Projects in colour

This ILX project management study pack has been designed for individuals
studying the APMs Project Managers Qualification for PRINCE2 Practitioners.
This study pack has been designed to support ILXs e-learning course and should
be used as part of your study prior to attending ILXs classroom course.

A revision guide for the

APM PMQ syllabus topics

Take the time to listen to the audio CDs, and study the revision cards, we are
sure youll find them a useful addition to your pre course study.

The coloured zones

We have divided the APM PMQ syllabus into six different coloured zones. These
are green, blue, pink, purple, red and orange. Each zone focuses on a particular
area of the APMP syllabus. For example the green zone focuses on starting the
project - or getting going. You should begin here.

Guidance for learners - study cards

Use the colour coded study cards in

conjunction with the enclosed audio CDs. Each
card corresponds to a coloured zone. Try to
recall the key points under each section.

Guidance for learners - Audio CDs

The six coloured zones are discussed in turn on

the two CDs. Youre free to import the CDs
and copy the files to your mp3 player, or mobile
phone.

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

ILX Group plc. Princess Court, Beam Heath Way, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6GD

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Project Management

Topic: Programme Management

Topic: Portfolio Management

Key Points

Key Points

Key Points

Four generic processes applied

at each phase of the life-cycle:
- Starting or initiation process
- Defining and planning process
- Monitoring and control process
- Learning and closing process

Projects:
Timebound and unique use
project management techniques
Deliver outputs
Capital funded
Uses a range of specialist skills
Risk aware mitigate only high
priority risk
BAU:
Repetitive operations uses
process management techniques
Uses outputs to deliver outcomes
and benefits
Revenue funded
Uses (one or two) functional skills
Risk averse tend to mitigate all
risks

A group of projects with

related business benefits
Aligned to an overall strategy
Benefits integrated during the life
of the programme
May be inter-project dependencies
Delivers outcomes
Benefits of Programme Mgt:
- Focus on strategic objectives
- Focus on transition management
(making outputs into outcomes)
- Focus on benefits management
- Manage inter project dependencies,
focus resource where it is needed most
- Risk and change handled at
strategic level

Programme Manager responsibilities:

- Planning and controlling
- Managing project interfaces
- Defining governance
- Managing the budget
- Resource management
- Managing communications, risks
and issues

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600
PRINCE2 is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited.

Analysis of projects and

programmes
Prioritisation and/or selection
of projects and programmes
Continued monitoring of the portfolio
Adjustment of the portfolio with
regard to current circumstances
Portfolios managed at different levels
(organisational, programme or
functional level)

Topic: Methods and Procedures

Key Points

Constructed around the

life-cycle - Beginning, middle, end
Need to be adapted to each project
context - not a one size fits all
Guidance rather than rules
Example Contents
- Process descriptions for each phase
- Inputs and outputs of the process
- Documentation guidelines and
templates
- Procedures for:
- Business case management
- Organisation structure

- Planning
- Monitoring and control
- Risk
- Quality
- Change control
- Configuration management
- Issue management
Benefits
- Consistency of approach
- Improved governance
- Creates environment for continuous
improvement
- Common understanding and language
- Increased chance of projects succeeding

PRINCE2 is a method used globally

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with the

ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its contents
and try to recall the key points under each
section.

About this document...

This document is part of an ILX study pack.

It has been designed to assist your study
for the APMs project management
qualification examination. It forms part of
comprehensive portfolio of materials
designed by ILX Group to assist learners in
their exam preparation.

The Green Zone: Getting going

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Project Lifecycle
Key Points

Project Lifecycle: Concept,

Definition, Development,
Handover & Closeout
Life cycles will differ across
industries and business sectors
Structure and approach for
progressively delivering the
required outputs
Product life-cycle includes
Operations and Termination
Extended Life-cycle includes
Benefits Realisation which runs in
parallel with first part of the
Operations Phase
Benefits:
- Facilitates rolling wave planning
- Ensures next phase of work is
understood
- Better estimating (shorter durations)
- Early identification of resource
and improved resource utilisation
- Limits risk as risks in the short term
can be accurately identified and
mitigated

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

- Funds allocated in chunks

- Go/No Go decisions
- Flexible to suit different
industries/business sectors
- Early phase success reinforces
stakeholder commitment
- Lessons learned can be applied to future
phases

Topic: Project Environment

Key Points

Refers to the environment within

which a project is undertaken
Strategic goals
PESTLE
Pestle analysis can identify
stakeholders, risks, issues, constraints,
assumptions, areas of scope, key
dependencies

Topic: Project Management Plan

Key Points

What, Why, When, How,

Where, Who, How much, What if,
How good for a project
Written by Project Team
Read by the stakeholders. Owned
by the Project Manager
Approved by the Sponsor

Topic: Business Case

Key Points

Documents the justification

Cost vs Benefits
Provides basis upon which ongoing
viability can be judged

Typical content:
- Reason (the current situation)
- Business options reviewed and the
chosen option (to resolve the current
situation)
- Benefits
- Success Criteria
- Constraints
- Dependencies
- Major risks
- Issues
- Investment Appraisal
- Cost benefit analysis

Produced at the end of Concept

Updated during Definition
Reviewed for validity throughout
Development
Benefits reviewed during Operations
Phase

Owned by Sponsor
Input/Information from PM, Users,
Suppliers, Financial experts
Investment Appraisal
- Payback Period
- Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
- Net Present Value (NPV)
- Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with the

ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its contents
and try to recall the key points under each
section.

About this document...

This document is part of an ILX study pack.

It has been designed to assist your study
for the APMs project management
qualification examination. It forms part of
comprehensive portfolio of materials
designed by ILX Group to assist learners in
their exam preparation.

The Blue Zone: Background

APMP revision pack

Topic: Project Office
Key Points

Project Support Office PSO

- A set of staff responsible for supporting
many projects
Project and Programme Support
Office PPSO
- Includes provision of support to
programmes
Programme Management Office PMO
- Similar to PSO but at programme level
Enterprise Programme
Management Office EPMO
- Overall governance and management
of portfolios
Programme Office Functions
- Tracking and reporting
- Financial Accounting
- Risk and Issue tracking
- Analysing project interfaces
- Maintaining stakeholder comms
- Change control
Project Office
- Various levels
- May support a range of projects
- Centre of excellence for tools

Card 1 of 2
Topic: Teamwork
Key Points

Topic: Project Sponsorship

Topic: Organisational Roles

Key Points

Project Sponsor:
- Direction
- Benefits
- Effectiveness
Project Manager:
- Management
- Delivery
- Efficiency
Business leader and decision maker
Primary risk taker
Able to work across functional
boundaries
Project champion
Must have, and be prepared to
commit time
Enough experience to see that
project is managed efficiently
Maintains a continuous dialogue
with PM
Capable of addressing stakeholder
interests
Responsible for benefits
identification and realisation
Owns the business case
Provides the funding
Reports to corporate management

Key Points

Small group of people

Distinct identity
Work together in a co-ordinated and
mutually supportive way
Common purpose or goal
Team Development (Tuckman)
- Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing
- Adjourning (Mourning)
Belbin Team Roles:
- Plant
- Resource Investigator
- Co-ordinator/Chair
- Shaper
- Monitor Evaluator
- Team Worker
- Implementer
- Completer Finisher
- Specialist
Belbin General Points
- There is no best team role
- Everyone has a preferred team role
- Everyone has a secondary team role
they assume when the team requires
them to
- Everyone has a role (or roles) they
should try to avoid

Project Sponsor
Project Manager
Project Steering Committee
(chaired by Sponsor)
- User representative
- Supplier representative
- Other key stakeholders represented
Team Manager
Project Office
- Configuration Manager/Librarian
- Financial support
- Specialists in software tools
Project Assurance

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with

the ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its
contents and try to recall the key points
under each section.

continued over...

The Pink Zone: People and projects

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Organisation
Key Points

Functional
- Advantages
- Staff flexibility
- Technical expertise
- Peer learning
- Career development
- Communication
- Functional problems solving
- Disadvantages
- Remote from client
- One project many PMs
- Many points of contact
- Function superiority
- Inward looking
- No overall responsibility
- Chinese Walls
- Functional loyalty
Matrix
- Advantages
- Single point of contact
- Global resources
- Shared resources
- Consistent rules
- Tailoring to project
- Rapid response to changes

Card 1 of 2
- Disadvantages
- Resources conflict between function
and projects. Double reporting (line
and project management)
- Conflicting loyalties
- Career path: functional department
or project?
- Overloading of individuals
- Ring fencing of preferred personnel
Project
- Advantages
- PM line authority
- Strong team identity
- Goal oriented
- Project skills
- Disadvantages
- Concurrent projects
- Isolation
- Development of functional skills
- Continuity of employment
- Group think
- Expensive

Topic: Stakeholder
Management

Identify area of interest (T, C, Q)

Assess Power/Interest, +/ Plot on a grid
Decide on management actions
Prepare communications plan
Ongoing management (checking for
changes to stakeholders, feedback on
effectiveness)

Key Points

All those who have an interest or

role in the project or are impacted
by the project or can impact it
Identification (internal, external,
direct, indirect)

POTENTIAL
INFLUENCE
INVOLVE/
ENGAGE

INVOLVE/
ENGAGE

PARTNER

MEDIUM

INFORM

CONSULT

CONSULT

LOW

INFORM

INFORM

CONSULT

LOW

MEDIUM

HIGH

HIGH

POTENTIAL
INTEREST

The Pink Zone: People and projects

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Conflict
Management

Key Points

Conflict over project priorities

Conflict over administrative
procedures
Conflict over technical opinions and
performance trade-offs
Conflict over manpower resources
Conflict over cost
Conflict over schedules
Personality conflict

Extent of
attempts
to satisfy
own
concerns

Card 2 of 2

Competing

Conflict Management Process

Diagnose
Discuss
Achieve ownership
Agree
Reinforce
Remove (from the team)
Exit (from the organisation)

Collaborating
Compromising

Avoiding

Accommodating

Extent of attempts to satisfy others concerns

Topic: Communication
Key Points

Communications Media
- Visual - Oral - Body language
- Written - Electronic
Screens or Barriers to
Communication
- Perception
- Level of education
- Region of experience
- Personality and interests
- Deaf ear to unfamiliar or boring topics
- Attitudes, emotions and prejudices
- Receiver hearing what he wants to hear
- Sender and receiver having different
perceptions
- Receiver evaluates the source before
accepting the communication
- Words meaning different things to
different people
How To Improve Communication
- Obtain feedback
- Establish multiple communication
channels
- Use face to face if possible
- Find out how sensitive the receiver is
to your communication

- Communicate at the proper time

- Use simple language
- Say it in different ways
Communication Plan
- Stakeholder list and contact details
- Information required by each
stakeholder (group)
- Source of information
- Format of information
- Frequency of information
- Method of distribution

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with the

ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its contents
and try to recall the key points under each
section.

About this document...

This document is part of an ILX study pack.

It has been designed to assist your study
for the APMs project management
qualification examination. It forms part of
comprehensive portfolio of materials
designed by ILX Group to assist learners in
their exam preparation.

continued over...
www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

The Pink Zone: People and projects

APM PMQ revision pack

Card 2 of 2

Topic: Leadership
Key Points

S1 - Telling style - High Task, Low Relationship,

links to M1
S2 - Selling style - High Task, High Relationship,
links to M2
S3 - Participating style - Low Task, High
Relationship, links to M3
S4 - Delegating style - Low Task, Low
Relationship, links to M4

Self actualisation
Achievement,
Leadership
Companionship, Belonging
Safety, Protection, Savings
Sleep, Food, Shelter

Important to match style to maturity of follower.

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

Change style as the situation demands.

Maturity Levels
M4 - High Competence and High
Commitment
M3 - High Competence and Variable
Commitment
M2 - Some Competence and Low
Commitment
M1 - Low Competence and Low Commitment

Herzbergs Hygiene-Motivation
Theory
Motivators (Intrinsic factors)
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Work content
- Responsibility
- Advancement
- Personal growth
Hygiene Factors (Extrinsic)
- Company policy & administration
- Supervision/management
- Working conditions
- Interpersonal relationships
- Salary & status
- Job security
- Personal life

Success
Recognition
Of Effort
Team Building
Processes, Procedures,
Safety Instructions
Site Facilities, Welfare, Offices, Infrastructure

Project Hierarchy of Needs

The Pink Zone: People and projects

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Scope Management

Topic: Estimating

Topic: Time Scheduling

Key Points

Key Points

Key Points

Product Breakdown
Structure (PBS)
Work Breakdown Structure
(WBS)
Basis of schedule
Advantages of Structures
- Helps team think about the work
- Gains agreement
- Ensures all know what they are
supposed to do
- Reduces risk of overlooking
something
- Identifies deliverables
- Makes workload allocation simpler
- Relates costs to cost centres
- Aids communication
- Provides a numbering system
- Provides basis for activity networks
- Provides basis for Earned Value
Analysis

Subjective estimating
Comparative estimating
Parametric estimating
Bottom-up (analytical) estimating
3 Point Estimating
- Lowest
- Highest
- Most Likely
- PERT
Estimating Techniques
- Activity Breakdown
- Experience
- Phase Breakdown
- Experts
- Formulae
- Statistics
- Archives

Topic: Resource Scheduling

Key Points

Network diagrams
Earliest
start
time

Duration

Earliest
finish
time

Activity number/name
Latest
start
time

Total
float

Latest
finish
time

Critical Path longest path through

the network
Total float the amount of slippage a
task/path has before the end date is
affected.
Free float the amount of time a task
can slip without affecting the start of
any subsequent task
Milestone Charts
Gantt Charts

Unlimited resources, fixed time

- Use Time-limited Scheduling
- Known as Resource Smoothing
Limited resources, flexible time
- Use Resource-limited Scheduling
- Known as Resource levelling
Resource Histogram
Cumulative S Curve basis of
Earned Value also known as
Planned Cost

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with the

ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its contents
and try to recall the key points under each
section.

About this document...

This document is part of an ILX study pack.

It has been designed to assist your study
for the APMs project management
qualification examination. It forms part of
comprehensive portfolio of materials
designed by ILX Group to assist learners in
their exam preparation.

continued over...

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

The Purple Zone: Planning

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Budgeting & Cost
Management
Key Points

Prime costs
Overheads
Profit
Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS)
- Labour
- Materials
- Plant and equipment
- Subcontract
- Management
- Overhead and administration
- Fees and taxation
- Inflation
- Other contingency
- Allocate to a Cost Centre
Commitment
- Placement of order for work, money
removed from the budget to represent
the order
Accrual
- Work done for which payment is due
but not yet made
Actual expenditure
- Monies already paid

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

Forecast out-turn costs

= Actual costs + Commitments
+ Accruals + Work not yet started
Cost Commitment Profile
- Cumulative cost v cumulative revenue

SPI/CPI greater than 1 - early or under

budget
Efficiency = CPI x100%

Topic: Earned Value

Key Points

Compares:
- Planned Costs(PC) - What I planned to do
- Actual Costs (AC)- What I paid
- Earned Value (EV) - What I achieved
Benefits of Earned Value
- How well are we doing?
- How well will we do assuming that
factors continue?
- How well could we do?
- Identify areas of under achievement
- Provides data for future estimates of
similar work
- Development of standard curves to assist
with target setting for future projects
Cost Variance (CV)
Schedule Variance (SV)
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
SPI/CPI less than 1 - late or over
budget

Formulae
CPI = EV/AC
SPI = EV/PC
CV = EV - AC
SV = EV - PC
Final Cost = BAC/CPI
Final Duration = Planned Duration/SPI
% complete = (EV/BAC) *100

The Purple Zone: Planning

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Risk Management
Key Points

Initiate
- Define project and focus risk
management process
- Establish interfaces
- Risk Register
Identify risks
Assess risks
- Assign owner
- Probability
- Impact
- Time, Cost, Quality (Benefit, Scope,
Safety)
- Risk impact window or proximity
Plan Responses
- Justify cost of action vs cost of inaction
- Consider the effect on TCQ
- What is the residual risks?
- Does the action give rise to
secondary risks?
Implement Responses
- Plan
- Resource
Monitor & control
- Is it working?
- Updates from risk owner
- Keep stakeholders up to date with
progress
Risk Identification Techniques
- Assumptions analysis
- Constraints analysis

Card 1 of 2
- Check lists
- Prompt lists
- Workshops (Brainstorming/SWOT
analysis)
- Delphi Technique
- Interviews
Probability/Impact tables
Risk Owners
Threat Actions
- Avoid (Terminate)
- Transfer
- Reduce (Treat)
- Absorb (Tolerate)
- Fallback (Treat)
Planning Strategies for Opportunities
- Exploit - Enhance - Reject
- Plan an option - Share
Benefits of Risk Management
- Improved plans - more chance of success
- Leads to better contracts
- Less chance of accepting unsound
projects
- Stakeholder confidence
- Improved team spirit
Distinguishes between good
luck/good management
Develops staff ability
Focus attention on real and
important issues
Facilitates greater risk taking
Responsible approach to customers
Fresh view of personnel issues in a
project

Topic: Requirements
Management

Topic: Configuration
Management

Key Points

Key Points

Gather in Concept
- High level view of what from
stakeholders (especially users)
Refine in Definition
- Develop and agree (acceptance criteria)
Test against in Implementation
- Assess fitness for purpose
Accept at Hand-over
- Stakeholders accept the requirements
met
Capture
- Extensive consultation, include
acceptance criteria
Analysis & prioritisation
- Value - How much benefit associated
with each requirement
- Priority - Stakeholders must agree the
order
- Time - Business time imperatives may
drive the order
- Process - The way solution is built may
effect the order of requirements
Testing
- Documented requirements still valid?

Planning
- What level and how
Identification
- Specify and identify all components
(items) of the final product
Control
- Freeze products and change only via
Change Control
Status Accounting
- Recording and reporting current and
historical data
Verification
- Review and audit actuals against
records
Close-out
- Archive or disposal
Configuration Item
Configuration Librarian

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with the

ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its contents
and try to recall the key points under each
section.

continued over...

The Red Zone: Stop and think

APM PMQ revision pack

Key Points

Success Criteria - Specific

- Time - Cost - Quality
- Met customers requirements Acceptance Criteria
- Business Case
View from different perspectives
- Customer - Supplier - Team - Others?
Success Factors
- Personal drive, motivation and leadership
- Team motivation
- Management support
- Functional support
- Client support and commitment
- Project objectives
- Financial resource
- Communication and control
- Technical expertise
Key Performance Indicators
- Measurable indicator for each success
criterion
- Used to report progress
- Chosen to reflect the success criteria
- Clear and unambiguous

Benefits
- Identify benefits
- Stated by the users and/or the sponsor
- Encapsulated in the Business Case
- Can be positive or negative
- Can be tangible or intangible
- Maintain and manage
- Through the life-cycle
- When things change
- Realise
- Usually after the project finishes
- Business as usual activity

Topic: Project Quality

Management
Key Points

4 elements:
- Quality Planning
- Quality Assurance
- Quality Control
- Continuous Improvement
Acceptance Criteria
Techniques used in
Control/Improvement

- Audits
- Ishikawa diagrams (Cause & Effect
Analysis)
- Pareto Analysis
- Sampling
- 100% testing
- Inspection
- Control Charts
Cost of Quality

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

Topic: Negotiation
Key Points

Preparation
- Understand the issue/problem
- Study relevant material
- Learn about opponents objectives
- Anticipate opponents strategies
- Define own objectives and priorities
- Define own negotiating strategy
- Allocate roles and responsibilities
Discussing
Listening
Proposing
Signalling
Conceding
Agreeing

Minimum Cost

Cost of Failure
Cost

Topic: Project Success and

Benefits Management

Card 1 of 2

Cost of Control
Low
High

Number of Mistakes
Standards

High
Low

The Red Zone: Stop and think

APM PMQ revision pack

Card 2 of 2

Topic: Health & Safety

HASAW Legislation Relevant to

Projects Construction (Design &
Key Points
Management) Regulations These
The main purposes of the Health &
regulations and the Approved Code
Safety At Work Etc. Act (1974)
of Practice apply specifically to the
- Secure the health, safety and welfare of
construction industry. They apply if
people at work
the work is greater than 30 days
- Protect others from risks arising from
duration or require more that 500
activities of people at work
person days and these projects must
- Control use and storage of dangerous
be reported to the HSE. The
substances
regulations also detail specific
- Control atmospheric emission of noxious
responsibilities for:
or offensive substances
- Client, Designer, CDM Coordinator,
The Employers General Duty of Care
Principal Contractor, Contractors
- A safe place of work
The regulations require that a Health
- Safe means of access and egress
and Safety Plan is in place and a
- Safe system of work
Health and Safety File should be kept
- Safe appliances, equipment and plant
which is handed to the client when
- Competent and safety-conscious fellow
the work is complete so that it can
employees
be referenced during the operational
- Protection from unnecessary risk of injury
life of the products, for example,
Duties of Employers
when maintenance work is being
- Publish a safety policy
undertaken.
- Provide adequate instruction and training
Risk assessment process
- Establish a safety committee if
- Step 1: Identify the hazards
union-appointed health and safety
- Step 2: Decide who might be harmed
representatives so request
and how
Duties of Employees
- Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on
- While at work, all employees have a
precaution
duty to:
- take reasonable care
- co-operate with employer

- Step 4: Record your findings and

implement them
- Step 5: Review your assessment and
update if necessary
A typical H&S plan should cover the
following topics:
Introduction
Overview of the project and its
health and safety context
Health, safety and environmental
management
- Details of how these matters will be
addressed including any industry specific
matters
Organisation
- Who will take the specific roles such as
CDM coordinator
Health and safety risk assessment
- Details of the Risk assessment
Training
- Details of how all staff and visitors will
be trained
Auditing and Reporting
- Details of how audits will be undertaken,
their frequency and details of reporting
arrangements (make specific reference
to relevant industry standards)

Topic: Procurement
Key Points

The Basic Steps

Establish user's need
Survey market place
Specify realistic requirement
Seek tenders for supply
Assess tenders and choose supplier
Accept goods into service
Support equipment during use
Decommission and dispose
Acquisition Strategies
- Off the Shelf Buys
- Key Point Specifications
- Partnering Arrangements
- PPP, PFI
Contract Types
- One comprehensive contract
- Sequential contracts
- Parallel contracts
- Sub contracts
- PPP, PFI
Payment Arrangements
- Firm price/Fixed price
- Target cost
- Maximum price
- Cost reimbursement
- Unit rates
- Mixed terms
- Milestone payments/activity schedules

The Red Zone: Stop and think

APM PMQ revision pack

Card 2 of 2

Topic: Change Control

Key Points

Topic: Issue Management

Topic: Governance of a Project

Key Points

Risk
- Something which has uncertainty
- It is not an issue
Concern/problem
- Something which the PM is capable of
dealing with
- It is not an issue
Issue
- Something forecast to exceed the
tolerances set
- Must be resolved
- Requires escalation to the next higher
level of management
The Process
- Issue raised
- PM logs in Issue Log
- PM evaluates
- PM escalates to Sponsor and/or Steering
Group for resolution
- Fundamental role of Steering Group to
resolve issues
- PM monitors at review points

Key Points

External
- Change to the project deliverables
- Client requested
Internal
- Do not affect the project deliverables
- Correction of mistakes
- Updates following testing
Identify need
for change

Raise
Request
Submit to
Change
Authority

PM
Analyses
Change
Authority
Review

Change
Authority
Decide

Communicate
Decision

Questions to Ask
Is it possible?
Is it customer requested, or self inflicted?
What is the cost? Who will pay?
How will progress be affected?
What are the risks?
What is the effect on the Business Case?
How will safety, reliability and
performance be affected?
- Will it affect work completed?
- What documentation needs to change?

Codes of corporate governance

developed principally for listed
companies
The term board refers to the
company management board not the
project board
4 main components
Sets of health check question for
each component
11 underlying principles
Components
- Portfolio direction
- Project sponsorship
- Project management effectiveness and
efficiency
- Disclosure and reporting
Principles
- Board responsible for GoPM
- Roles and responsibilities clearly defined
- Application throughout the lifecycle
- Relationship between business strategy
and portfolio
- Clear plans with decision points
- Effective delegation of decision making

- Business case validity

- Independent scrutiny planned and
implemented
- Clearly defined reporting and escalation
- Open and honest reviews and culture of
improvement
- Appropriate engagement of stakeholders

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction with the

ILX APM PMQ podcasts. Study its contents
and try to recall the key points under each
section.

About this document...

This document is part of an ILX study pack.

It has been designed to assist your study
for the APMs project management
qualification examination. It forms part of
comprehensive portfolio of materials
designed by ILX Group to assist learners
in their exam preparation.

continued over...

The Red Zone: Stop and think

APM PMQ revision pack

- Project Office
- Internal auditors
Key Points
- External auditors
Stage Review
- Used to provide objective evaluation and
(regularly throughout the project)
assessment of the management of the
- Evaluate the processes being used
project
- Establish any lessons learned and
Post Project Review
actions arising
- Part of handover, before closeout
- Identify concerns and agree
- Used to assess did we do it right?
corrective action
- Evaluate against success criteria
- Establish likely technical success
- Determine what went well, what went
of the project
badly, what could be done differently,
- Validate progress against time, cost,
separating cause from effect
quality, scope and resources
- Recognise individual and team
- Consider stakeholder relationships
performances
and perceptions
- Evaluate the project processes and any
Gate Reviews
tools or techniques used
- Undertaken at the end of phase or
Benefits Realisation Review
stage
- Undertaken some time after the products
- Determines whether project should
are in use
proceed or not
- Perhaps more than one?
- Major decision point for senior
- Have the benefits been realised?
management
- Have any unexpected benefits been
Audits
realised?
- Undertaken by group outside the team - Any problems caused by the new products?
- Responsibility of the sponsor
Circulate reports of all reviews to key
stakeholders

Topic: Project Reviews

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

Topic: Information Management

Topic: Handover and Closeout

Key Points

Key Points

Collection, Storage (analysis),

Dissemination, Archive, Destruction
Written formal or informal
Oral formal or informal
Vertical/Horizontal
Manual filing systems
Project management and design software
Project meetings
Shared access to networked databases
Hard-copy document distribution
Fax and E-Mail
Video conferencing
Exception reports
Weekly reports
Monthly reports
Project closure reports
Project Report Structure
- Schedule status - Cost status
- Quality status
- Risk status
- Issue status
Project Archiving
- A repository for historic records
- Audit Trail
- Important part of an organisations
forecasting and estimating capability
- Project managers store of experience
- Capture experience in a form usable by
others

Prepare a handover and

closeout plan as part of the PMP
Final testing against acceptance
criteria
Pass the deliverables to the sponsor
and the user and obtain acceptance
Handover to operational maintenance
and support and obtain acceptance
Prepare for benefits realisation and
review
PM Responsibilities
- Dispose of surplus materials,
infrastructure and facilities
- Finalise contracts and purchase orders
- Finalise project accounts
- Complete and archive all documentation
- Undertake a post-project review
- Operational review on the way the
project was managed
- Create and distribute lessons learned
report
- Complete performance appraisals of
project team staff as appropriate
- Recognise individual and team
performance

continued over...

The Orange Zone: Sunset

APM PMQ revision pack

Topic: Handover and Closeout

Guidance for learners

Use this study card in conjunction

with the ILX APM PMQ podcasts.
Study its contents and try to recall
the key points under each section.

About this document...

This document is part of an ILX

study pack. It has been designed to
assist your study for the APMs
project management qualification
examination. It forms part of
comprehensive portfolio of
materials designed by ILX Group
to assist learners in their exam
preparation.

Inform stakeholders
of stage entry

Release

Brief project team

Complete project
work scope
Post
Project
Review

Finalise release
preparations

Prepare for
project closure

www.ilxgroup.com
Tel: 01270 611600

Release
decision

Handover &
closure of project

END

PROJECT CLOSED

The Orange Zone: Sunset