APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) Training

Module 1: Project Management and the operating environment

In this module you will learn the following:

• Define the term ‘project’
• State the differences between a project and business-as-usual
• Define the term ‘project management’
• State the key purpose of project management
• Define the terms ‘programme management’ and ‘portfolio management’ and their relationship with project management
• Describe why PESTLE analysis might be used by a project manager

Module 2: Roles and responsibilities within projects

In this module, you will learn the following:  

• 3.1 Outline project management roles and responsibilities (including the project sponsor, project manager, project governance, project team members, end users, product owner and the project management office)

Module 3: Business case and benefits management

In this module, you will learn the following:  

• Outline the purpose and typical content of a business case
• Explain the role of a project sponsor and project manager in relation to developing a business case
• Define the term ‘benefits management’

Module 4: Project Life cycles

In this module, you will learn the following:  

• State the phases of a typical linear project life cycle
• State the phases of a typical iterative project life cycle
• Define the term ‘hybrid life cycle’
• Define the term ‘extended project life cycle’

Module 5: Stakeholders and Communication in the context of a project

In this module, you will learn the following:  

• Explain how a stakeholder analysis supports effective stakeholder engagement
• Define the term ‘communication’
• Outline the advantages of different communication methods (including face-to-face, physical and virtual)
• Outline the disadvantages of different communication methods (including face-to-face, physical and virtual)
• Outline the contents of a communication plan
• Explain the benefits, to a project manager, of a communication plan

Module 6: Quality management

In this module, you will learn the following:  

• Define the term ‘quality’
• Outline the purpose of quality management
• Define the term ‘quality planning’
• Define the term ‘quality control’
• Outline the purpose of quality assurance
• State the purpose of decision gates, post-project reviews, benefit reviews and project audits

Module 7: Risk and issue management

In this module, you will learn the following:

• Define the term ‘risk’
• Explain the purpose of risk management
• Outline the stages of a typical risk management process (including identification, analysis, response and closure)
• Describe the use of risk registers
• Define the term ‘issue’
• Outline the purpose of issue management
• Differentiate between an issue and a risk
• State the stages of an issue resolution process

Module 8: Scope Management

In this module, you will learn the following:

• Define the term ‘scope management’
• Differentiate between scope management within linear projects and scope management within iterative projects
• Describe how product breakdown structures (PBS) and work breakdown structures (WBS) are used to illustrate the required scope of work
• Outline how a project manager would use cost breakdown structures (CBS), organisational breakdown structures (OBS) and the responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)

Module 9: Change control and Configuration Management

In this module, you will learn the following:

• Define the terms ‘configuration management’ and ‘change control’ in the context of scope management
• Explain the relationship between change control and configuration management
• Outline the stages in a typical change control process
• Outline the activities in a typical configuration management process (including planning, identification, control, status accounting and verification audit)

Module 10: Scheduling and Resource management

In this module, you will learn the following:

• State typical estimating methods (including analytical, analogous, parametric)
• Outline the purpose of the estimating funnel
• State the purpose of scheduling
• State the purpose of critical path analysis
• State the purpose of milestones
• Define the term ‘timeboxing’
• Outline options for resource optimisation (including resource levelling and resource smoothing)
• Define the term ‘procurement strategy’

Module 11: Project Management Planning

In this module, you will learn the following:

• Define the term ‘deployment baseline’
• State how deployment baselines differ between linear and iterative life cycles
• Outline the stakeholders of a project management plan
• Explain why establishing success criteria is important at the start of during and at handover of a project
• Outline the purpose and benefits of project progress reporting

Module 12: Leadership

In this module, you will learn the following:

• Define the term ‘leadership’
• Explain how a project team leader can influence team performance
• Outline the challenges to a project manager when developing and leading a project team

Module 13: Team management

In this module, you will learn the following:

• Outline how a project manager can use models to assist team development (including Belbin and Tuckman)

Module 14: Exam Advice Workshop