Project Management

Careers

Organised, methodical, good at keeping work on track, confident about meeting deadlines and happy to take on responsibility? If you recognise your own skill set here, project management (aka PM) could be the perfect match for you …

What’s involved?

Modern project management (PM) began in civil engineering, where proper management was essential simply because the costs of not having it were too high! At first, other industries did not share civil engineering’s recognition of the importance of PM, so there were a number of hugely expensive disasters because:

• people did not know what they were trying to achieve
• the business benefits of the change were not understood
• customers kept changing their minds
• change was not adequately controlled
• late technological changes were incorporated into projects at disproportionate cost

… which is why the role of the project manager is now so vitally important.

These days, the project manager is the person on the ground delivering the customer’s wishes and dealing with suppliers, although any contractual relationship is usually between customer and supplier. It is essential that top management understand exactly what a project means for the way the whole business is conducted.

Effective PM will ensure that the result of a project process is measured before it even starts – and that it covers the precise amount of change that was envisaged at the outset.

PM TO THE POWER OF THREE

To sum up PM, three factors make up every project:

1. time

2. cost

3. performance.

These are interdependent, so any changes made to one will impact on one or both of the others.

Skill up while serving

Whatever your rank or specialisation, you are very likely to have delivered projects of varying complexity, although it is vital to distinguish between planning and carrying out relatively simple routine activities and specific projects like the refit of a warship or the design of a cockpit. However, experience gained by, say, moving a unit to a new base or running an NCOs’ course would certainly be relevant.

Have you got what it takes?

PM knowledge and experience are crucial skills in many civilian jobs. With this in mind, consider enhancing your project-related skills, particularly leadership, team building and risk management. PM is an increasingly useful discipline – good project managers are in great demand, both within the Services and outside. It is also an industry that is expanding into new areas every year. The basic skills required to manage a project are:

• recognising what it is that needs to be delivered
• planning how to deliver it
• using the resources available
• organising the project from start to finish.

Get qualified!

PM is a field in which there are specific qualifications as well as general ones that include an element of PM within them. Many degrees, for example, have modules on PM and yet more test students by requiring them to carry out a project as part of the qualification. It is also possible to study a host of PM-related qualifications and short courses via distance learning, wherever you are – which is particularly beneficial under the current circumstances.

Several methodologies are used for project management. Some of the most important are listed in the accompanying box, but the most common is PRINCE2 (see below). It is not cheap, though, and you may have to cover some of the costs yourself. The Practitioner certificate is mandatory for civilian project managers employed in the MoD.

USE E-LEARNING TO EARN YOUR PRINCE2 CERTIFICATIONS

PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner qualifications both lend themselves well to online study. You will find them offered as fully accredited e-learning packages by a host of providers, allowing you to learn at home and at a pace that suits you.

You can also Google for free PRINCE2-related downloads, quizzes and case studies, as well as useful podcasts, seminars and webinars. There’s plenty of information out there – free and paid-for – to allow you to keep your learning on track.

PRINCE2

PRINCE2 certifications are awarded by Axelos (see ‘Useful info’) and require the learner to undertake a training course with an accredited training organisation followed by an exam.

PRINCE2 is a processed-based approach; each element is defined with its key inputs and outputs, together with the specific objectives to be achieved and activities to be carried out. The project is split into manageable stages, enabling efficient control of resources and regular monitoring of progress. The process is product based; plans focus on delivering results and are not simply a set of timelines by which various actions must have occurred.

The project is driven by the business case, describing the organisation’s justification, commitment and rationale for the deliverable (or outcome). This case is reviewed regularly to ensure that the business objectives (which may change) are being met. PRINCE2 enables projects to have an organised and controlled start, middle and end, with a series of processes that cover all necessary activities.

The project manager organises and controls the project team, which actually does the work. The customer pays for the project, the user will use its outcome, while suppliers (or specialists) have the expertise to carry it out.

All will be represented on the project board to ensure that the right outcome is delivered within budget, on time and to the appropriate quality. Project assurance provides an independent view of how the project is progressing.

There are two qualification levels: Foundation and Practitioner. The Foundation exam must be taken before the Practitioner exam. You can sit both exams in the same week or even on the same day, or you can split them and sit them months (or even years) apart. You do not have to take a course to sit the examinations – it’s up to you!

Foundation level will provide enough knowledge to enable you to act as an informed member of a project management team – it indicates understanding of the principles and terminology. Practitioner, though, is necessary for those who need the competence to run and manage specific projects. APMG International administers the exams, and also accredits training providers to teach PRINCE2 and conduct the exams. (APMG International also offers a number of other qualifications relevant to this sector.)

PRINCE2 Registered Practitioners must take a re-registration exam every three years, to maintain their certification.

GET CERTIFIED. VIRTUALLY. ANYWHERE … WITH APMG INTERNATIONAL

APMG International offers a wide range of project management (and other related) certifications, many of which can be studied online, as well as regular relevant webinars and other useful online resources.

Visit its homepage to find out more.

Another excellent source of advice is the Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project management profession. It publishes a Body of Knowledge that provides basic information on the competences required by a project manager. There are also training courses and education programmes for those who want to advance their knowledge in this field. It has aligned its qualifications with the standards set by the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Visit the relevant websites to find out more (see ‘Useful info’).

Short courses in PM are run regularly throughout the UK and are widely available for online study. Many British universities and institutes offer a range of PM courses and programmes. Some are specialist, while others are aimed at the general project manager.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPRENTICESHIPS
The APM offers a range of apprenticeships at different levels. There are two apprenticeship standards for England and one apprenticeship standard for Scotland that include the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ): the level 4 Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship and the level 6 Project Manager Integrated Degree Apprenticeship in England, and the Level 8 Project Management Technical Apprenticeship in Scotland. Those completing the level 6 programme also receive a BA/BSc Project Management degree. Click on the links provided to find out more. If you are based in Northern Ireland, click here for more information on apprenticeships that relate to project management. And keep an eye on this page for the latest APM apprenticeship info.

Use your ELC

Under the ELC scheme, a wide range of learning can be taken, provided it is offered by an approved provider listed on the ELCAS website and is at level 3 or above. For full details of how to make the most of your ELC, refer to the in-depth features elsewhere on the Quest website

Finding employment

One obvious employment area Service leavers is the defence industrial sector, with many projects to choose from. This has the benefit of immediate skills transferability, possibly working on familiar equipment but from a different perspective. But it’s true to say that PM skills are of great value and in high demand in every conceivable occupation.

CPD IS KEY

Continuing professional development is required to keep abreast of changes in the PM world.

The more junior ranks will tend to be employed on the basis of their technical skills and expertise, while if you have been in a managerial role in the Services, your management – and specifically PM – skills will be attractive to prospective employers. If you are thinking of working freelance, there are agencies, magazines and other intermediaries that can help you; if you want to find an employer, the job-finding process is much the same as for other kinds of employment.

To view our full list of Project Management training courses - Click here