The APM PMQ qualification (previously known as the APMP) is fast becoming one of the top qualifications for project managers (often preceded by the introductory course & exam APM PFQ), and the reason for this is that it teaches and cements in project professionals the skills and knowledge they need to ensure projects do not fail. Here are some of the most common reasons that projects can become stale or fail altogether, each of which the APM PMQ serves to tackle.
- Blowing the budget
Without a good project management structure, there is no way a budget can be defined or effectively estimated, and often poor project managers fail to build in the contingency to deal with unforeseen events. The APM PMQ qualification teaches project professionals how to deal with budgetary planning and how to allocate resources effectively to ensure this doesn’t happen.
- Disunited workforce
Everyone might be very diligent in their own little task, with their head down working hard, but without some insight into how their little piece of the puzzle fits into the overall organisational goals, there is no way they can work as a cohesive team. APM PMQ helps project managers to develop an overarching strategy, and to communicate with every project worker so they know where they fit in.
- Wrong people allocation
Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and a good APM PMQ qualified project manager will be able to assess their team’s attributes and allocate tasks on the basis of where individual’s strengths lie.
- Poor communication
A successful project needs communication in all directions, all the time. The business needs to communicate with the stakeholders, the stakeholders with the project managers, the project managers with their teams and the teams with the project managers. Poor communication leads to misunderstanding, and could end up with a project blowing up entirely. The APM PMQ teaches the benefit of these ‘soft skills’, and the value of instilling an environment of transparency, clear communication and open and honest feedback at all times.
- Lack of understanding of the market
A business has to be about giving people the things they need, when they need it and at the right price. When a project fails to understand its marketplace, or only checks the statistics at the start of the project instead of during, then there is a risk of the business going in at the wrong price point, to the wrong audience or some other misguided direction.
- Forgetting the numbers
Once engrossed in a project, it can be easy to be side-tracked by products, marketing and a whole host of other things which take the focus away from what is really important. At the end of the day, successful delivery of projects to the desired budget, timescales and outcomes is the key success factor, so keeping on top of those numbers is the critical assessment of whether the project is going well or not.
- Getting burned out
Having project personnel involved who feel overworked, under resourced, or in any other way ‘put upon’ is not conducive to a good working environment. The APM PMQ teaches the value of proper resource allocation, fair distribution of tasks and the soft skills necessary to ensure regular and valuable feedback on the morale of the team is gained.
