APMG International Project Planning and Control Practitioner

Delegates attending this course will need to have attended and successfully passed the Foundation examination. Delegates are required to provide proof of passing the Foundation examination. Delegates are also required to bring a form of photographic identification to show the invigilator. Failure to bring either proof of passing Foundation or photographic identification may result in not being able to sit the examination. Should you have any questions, please contact QA Exam Administration by email: exam.admin@qa.com or by phone 44(0) 1793 696162

Pre-Course Reading

Delegates are required to have a copy of the APM Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control Manual. This would have been provided on the Foundation course - otherwise, the ISBN is: 978-1-903494-44-8. Delegates must bring this book with them to the course. This 353 page document is the basis for the course as well as the Practitioner Exam. Ideally delegates will have read this document but they must be familiar with the entire book.

• The application of products used to gain a clear definition of a project
• The application of techniques used to plan and close a project
• The selection, use and application of various scheduling techniques
• The practices and application of rigorous monitoring to enable proactive control of the project
• The application of effective record keeping, which also facilitates the virtuous feedback and learning cycle.

The course uses QA's unique multimedia case-studies and accelerated-learning techniques to ensure that theory is embedded and delegates feel confident in the practical application of learning points. Additional evening work will be required in the form of consolidation reading and mock examination questions. The evening work is an integral part of the course and delegates should expect to spend approximately two hours on these activities each evening. The evening work is aimed at helping effective preparation for the examination.

The course will cover the following syllabus areas:

DEFINITION (DE)

Delegates are introduced to the world of projects and capital expenditure. The following key areas are covered:

• Factors to consider to ensure the WI and SOW are fit for purpose
• Key elements needed for effective project planning
• The need for effective stakeholder management

PLANNING (PL)

The following areas will be discussed:

• Determine activities, outputs and roles involved in the development and maintenance of the plans required throughout the life of the project
• Determine when top-down, bottom-up and rolling-wave approaches to planning should be adopted and the outputs of each
• Interpret ‘S’ curves and identify planning strategies to work out how best to deliver the project
• Identify appropriate project information for inclusion in the project’s Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) and apply the guidance to its creation
• Identify appropriate project information for inclusion in the project’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and apply the guidance to its creation
• Identify appropriate project information for inclusion in the project’s WBS Dictionary and apply the guidance to its creation
• Identify appropriate project information for inclusion in the project’s Organisational Breakdown Structure (OBS) and apply the guidance to its creation
• Identify appropriate project information for inclusion in the project’s Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) and RACI Matrix and apply the guidance to their creation
• Identify appropriate project information for inclusion in the project’s Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) and Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) and apply the guidance to their creation
• Identify the project interfaces that need to be monitored and controlled during the life of the project, together with their scope
• Determine the appropriate approaches for producing project estimates
• Whether specific activities associated with the development and maintenance of the plans required throughout the life of the project have been applied appropriately, with reasons
• Whether a chosen delivery strategy for the project is appropriate, with reasons
• Whether a chosen planning strategy for the project is likely to be effective, with reasons
• Whether the project’s Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) is fit for purpose, with reasons
• Whether the project’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is fit for purpose, with reasons
• Whether the project’s WBS Dictionary is fit for purpose, with reasons
• Whether the project’s Organisational Breakdown Structure (OBS) is fit for purpose, with reasons
• Whether the project’s Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) and Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) are fit for purpose, with reasons
• Whether the project interfaces that need to be monitored and
• Whether selected estimate techniques/methodologies for the project are appropriate, with reasons
• Whether the use of activities associated with the handover and closeout of the project are likely to be appropriate, with reasons

SCHEDULING (SC)

The following areas will be discussed:

• Advantages and disadvantages of Target Schedules
• Steps in the process of resourcing the schedule
• Need to manage project interfaces and the activities necessary to implement the four key stages of dependency management:

1. Identification
2. Coding
3. Integration and impact analysis (incl. internal and external integration)
4. Impact resolution

• Identify and apply the activities involved in the development and maintenance of the project schedule
• Identify the types and required densities (levels) of the schedule(s) required by the project and the types of information that may be included in those schedules
• Determine which elements of schedule design should be included in the project schedule a how they should be used

MONITOR AND CONTROL (MC)

The following areas will be discussed:

• The use of Earned Value Techniques (EVT) and the advantages/limitations of Earned Value Analysis
• Outputs of a project level change control process including the information required (incl. Change Requests, Change Log, Change
• Orders and Change Reporting Requirements)
• Purpose of Risk Management together with the ways of drawing down risk budget
• Purpose and key elements of Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA), together with:

1. Its reliance on Monte Carlo analysis
2. The two elements of QSRA
3. Process – stages and their characteristics
4. Outputs (Probability Charts and Tornado Charts)

• Purpose and steps of Monte Carlo analysis, including distribution types
• Purpose and key elements of Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis (QCRA), together with:

1. Process – stages and their characteristics
2. Outputs (Cumulative Normal Distributions (S-curves) for cost impacts, Sensitivity (Tornado) Charts and QSRA Percentiles)
3. Use of Sensitivity Analysis

• Purpose and methods of Forensic Analysis:

1. As-Planned vs. As-Built Method (AP v AB)
2. Impacted As-Planned Method (IAP)
3. Collapsed As-built Method (CAB) or AS-built But For (ABBF)
4. Time Impact Analysis Method (TIA)

• Requirements, Advantages, Disadvantages and where it can be used together with other relevant considerations
• Be able to apply key concepts relating to the Monitoring and Control of a project within a given scenario. Specifically to identify and apply activities involved in the development and maintenance of the project baseline, together with the application of the rules
• Determine the most appropriate methods of reporting the performance of the project and what project information should be included in the performance reports produced
• Interpret the outputs of methods of reporting performance:

1. Drop line method
2. Activity Weeks method
3. Milestone monitoring
4. Cash Flow monitoring
5. Resource monitoring
6. Network Analysis and measurement of float usage

• Interpret:

1. Curves showing Planned Value, Actual Cost and Earned Value, Cost and Schedule Variance
2. Cost and Schedule Variance Charts
3. Bulls Eye Performance Charts

In order to determine the status of the project and identify the likely causes of the reported performance

• Perform Earned Value calculations and determine the status of the project and identify the likely causes of the reported performance:

1. Cost Variance (CV)
2. Schedule Variance (SV)
3. Schedule Performance Index (SPI) Cost Performance Index (CPI)

• Use Earned Value data to produce project forecasts:

1. Estimate At Completion (EAC)
2. Estimate To Complete (ETC) Estimate Time To Complete (ETTC)

• Determine the most appropriate Earned Value Technique (EVT) for application during the project
• Identify and apply activities involved in the application of an appropriate short-term planning process for the project
• Identify appropriate use and information for inclusion in the following:

1. Change Request
2. Change Log
3. Monthly Change Report

• Identify activities involved in the application of an appropriate change control process for the project
• Risk Assessment, the use of the Risk Assessment Matrix, Risk Log and the planning and controlling of the funds for managing risk
• Interpret the results of the project’s Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA) as displayed on:

1. Probability Charts
2. Tornado Chart
3. Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA) Chart Duration Uncertainty Tornado Chart

• Purpose and steps of Monte Carlo analysis, including distribution types
• Interpret the results of the project’s Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis (QCRA) and Cost Impact Severity Tornado Chart
• Identify and apply methods Forensic Analysis and Delay and Disruption Analysis
• Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between the appropriate and inappropriate use of key concepts relating to the Monitoring and Control of a project within a given project scenario. Specifically to analyse:

1. Whether specific activities undertaken to establish and maintain a Project Baseline are appropriate, with reasons
2. Whether Performance Reports are fit for purpose, with reasons

• Whether methods of reporting the project’s performance are applied appropriately and whether their outputs are fit for purpose, with reasons:

1. Drop line method
2. Activity Weeks method
3. Milestone monitoring
4. Cash Flow monitoring
5. Resource monitoring
6. Network Analysis and measurement of float usage

• Whether Earned Value information has been interpreted correctly: to determine the status of the project and the likely causes of the reported performance
• Whether Earned Value calculations have been performed and interpreted correctly to determine the status of the project and identify the likely causes of the reported performance
• Whether Earned Value data has been used appropriately to produce project forecasts
• Whether the application of Earned Value Techniques (EVTs) to the project is appropriate, with reasons
• Whether the use of specific activities undertaken during short-term, high density scheduling are appropriate, with reasons
• Whether the following are fit for purpose, with reasons:

1. Change Request
2. Change Log
3. Monthly Change Report

• Whether the use of specific Change Management activities are appropriate, with reasons
• Whether the Risk Assessment, the use of the Risk Assessment Matrix, Risk Log and planning and controlling of the funds for managing risk are appropriate, with reasons
• Whether the results of Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA) as displayed on:

1. Probability Charts
2. Tornado Chart
3. Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis (QSRA) Chart
4. Duration Uncertainty Tornado Chart are appropriate and accurate.

• Purpose and steps of Monte Carlo analysis, including distribution
• Interpret the results of the project’s Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis (QCRA) and the Cost Impact Severity Tornado Chart
• Identify and apply methods Forensic Analysis and Delay and Disruption Analysis

Project Planning & Control Practitioner Examination

Key exam information:

• 3 hours duration, no additional reading time provided for.
• Open book – only the APM Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control book permitted
• 80 Question items in the examination paper
• 50% pass mark

Throughout the Project Planning & Control Practitioner Course, delegates will be exposed to numerous examples of examination questions. A number of exercises and ‘question-and-answer’ sessions that will help to consolidate the learning are undertaken, thereby ensuring that delegates are more than adequately prepared for the exam.