Target Student

• Managers who need a structure for working alongside corporate organisational investments
• Individuals moving into a P3O® role, or existing portfolio, programme or project office roles.
• Team members employed within or alongside a support office.
• Anybody who needs to know the basics about providing portfolio, programme and project support.
• Project Managers keen to develop their skills and identify opportunities for career advancement.
• Any Support offices that may be known by a variety of titles such as: Portfolio Office, Centre of Excellence, Enterprise or Corporate Programme Office.

Delivery Method

Instructor led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities.

Benefits of Method

The benefits of using this method include:

• Provides operational efficiencies in the successful delivery of business change initiatives
• Ensures the strategies and performance requirements of an organization are realized via portfolios, programmes, projects and operational business unit
• Ensures an integrated set of outcomes and benefits are measured, managed, monitored and refined to ensure optimal investment and strategic goals are achieved
• Maintains a ‘big picture’ understanding of the business change portfolio

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

• Explain the P3O model and state the key functions and services of a P3O.
• Explain which P3O model is most appropriate to your organisation’s strategic objectives.
• Know the arguments for establishing a P30 model and measuring its success.
• Know the roles and responsibilities associated with a P3O service.
• Describe the tools and techniques used by a P3O.
• Understand and describe the relationships between strategy, portfolio, programme and project, and how these different relationships affect management issues.
• Help delegates to operate effectively with colleagues and managers in a structured environment.

Course Outline

Introduction and Overview

A high level introduction to the terminology used in the course and sets P3O's into an organisational context

• Definitions of Portfolio, Programmes, Projects and Business as Usual
• Relationships between project, programme, portfolio lifecycles
• High level P3O Model

Why have a P3O?

Examines the reason for having a P3O, and develops the business case to implement or reenergise a P3O.

• The value of a P3O
• Identifying the vision and need for a P3O
• Identifying the stakeholders for a P3O
• Developing a business case for the P3O
• P3O capability and linked benefits
• Overcoming common barriers to successful P3O implementation

P3O Models

Identifying the different ways that an organisation could implement a Portfolio, Programme or Project Office

• Different P3O models
• Sizing and Tailoring an appropriate model
• Functions and services of a P3O
• Integrating to P3O in an organisation
• P3O maturity and evolution
• P3O Roles

Describing the typical roles and responsibilities within a P3O

• Management, generic, and functional roles
• Skills and competencies
• Staffing a P3O office

Operating a P3O

Describing the range of tools and techniques that can be used to support the functions and services of a successful P3O

• the differences between a tool and a technique
• 3 types of tool - Individual, Collaborative and Integrated
• Critical success factors in implementing a tool
• Benefits of various techniques including: Management dashboard, Portfolio prioritisation, Facilitated workshops, Business process swimlanes

P3O Implementation

Identifying the lifecycle to implement a new, or revitalise an existing P3O, both permanent and temporary offices

• Definition Stage and its key activities
• The Blueprint
• P3O information flows
• Risks to implementing a P3O

Examination

The P3O Foundation examination will be taken on the afternoon of day three of the course. The exam is a multiple choice exam consisting of 75 questions that must be answered in 1 hour. To be successful in this exam the delegate must correctly answer 35 or more questions. Delegates will be informed of their indicative result before they leave the course.

The P3O Practitioner examination will be taken on the afternoon of day five of the course. The exam is a multiple choice exam consisting of 80 marks (4 questions with 20 marks per question) that must be answered in 2 ½ hours. To be successful in this exam the delegate must get 40 or more marks. The exam allows the use of the 2013 version of the P3O manual. Delegates will be informed of their result by the examining body, normally within four weeks of course completion.

P3O® is a [registered] trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.

The Swirl logo™ is a trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.