AFA Programme Management Update MSP Training Material

    /24-7PressRelease/ - NORFOLK, UK, December 24, 2007 - The accredited project management consultancy, AFA, have updated their MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) Programme Management training material in-line with the latest 2007 version of the MSP manual and guidance released last month by the APM Group, TSO and the Office of Government (OGC). Since its initial publication in 1999, MSP has become recognised as a global standard for programme management. However in the eight years that have elapsed since then programme management thinking has expanded and become more sophisticated bringing programme management up-to-date in an era of transformational change, tighter regulation and the emergence of portfolio management.

The main change has been to structure the guidance round three core concepts:
• MSP Principles
• MSP Governance Themes
• MSP Transformational Flow

AFA have spent considerable time and effort on this new and updated material, in the first instance being chosen as reviewers for the new updated manual, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and then a number of months updating and reviewing all of their training course material in readiness for the new exams release date in October.

"As the new MSP manual has been so extensively revised and updated, and with such significant additional content to deal with, our material required a major overhaul to bring it in line with the new standards. We have now developed a comprehensive range of courses that I believe both successfully reflect the changes and developments in, and give added value to, the best practice guidance and new examinations" said Kimberley Wiseman, AFA's head of material production.

In support of this revised guidance, the accredited qualification system has also been updated. There are still three levels of qualification but they have been renamed:

• Foundation
• Practitioner (equivalent to the previous Intermediate qualification)
• Advanced Practitioner (equivalent to the previous Practitioner qualification)

After months of production the benefits for AFA's clients are already becoming clearly evident. Stuart Flatt, AFA's training manager said "Demand and request for courses on the new manual and syllabus have exceeded expectation. We have already delivered an MSP Foundation course in Brussels, held two open MSP Practitioner courses and delivered MSP update briefings for our clients, one of whom is currently one of the largest users of Managing Successful Programmes worldwide."

About AFA

AFA delivers the following courses based on the 2007 MSP guidance:
• One-day Refresh covering the changes to the guidance
• Half-day Senior Management Briefing covering the MSP core concepts
• One-day Overview for those new to programme management or considering the introduction of MSP into their organisation
• 3-day course to Foundation level
• 4- or 5-day course to Practitioner level (including Foundation & Practitioner exams)
• 3-day conversion course from Practitioner to Advanced Practitioner level
• Additional tailored courses can be developed for delivery in a corporate setting.

For more information on MSP Programme Management, visit http://www.afaprojects.com/training_msp.asp. For details on PRINCE2 Project Management, visit http://www.afaprojects.com/training_prince2.asp.

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