Project and Programme Management courses

Introduction to Project Management

In modern times, project management has evolved into a highly detailed and refined set of principles and processes, which guide organisations to complete assignments, campaigns, and other initiatives by a specified deadline, with optimum quality and efficiency.
Project managers typically define the timeframe, budget, scope, and expected quality of a project, and set targets according to these guidelines to achieve the outcomes desired.

In June 2021 report called "Talent Gap: Ten-Year Employment Trends, Costs, and Global Implications," was released by the Project Management Institute. The report indicates an increase in the number of jobs that require project management-oriented skills. This is compounded by higher demand due to economic growth and retirement rates creating the global need for 25 million new project professionals by 2030.

This means 2.3 million project managers and changemakers will need to fill project management-oriented roles every year to keep up with the demand. This shortage of talent may pose a considerable risk to organisations as they rely on project teams to implement strategic initiatives on time and on budget.

Statistics show that lacking clear goals is the most common cause of project failures in business, underscoring the vital need for project management skills. Solid project management skills ultimately help both organisations and individuals to achieve their goals with the highest success rate possible.

Project Management training for the real world

Gaining project management skills and certifications can help you expand your career options, drive change management and enable sustainability initiatives within your organisation. 72 per cent of project management leaders say advanced training maximises skills and overall leadership ability.

But we know that you’re busy, so we’ve put together a list of key reasons that we think you might like to train with Lumify Work.

1. We have been delivering Project Management training courses since 1999, for both the IT industry and top 100 ASX corporations. Our team of course advisors and trainers are seasoned in terms of facilitating sessions and advising you on training paths.

2. Many of our courses are built around competencies from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) and are endorsed by industry bodies such as PeopleCert, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM®).

3. Our course instructors are experienced Project Managers equipped with extensive real world experience. Our experience provides context and helps you apply what you learn to different scenarios and industries. You will also be able to expand your network by meeting professionals from different sectors.

4. Our highly interactive training and workshops will give you a solid foundation in the concepts, tools and techniques of Project Management.

5. Our courses are built to support your journey to certification and you can claim industry body points upon completion.

6. With Lumify Anywhere, students can also choose to undertake these project amd program management courses at their own pace through our flexible delivery options: Traditional classroom delivery (Instructor-Led Training or ILT), Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT, Hybrid VILT delivery, Online/Self-paced learning, Seminars, Webinars and Blended learning.

What are the best project management courses?

Deciding on which project and programme management courses depends on a few factors. These include the kind of projects and programmes you work on, the methodologies your team use and the environment in which these are run. We've listed our most popular ones, although you can review more of the best project management courses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to find one that zeroes in on your specific requirements, whether it's portfolio management, change management, or facilitation.

PMP: Project Management Professional
PMP certification training is the most important industry-recognised certification for project managers. Project management training and certification for this is recognised as the gold standard in project management all over the world. The certification is very global because, as a PMP, you can work in virtually any industry with any methodology and in any location. This is designed around the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) which is a set of standard terminology and guidelines for project management.

PRINCE2 Courses & Certification
Many government agencies and organisations are well aware of the Projects in Controlled Environments. The PRINCE2 certifications are globally recognised and highly sought after by potential employers. There are two major certifications, namely PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner. They can help you to quickly improve your skills and capabilities across several key business disciplines, in turn driving strong business performance. They mainly focus on managing and delivering projects from the start (initiation) to finish (delivery).

Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Courses & Certification
This comprises a set of principles, governance themes, and a transformational flow that form a roadmap for the programme lifecycle. MSP creates a structured framework that acknowledges that every programme is unique, but at the same time must be universally applicable, delivering quality outcomes and lasting benefits. Programme management training courses under MSP are designed for Programme managers, Project managers, Project delivery managers and team members, Business change managers and team members and anyone who works following the MSP guidance.

What is the difference between PMP and PRINCE2?

The PMBOK® Guide and PRINCE2® have very different perspectives on project management but the combination of the two provides a powerful tool for organisations to achieve successful project outcomes.

PMP® is about proving your experience using the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). PMBOK takes the viewpoint of the project manager, providing everything the project manager needs to know and understand.

PRINCE2, in contrast, takes the organisational viewpoint and is intended to meet the objectives of the organisation, defining the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in the project delivery process.

The PMP certification is governed by the Project Management Institute (PMI), upon which you will need to hold a membership with PMI and comply with their pre-requisites which are found here. Once the pre-requisites have been proven you will need to self-study the PMBOK (or join the PMI study groups). Lumify Work offers an exam prep course which is designed to assist only with one component of reaching this certification. You could choose to run this before or after the self-study period, although some students prefer the assistance right from the beginning.

PRINCE2 on the other hand is an end-to-end methodology that you learn in class, then sit the certification exam when you're ready. You can sit it during the same week in most cases.

In planning, PRINCE2 takes the product breakdown approach whereas PMBOK takes a work breakdown approach. One ensures that all the necessary products are planned for and the other ensures that all the necessary work is planned for.

Both PMP and PRINCE2 are waterfall-based.

Organisations and project management professionals may well be asking themselves whether they should be using PMBOK or PRINCE2 and which approach would be best for them. Our short answer is that students are recommended to train in whichever one their organisation is using. But depending on your context, you may be asking the wrong question instead of looking at the possibilities that a synergy between the two methodologies can bring. For example, multinational organisations undergoing mergers and acquisitions can benefit from a combination of PMBOK and PRINCE2.