The APM PMQ and PRINCE2 7 

The APM PMQ and PRINCE2 7

What is the APMP?

Many PRINCE2 Practitioners have never even heard of the term “APMP”.

For example, a training company that I know, recently sent out a mailshot for their APMP course to people who had recently passed the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam. Of those who responded, the most frequently asked question was “What is the APMP?”

So this is probably the first and most fundamental question that needs to be addressed.

The APM PMQ is a qualification offered by the Association for Project Management, who describe it as follows

“APMP is a knowledge based qualification. Successful candidates are able to participate in projects from individual assignments through to large capital projects.

APMP is a qualification recognized both nationally and internationally that successful candidates can carry from one job to another or from one industry to another”

And furthermore:

“APMP is aimed at project managers and aspiring project managers who wish to demonstrate their knowledge of project management at a foundation level.

APMP covers 37 knowledge areas from the APM Body of Knowledge. Knowledge of these areas is considered fundamental to the professional management of projects”.

How does the APM Body of Knowledge compare with the PRINCE2 Manual?

Before we can compare the APM Body of Knowledge with the PRINCE2 Manual,we need to understand what each ofthem consists of. First of all I will provide

a description of the APM Body of Knowledge and will then follow this with a description of the PRINCE2 Manual.

The PRINCE2 manual has recently been refreshed and a new edition was published in 2017. The Projex Academy description of PRINCE2 is based on this new edition,and will accordingly provide anyone more familiar with the previous edition with an overview of the changes that were introduced in 2017.

What is the APM Body of knowledge?

Quoting from the publication, “The APM Body of Knowledge is a well-established collection of project management knowledge…it provides introductions and common guides to those areas considered essential to the discipline of managing projects, and it is structured with definitions, explanations and suggested further reading material.

This information will direct and assist those interested in project management in their work, studies and learning for recognized qualifications”.Extract from the APM Body of Knowledge 5th Edition, reproduced with the permission of the Association for Project Management.

What does the APM Body of Knowledge consist of?

The knowledge referred to above, is structured into seven sections, with each section covering several separate topics.

In total there are 52 topics, as listed here:

APMP for PRINCE2™ Practitioners

In addition to the above, the Body of Knowledge also includes a Glossary of project management terms and a list of project management acronyms.

(*These topics form part of the APM PMQ syllabus – more on that to follow later).

What is PRINCE2?

Again, quoting from the manual, “PRINCE2 is a structured project management method based on experience drawn from thousands of projects – and from the contributions of countless project sponsors, project managers, project teams, academics, trainer and consultants”.

What does PRINCE2 consist of?

The PRINCE2 method is made up of four integrated elements:

PRINCE2 Principles

These are the guiding obligations and good practices which determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2. There are seven principles and unless all of them are applied, it is not a PRINCE2 project.

The seven principles are:

• Continued business justification
• Learn from experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Manage by stages
• Manage by exception
• Focus on products
• Tailor to suit the project environment.

(The 2009 edition was the first to state these principles so overtly, but there is nothing in this list that cannot be recognized from the earlier editions of PRINCE2).

PRINCE2 Practices

These describe aspects of project management that must be addressed continually and in parallel throughout the project. The seven themes explain the specific treatment required by PRINCE2 for various project management disciplines and why they are necessary.

The seven themes are:

• Business Case
• Organization
• Quality
• Plans
• Risk
• Change
• Progress.

(These used to be called “Components.”

A couple of them have unfamiliar names and Configuration Management is no longer listed. They are no longer called components, because a set of components make up the whole, but these do not make up the whole of PRINCE2, and they certainly don’t cover the whole of project management.

Most of the name changes have been made to make them single word titles (apart from Business Case that is), and Progress replaces the old Controls component.

Configuration Management is now part of the Change theme, because, as the previous editions of PRINCE2 made clear, “there must be a close liaison between configuration management and change control”).

PRINCE2 Processes

These describe the step-wise progression through the project lifecycle, from getting started to project closure. Each process provides checklists of recommended activities, products and related responsibilities.

There are seven processes which are:

• Starting up a Project•
• Directing a Project•
• Initiating a Project•
• Controlling a Stage•
• Managing Product Delivery•
• Managing a Stage Boundary•
• Closing a Project.•

(In the previous editions of PRINCE2 there were eight processes. The old Planning process is now covered by the

APM Body of Knowledge and PRINCE2 Compared

Many similarities can be found when comparing the APM Body of Knowledge with PRINCE2.

For example

• they both describe generic approaches to project management that can be applied regardless of the type of project
• This can be applied across geographical and cultural boundaries, even though they both originate within the United Kingdom

Recognize that they cannot provide a ‘one-size-fits-all’ formula to project success

Cover the topics of Business Case, Organizational Roles, Quality Management, Risk Management, Change Control, Issue Management, Configuration Management, and aspects of Planning and of Progress Control.

The key differences between the APM Body of Knowledge and PRINCE2 are:

Body of Knowledge versus Method

“Body of Knowledge” is the term used to describe the definition of the current best practice in a profession. In the case of the APM Body of Knowledge, it describes some 52 topics, which together make up the discipline of project management.

In contrast, “Method” is the term used to describe a documented approach for the management of projects, consisting of processes, procedures and defined roles and responsibilities. A method provides a consistent framework within which project management is performed.

Plans Practice

PRINCE2 also no longer has a separate section on techniques. Product-based planning is covered by the Plans theme, so everything you need to know about plans and planning is in the one chapter.

Quality Review is covered by the Quality theme, so again, all quality-related topics are in the same chapter. And the Change Control technique can now be found in the Change theme, for the same reason).

PRINCE2 7 Tailoring

Or to give it its full title “Tailoring PRINCE2 to the project environment”. This chapter addresses the need to tailor PRINCE2 to the specific context of the project. PRINCE2 is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution; it is a flexible framework that can readily be tailored to any type or size of project.

(This may sound like a brand new chapter, and it is. But much of the content has been carried over from the “Scalability” and “Hints and Tips” sections that permeated much of the earlier editions of PRINCE2.

The real improvement is that these are now presented in a much more structured and accessible fashion).

In addition, PRINCE2 also has a set of Appendices that provide Product Description outlines (for what PRINCE2 calls its management products) and detailed Roles and Responsibilities (for the various roles described in the Organization theme). It also contains quite an extensive Glossary (of terms used throughout the manual).

The key point here is that PRINCE2 provides a structured framework for the successful management of projects, however, a PRINCE2 project is more likely to be successful if those responsible for the management of the project also have sound project management knowledge.

Broad Discipline-based versus Narrow Process-based

Broad discipline-based refers to the fact that the APM Body of Knowledge describes 52 project management knowledge areas and organizes these into sections within which, each topic is closely related to the others within that section.

Narrow process-based refers to the fact that the PRINCE2 method describes the application of just seven themes according to where the project is within its lifecycle, and which level of management is involved.

The key point here is that whilst PRINCE2 provides a step-wise framework within which its themes are applied, it does not describe the detailed techniques and leadership capabilities that will need to be applied during the project lifecycle for the project to be successful. Also, whereas PRINCE2 explains what needs to be done, the APM Body of Knowledge provides more guidance to how it is done.

The nature of these similarities and differences means that the APM Body of Knowledge and PRINCE2 make ideal partners. They have sufficient similarities to make them compatible, and they have sufficient differences for each to benefit from the strengths of the other.

Pass Your APM PMQ For PRINCE2 Practitioners Exam at First Try