PRINCE2 or alternative

[Derek Chevalier]

One of my team has transitioned from dev work to managing projects over the last year and would like to achieve a formal qualification. PRINCE2 seems to be the most popular, but some colleagues in PMO team have suggested there are more agile alternatives. Any views?

If he does decide to go for PRINCE2, could anyone please recommend a good training provider - these guys come up top on Google?

http://www.theknowledgeacademy.com/courses/prince2...

[acd80]

Stay well away from The Knowledge Academy. They're cheap for a reason.

I did my Prince2 Practitioner course through Quanta (www.quanta.co.uk) in Worcester and also did Agile Practitioner with them. I can't recommend them high enough in fairness.

I've done a couple of courses with QA (wwww.qa.com) as well and they were very good.

[marctwo]

acd80 said:

I've done a couple of courses with QA (wwww.qa.com) as well and they were very good.

I did mine with QA and they are pretty decent. I'm going to do an Agile course too though.

[Podie]

It depends what he / you are wanting to do with it?

Is it a case of box ticking, or improving his CV, or a reflection on the company, or something that will actually get used? Is he only doing software projects?

Happy to voice an opinion if you can clarify the above. That said, if you want P2, I've used these guys and had no issues - http://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/

[It's fixable...]

But isn't that the whole point of APMP???

It's a psychometric test of your ability to process and digest the information offered and then be able to pull it out and use it in the exam.

I agree it was the hardest thing I'd done since school - I was 37 at the time I did it, but they do warn you that you need to do the prework, switch off your mobile and fully immerse yourself in the course.

Of course PONCE2 admits in its own literature that if you run projects strictly to their process model they will fail.

It might be obvious that I favour APMP over Ponce2.

Oh and my APMP course mentor was a total bullstter as well.

[Derek Chevalier]

Podie said:

It depends what he / you are wanting to do with it?

Is it a case of box ticking, or improving his CV, or a reflection on the company, or something that will actually get used? Is he only doing software projects?

Happy to voice an opinion if you can clarify the above. That said, if you want P2, I've used these guys and had no issues - http://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/

He has been managing projects for a while, and wants to obtain formal qualification (on the understanding that a week course has limitations on what can be taught). It's probably not something that he would use in his current role - we are more agile (typically software projects with frequent iterations).

[davek_964]

Derek Chevalier said:

He has been managing projects for a while, and wants to obtain formal qualification (on the understanding that a week course has limitations on what can be taught). It's probably not something that he would use in his current role - we are more agile (typically software projects with frequent iterations).

Hmm. Prince2 is pretty much an essential tick box to be considered for any project management role. I would be very suspicious of an employee who "just wants the formal qualification" when it's not really needed for the role he's doing. The one thing it is needed for is applying for jobs elsewhere.

[Troubleatmill]

Pretty much all of the PM training companies use freelance trainers.

So the company you purchase the course from is pretty meaningless.

It is lucky dip.


Buy the course manual a couple of months before.
Do some reading to make sure you fully understand the concepts.

Then book the course.




Edit - Project management is just structured common sense.

[Podie]

Troubleatmill said:

Pretty much all of the PM training companies use freelance trainers.

So the company you purchase the course from is pretty meaningless.

It is lucky dip.


Buy the course manual a couple of months before.
Do some reading to make sure you fully understand the concepts.

Then book the course.




Edit - Project management is just structured common sense.

Largely I'd agree with this - just make sure the course is APM accredited.

As for the edit - yeah, but common sense is not all that common.