PM² Project Management Methodology for European Funded Projects
Synchronous Online Course & Workshop
! In 2016, when European Commission made the PM² Methodology available to its stakeholders, recognising the impact of that decision, European Academy developed a unique course on the implementation of the methodology in Horizon projects. The training programme has been designed exclusively to serve the needs of the beneficiaries of European funding and is the result of the combined work of PM² Practitioners, PM² Authors and experienced Project Coordinators.
Since then, more and more programmes either require or recommend the implementation of the methodology and we are continuously training (more than 3000 already) and recently certifying professionals from across and beyond Europe.
TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
Distant 2-day Synchronous Seminar and Preparatory Asynchronous Module
To deliver the expected learning objectives and training experience, a well-orchestrated mixture of synchronous and asynchronous learning methods will be used including lecture-type presentations, structured discussions, simulations and group work.
Finally, the extensive use of case studies will make the training as practical as possible. The workshops will be conducted both online and off-line, using carefully chosen open source collaborative tools.
In total, the training seminar is comprised of:
- Two Synchronous modules of eight hours each (16 hours in total)
- Preparatory Asynchronous Module
- 1 hour Mentoring Session for PM² Basic Certification preparation
The completion of the course entitles participants to pursue the PM² Basic Certification (see more information below). At the end of the training participants receive the proof of training and a complimentary voucher (regular cost € 150) for the PM² Basic Certification.
Strictly limited seats per course ensure a focused learning experience and a customised programme.
The course will address the needs of organisations and people involved in international collaborative funded projects. It includes all the essentials for the understanding of the EU projects environment such as the rights and obligations of EU funds beneficiaries and provides step-by-step guidance for the management of projects.
The training will equip participants with all the necessary knowledge, skills and reference sources to help them understand, tailor and effectively use the PM² Methodology for the coordination of multi-party project work, but also for the effective reporting and smooth communication with the Project Officers of the European Commission.
During this course, the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) of project management will be discussed and participants will understand how PM² addresses them. With the help of workshops and exercises, at the end of the course participants will be in a position to start implementing some of the PM² best practices which will increase the quality of their project management. After the training, participants will be in a position to more successfully coordinate collaborative projects and increase their success rates by implementing PM² in their proposals.
The completion of the course entitles participants to pursue the PM² Basic Certification (see more information below). At the end of the training, participants receive the proof of training and a complimentary voucher (normal cost € 150) for the PM² Basic Certification.
This seminar is ideal for those who work on EU funded projects and companies who are collaborating with the EC. Having in your CV the acknowledgement of attending a PM² workshop showcases your familiarity with the PM² methodology and your commitment to project management excellence.
Course’s Benefits & Outcomes:
- Get exclusive information and resources on the PM² Methodology
- Improve the success rate of your project proposals
- Improve the quality of your project planning and reporting
- Increase your organisation’s competitiveness
- Receive tangible and actionable advice on your projects
- Network and exchange experience with peers and possible partners from across EU
PM² is a Project Management Methodology custom developed by the European Commission to fit the specific needs, culture and constraints of EU Institutions. Its purpose is to facilitate the effective management of a project’s complete lifecycle, and increase the quality of the project management process and project results. It incorporates elements from a wide range of globally accepted project management best practices as well as European Commission’s operational experience from many projects. PM² is a light and easy to implement methodology suitable for any type of project.
The European Commission has published PM² with an open and free license for anyone to use for the management of their projects, with a focus on projects run within the EU Institutions or funded by EU programmes. As such, working knowledge of the PM² Methodology becomes essential for anyone participating in such projects.
#MEPcast discussion with the PM² Methodology’s Authors
Moderator:
Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, Member of the European Parliament – EU MEP
Panelists:
Athanasios (Sakis) Maraslis, PM² co-author
Nicos Kourounakis, PM² co-author, PM² Alliance Chairman
The PM² Basic Certification is designed to confirm candidates’ basic understanding of general concepts of the PM² Methodology. The certification exam tests the level of the candidates’ understanding mainly on the what and when of the PM² Methodology, and secondarily on the who and how .
The exam questions are based on the four pillars of PM² and the PM² Mindsets, focusing more on Lifecycle and Artefacts and less on Processes, Governance and Mindsets.
For candidates to achieve the certification they must be familiar with theses PM² concepts at an adequate level so that they will be able to follow the motions of a PM² project and communicate effectively with PM² team members and Project Managers.
Prerequisites: Proof of training completion by one of the PM²Alliance Affiliated Training Providers (this course).
Exam difficulty level: Easy
Success rate: the statistical success rate of this exam is 82%.
Study material: The exam questions are based 100% on European Commission’s PM² Guide v3, 2018
Exam Format
- Online proctored exam
- Multiple choice questions
- 45 questions per exam
- 45 minutes duration
- At least 35 questions need to be answered correctly to pass the exam
- One mark awarded for every correct answer
- No negative marking for wrong answers
- National Contact Points for H2020
- Project Managers
- Projects Administrators
- Account Managers
- Co-ordinators and Controllers
- Managers
- Development Managers
- Directors of Research
- Directors
- Risk Managers
- Heads of Units
- Auditors
- Grants Financial Accountants
- Directors of Financial Services
- Chief Financial Officers & Chief Internal Auditors
- Internal Auditors
- External Auditors working for the Public Administration
- Researchers & Professors
- Consultants advising Beneficiaries
- Consultants and Accountants working for the public sector
- Policy Advisors
- From:
- International and European Institutions & Organisations
- European Agencies
- European and National Associations
- Public Authorities and Inspectorates
- Public Health Services and Hospitals
- Certifying Authorities
- Executive Agencies
- Public and Private Beneficiaries of EU Funds
- Managing Authorities
- Coordinating Bodies
- National and Regional Public Authorities
- City Councils, Regional and Local Governments
- Regional Development Agencies
- National and Regional Ministries
- National and Regional Subordinate Bodies
- National and Regional Courts of Auditors
- Research & Technology Centres
- Public and Private Research Institutes
- Higher Education Institutions & Universities
- Private Companies of all Sectors
- Clusters and Innovation Centres
- Private Companies
- Associations, Foundations, Non for Profit and NGOs
- Consulting Companies
- Business Development Agencies
Participation fee for the whole training: €1390 exl. VAT
In order to support the continuous development and progression of the acquired knowledge and skills, it is essential to provide physical and tangible resources to which participants can quickly refer and recall information. Therefore, each participant prior to the beginning of the Seminar will receive a Training Pack containing the following:
1. E-learning resources
a. Pre-training skills-mapping survey, designed to give the necessary information in order to tailor the course to best suit your requirements.
b. Preparatory e-learning modules on key initial elements on the subject
c. The PM² Guide v.3
d. All the PM² PM Artefacts (templates) in editable format (word, excel, ppt)
e. Other electronic resources.
f. Post course support on potential questions relevant to the contents of the course delivered
2. Physical resources (to find them at your doorstep just before the start of the course)
a) Hard copies of training material
b) Various Templates and Resources
c) Course’s Handbook
d) Certification of training completion
e) Notepad & Pen
f) Seminar Bag
3. PM² Basic Certification Voucher
The completion of the course entitles participants to pursue the PM² Basic Certification. At the end of the the training participants receive the proof of training and a complimentary voucher (regular cost € 150) for the PM² Basic Certification.
Upcoming Courses
Training Schedule
(Synchronous online training)
(Synchronous online training)
(Synchronous online training)
Synchronous online training
Registration to the platform 08:30-09:00
Welcome and Introduction 09:00-09:30
- Roundtable welcome and introductions
Projects and Project Management 09:30-11:00
- About EU funded projects
- Projects, Programs, Portfolios and PM Methodologies
- The project objectives and the triple constraint
- Defining project success (vs failure)
- About project stakeholders
- Project deliverables vs project management deliverables
- Outputs, outcomes and business implementation
Coffee break 11:00-11:30
Introduction to the PM² Methodology 11:30-13:00
- About Open PM²
- The PM² lifecycle and the EU funded project lifecycle
- The PM² activities and artefacts landscape
- Project management documentation: The PM² templates
Lunch break 13:00-14:00
Initiating & Planning a Project 14:00-15:30
- Initiating and Planning activities and artefacts
- The Business Case: justifying the project
- Critical Success Criteria (CSC)
- Phase kick-off meetings
- Project Stakeholder Matrix
Coffee break 15:30-16:00
Initiating & Planning a project (cont.) 16:00-17:00
- Project Charter: defining the project
- The Project (Management) Handbook
- Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
- Deliverables Acceptance
- Transition and Business Implementation
Questions and Answers 17:00-17:30
End of Day 1
(Synchronous online training)
Synchronous online training
Project Planning 09:00-10:45
- The Project Work Plan (Work breakdown, Effort and duration estimates, Schedule and Budget)
- Overview of project management tools & techniques
Coffee break 10:45-11:00
Project Governance 11:00-13:00
- The PM² Governance Model
- Assigning Roles & Responsibilities: The RASCI model
- Stakeholders analysis and the Stakeholders Matrix
- The Communications Management Plan
Lunch break 13:00-14:00
Monitoring and Controlling the Project 14:00-15:30
- Coordination and communication
- Manage project change
- Manage risks and issues
- Managing the project logs
- Using the PM² checklists
- Quality assurance and control
- Monitoring project performance
- Control schedule and costs
- Project reporting and information distribution
Coffee break 15:30-16:00
Closing phase 16:00-16:30
- Project-end review meeting
- Lessons learned and post-project recommendations
- Formal project acceptance
- Administrative closure
Additional Information and Resources 16:30-17:00
The last hour of the course will be devoted to the use and analysis of exclusive templates; guidelines; tools and techniques, developed to assist participants in implementing the PM² Methodology and discuss practical issues for PM² application on EU funded projects
Course Review – Questions and Answers 17:00-17:30
End of Training
(Asynchronous)
(Asynchronous)
(Synchronous online training)
(Asynchronous)
(Synchronous online training)
(Asynchronous)
(Synchronous online training)
(Asynchronous)
(Synchronous online training)
(Asynchronous)
Skills mapping evaluation survey
The survey results will be used in order to:
- Identify the standing knowledge of the participants in Project Management and in EU Funded Projects
- Tailor the training scenario to in order to better reflect the participants needs
Total estimated effort: 10-15 minutes
(Asynchronous)
✓ 2 days prior the synchronous e-learning part, all course participants will receive the credentials to log in, in the course’s asynchronous e-learning environment. In there, they will be presented with basic knowledge around the PM² Methodology in order to be prepared for the subsequent synchronous part. Furthermore, they will receive their first work assignment (surprise).
Total estimated effort: 2-4 hours depending on the project management experience of the participants.
(Synchronous online training)
Synchronous online training
- Registration to the platform 13:30-14:00
- Projects and Project Management 14:00-14:45
- Introduction to the PM² Methodology 14:45-15:30
Lunch break 12:30-13:30
- The Project Initiating Phase Part 1 16:30-17:15
- The Project Initiating Phase Part 2 17:15-18:00
- End of 1st day: Q&A
(Asynchronous)
Course participants will self-organize, and collaboratively prepare in teams of 3-4 persons a Business Case based on the selected training scenario.
Estimated effort: 1-2 hours
– The assignment, upon completion, will be uploaded on the e-learning platform NLT 14:00 in order to rereviewed by the instructor
(Synchronous online training)
Synchronous online training
- Registration to the platform 10:45-11:00
- Presentation of team assignments 11:00-11:30
- Project Initiating Part 3 11:30-12:30
Lunch break 12:30-13:30
- Project Planning Part 1 13:30-14:15
- Project Planning Part 2 14:15-15:00
- End of 2nd day: Q&As
(Asynchronous)
Course participants will self-organize, and collaboratively prepare (using collaborative online tools) in teams of 3-4 persons the project work breakdown structure based on the selected training scenario.
Estimated effort: 1-2 hours
– The assignment, upon completion, will be uploaded on the e-learning platform NLT 14:00 in order to rereviewed by the instructor
(Synchronous online training)
Synchronous online training
- Registration to the platform 10:45-11:00
- Presentation of team assignments 11:00-11:30
- Project Planning Part 3 11:30-12:30
Lunch break 12:30-13:30
- Project Planning Part 4 13:30-14:15
- Project Planning Part 5 14:15- 15:00
(Asynchronous)
Course participants will self-organize, and collaboratively prepare (using collaborative online tools) in teams of 3-4 persons the project risk log and likelihood impact matrix
Estimated effort: 1-2 hours
– The assignment, upon completion, will be uploaded on the e-learning platform NLT 14:00 in order to rereviewed by the instructor
(Synchronous online training)
Synchronous online training
- Registration to the platform 10:45-11:00
- Presentation of team assignments 11:00-11:30
- Project Execution 11:30-12:30
Lunch break 12:30-13:30
- Project Monitoring and Controlling 13:30- 14:15
- Project Closing 14:15- 14:45
- Project wrap-up 14:45- 15:00
8-9 MAR. 2021
Online