MSP® Foundation

The 'Managing Successful Programmes' framework enables you to adopt a more flexible and adaptive approach to the demands of your project or programme management. It will provide you with an adaptable route to facilitating change and help you to achieve success by bringing together the key elements of governance themes with transformational flow processes.

By taking this course you will be able to define your role within a programme team and understand how to contribute more effectively to the delivery of strategically aligned benefits. By employing this framework to correctly manage your programmes you will reduce the exposure of your company to risk while protecting your own investment into the challenges you are faced with.

• Distinguish between projects and programmes
• Identify the MSP defined types of programme and their characteristics
• Explain the benefits of applying the MSP guidance to the management of a programme of transformational change
• Describe the purpose and areas of focus of the defined roles
• Recognise the purpose of the seven MSP principles, the nine governance themes and the six transformational flow processes
• Explain the purpose of MSP programme information (documents)

This course is ideal for those experienced in project management who wish to take the next steps into managing multiple projects at the same time or a whole programme. It is also suitable for all RICS and wider construction industry professionals looking to develop their technical skills in managing programmes and achieve the MSP® Foundation level qualification.

There is a textbook for this course and the exam. To find out more about this, and to purchase it, please email contactus@ilxgroup.com .

Note: There is only one textbook for both the Foundation and Practitioner MSP® courses. Please check with ILX if you have queries about which textbook is necessary.

On completion of the e-learning course you will receive a RICS Certificate of Completion confirming that you have successfully completed the MSP® Foundation course.

The exam will be hosted by ILX, external to the RICS.

Following completion of the e-learning, please contact ILX at contactus@ilxgroup.com to arrange your exam.

Upon successful completion of all modules and the exam, you will be eligible to receive an accredited qualification from ILX and an RICS Certificate of Completion.

The format of this exam is 75 multiple choice questions. Five of these questions are trial and not counted in your final score. A minimum score of 35 correct answers out of 70 (50%) will be required to pass. The duration of the exam is 60 minutes and delegates are not permitted a text book.

This course is made up of the following 7 sections:

Part 1 – Course Introduction

• Course objectives
• What do we mean by managing successful programmes (MSP)
• MSP examination requirements

Part 2 – Introduction to Programme Management

• Changing vs Running the business
• Difference between programme & projects
• The programme environment
• Drivers for change
• Types of programme
• When to use a programme approach

Part 3 – Process & Programme Information

•  Sequence of processes in the programme lifecycle (‘transformational flow’)
• Key inputs and outputs of each process
• Purpose of each process
• Key activities associated with each process

Part 4 – Programme Organisation

• Differences between leadership and management
• Typical programme organisation structures
• Key responsibilities and attributes of the key programme roles
• Functions of a programme office

 Part 5 – Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Stakeholder management vs Engagement
• Stakeholder analysis - Interests and influence
• Stakeholder engagement strategy
• Programme communications plan

 Part 6 – Planning & Control

• Development of a programme plan and projects dossier
• Tranches vs Workstreams
• Dependency types and priorities
• Controlling projects and transition
• Resource management
• Monitoring and control strategy

Part 7 – The Business Case

• Programme mandate and the outline business case
• Business case in the transformational flow
• Elements of the business case
• Areas of focus of the key MSP roles

Benefits management

• Importance to programme management
• The benefits management cycle
• Benefits identification and categorisation
• Benefit mapping and profiling
• Benefits management strategy and realisation plan

Vision

• Vision statement development
• Characteristics of a good vision statement

Blueprint design and technology

• The POTI model
• Intermediate and final future states

Risk & Issue management

• Purpose of risk management strategy and issue
• Management strategy •Risk management cycle
• Programme and project level risk escalation
• Issue management cycle
• Configuration management
• Change control

Quality & Assurance management

• Quality versus assurance
• Scope of programme quality
• Integrated assurance principles
• Assurance management techniques

Also included is the Mock Exam Simulator which includes example MSP Foundation exam questions for you to test your knowledge.