P3O® Practitioner Certificate

Overview

Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O®) is the OGC’s (Office of Government Commerce) guidance for establishing, developing and maintaining appropriate business support structures that will allow improved senior management decision making, better identification and realisation of business outcomes and benefits, and improve the chances of successful programme and project delivery.  P3O is aligned to the current MSP®, PRINCE2®, and M_o_R® guidance and has been developed to enhance the support advice referred to in that guidance.

The P3O Practitioner course comprises two days of trainer led instruction, and practical exercises, culminating in the Practitioner examination. The aim of the course is to revise the structure and detail of the P3O advice and to prepare delegates for the P3O Practitioner Certificate examination by undertaking questions from a sample examination paper.

Prerequisites

• Delegates must have already completed a Foundation level course, and must have reached the required standard in the Foundation Exam. The examining body will not allow delegates without the Foundation qualification to sit a Practitioner exam.
• Delegates need to have worked in a project/programme environment and understand the basic principles relating to Programme and Project Management.
• It is recommended that delegates attend this course no later than three months after the Foundation course, and that a minimum of four hours revision of the P3O manual is completed before attending. The pre-course reading provided with the QA Foundation course can provide a useful study guide.

• You must bring signed photo ID with you on any P3O exams (passport, driving licence, student card) as you will be asked to produce it by the invigilator prior to the exam.  You must also be familiar with the APMG Terms and Conditions of Certification which can be found here on the APMG International website 

The course is based on the 2008 edition of the P3O Manual and is designed for:

• Senior managers wishing to gain an understanding of possible structures for supporting business change and the type and level of support that can be provided by Portfolio, Programme and Project support offices
• Senior Managers, Programme and Project Managers who require an understanding of how programme offices can add value and enhance the delivery of strategic business change, benefits and capability
• Managers and/or staff who have been tasked to create delivery support structures and mechanisms within their organisation
• Experienced support office managers who need to review, revitalise or tailor current support office provision
• Programme office or programme support staff who need to understand the importance of their role
• Staff responsible for programme/project assurance or audit requiring an understanding of how best practice support is provided.

During the course you will asked to provide written permission which enables QA to pass on your pass mark to your employer. The course is intensive and delegates are advised to undertake some revision work prior to attending the course.

Course Outline

• Practitioner exam syllabus
• Format of the practitioner exam
• Review of P3O key areas
• Sample Practitioner questions
• The Practitioner Exam

Examinations

The P3O Practitioner exam is taken on day two of the course. The exam is an objective marked assessment consisting of seven questions which must be answered in two and a quarter hours. Each question is worth ten marks and delegates must achieve a score of thirty five to be successful. The exam allows the use of the P3O manual. Delegates will be informed of their result by the examining body, normally within four weeks of course completion.

P3O®, PRINCE2®, MSP® and M_o_R® are Registered Trade Marks of the Cabinet Office.