Once you have finished reading this chapter, please log your completion on APTEM. The suggested time for this activity is 3 hours.
see attached
Once you have finished reading this chapter, please log your completion on APTEM. The suggested time for this activity is 2 hours.
This is the introduction and the list of KSBs (Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours) for Chapter 2: Project Context.
Chapter 2 will be delivered over three lectures during May, covering the following topics:
What is a project?
The differences between a project, a programme, and a portfolio
Project initiation documents
This is not mandatory but will supplement your learning.
Have you ever wondered why some organisations consistently deliver meaningful results while others struggle to turn plans into action? In this episode, we explore how Project, Programme, and Portfolio Management (the 3Ps) form the strategic master key that helps organisations “do the right things—and do them right.”
Using the PMI framework, we explain how each level of management contributes to strategic alignment, value creation, and sustainable success. You’ll discover how projects deliver outputs, programmes coordinate benefits, and portfolios ensure that every initiative supports the bigger picture.
What You’ll Learn:
The difference between projects, programmes, and portfolios—and how they interconnect.
How portfolio management ensures strategic alignment and resource optimisation.
The role of programme management in coordinating related projects to achieve benefits.
How project management ensures outputs are delivered on time, on budget, and to quality.
Practical examples of how organisations use the 3Ps to realise their strategy.
Insights from UK industries including construction, government, healthcare, and technology.
Aligned with the PMI Framework:
This episode follows PMI’s principles of value delivery, systems thinking, and strategic alignment—illustrating how the 3Ps create a seamless link between strategy and execution. It also reflects the latest guidance from The Standard for Portfolio Management and The Standard for Program Management.
Why This Matters for Apprentices and Professionals:
Understanding how the 3Ps integrate gives you the ability to:
Align your work with your organisation’s strategic priorities.
Communicate more effectively with senior stakeholders.
Manage dependencies and resources across complex environments.
Demonstrate leadership and systems thinking in project control roles.
Who truly drives organisational success—the strategists managing the portfolio, or the practitioners delivering the projects? In this thought-provoking episode, we dive into the power dynamics of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and explore whether strategic oversight should take precedence over hands-on execution.
Through real-life UK case studies from government, construction, and technology sectors, we examine how organisations balance strategy, governance, and delivery performance—and what happens when this balance tips too far in one direction.
What You’ll Learn:
The evolving relationship between portfolio strategy and project delivery.
How portfolio governance prioritises investments and allocates resources.
The risks of excessive top-down control—and the dangers of tactical isolation.
When to empower delivery teams versus when to tighten strategic alignment.
How PMOs act as mediators between strategic ambition and operational reality.
Lessons from UK public and private sector PPM maturity models.
Aligned with the PMI Framework:
This episode is guided by PMI’s Organisational Project Management (OPM) principles, showing how portfolios, programmes, and projects connect within a value delivery system. You’ll gain insight into decision governance, benefits realisation, and balanced empowerment—the core ingredients for sustained success.
Why This Matters for Apprentices and Professionals:
Understand the political and practical dynamics between strategic and delivery teams.
Learn how to advocate for balance between vision and execution.
Strengthen your ability to align project outcomes with organisational strategy.
Develop the systems thinking and leadership mindset expected in senior PMO roles.
Episode Chapters:
Strategy vs. Execution – The Ongoing PPM Power Struggle
Portfolio Oversight: Governance, Prioritisation, and Risk Appetite
Project Delivery: Ownership, Agility, and Frontline Realities
The PMO’s Mediation Role – Balancing Control and Empowerment
Case Studies from UK Government, NHS, and Infrastructure Projects
Finding Harmony – The Integrated Value Delivery System
This is not mandatory but will supplement your learning.
This is not mandatory but will supplement your learning.
This is not mandatory but will supplement your learning.
