggling to find things to criticise. This success is even more outstanding given the historic performance of public projects in the past. Failures in the past include Olympic projects in other countries and public projects in the UK such as the Jubilee Line, Millennium Dome to mention just two. The whole project acts as a real demonstration of ability of the UK construction industry to perform. UK PLC should be proud of this achievement. It should act a flag ship to demonstrate the professionalism of UK based project management around the world. The involvement of the Association for Project Management (APM) in the post project lessons learned reviews is a very positive initiative. This should generate plenty of true best practice guidance that can be integrated into future versions of the Body of Knowledge. However it is already clear that the formation of a dedicated Olympic Delivery Authority had a huge impact on the success of the project.

Can these approaches and structures be replicated across different sectors and industries? The political classes seem to be convinced, Ken Livingston’s speech to the PMI Synergy event at the O2 in London in September 2011, implied that the 2012 project was successful because of the formation of the ODA. Resources by the best project management people from around the world and had an arm’s length relationship with civil servants. We await the formal lessons learned review to see if these conclusions are confirmed.

What is a Delivery Authority?

There are many forms of delivery authorities; however they are generally temporary, standalone organisations establish specifically to deliver a major public project or programme. Typically they are formed of private sector consortium reporting to public authorities via a clear governance structure. The consortium usually combines organisations with a combination for the skills required to deliver projects. For example a project and programme management organisation might combine forces with a construction company. As a commercial animal they form a fire break between the political classes and the contractors delivering the project.

What advantages to they bring to Public Projects?

The advantages of delivery authorities over publicly managed projects are:

1. They are staffed by project professionals not career civil servants. Often these individuals have a life time of experience delivering complex projects around the world.
2. They have a dedicated focus on the successful completion of the project, without the distraction of possible changes in policy or political interference.
3. They tend the hire (and fire) the best people for the duration of the project and because the organisation in temporary, just for the purposes of the project, these people tend to gain experience by moving from project to project.
4. Their independence from the political classes gives them the ability to act in a commercially effective way, whereas it is more difficult for a career civil servant to defend a project from political pressures to change the scope or reduce the budget.

    

Can they be applied in other sectors?

With the UK government committed to a wide range of capital infrastructure project, such as HS2, are delivery authorities the solution to the difficulties of completing these projects to time, cost and quality? Furthermore do they represent a better way to manage a wide range of government projects from defence procurement to investments in the transport infrastructure? The government seem convinced, with tenders already being placed for development partners for HS2 and Network Rail being restructured to introduce competition, even the defence procurement agency seems to be heading this way. However these projects are very different from the Olympics, they are highly integrated with existing and complex operations. It is more difficult to draw boundaries around the project because the influence day to day operation in the organisations they serve. Redeveloping a main line station while it is in operation, or upgrading an operational tank is a high complex endeavour with many stakeholders to satisfy. The question to ask is if these projects will benefit from the independence and focus of a delivery authority, or if the complexity means that they are better managed by public servants; who put the priorities of the traveling public or the soldier before that of the project.

What are the risks?

The risk is that many of these capital project are being prioritised as a way stimulate economic growth, hence the benefits may not be challenged in the way they should be and the mantra of the private sector is best may win out. However for many of these projects the complexity lies not in the solution but the stakeholder environment in which they are delivered and the constraints this imposes. Efficiency and profit may be less important than delivering these stakeholder needs. In these stakeholder driven environments then public organisation may be the best way to deliver projects which meet all the needs of different stakeholders. It will be interesting to see how these trends play out over the next few years.Similar Posts:

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Around the world project management is changing. It’s now all about professionals delivering successful projects which produce real benefits for organisations and their customers. Project managers help companies make better decisions, reduce costs, increase profits, and communicate more effectively.

Good project managers are aligned in their approach, create effective and accountable structures, define clear roles and responsibilities, use common terminology and instil values of trust. We’ll help you to develop these valued skills, so that you can be a good project manager, more than that you’ll be able to become a great project manager. One with a successful track record and enhanced career prospects.

As a project manager you face many choices and one of these is deciding which development roadmap you should follow. The main choices are PRINCE2, the PMI or APM.

PRINCE2 is a method sponsored by the UK government and is extensively used in the UK public sector and industries that service this market. As a result it has become the de-facto standard for many projects in the UK.

The PMI is the Project Management Institute in the USA and their PMP credential is the most widely recognised qualification in the world with over 400,000 PMP professionals. This certification is ideal if you work, or aspire to work, in a global market.

The APM is the UK Association for Project Management, and as a professional body they focus on competence development. Of the three the APM offer you the most complete development roadmap. They start at an introductory level and progress to “Registered Project Professional” for the managers of complex projects.

Whichever roadmap you select our Academy develops confidence and capability; you can become certified to any of these project management standards, and ultimately be capable of delivering the most complex projects around.
With us you can learn in your own way, with cost effective and flexible printed guides, online e-learning, podcasts on iTunes, and there’s even an online study group for exam preparation. In the classroom, slides are few and far between – you will be too busy running mini-projects, reducing risk, planning budgets and resources, all the things needed to get you those skills and qualifications.

If that all sounds like what you’re looking for, get in touch with us, and we’ll work together to help you become not just a good project manager, but a great one.

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Every year the recruitment consultancy Arras People conduct a detailed Project Management Benchmark Report. Over the years it has become widely respected as a measure of the state of the UK project management jobs market. In this year’s review of salary rates for project managers they examined the difference between the salary rates of those with and APMP project management qualification and those with. The results are shown in the graph below

The mean result is that those with an APMP qualification typically earn £10k more than those without.

What is the APMP?

The APMP qualification is a foundation level project management qualification based on the APM Body of Knowledge. As such it represents a good grounding in project management as practiced by a wide range of practitioners. The qualification is sponsored by the Association for Project Management which is the professional body for project management in the UK. The exam has the reputation for being quite tough as the national pass rate is only 65%.

The APMP qualification is recognised by several major players in the project management space, including

1. BAA
2. Siemens
3. Network Rail
4. Transport for London
5. EdF
6. BT
7. EC Harris

These organisations are often delivering the most complex projects as are often willing to pay well for world class people.

How does the APMP fit with my career development?

Professional development qualifications from the APM define a clear career development road map for project managers from the start of their careers to the recognitions of a capability to deliver the most complex of projects. At each level the APM has the right qualification and standards to recognise your status and prepare you for the next level. These levels include

1. APM Introductory Certificate for new project managers and team members.
2. APMP for those who are beginning to move into professional project management
3. APM Practitioner for those who can demonstrate the behavioural skills and competences needed to lead projects.
4. APM Registered Project Professional is a standard for those project managers who can show a track record delivering complex projects

Parallel Project Training Academy

Parallel Project Training is one of the very few training providers to cover the entire range of APM qualifications and our unique blended approach to the delivery of APMP training, our study guides, on-line e-learning, exam prep forum and engaging teaching methods deliver consistently high pass rates with several groups attaining 100% pass rate.Similar Posts:

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Imagine in your mind that you are the hiring manager of a large scale company that is looking to bring on a new project manager, and you are staring at the large stack of resumes dreading getting started. The first thing that you want to do is rather than search for the eligible applicants and work your choices down to a few candidates, but it is first necessary to remove from the pile those applicants who are not qualified enough for the company. But wait, in your high level business, everyone in this pile is qualified, or else they wouldn’t be in the pile, but there must be something that can help chose the best person to bring in for interview. Well it turns out that there is, and the best way to get your foot in the door and placed on the top of the pile is with a PMP Certification.

PMP stands for Project Management Professional, and is a universally recognized certification. A survey done by PMI (Project Management Institute), which is the company that offers the certification, shows that a PMP, “Increases your salary up to 10% more than non-credentialed colleagues and peers,” as stated on their website. What sets this certification apart and makes it unique is that you have to be an experienced project manager to receive it, and that it is a great way to display that you are among the best, and most experienced project managers.

If you are interested in receiving this certification you will need a four-year degree with at least three years of management experience, totaling at least 4,500 hours, and 35 hours of management education. If you do not meet this criterion there is a second set you can also meet in place of these. Have a secondary diploma, with five years of experience, totally at least 7,500 hours, and 35 hours of management education. If you meet one of both of these criteria, then you are the perfect person to receive this certification, and with the benefit of having a resume that stands out and increased pay, there is no reason to not take advantage of this opportunity.

The average person will spend approximately 35 hours to prepare for the exam, which may very well be worth your time. If you spent an hour a day for just over a month, then, you could increase your pay by ten percent in only one month, through a legitimate and industry recognized program.

The one thing that you should take away from this is that whether or not you currently are employed, looking for a raise, or trying to find a job, the PMP certification has something to offer you. No matter how you look at it the pros far outweigh the cons, and for a small fee, you should get this certification to get your resume bumped to the top of anyone and everyone’s pile.

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- In a new venture Parallel Project Training and Carnegie Enterprise are combining their expertise to deliver APM PQ training in Scotland during December 2011 -

Reading, UK. 31 October 2011: The Association for Project Management Practitioner Qualification (APM PQ) is an internationally recognised project management qualification aimed at project professionals experienced in managing non-complex projects. It provides experienced project managers with the opportunity to display their capabilities in planning and controlling projects, managing risks and major change, and working effectively as a project team member in addition to demonstrating their understanding of project management techniques. APM PQ project management training involves assessment of individual work based on case studies and current project management issues, discussions and problem-solving in groups, and candidate interviews.

Reading-based training company Parallel Project Training has recently embarked on a collaboration with Carnegie Enterprise to deliver their 3-day APM PQ training course at the Carnegie Conference Centre in Dunfermline, Fife from 19^th – 21^st December 2011. Parallel Project Training is an accredited APM PQ training provider and offers APM training and coaching at a variety of locations across the UK at every stage from Introductory Level right through to the prestigious Registered Project Professional credential. They offer a comprehensive approach to project management training by promoting project management professionalism through both qualifications and continuous professional development in response to growing demand from individuals and organisations.

Speaking from their Reading headquarters, Paul Naybour, Business Development Director at Parallel Project Training, commented, “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Carnegie Enterprise – their experience providing project management training and consultancy across a range of client organisations within both the private and public sectors complements our innovative approach to training and our commitment to promoting excellence in project management. Our team of experts provide an intensive, continuous assessment training solution to enable every candidate to achieve their full potential. The APM PQ is the only project management qualification in the UK that assesses the capability of a project manager and we are proud to have the opportunity to enhance the range of project management courses available at the Carnegie Conference Centre”

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- Parallel Project Training is this year sponsoring Synergy 2011, the high-profile event celebrating the project management profession-

Reading, UK. 13 October 2011: The Project Management Institute (PMI) UK Chapter is hosting Synergy 2011 on International Project Management Day, 3^rd November 2011, at Indigo O2 in London. This major event, to recognise and celebrate the project management profession, boasts high-profile speakers including politicians, sports personalities and TV celebrities and will be attended by HRH The Princess Royal as guest of honour.

The event will be a day of celebration, learning and entertainment for the UK’s project managers, who span a wide range of industries, with the opportunity to gain insight from those involved in some of the most significant projects happening in the UK today, including the Olympic Park project.

Parallel Project Training is delighted to be sponsoring this prestigious event and helping to raise the profile of project management within the UK. As a PMI Registered Education Provider, Parallel Project Training is one of a select group of companies entitled to deliver training courses leading to PMP Certification by the Project Management institute.  The PMP certification is an internationally recognised project management credential and is one of many professional courses of study offered by Parallel. Achieving the PMP credential demonstrates that a project manager has the experience, education and ability to successfully lead and direct projects in addition to an in-depth knowledge of project management techniques.

Speaking from their Reading headquarters, Paul Naybour, Business Development Director at Parallel Project Training, commented, “We are committed to developing excellence in project management through our innovative approach to training so are delighted to be involved in Synergy 2011. We recognise that project management impacts all aspects of business and is at the heart of business success. It is a profession that can transform companies and communities for the better by achieving the best results with the available resources.”

 
Visitors to Synergy 2011 can benefit from £100 off a PMP certification course at Parallel’s central London venue until the end of the year. Their PMP training courses are delivered by experienced project managers using realistic case-studies in order to enable project managers to deliver business benefits within their own organisations.Similar Posts:

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Parallel Project Training is delighted to be sponsoring Synergy 2011. As part of our commitment to developing excellence in project management we are offering £100 off our London PMP certification courses. These courses include:

 Highly experienced PMP trainers.

 Fantastic central London location.

 On-line exam support forum.

 35 hours of training as required for PMP certification.

 200 sample exam questions.

 Detailed course notes explain the PMBok Guide^®
in practical language.

For details visit: www.parallelprojecttraining.com and use synergy2011 discount code on checkout before the 31/12/2011

Download our PMP flier for more details of our PMP certification offer Similar Posts:

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