Program Management Professional (PgMP) Training

This course is designed for experienced project management professionals moving up to program leadership: senior project managers, program managers, PMO directors, junior portfolio managers, and project management consultants who hold the PMP certification or have equivalent experience.

It is particularly suited to candidates who meet PMI's eligibility criteria: at least 4 years in project management and 4 to 7 years in program management depending on their initial degree.

Participants typically come from telecommunications, energy, banking, public administration, international organisations, and large infrastructure or digital transformation programs in Senegal, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Canada and the wider French-speaking world.

Eligibility requirements set by PMI

To apply for the PgMP exam, PMI requires one of the following two paths.

Path A (secondary degree): high school diploma or global equivalent, 48 months of project management experience within the last 15 years, 84 months of program management experience within the last 15 years.

Path B (four-year degree): bachelor's degree or global equivalent, 48 months of project management experience within the last 15 years, 48 months of program management experience within the last 15 years.

Prerequisites recommended by Atypix

Solid reading comprehension in English is required, as the PgMP exam is administered in English only. Holding the PMP certification beforehand is an advantage but is not mandatory. Proven experience running several interdependent projects at once is expected.

• Align a program with organisational strategy and defend its business case before an executive committee
• Design and steer a program roadmap covering projects, resources and benefits
• Manage the five phases of a program life cycle in line with PMI standards
• Build a measurable benefits realisation plan and a post-program sustainment approach
• Conduct stakeholder analysis and engagement at strategic level
• Deploy a governance framework that meets PMI and organisational requirements
• Anticipate and manage risks that cut across a program's component projects
• Write a PgMP application that meets PMI expectations and defend your experience at panel review
• Approach the PgMP exam with a structured method and in-depth knowledge of the Examination Content Outline (ECO)

Module 1. The PMI program management framework (2 hours)

Differences between project, program and portfolio. Overview of The Standard for Program Management, 5th edition. Introduction to the PgMP Examination Content Outline. Application process and panel review stages.

Module 2. Program strategy alignment (4 hours, 15% of the exam)

Initial program assessment and business case. Building the roadmap and financial framework. Defining the program mission and vision. Identifying and quantifying expected benefits. Getting the program charter approved by sponsors.

Module 3. Program life cycle management (12 hours, 44% of the exam)

Developing the program charter and WBS. Building the roadmap and responsibility matrix. Integrated management plan and PMIS. Steering component projects and managing interdependencies. Integrated change, risk and issue management. Reporting, variance analysis and corrective action. Program closure and transition to operations. Capturing and applying lessons learned.

Module 4. Benefits management (3 hours, 11% of the exam)

Benefits realisation plan and measurement criteria. Benefits register and indicator tracking. Sustainment plan beyond program closure. Transition plan to operations.

Module 5. Stakeholder engagement (4 hours, 16% of the exam)

Identifying and analysing stakeholders strategically. Engagement plan and positioning matrix. Negotiating sponsor and steering committee support. Communication tailored to each level of the hierarchy. Managing expectations and resolving strategic conflicts.

Module 6. Program governance (3 hours, 14% of the exam)

Governance framework and organisational standards. Phase gate reviews and authorisation decisions. Steering key indicators and strategic risks. Escalation policies and decision-making. Continuous alignment with strategic objectives.

Module 7. Exam strategy and mock exams (2 hours)

PgMP question types and classic traps. Time management and answering strategy. Two debriefed mock exams. Review of recurring errors and a personalised revision plan.