Public Sector Project Management Training Course

Participants can frame a project mandate aligned with policy, strategy and service needs.

• Project mandate defining policy drivers, problem statement and intended outcomes
• SMART objectives linked to approved strategic and service commitments
• Theory of Change mapping activities, outputs, outcomes and assumptions
• Strategic fit assessed against portfolio priorities and statutory responsibilities
• Problem definition supported by baseline data, user needs and demand evidence
• Initial success criteria agreed before scope development and investment appraisal

Participants can prepare an evidence-based business case for public investment decisions.

• Green Book five-case model: strategic, economic, commercial, financial, management
• Options appraisal comparing do-nothing, do-minimum and preferred interventions
• Cost-benefit analysis using discounted cash flows and sensitivity testing
• Non-monetised impacts recorded through multi-criteria decision analysis
• Affordability assessment separating capital, operating, contingency and lifecycle costs
• Benefits profiles assigning owners, measures, baselines and target dates

Participants can define controlled scope and trace requirements to approved outcomes.

• Scope statement specifying deliverables, acceptance criteria, exclusions and constraints
• Work breakdown structure decomposing deliverables into manageable work packages
• Requirements traceability matrix linking needs, specifications, tests and acceptance
• MoSCoW prioritisation distinguishing must-have, should-have, could-have and won't-have requirements
• Assumptions log separating known constraints from untested planning premises
• Scope baseline approved before procurement, scheduling and cost estimation

Participants can establish governance arrangements with clear authority and escalation routes.

• PRINCE2 7 roles: executive, senior user, senior supplier and project manager
• RACI matrix assigning accountability for decisions, deliverables and controls
• Project board terms of reference defining delegated authority and quorum
• Stage gates structured around evidence, tolerances, approvals and next actions
• Delegated financial authority matched to commitments, variations and expenditure limits
• Escalation routes for exceptions, policy conflicts and unresolved delivery decisions

Participants can plan stakeholder engagement that supports informed decisions and public trust.

• Stakeholder mapping using power-interest analysis and influence assessment
• Engagement plans tailored for service users, unions, communities and oversight bodies
• Consultation records distinguishing feedback, commitments, objections and project responses
• Communications matrix setting messages, channels, owners, timing and approvals
• Equity impact considerations incorporated into stakeholder analysis and requirements
• Sensitive information managed through classification, disclosure and records protocols

Participants can build a realistic schedule with dependencies, resources and control milestones.

• Precedence diagram method sequencing activities through finish-to-start dependency logic
• Critical path method identifying schedule drivers, float and completion threats
• Milestone schedule integrating approvals, procurement events, delivery and acceptance dates
• Resource loading matching specialist capacity to planned work packages
• Three-point estimating using optimistic, most likely and pessimistic duration estimates
• Schedule baseline controlled through authorised changes and forecast completion dates

Participants can establish a cost baseline and monitor project affordability.

• Cost breakdown structure aligning estimates with work packages and accounts
• Bottom-up estimates built from quantities, rates, resource and supplier assumptions
• Contingency provisions derived from quantified risk exposure and uncertainty
• Cash flow forecast aligned with commitments, invoices, grants and appropriations
• Cost baseline separating authorised budget, management reserve and forecast outturn
• Financial reporting reconciling actual costs, commitments, accruals and variances

Participants can plan compliant sourcing activity aligned with project requirements and timescales.

• Procurement strategy selecting make-or-buy, competition and contract route decisions
• Market analysis testing supplier capacity, competition, pricing and delivery risks
• Procurement plan sequencing specifications, approvals, tendering, evaluation and award
• Statement of requirements distinguishing outputs, outcomes, standards and acceptance criteria
• Evaluation criteria weighted before tender release and applied consistently
• Conflict-of-interest declarations managed throughout sourcing, evaluation and contract award

Participants can control supplier delivery against contract obligations and project needs.

• Contract management plan defining roles, meetings, records and performance measures
• Service level indicators linked to deliverables, quality thresholds and remedies
• Supplier performance reviews using evidence, action logs and recovery plans
• Change requests assessed for scope, price, schedule and contractual authority
• Contract variations documented with approvals, rationale and revised obligations
• Dispute escalation managed through agreed notice, negotiation and resolution procedures

Participants can manage uncertainty using structured registers, responses and escalation thresholds.

• Risk register recording causes, events, impacts, owners and response actions
• Probability-impact matrix prioritising threats and opportunities for management attention
• Risk appetite statements setting tolerance limits and escalation triggers
• Issue log separating current problems from uncertain future events
• Dependency mapping identifying external decisions, suppliers, projects and approvals
• Quantitative risk analysis using expected monetary value and contingency estimates

Participants can define quality controls and evidence formal acceptance of project outputs.

• Quality management plan specifying standards, reviews, tests and acceptance evidence
• Quality criteria translated into measurable deliverable requirements and tolerances
• Inspection and test plans assigning methods, timing, responsibility and records
• Quality assurance reviews checking process adherence before deliverable acceptance
• Defect log recording nonconformities, corrective actions, owners and closure dates
• Acceptance certificates confirming authorised handover against approved criteria

Participants can assess, approve and record changes without losing baseline control.

• Change control procedure defining submission, analysis, decision and implementation stages
• Impact assessment covering scope, benefits, cost, schedule, risk and procurement
• Configuration item register identifying controlled documents, products and versions
• Change authority matched to tolerance thresholds and delegated approval limits
• Decision log documenting rationale, evidence, conditions and accountable approvers
• Baseline updates communicated through revised plans, registers and reporting packs

Participants can produce decision-focused reports using delivery, financial and benefits data.

• Project dashboard combining milestones, expenditure, risks, issues and benefit indicators
• Earned value management calculating planned value, earned value and actual cost
• Schedule performance index and cost performance index interpreted for decisions
• RAG status criteria defined consistently with thresholds, evidence and trend direction
• Exception reports presenting variance causes, options, recommendations and required decisions
• Forecasting estimate at completion from current cost performance and remaining work

Participants can manage benefits ownership and prepare services for project handover.

• Benefits realisation plan linking outputs, owners, measures, targets and review dates
• Benefits dependency network showing conditions required for outcome achievement
• Operational readiness assessment covering people, processes, systems, assets and support
• Transition plan sequencing training, data migration, communications and service handover
• Post-implementation review testing outcomes against approved benefit measures
• Disbenefits identified, owned and monitored alongside expected positive outcomes

Participants can prepare project evidence for assurance reviews, audits and formal scrutiny.

• Three lines model clarifying management, oversight and independent assurance responsibilities
• Assurance plan scheduling gateway reviews, internal audit and specialist assessments
• Audit trail linking approvals, expenditure, decisions, changes and supporting evidence
• Records retention schedule applied to contracts, reports, correspondence and registers
• Assurance review pack presenting status, controls, evidence gaps and corrective actions
• Lessons learned register capturing causes, decisions, results and reusable improvements

Participants can identify integrity risks and apply proportionate preventive project controls.

• Ethical decision framework testing legality, public interest, fairness and transparency
• Fraud risk assessment identifying incentives, opportunities, controls and warning signs
• Segregation of duties across specification, approval, payment and contract administration
• Gifts, hospitality and conflicts recorded through declared interest procedures
• Whistleblowing routes communicated without compromising confidentiality or due process
• Data protection impact assessment applied to projects handling personal information

Participants can select and govern adaptive delivery approaches within public accountability requirements.

• Agile suitability assessment considering uncertainty, user feedback, procurement and governance
• Product backlog prioritised through public value, risk, dependency and feasibility criteria
• Sprint reviews producing evidence for stakeholder decisions and incremental acceptance
• Hybrid plans combining stage gates, fixed controls and iterative product development
• Minimum viable product defined with service standards, safeguards and acceptance measures
• Agile reporting connecting burn-up data with approved milestones and budget controls

Participants can recover underperforming projects and close approved work with proper evidence.

• Recovery assessment diagnosing scope, governance, resource, supplier and funding failures
• Root cause analysis using five whys and fishbone diagrams
• Recovery plan prioritising stabilisation actions, decisions, owners and dated milestones
• Closure checklist confirming deliverable acceptance, financial closure and records transfer
• Final report comparing approved objectives, costs, schedule, benefits and lessons
• Residual risks transferred to operational owners with documented acceptance

Participants can build, review and present a complete public sector project management pack for formal approval.

• Project mandate, business case and benefits profile assembled into approval pack
• Governance structure, RACI matrix and stage-gate calendar checked for accountability
• Integrated schedule, cost baseline and procurement plan tested for feasibility
• Risk, issue, dependency and change registers reviewed against escalation thresholds
• Dashboard and exception report prepared for project board decision-making
• Formal presentation defends recommendations, evidence, controls and requested approvals