The qualification is designed to meet the needs of managers responsible for programmes or projects, who wish to extend their skills and knowledge to embrace a number of project and programme management disciplines. It is expected that candidates will already be working in a Programme or Project Management environment, although the qualification is also open to people wishing to build on their general management skills.

The qualification concentrates on the development of a clear understanding of the range of disciplines which underpin successful programme and project management and their practical application. In the context of personal development, it also provides a foundation for continuing professional and personal development in programme and project management.

By completing this qualification, candidates will learn how to:

• Understand the business, social and political contexts which impact on programmes and projects
  
• Develop a focused and disciplined approach to developing and implementing plans and controls for programmes and projects
  
• Apply a range of methodologies to programmes and projects
  
• Enhance communication and use information more effectively
  
• Improve team and individual performance

Candidates wishing to take this qualifications need to have experience or qualifications in management or programme or project management. Centres are encouraged to use their discretion in accepting candidates for this qualification In addition, Centres retain the discretion to allow exemption from study and/or assessment against a qualification which they have reviewed to ensure it meets the content and learning outcomes. In these instances, authenticated copies of the qualification and the review of its content must be made available to the external verifier. However, no exemptions from assessment are allowed for unit DPM06 (which is externally assessed) and DPM12 (the integrative assessment)

A number of qualifications – including PRINCE2, APMP, PMIP, MOR, MSP and ISEB – provide partial exemption from a number of the units of this qualification. Normally, partial exemption will result in candidates being exempt from the study requirement of the unit. They will normally be required to provide evidence that the learning outcomes have been met, and will be required to produce a reflective statement confirming that their capability in that area is current.

• 15 hours – Business Context
  
• 25 hours – Principles of Programme and Project Management
  
• 15 hours – Risk Management
  
• 15 hours - Quality Management
  
• 15 hours - Change and Configuration Management
  
• 30 hours - Managing People
  
• 15 hours - Managing Contracts
  
• 20 hours - Integrative Assessment
  
• 30 hours - Project Planning
  
• 30 hours - Project Monitoring and Control
• TOTAL 210 hours

Chartered Management Institute awards are professional qualifications that demand high standards of knowledge, understanding, reasoning and judgement, coupled with clarity of expression. Our approach to assessment for all our qualifications is built on the following principles:

1. The assessment should, wherever possible, use work-based evidence drawn from the candidate’s own organisational experience
2. Approved Centres will have clearly identified how the organisational dimension to the candidate’s evidence and assessment will be incorporated into the assessment process
3. The assessment process will be sufficiently flexible to allow for the diversity of candidate organisational experience to be used, and will take into account special needs of any candidate for whom work-based evidence will be difficult to obtain
4. The assessment process will not compromise or present any risk to candidate, organisational or commercial confidentiality
5. The assessment process will recognise equal opportunity issues, will take due account of the values and ethics of management, and will focus on the application of the concepts of management in practice
6. The assessments must be valid, reliable and fair