APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) Podcast Series

• Differentiate between projects and business as usual (BAU)

• Differentiate between project management, portfolio management and programme management
• Outline the relationship between programmes, projects and strategic change
• Describe situations where the use of programme management may be appropriate

• Explain tools and techniques used to determine factors which influence and impact projects (including PESTLE, SWOT, and VUCA)
• Explain the impact of legal and regulatory environment on projects (such as the impact on working conditions, risk management, governance and sustainability)

• Explain the impact of legal and regulatory environment on projects (such as the impact on working conditions, risk management, governance and sustainability)

• The difference between types of permanent and temporary organisation structures (including functional, matrix and project)
• Explain the way in which an organisational breakdown structure is used to create a responsibility assignment matrix

• Explain the role and key responsibilities of the project manager
• Differentiate between the responsibilities of the project manager and the project sponsor throughout the project.
• Describe other roles within project management (including users, project team members, the project steering group / board and the product owner)

• Describe the functions and benefits of different types of project office (including project / programme / portfolio management office (PMO), embedded PMO, central PMO and hub and spoke PMO).
• Explain why aspects of project management governance are required (such as the use of: policies, regulations, functions, processes, procedures and delegated responsibilities.

• Differentiate between linear, iterative and hybrid life cycles
• Explain why projects are structured as phases in a linear life cycle
• Explain the differences between a project life cycle and an extended life cycle

• Explain the benefits, to a project, of a communication plan
• Explain the relationship between stakeholder analysis and an effective communication management plan
• State factors which can positively or negatively affect communication

• State sources of conflict within a project
• Explain ways in which conflict can be addressed (such asThomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument)
• Explain how to plan and conduct negotiations (including ZOPA, BATNA, and 'Win Win')

• Explain how leadership impacts on team performance and motivation (using models such as Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor)
• Explain why it may be necessary to change leadership styles to effectively support the management of a project

• Describe the characteristics and benefits of effective teams and teamwork
• Explain factors which impact on the leadership of virtual teams
• Explain factors which influence the creation, development and leadership of teams (using models such as Belbin, Margerison-McCann, Mysers-Briggs, Hackman, Tuckman, Katzenbach and Smith)

• Explain how to define scope in terms of outputs, outcomes and benefits (including use of product, cost and work breakdown structures)

• Explain how to establish scope through requirements management processes (such as gather, analysis, justifying requirements, ad baseline needs)
• Explain how to manage scope through configuration management processes (such as planning, identification, control, status accounting, and verification audit)

• Explain different stages of a typical change control process (such as request, initial evaluation detailed evaluation, recommendation, update plans, and implement)

• Explain the importance of a business case throughout the project life cycle
• Explain what is meant by benefits management (including identification, definition, planning, tracking and realisation)
• Explain investment appraisal techniques used by a project manager (including Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Net Present Value (NPV))

• Explain an information management process (including collection, storage, curation, dissemination, archiving, and the destruction of information)

• Explain the relationship between the deployment baseline and the development of a project management plan in linear and iterative life cycles
• Explain the importance of producing a project management plan
• Describe the typical contents of a project management plan

• Explain the approaches to producing estimates (including parametric, analogous, analytical and Delphi)
• Explain the reasons for and benefits of re-estimating throughout the project life cycle

• Explain the relationship between stakeholder analysis, influence and engagement
• Explain the importance of managing stakeholder expectations to the success of a project

• Describe ways to create and maintain a schedule (including critical path and Gantt charts)
• Differentiate between critical path and critical chain as scheduling techniques

• Describe how resources are categorised and allocated to a linear life cycle schedule
• Differentiate between resource smoothing and resource levelling

• Explain why a project manager would use earned value management
• Interpret earned value data (including variances and performance indexes)
• Explain the benefits of using interpretation of earned value data

• Explain each stage in a risk management process (such as identification, analysis response, and closure)
• Explain proactive and reactive responses to risk (such as avoid, reduce, transfer or accept and exploit, enhance, share and reject)
• Explain the benefits of risk management
• Explain the key aspects of issue management

• Explain what is meant by quality planning
• Differentiate between quality control and quality assurance

Quality Planning

• Roles and Responsibilities related to quality issues
• The processes to be followed for both production and testing procedures
• A description of how continual improvement will performed
• Details of quality assurance such as supplier vetting
• Details of quality control techniques such as Pareto Analysis
• How to establish and manage interactions with other project processes such as configuration management

Quality Assurance

Training

Audit

Supplier Accreditation

Lessons Learned

Quality Control

• Pareto analysis
• Walk-throughs
• Process control charts
• Visual inspection and measurement
• Continuous improvement

• Explain the purpose, typical content and importance of a procurement strategy
• Differentiate between different methods of supplier reimbursement (including fixed price, cost plus fee, per unit quantity, and target cost)
• Differentiate between different contractual relationships
• Explain a supplier selection process

Make or buy decision:

Contractual relationship:

Reimbursement methods:

Supplier selection:

Contract administration:

Feedback and review:

• Read the full transcript of this podcast episode here.