The PSO
A well established company with worldwide capability
specialising in PRINCE2TM, MSPTM (programme management)
and the Management of Change.
We can also offer ITILTM and MS Project training provided by our associates
MSP / PRINCE2 courses in / near Birmingham, Redditch, Solihull, Worcester, Hereford, Cheltenham Gloucester, Swindon, London, Manchester (Wigan) Nottingham, Coventry
and Salisbury / Southampton for the South England
Brisbane, Australia; New Zealand; Faro/Portimao or Lisbon in Portugal and Warsaw Poland.
Owing to demand we are running an additional PRINCE2 Foundation course
6th to 8th August in Cheltenham
Do you have a number of colleagues who need PRINCE2 training? - We could come to you
for 6 delegates or more it is more cost effective if we do (UK mainland)
or call: (UK) 01 600 890 990
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Why a PSO Course?
All PRINCE2 courses are NOT the same!
Candidates on our last public course achieved a 100% pass at Practitioner level.
Dear Peter
Re the February 08 PRINCE2 public course at Redditch
I would just like to say what a fantastic course the above was. ******* was probably the best trainer I have ever come across and I have been a trainer in both the public and private sector. He had a very deep knowledge of the subject and lots of stories and examples that made the material easier to grasp. He prepared us very well for the exam (which I passed) and please extend my thanks and comments to him.
I attended the overview day from one of you competitors earlier in the year and was doodling by 11am!
Should I get to do the Practitioner exam in the future I will definitely be asking to attend a PSO course
Best wishes
name supplied.
Formed from Peter Weaver Associates, The Programme Support Office (The PSO) is one of the original providers of PRINCE2 training. As its name suggests The PSO offers a range of support for your projects and programmes. We offer both on-site and public training in Programme Management (MSP), the PRINCE2 method and in the APMG accredited Principles of Change Management for change agents and senior managers.
We offer public courses in London, Birmingham (Redditch), Cheltenham / Gloucester and Wigan in the UK and Brisbane, Australia and in New Zealand and Warsaw, Poland.
We would be happy to run on-site courses at your location for six or more delegates.
One of our star students!
Jill Shaw (the one on left!) - the latest PSO student to gain 100% (75 /75) in the PRINCE2 Foundation exam here receiving her prize and special commemorative certificate from Peter Weaver our M.D. and Lead Trainer
picture by Andy Gray Ashmorevisuals
delegates on a recent PSO PRINCE2 course in New Zealand
Why use The PSO...?
We had our current PRINCE2 material assessed by The APM Group here is an e-mail we received from the Senior Assessor..
"I have been overseeing the assessment of your new 2005 Edition PRINCE2 material which as usual is of a very high standard. (Name withheld) who has been doing the assessment has asked if you might be willing to let her have a copy of the material because she would like to use it as a "gold standard" against which to judge other materials" March 2006
International capability with our HQ in Ross on Wye, UK.
Southern Hemisphere Branch: Auckland, New Zealand.
Specialising in Programme and Project Management training, support and audit / Project Health-checks.
The PSO is an APM Group Accredited PRINCE2 and MSP* and Change Management Training Organisation.
Our CEO - Peter Weaver - was one of the first to pass the PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam – Certificate 00003 and is an accredited PRINCE2, MSP and Change Management Trainer
* MSP = The Office of Government Commerce Managing Successful Programmes method latest revision: the 2007 Edition
Why Bother with our training?
An October 2007 advert for a PRINCE2 and MSP (2007) Qualified Programme Manager
We are NOT a recruiting agency but we thought you would like to see just what opportunities the right set of qualifications / experience can do for you!
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An agency is seeking a contract MSP Certified Programme Manager to manage a series of projects in the areas of infrastructure, products and services for a large Government client based in the West Country (UK).
Programme Manager - Up to £1000 a day
Day to day duties will include managing up wards of 30 staff and budgets of £50 million to successfully deliver the expectations of the stakeholders within the resources allocated to the programme.
In addition to liaising with stakeholders you will be expected to manage technical staff in the on going development of information based products.
It is essential that applicants have previous experience of managing successful programmes (MSP) in addition to being PRINCE2 Practitioner Qualified.
Recent experience of managing large scale programmes within MSP 2007 is extremely desirable and will guarantee shortlist preference.
One of the services we provide is to alert our PRINCE2 and MSP Graduates to such opportunities!
For more information about this advert please contact Peter Weaver
If you need to get qualified in MSP 2007 or PRINCE2 – do contact us!
The PSO's Specialist NHS Experience
In 1990, already an experienced public sector programme manager, our Founding Director, Peter Weaver joined the NHS Oxford Region Headquarters. He was involved in transition programmes such as the regionally sponsored Senior Management Innovation Programme and the NHS-wide Resource Management Initiative Programme rolling out projects in NHS units and trusts to encourage and enable the involvement of clinicians in management, supported by information management and technology (IM&T). He was seconded to the NHS Executive Information Management Group to manage the rolling out of support tools, training and services in support of the implementation of PRINCE[1] in the NHS for IM&T projects from 1993. In 1995 when Oxford and Anglia regions combined Peter was “externalised” from the NHS and formed Peter Weaver Associates, later to be incorporated as The Programme Support Office, known as The PSO of which he is the Managing Director.
Setting up the CHI Programme Approach
As an external consultant, The PSO was called in by Peter Homa CBE to support the creation of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI). They set up and initially operated the programme approach on which the work of CHI was based; this included devising the templates for the regular reviews, inspections and special inquiries. The review “template” covered the work of a 24-week project which was applied across the 400 plus CHI reviews. After some seven months Peter Weaver handed over the management of the programme to the CHI Director of Operations once the set-up work had been completed and the director appointed.
The PSO Courses
We offer MSPTM[2] and PRINCE2TM, Change Management and Essentials of Project Management traning.
and for those interested iTIL Foundation and overviews – through our Associate iTIL training company.
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ESSENTIALS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
For those just starting out on their first project, or wish to learn some structure around project management but without the rigor of PRINCE2 we offer a one-day essentials of project management introducing delegates to some of the skills required of a project manager. This has proved extremely popular and we have run these sessions for the Institute of Healthcare Management since 1997
One day duration – no pre-course preparation. Public course available run about every 4-5 months at Redditch.
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PRINCE2TM
We offer public and in-house courses in the OGC PRINCE2 project management method – our trainers have a thorough understanding of how it has been /is applied within the NHS and we have trained over 3,000 NHS delegates to date and have been training in this method since it was released in since 1996.
This is offered at Overview, Board Member Briefing, Foundation and Practitioner levels together with follow-up mentoring and support should it be required.
PRINCE2 Foundation level : three days contact time including the Exam at the end of Day 3
About 12 hours Pre-course preparation and evening private study during the course is strongly recommended
PRINCE2 Practitioner (from scratch) 4 days contact time with the 3 hour exam all morning of Day 5
About 16 hours pre-course preparation and evening private study recommended
PRINCE2 Top-up from Foundation (if trained on 2005 Manual) – One day of contact time and the exam on the following (Friday) morning
About 20 hours pre-course preparation (or an additional day’s contact time and 12 hours preparation) and private evening work
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MSPTM[2]
As to the MSP (Programme Management ) Method - the next level up from PRINCE2 mandated for those managing programmes in the public sector ...we offer Overview, Programme Board Briefing, Foundation, Practitioner and Advanced Practitioner courses together with an one-day “Upgrade from the previous 2003 Version to the 2007 Version.
MSP Foundation level : 3 ½ days contact time including the Exam at the end of Day 4 Morning the pass mark is 60% ( September 08)
About 16 hours Pre-course preparation and evening private study during the course is recommended
MSP Practitioner (from scratch) 4 days contact time with the 3 hour exam all morning of Day 5
About 16 hours pre-course preparation and evening private study strongly recommended
MSP Advanced Practitioner
This is not a training course – more a sharing of experiences between experienced delegates and working through a healthcare related case study (which The PSO trialled in summer 2007 for the exam authority)
For those who have already passed MSP Practitioner level AND who have reasonable experience of managing/working within large programmes we offer a two day case study workshop followed by the Advanced Practitioner 2 ½ hour written exam on the morning of the third day.
UPGRADE TO MSP 2007 FROM 2003 Edition Foundation level.
For those who have already qualified to Foundation level – but on the 2003 Edition Manual we offer a one day “familiarisation seminar” whereby they are introduced to the new and changed items in the 2007 Edition. This is offered as an in-house course.
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CHANGE MANAGEMENT
For those involved in managing change we will be running in-house Principles of Change Management courses with the option of taking the APMGroup Principles Certificate as a qualification.
This course would be tailored to the organisation/delegates needs but if they wished to sit the Change Management Principles examination it would need to comply with the appropriate syllabus
Change Management PRINCIPLES level course and examination – 3 days
Pre-reading the course text book and answering quiz questions prior to the course start is required for this course
Owing to the tailored nature of this course we do not currently offer it as a public course.
iTIL
We have an associate organisation specialising in providing accredited iTIL training to Overview and Foundation level who would be happy to quote for such training.
MSPTM[2] and PRINCE2TM Training
In 1996 Peter Weaver became one of the first PRINCE2 trainers (certificate no 00003) and in 1999 he was one of the first to pass the new MSP (Programme Management ) Practitioner exam and qualify as a trainer.
NHS Track Record
Since 1995 The PSO has supported:
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The NHS Executive Information Management Group
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The NHS Information Authority
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The National Patients Access Team
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The NHS Modernisation Agency
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The National Programme for IT,
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The Integrated Service Improvement Programme
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Connecting for Health
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National Patients Safety Agency
and is currently supporting a number of NHS organisations with tailored programmes of training and support.
Most recently, in July and August 2007 The PSO was commissioned jointly by the NHS Connecting for Health Capacity Building Team and the APM Group (the MSPTM Exam Authority)
to run two trials to train delegates in the new (then still to be released) MSP Manual, while trialling the new exams and a new health-based case study. We would be happy to supply the APM Group Trials Report, on request.
[1] PRINCE is a Registered Trade Mark of The Office of Government Commerce
[2] MSPTM and PRINCE2TM are Trade Marks of The Office of Government Commerce
Providing PRINCE2™, Programme Management and associated training and support