Overview

MSP is the go-to certification and guidance for programme managers, business change managers and the next step for project managers to develop their knowledge and skills to be able to positively respond to the challenges they face when managing programmes and larger, more strategic or multiple projects.

MSP is a globally recognised framework for best practice programme management. MSP is specifically designed to address the most common challenges that organizations encounter when leading investments in change. It is designed to align programmes and projects to organizational strategy and to provide governance. It focuses on the outcomes of benefit, whilst mitigating risks and actively engaging stakeholders.

MSP can be used in conjunction with all the other best-practice products (such as PRINCE2 and MoP) and international or internal organizational standards.

MSP 5th edition consists of a set of principles, themes and processes that provide a clear roadmap for the programme lifecycle and ensure successful organizational outcomes.

Using elements from QA’s ‘Performance Based Learning’ approach, we help you to not only know MSP, but also apply and tailor it for your programmes. The course has been designed by award winning instructional designers to ensure that it provides an interactive and engaging introduction to MSP. Our experienced MSP experts explain the method through a wide range of individual and group exercises, case-study application, learning ‘games’ and practice exam questions.

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Prerequisites

  • There are no pre-requisites for taking MSP 5th edition Foundation exam.
  • To take the MSP 5th edition Practitioner exam, candidates are required to have MSP 5th edition Foundation certificate.

Target audience

Prince2 practitioners

  • Evolve your skills to manage larger, more complex projects – MSP is the natural next step to develop your knowledge and skills to be able to respond to challenges and boost your career
  • Adopt a wider strategic approach – The vision and target operating model allow you to see the “big picture” and link actions to the wider organizational strategy
  • Be highly responsive to change – with its adoption of incremental approach to the programme lifecycle MSP empowers you to be adaptable, flexible and responsive to change

Project managers, Senior project managers

  • Develop a strategic mindset - the vision, target operating model and programme plan allow you take a wider strategic view and co-ordinate multiple projects ensuring they are linked to corporate objectives,
  • Be adaptable and choose the most appropriate delivery mode - MSP’s multimodal delivery mode allows multiple ways of working, based on what is most suitable for you when delivering the work and on the work itself.
  • Take the next step with MSP – It is an industry-recognized certification which shows you can be trusted with responsibility for business change and major shifts in organizations.

Programme managers, Business change managers

  • Gain more clarity within complex environments – MSP provides a clear route through complex programmes and encourages a strategic viewpoint to deliver outcomes and benefits, without getting distracted by operational issues. The framework is designed to be flexible and adaptable through the programme lifecycle.
  • Build your capability to lead business change across the organization - in the strategic context i.e. from delivering outputs to enabling a vision through the principles and themes of MSP which ensure that there is a continual focus on co-ordinating multiple projects to the agreed strategic outcomes.
  • Supporting organizational agility – by adopting a multimodal delivery philosophy and emphasizing an incremental approach, MSP enables organizations to be agile, responsive and flexible.

Organization, budget decision maker

  • Align projects and programmes to organizational strategy - MSP aligns programmes and projects to organizational strategy; it provides governance and focuses on the outcome of benefits for the organization.
  • Stay competitive and respond to industry change – Organizations need to continually improve their ability to change to be able to react to changes in the industry. MSP is specifically designed to address common challenges such as fixed deadlines and scarce resource that organizations encounter when leading investments in change.
  • Rely on proven, successfully applied framework – MSP represents proven best practice in the successful delivery of organizational change through the application of programme management.

Course material

Learners undertaking this course will be provided with an eBook of the official course manual to support their learning, instructions on how to access the eBook will be provided with the course joining instructions.

Please note: For open book exams learners are permitted to use a second device to access the official course manual, the use of dual monitors is not permitted during the exam.

Please ensure you bring a device such as a mobile phone, tablet or laptop to be able to load your course material on to as you may need this for use in the evenings.

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Learning Outcomes

For Foundation:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the various components of the MSP®5th Edition best practice programme management framework
  • Describe each step of the MSP® journey, listing the activities required to guide a programme throughout its lifecycle
  • Outline the relevant aspects of MSP® principles, themes and lifecycle in context

For Practitioner:

  • Build on the knowledge gained in the Foundation course
  • Demonstrate sufficient ability to apply and tailor the MSP programme management framework (as described in the practitioner syllabus) to be awarded the MSP Practitioner qualification.
  • Be able to start applying the framework to a real programme
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Course Outline

The course focuses on the components of the MSP framework and how they help to create outcomes of benefit while mitigating risks and actively engaging stakeholders.

MSP philosophy and structure:

  • What is a programme and how it differs to both business as usual and project work
  • Relationship between the MSP principles, governance themes and the lifecycle

The 7 MSP Principles:

  • Lead with purpose
  • Collaborate across boundaries
  • Deal with ambiguity
  • Align with priorities
  • Deploy diverse skills
  • Realize measurable benefits
  • Bring pace and value.

The 7 governance themes:

  • Organization
  • Design
  • Justification
  • Structure
  • Knowledge
  • Assurance
  • Decisions

The 7 processes in the programme lifecycle:

  • Identify the programme
  • Design the outcomes
  • Plan progressive delivery
  • Deliver the capabilities
  • Embed the outcomes
  • Evaluate new information
  • Close the programme

MSP Foundation & Practitioner examinations

PeopleCert exams take place remotely via PeopleCert Online Proctoring. You will be required to download and install ExamShield and conduct a compatibility test prior to sitting the exam.

You will schedule the exam yourself at a time that works best for you. We would highly recommend not leaving this too long after your course to ensure the best chance of information retention. If you decide to take your exam as soon as possible, please ensure that it is arranged no earlier than when your course has finished for that day at 17.30.

The Foundation exam consists of:

  • 60 multiple choice questions
  • 1 hour
  • Closed book
  • Candidates require a minimum of 36 correct answers (60%) to pass

The Practitioner exam consists of:

  • 70 scenario based multiple choice questions
  • 2.5 hours
  • Open book – MSP® 5th edition publication only
  • Candidates require a minimum of 42 marks (60%) to pass

Pre-course work included that should take between 1-3 hours to complete.

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Why choose QA

  • Our learners have given us an average NPS score of 8.4 out of 10 for our project management training (Jan-Oct 2020)
  • We now offer the new Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®): 5th Edition
  • We are fully accredited by PeopleCert

MSP® Accredited

Special Notices

PeopleCert examinations are remotely proctored. Once registered by the QA exam administration team you will receive an exam registration email directly from PeopleCert. This email will contain the necessary instruction on how to schedule your exam.

  • Official course manuals will be provided as an eBook resource for learners undertaking this course.
  • For open book exams learners are permitted to use a second device to access the official course manual, the use of dual monitors is not permitted during the exam.

***Due to the current high demand for online exams, there may be limited time slots available. Delegates are invited to contact Peoplecert directly regarding the provision of additional sessions. We would recommend delegates follow this process and re-access the live calendar regularly as Peoplecert will add additional sessions where demand dictates. ***

Dates & Locations

MSP® certification paths

Required Star = Required
Certification = Certification
MSP® qualification Pass the separate Foundation and Practitioner exams, or take one of the combined options. Please note that 4th edition is not compatible with the latest 5th edition certification, but we still offer it in online learning form.

Project Management learning paths

Want to boost your career in project management? Click on the roles below to see QA's learning pathways, specially designed to give you the skills to succeed.

Required Star = Required
Certification = Certification
Project Team Member (APM)
Project Team Member (PMI)
Project Manager (APM)
Project Manager (PMI)
Programme Manager
Change Manager
PMO
Risk Professionals
Portfolio Manager

New: AXELOS ProPath learning paths

Required Star = Required
Certification = Certification
Agile Project Expert You will achieve Agile Project Expert automatically on passing the Practitioner level of each product, but you must pass Foundation first. For those without prior certification we recommend the Combined options.
Project Expert You will achieve Project Expert automatically on passing the Practitioner level of each product, but you must pass Foundation first. For those without prior certification we recommend the Combined options.
Programme Leader You will achieve Programme Leader automatically on passing the Practitioner level of each product, but you must pass Foundation first. For those without prior certification we recommend the Combined options.

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QA online courses, also commonly known as distance learning courses or elearning courses, take the form of interactive software designed for individual learning, but you will also have access to full support from our subject-matter experts for the duration of your course. When you book a QA online learning course you will receive immediate access to it through our e-learning platform and you can start to learn straight away, from any compatible device. Access to the online learning platform is valid for one year from the booking date.

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When will I receive my joining instructions?

Joining instructions for QA courses are sent two weeks prior to the course start date, or immediately if the booking is confirmed within this timeframe. For course bookings made via QA but delivered by a third-party supplier, joining instructions are sent to attendees prior to the training course, but timescales vary depending on each supplier’s terms. Read more FAQs.

When will I receive my certificate?

Certificates of Achievement are issued at the end the course, either as a hard copy or via email. Read more here.

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