15 March 2007
Be prepared to be prepared
...Two project managers give a personal account of how they have used PRINCE2® training to achieve effect project management skills...
At the risk of teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, being prepared and forward planning might seem pretty obvious steps to take when embarking upon any kind of business project. Surprisingly - or perhaps not so surprising - a lot of us do not plan, or at least we don’t do it in a very effective way. The result is poorly executed projects which often fall short of the intended deliverable. It was to tackle just this kind of issue that measured and structured methodologies were developed.
Today, the proliferation of such methodologies - in particular PRINCE2® - is spreading through both private and public organisations as the most effective way of planning for and implementing any project, and importantly completing them successfully.
PRINCE2® is a fully featured, robust and highly flexible project management method that can be used to enable the delivery of virtually any business project in any situation. Since its launch in 1996 it has become virtually the de-facto 'best practice' standard for project management in public and private sector organisations across the UK, Europe and increasingly, the world.
Alongside the development of PRINCE2®, has been the requirement to help organisations understand how the methodology works and how to implement it effectively. The ILX Group – a world leader in project management and other business training - is one of a handful of companies that have pioneered the development of a portfolio of PRINCE2® training solutions, which add enormous value to both organisations and individuals.
Below, two project managers from leading UK businesses give personal accounts of how they have approached PRINCE2® training.
Nigel Thomas, Project Manager, Skandia UK After deciding to enhance his professional qualifications, Nigel Thomas, project manager at Skandia UK, identified PRINCE2® as the most relevant methodology for enhancing his career. Having researched the marketplace for the most cost effective training available, he applied for ILX Group’s complete interactive PRINCE2® Practitioner Gold Course as it offered a combination of interactive multimedia training, workshops and trainer led exercises. Importantly, the course also gave him full accreditation in the internationally recognised PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner levels.
Nigel Thomas, comments, “The customer service provided by the ILX Group was great from day one. From my initial enquiries about the course right the way through to the end of the three hour PRINCE2® Practitioner Exam.
The course material arrived promptly, and immediately I could see my purchase was of a high standard. I could easily follow the CD-ROM and once I completed the foundation level review and examined some of the case studies available, I was confident that I was getting the hang of the PRINCE2® methodology. By using the “mock foundation engine” on the CD, I was able to check my progress and the real life support just a phone call away gave me that extra boost.
As the exams loomed nearer, I used the mock exams to fine tune my knowledge and create a strategy for getting through the 3 hour exam! The PRINCE2® information matrix, supplied with the course was invaluable for this. Such a simple idea, but in the heat of an exam it helped me find the right information, manual page numbers and all the information needed to answer any of the exam questions.
Knowing I scored nearly 80% on the Foundation exam was great, and to be honest, I’m really quite confident that I have passed the Practitioner Exam too! I am delighted with my purchase and would recommend the ILX Group’s package as it really holds your hand through what are in parts some quite gruelling questions.”
Steve Cookson, Director, SCA-UK Having successfully completed the PRINCE1™ training course in 1989, Steve Cookson felt it was time to extend his qualifications and to undertake the PRINCE2® Practitioner level training course. After researching the most cost effective and efficient means of achieving this, Steve applied for the ILX Group’s Complete Interactive PRINCE2® Practitioner Gold Course.
Steve commented, “The package arrived promptly and allowed me to get stuck in straight away. The PRINCE2® CD-ROM was great as it was easy to use and the virtual characters provided a fun way to navigate through the course without any hic-cups.
As I progressed through the extensive multi-media course, I found that the case studies, interactive questioning and exam scenarios particularly useful in bringing my knowledge up to the level required to pass the exams.
In addition to the CD-ROM there was an additional backup trainer on hand to answer questions and the two day refresher workshop gave us the chance to ask any remaining questions and make the final preparations for the exams. The trainer knew the PRINCE2® manual inside out and was knowledgeable, approachable and practical in the sessions.
As a direct result of this package I passed both the Foundation exam and Practitioner levels with flying colours and have even applied to buy ILX Group’s MSP™ Gold Course! I would really recommend this package to anyone looking to achieve PRINCE2® Practitioner accreditation as it is an excellent course and one that is both simply and effectively delivered.”
For further information please contact (586) 203 8263 or sales@ilxgroup.com.