Training & Development

The City & County of Swansea have invested a lot of time and money to train their staff up to the necessary standards required to undertake Programme & Project Management in a controlled and consistent manner.

They now have a pool of highly qualified people, spread across all Directorates, who are engaged in projects/programmes at all levels. 

In April 2007, a presentation was held to mark the achievements of over 50 staff (inset) where Chief Executive Paul Smith and Councillor Mary Jones personally thanked everyone for the hard work. Paul stated that he new how difficult these training courses are as he had attended the MSP course a few years back and he remembered working late each night and revising for the tough exams at the end of the course.

Jeremy Stephens, Head of Strategic Projects also thanked everyone for their hard work. He stated that the group should be very proud of their achievements. As a Council, we now have a significant working knowledge around Programme and Project Management and this is important to our successful roll-out of the Corporate Project & Programme Management methodology and its use throughout the Council in a bid to forming a centre of highly qualified and competent professionals capable of providing a 'centre of excellence."

Here are the main training courses staff have attended:

Prince2

PRINCE 2 (PRojects INControlled Environments) is a structured method for effective project management, developed by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). It was launched in 1996 in response to user requirements for improved guidance on project management on all projects. This course itself covers a wide variety of disciplines and activities required to undertake a project. It runs for 5 days which includes working in the evenings and two exams (Foundation & Practitioner).

MSP (Managing Successful Programmes)

This is a structured method for effective Programme Management developed by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). Programme Management is a framework which outlines the type of organisation, processes and governance needed. It brings related projects and activities together in order to manage their relationships and maintain a strategic view over the work.

Programme Management is the delivery of change in the form of outcomes, and thus benefits. It is a framework for implementing business strategies, policies and initiatives, or large-scale change, within an overall vision. The course runs for 5 days and involves working in the evenings and 3 exams (Foundation, Intermediate & Practitioner).

MOR (Managment of Risk)

Management of Risk is a framework, developed by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which helps organisations take informed decisions about risk in a balanced and consistent manner. It is based upon proven best practice and a broad historical body of knowledge and embodies a methodical, yet pragmatic approach to risk analysis and management. The course runs for 5 days and involves working in the evenings and 3 exams (Foundation, Intermediate & Practitioner).

ISEB Programme and Project Management Support

This 3 day course provided delegates with a good understanding of how a Programme/Project Office can provide support and guidance to various Programmes and Projects. Again the course involved working in the evenings and 1 exam (Foundation).