APM Introductory Certificate (PFQ)

This course is planned to provide delegates with an introduction to the key concepts in project management and to make them prepare for the one-hour MCQ  examination held at the end of the course. The study manual for this certificate will be provided to all delegates, and it will be their personal copy for future reference.

The APM Project Fundamentals Qualification is an exceptional way to understand a basic awareness of project management and how projects differ from activities. The trainer will be accredited and industry leading experts with wide experience of applying the APM approach, the course ensures that delegates gain enough knowledge to be confident in the practical application of project management as a team member.

Delegates are provided with the APM manual, which will be their personal copy to keep for future reference. Upon completion this complete two-day training course, delegates will be able to recognise the project management processes and understand the Project Management terminology. Delegates will also be ready to correctly assess the project success criteria and benefits while preparing the required project documentation.

Key exam information:

• Exam Duration: One hour
• Closed book
• 60 multiple-choice questions
• Passing marks: 60%

Project management and its operating environment

• Define of project and project management
• Vital purpose and definition of project management, programme management and portfolio management
• Difference between programme management and portfolio management in the field of project management
• Differences between project and business
• Benefits of effective project management
• Know about Project environment
• Understand about PESTLE as a tool

Project Concept Phase 

• Stakeholder management 
• Project success and benefits management 
• Business case 
• Benefits 

People in Projects 

• Leadership and team working 
• Communication 

Project Definition Phase 

• Project management plan 
• Quality management 
• Risk management 
• Scope management 
• Scheduling 
• Resource management 
• Estimating 
• Procurement 

Project Management in Context

• Project management
• Programme management
• Portfolio management
• Project context
• Project sponsorship

Planning the Strategy

• Project quality
• Project risk management
• Purpose of the project management plan (pmp)
• Handle Stakeholders’ Management
• Project success and benefits management

Executing the Strategy

• Scope management
• Scheduling
• Resource management
• Change control information
• Management and reporting
• Issues management

Techniques

• Configuration management
• Estimating
• Project business case
• Procurement

Organising and Governance

• Project lifecycle
• Handover and closeout
• Project reviews
• Organisational roles

People and the Profession

• Communications in a project
• Teamwork
• Leadership

Scope management

• Define scope management
• Product Breakdown Structure and Work Breakdown Structure
• Configuration
• Change control
• Links between configuration and change control
• Process of Change control
• Configure management process

Scheduling and resource management

• Define Total float and critical path
• Understand Gantt chart, milestone, and baseline
• Know Resource Management
• Understand different Types of resources
• Resource smoothing/resource levelling
• Procurement  

Risk management and issue management

• Project risk and risk management
• Project risk management process
• Use of risk register
• Issue and issue management
• Use of issue log
• Escalation process

Project quality management

• Quality and quality management
• Quality planning quality control, quality assurance, and continual improvement
• Differences b/w quality assurance and quality control
• Project reviews such as
  • Gate post
  • Benefit
  • Peer reviews

Communication

• Methods of communication
• Barriers to communication
• Effective communication 
• Communication plan

Leadership and teamwork

• Definition – leadership
• Role of project team leader
• Project team
• Teamwork models