PMQ Learner Pack - Recommended resources

Welcome to the recommended resources supporting your PMQ Learner pack.

The materials below are designed to support your studies and provide you with the broadest possible understanding of each area of the syllabus, allowing you to delve into each area at a deeper level.

All materials below are further suggested reading to enhance your studies. Where indicated, an APM Membership and/or purchase is required to access the materials.

Navigate the competencies below to find recommended resources around each topic.

Key to resources:

🕮   APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition reference section
🡭    Link to recommended resource
🔒   Member only resources

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     1.2 (Life cycle options and choices)

🡭 Hybrid project management: is it your next challenge? [Blog]
🡭 Which life cycle approach is right for you? [Resource]

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The ability to establish and maintain governance structures that define control of deployment for delivery of change initiatives, and that align with organisational practice.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     1.3.1 (Governance principles)

🡭 The golden rules of governance [Blog]
🡭 Governance, an enabler of project success [Resource]

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The ability to balance the environmental, social, economic and administrative considerations that will impact a change initiative.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     1.3.3 (Sustainability)

🡭 Thinking beyond a project to bring sustainable value to society [Blog]
🡭 Make climate action part of your project [Blog]
🡭 Delivering sustainability in projects [Video]

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The ability to prepare, gain approval of, refine and update business cases that justify the initiation, investment and/or continuation of change initiatives in terms of benefits, costs and risks.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     1.3.7 (Business case)

🡭 Starting out in project management 3rd edition [Book available to purchase]
🡭 How to nail your business case [Blog]

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The ability to secure the provision of resources, choosing strategies for obtaining best value from supply chains.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     2.1.4 (Procurement strategy)
     4.2.1 (Contract award)

🡭 APM Guide to Contracts and Procurement [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]
🡭 Procuring for agile projects [Opinion piece]

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The ability to manage progression through the life cycle of a change initiative.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     2.2.2 (Decision gate)
     4.3.1 (Progress monitoring and reporting)

🡭 What makes a good project reviewer? [Blog]
🡭 Project Reviews, Assurance and the PMO [Blog]

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The ability to provide confidence to the governance board that a change initiative is on track to deliver the objectives and intended value.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     1.3.2 (Assurance principles)

🡭 Project Reviews, Assurance and the PMO [Blog]
🡭 What is the value of assurance? [Blog]

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The ability to manage the integration of the outputs of a change initiative into business-as-usual (BAU), ensuring that outputs enable delivery of the intended value.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     2.3.1 (Business readiness)
     2.3.2 (Transition of project outputs)

🡭 What is change management and organisational change? [Resource]
🡭 Managing effective change [Video]

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The ability to identify and agree the benefits and determine how they will be measured, monitored and managed throughout a change initiative until they are realised.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.1.1 (Success and benefits)

🡭 Benefits management life cycle [Resource]
🡭 What is benefits management? [Video]

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The ability to identify, address and resolve differences between individuals and/or interest groups.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     3.1.5 (Conflict resolution)

🡭 Managing and resolving conflicts [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 A project professional’s guide to conflict management and resolution [pdf]
🡭 Why conflict might not (always) be a bad thing for your project team [Blog]

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The ability to empower and inspire others to deliver successful change initiatives by providing vision, direction, feedback and support, so that people can do their best work.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     3.2.4 (Leadership)

🡭 Cultivate different leadership styles to create collaborative teams [Blog]
🡭 How leadership style affects team ownership [Blog]
🡭 How does emotional intelligence contribute to project management success? [Blog]

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The ability to select, develop and manage individuals to create and sustain teams.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
    3.2.3 (Team development)

🡭 Team dimensions [Blog]
🡭 How leadership style affects team ownership [Blog]
🡭 What makes a high performing team [News]
🡭 Belbin: The nine Belbin team roles [Website]

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The ability to build and maintain an inclusive environment that embraces a diverse culture.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     3.2.6 (Diversity and inclusion)

🡭 Creating an environment of inclusion [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 What is diversity and inclusion in project management? [Resource]
🡭 Mythbusting diversity and inclusion in project management [Blog]
🡭 The Value of difference: Eliminating bias in organisations (2009) Binna Kandola [Book]
🡭 The implicit bias test [Website]
🡭 UK protected characteristics [Website]

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The ability to embody, promote and maintain a trusted profession and to navigate the cultural, legal and regulatory environment.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     3.3.4 (Regulatory environment)
     3.3.5 (Ethics and standards)
     3.3.6 (Continuing professional development)

🡭 Ethics and professionalism [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 The importance of ethics in professional life [Resource]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.1.2 (Objectives and requirements)

🡭 Understanding requirements, the basis of delivering quality [Blog]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.1.3 (Options and solutions)

🡭 Developing effective approaches and solutions [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 Time for speed! 🔒 [News]
🡭 Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity (2016) Edward De Bono (Penguin Life) [Book]
🡭 The Green Book (2018) [Book]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.1.5 (Quality planning)
     4.3.8 (Quality control)

🡭 Quality management [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 What is quality management and control? [Resource]
🡭 APM Guide to Contracts and Procurement [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.2 (Integrated planning)

🡭 Introduction to project planning [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 APM Project management plan [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 What is project planning? [Resource]
🡭 Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control: The Practical Project Management of Time, Cost and Risk [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.2.5 (Scheduling - critical path)
     4.2.6 (Scheduling - critical chain)

🡭 Project controls: Scheduling [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control: The Practical Project Management of Time, Cost and Risk [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]
🡭 What is scheduling in project management? [Resource]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.2.7 (Resource optimisation)

🡭 Resource management and capacity planning [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 Resource smoothing and levelling [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 What is resource optimisation? [Resource]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.2.4 (Estimation)
     4.2.8 (Cost planning)
     4.3.1 (Progress monitoring and reporting)

🡭 Budgeting and finance management [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 Earned value management [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]
🡭 What is project cost planning and control? [Resource]
🡭 What is investment appraisal and project funding? [Resource]
🡭 Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control: The Practical Project Management of Time, Cost and Risk [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.3.3 (Risk management)
     4.2.2 (Risk identification)
     4.2.3 (Risk analysis)
     1.3.2 (Assurance principles)

🡭 Risk management and information sheet: Issue management [🔒 APM Learning information sheet]
🡭 What is risk management? [Resource]
🡭 Project risk analysis and management [Resource]
🡭 Risk appetite and risk tolerance [Resource]

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The ability to structure and organise change initiatives.

🕮 APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
     4.3.6 (Change control)

🡭 Change control: keeping your projects on track [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 Change control and change request form [🔒 APM Learning module]
🡭 What is change control? [Resource]
🡭 Planning, Scheduling, Monitoring and Control: The Practical Project Management of Time, Cost and Risk [🔒 Book download or £ purchase from bookshop]

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