PRINCE - PRojects IN Controlled Environments - speaks a common language that makes allowance for the continuity of a project, even if key players change during the lifespan of the project.
It offers a structured and consistent approach that is not only repeatable but teachable, and fully aligned with the de facto standard Capability Maturity Level 5.
This was the basis of a recent presentation to Foster-Melliar clients by Eddie Kilkelly, Group Operations Director for ILX Group UK.
"There is a multitude of project management methods available that are highly descriptive, but they are rarely capable of emphasising exactly how to go about the management of a project. PRINCE2 is very clear on who is responsible for every aspect of the project. It also gives a clear indication of when management should be involved and gives a clear understanding of management's objectives in terms of expected progress and budget restrictions.
"A project manager finds it easy to drive their project based on PRINCE2's highly objective and extremely adaptive nature instead of the project driving them," explains Kilkelly.
Kilkelly was in South Africa to promote the PRINCE2 Pro multimedia training package which has been added to Foster-Melliar's bouquet of training solutions for the first time in this country, based on a groundbreaking partnership agreement between Foster-Melliar and ILX Group.
Kilkelly is a project manager by trade and has been closely following the development of PRINCE2 since its inception in 1996. "PRINCE2 is no longer a standard used exclusively by the UK government, but has been embraced as a worldwide solution to effective project management through best practice principles," explains Kilkelly.
PRINCE2 provides candidates with an in-depth process model which is centralised around quality management. "It gives an indication of the life cycle of a project clearly separating the beginning, middle and end stages of the process, allowing for a clear definition of what needs to be done and the individuals who need to be in charge of each process. Throughout the process, PRINCE2 gives an in-depth guideline of the level of management involvement required.
"The course is offered in an e-learning format, effectively tailoring training around the diaries of busy project managers, allowing them to learn when and where they have the chance, by means of a multimedia format that is highly interactive. It is also extremely easy to keep track of learners' progress on the training modules by means of progress reports, allowing management to establish the benefit of the programme," explains Kilkelly.
"The PRINCE2 Foundation course is the most established e-learning course of its kind, with over 6 000 users across 16 countries. This accredited PRINCE2 Foundation interactive multimedia e-learning does not, however, replace teaching but rather enhances it by dramatically cutting down on the time spent in the classroom. Using voice-over and animation, the course delivers the classroom equivalent of a two or three-day workshop in an easy-to-use and convenient format.
The interactive aspect of the course allows for functions such as: sticky notes, corporate notes, subtitles, improved administration functionality, review bar, real-time pause and a useful learning profile function," says Ian Butow, General Manager of Business Development at Foster-Melliar.
The course consists of five lessons, which cover an introduction to the method and its basic concepts and then go through each of the processes, components and techniques which make up the method. A PRINCE2 case study is included in the package, giving learners the opportunity to study the practical issues involved in setting up and running a PRINCE2 project. For ease of use, an extensive bibliography, an FAQ database and a keyword index to the whole course is included.
The concept of PRINCE2 is more than just providing staff with training - it is about embedding project management best practice into the working culture and achieving organisational benefits through improved project governance," adds Butow.
The offering of the PRINCE2 training course is made possible through a partnership agreement between Foster-Melliar and UK-based training company ILX Group. ILX is a global leader in the provision of project management, IT service management, business financial awareness training, consultancy and desktop migration projects. The company's core philosophy of training is business-focused and innovation-led utilising proven approaches that work.
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Foster-Melliar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of black-owned Simeka BSG, is the leading local provider and pioneer of ITIL and IT service management in South Africa since 1994. Driven towards optimising IT services within organisations, Foster-Melliar offers a host of solutions to assist companies to capitalise on their IT investments. Foster-Melliar focuses on an end-to-end service management solution in the form of training and consulting services. FM Software, a division of Foster-Melliar, boasts a broad range of software products that assists organisations to manage and control their infrastructure, and in doing so, dramatically improves the efficiencies and effectiveness of their IT services while proactively managing costs.
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