Overview
MSP is a structured framework that helps organizations of all sizes and sectors to improve practices, offer better services and more effectively prepare for the future. QA’s official MSP eLearning helps you understand the holistic method of programme management, focusing on benefits realisation, and aligning programmes with your organization’s strategy
The eLearning consists of 10-12 hours of interactive, device-friendly content that allows you to self-study at your own pace. You should also plan for 8-10 hours individual study of the MSP manual, personal revision, and exam practice.
Learner engagement is ensured through embedded video, onscreen interaction and summative quizzes. Through 9 bite-sized modules, the course fully explains each integrated element of the MSP framework.
- Principles – Seven guiding obligations that are continually required to achieve value from programme management.
- Themes – The seven MSP themes are the essential aspects of governance required to ensure that the programme is aligned with the principles.
- Processes – The programme lifecycle consists of seven processes which detail the responsibilities and activities that should be undertaken from a programme’s conception through to its final closure.
Prerequisites
There are no formal pre-requisites for MSP Foundation. The course is aimed at project and programme managers, as well as other professionals who are involved in major change initiatives.
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.
Objectives
- 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
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
Exams and Assessments
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
What's included
- Exam included
- Online exam voucher
Frequently asked questions
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Find more answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQs: Bookings & Cancellations page.
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How do QA’s online courses work?
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.
All courses are built around case studies and presented in an engaging format, which includes storytelling elements, video, audio and humour. Every case study is supported by sample documents and a collection of Knowledge Nuggets that provide more in-depth detail on the wider processes.
When will I receive my joining instructions?
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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.