The Knowledge Academy - Contact Form
| Phone: | +44 1344 887460 |
| Fax: | +44 1344 887649 |
| Email: | info@theknowledgeacademy.com |
| Address: |
Orchard Lea Drift Road Winkfield Windsor SL4 4RU United Kingdom |
MoP® Foundation and Practitioner
Management of Portfolios (MoP) is one of a suite of best practice guidance issued by The Cabinet Office (HM Government, UK). If focuses on organizational change at a strategic level.
Many organizations have focused for some time on the effective delivery of change initiatives, often through the application of project and programme frameworks that have stood the test of time. However, often, these initiatives have not been prioritized, balanced and managed effectively at corporate, or at least group, level. Therefore, frequently, little attention has been paid to the question “Are we investing in the right change initiatives in the first place? (as well as managing them in the right way). In recent years Portfolio Management has emerged as a way of answering this question. The course and the associated qualification are based on extensive research into the practice of Portfolio Management which is defined as:
“…as a coordinated collection of strategic processes and decisions that, together, enable a more effective balance of organizational change and business as usual.”
Portfolios represent “…the totality of an organization’s investment (or segment thereof) in the changes required to achieve its strategic objectives.”
MoP is about establishing good practices, a supportive and enabling culture and an effective structural framework, all underpinned by five key principles which drive the practices, culture and structure. Therefore, it is not prescriptive; instead the guidance focuses on ‘keys to success’, so enabling sufficient flexibility to ensure it is universally applicable to any type of organization, regardless of sector, ownership, size, etc.
MoP® Foundation and Practitioner Training (including examinations)
Following confirmation of booking The Knowledge Academy will send the Pre-Course work to the delegate. This work consists of;
1) Reading 3 chapters of the Management of Portfolios course manual
The pre-course work on a The Knowledge Academy course will require around 15 hours of study prior to the course start date. The Knowledge Academy MoP® Foundation and Practitioner training event is an intensive 5 day course that includes the MoP® Foundation and Practitioner examinations within the course. Upon booking, Joining Instructions that describe the course location and other administrative details will also be emailed. In addition, delegates will be required to complete a MINIMUM of 2 hours homework each evening which will be set by the instructor.
Audience
Anyone with an interest and/or role in delivering programmes and projects, and organizational strategy from inception to delivery, will benefit from familiarizing and understanding the guidance . This includes members of management boards and directors of change; senior responsible owners, portfolio, programme, project, business change and benefits managers, business case writers and project appraisers, as well as teams from functions including, but not limited to, finance, information technology, procurement, human relations, strategic planning, performance management.
Examinations
The Knowledge Academy prepares delegates for both the Foundation and Practitioner level MoP® qualifications.
Preparation for the Foundation level qualification consists of a 3 day course which includes an objective test (‘multiple choice’) examination at the end of day 3 (50 questions in 40 minutes, pass mark 50%).
The Practitioner level course lasts a further 1 1/2 days and includes a thorough preparation for the exam which takes place on the morning of the second Practitioner study day. It is a 3 h examination which is scenario based and tests the ability to apply best practice Portfolio Management guidance to this scenario. The exam is also an objective test examination; there are a total of 80 questions, divided into four sections. The pass mark is also 50%.
The qualifications are designed and accredited by The Association of Project Management Group (APMG).
Course Content
The nature of MoP and how it fits with other HM Government best practice guidance, including in particular Programme and Project management
The strategic and organizational context: MoP and Business as Usual; MoP and Strategic and Business Planning; MoP and Budgeting and Resource Allocation; MoP and Performance Management; collaborative working between Portfolio Management and other key corporate functions / departments
The five principles of Portfolio Management: Senior Management Commitment; Governance Alignment; Strategy Alignment; Portfolio Office; Energized Change Culture
Portfolio definition cycle: The definition cycle consists of establishing five key practices: understand; categorize; prioritize; balance; plan
Portfolio delivery cycle: The delivery cycle consists of seven key practices: management control; benefits management; financial management; risk management; stakeholder engagement; organizational governance; resource management
The best practice guidance for MoP also includes coverage of Portfolio management roles, documentation and an assessment of the impact of portfolio management.
In each chapter the focus is firmly on introducing and discussing good practice, based on real world experience, drawn from a wide range of organisations and regularly brought to life by reference to pertinent examples.
