Training and Certification on European Commission’s Project Management Methodology

As PM², the EC’s project management methodology, becomes the new standard, an increasing number of programmes either require or recommend the use of it. Therefore, an urgent demand for more trained and certified professionals has emerged.

PM² Training and Certification was first available only internally for EC staff and contractors until 2016, when European Academy launched the first course on the implementation of the methodology for coordinators of collaborative projects. And once PM² Certification Programme was available outside the Institutions, we aligned the course with the PM² Basic Certification, enabling participants to start their PM² Certification journey through a fast and effortless process.

The 2-day training and certification programme “MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF E.C. FUNDED PROJECTS; THE PM² METHODOLOGY” is organised monthly in various locations across Europe. The course is also delivered bimonthly remotely, in a synchronous online format.

Course Agenda:

Day 1
Projects and Project Management
• About EU funded projects
• Projects, Programs, Portfolios and PM Methodologies
• The project objectives and the triple constraint
• Defining project success (vs failure)
• About project stakeholders
• Project deliverables vs project management deliverables
• Outputs, outcomes and business implementation

Introduction to the PM² Methodology
• About Open PM²
• The PM² lifecycle and the EU funded project lifecycle
• The PM² activities and artefacts landscape
• Project management documentation: The PM² templates

Initiating & Planning a Project
• Initiating and Planning activities and artefacts
• The Business Case: justifying the project
• Critical Success Criteria (CSC)
• Phase kick-off meetings
• Project Stakeholder Matrix
• Project Charter: defining the project
• The Project (Management) Handbook
• Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
• Deliverables Acceptance
• Transition and Business Implementation

Day 2
Project Planning
• The Project Work Plan
– Work breakdown
– Effort and duration estimates – Schedule and Budget
• Overview of project management tools & techniques

Project Governance
• The PM² Governance Model
• Assigning Roles & Responsibilities: The RASCI model
• Stakeholders analysis and the Stakeholders Matrix
• The Communications Management Plan

Initiating & Planning a Project
• Initiating and Planning activities and artefacts
• The Business Case: justifying the project
• Critical Success Criteria (CSC)
• Phase kick-off meetings
• Project Stakeholder Matrix
• Project Charter: defining the project
• The Project (Management) Handbook
• Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
• Deliverables Acceptance
• Transition and Business Implementation

Monitoring and Controlling the Project
• Coordination and communication
• Manage project change
• Manage risks and issues
• Managing the project logs
• Using the PM² checklists
• Quality assurance and control
• Monitoring project performance
• Control schedule and costs
• Project reporting and information distribution

Closing Phase
• Project-end review meeting
• Lessons learned and post-project recommendations
• Formal project acceptance
• Administrative closure

Additional Information and Resources
The last hour of the course will be devoted to the use and analysis of exclusive templates; guidelines; tools and techniques, developed to assist participants in implementing the PM² Methodology and discuss practical issues for PM² application on EU funded projects.