APMG Change Management Practitioner

This 2 day course provides delegates with the opportunity to build on their Foundation level knowledge of change management and develop their understanding of the change management in practice module.

Prior to the course delegates will receive learning material to help them prepare adequately. Delegates will be expected to bring a copy of the core textbook 'The Effective Change Manager's Handbook'.

Success in the examination enables delegates to apply for exemption from the knowledge level requirements for Foundation membership of the Change Management Institute.

The evening work is an integral part of the course and delegates should expect to spend approximately two and half hours on these activities each evening.

During this course you will learn how to:

• Establish appropriate governance structures
• Prepare for large facilitated workshops to encourage meaningful dialog with those affected by the change.
• Design change that really does become the new business as usual

In addition delegates will be provided with advice and guidance on the Practitioner examination.

Delegates must have successfully completed the Foundation level qualification (have passed the Foundation exam) and still be familiar with its content. The course will not review Foundation level material but knowledge of it will be assumed for the Practitioner examination.

Note that delegates will be expected to be fully conversant with the latest Change Management textbook and syllabus - this is especially important if they gained the Foundation qualification using the old textbook (Making Sense of Change Management).

Pre-Course Reading

Delegates are provided with access to QA's pre-course learning material that will help them prepare for the classroom sessions. The pre-course work is expected to take approximately 5 hours to complete (although delegates may wish to spend longer on this activity to help them prepare more effectively especially if it is some time since they completed their Foundation level examination).

The Change Management Practitioner course gives delegates further advice on some of the practical aspects of managing change. Classroom sessions will introduce delegates to the Practitioner level content of The Effective Change Manager's Handbook and provide an opportunity to test their understanding through use of sample examination questions. Additional evening work will be required in the form of consolidation reading and sample examination question review.

The course will cover the following syllabus areas:

Project management: change initiatives, projects and programmes

Change agents will need to decide on the delivery mechanisms for change. Delegates will consider:

• What governance structures to put in place
• How different project management methodologies might impact on the management of change

Facilitation

Change agents will frequently be helping others to 'find answers' to difficult business problems. Delegates will consider:

• Approaches to running larger workshops (The use of a World cafe or Open Space Technology)

Sustaining change

After all the hard work how can we ensure that the change 'sticks'? Delegates will consider:

• What design factors help ensure that the change is permanently embedded within the organisation

Change Management Examinations

The Practitioner examination:

• Is externally accredited by the APMG
• 2.5 hours
• Partial open book (The Effective Change Manager Handbook may be used)
• Objective text i.e. complex multiple-choice
• Examines 4 main syllabus areas which includes the Foundation level material
• Has 80 marks available and a 40/80 pass mark

Delegates will be provided with sample examination papers so they can text their understanding of the course material and prepare for the examinations.

Related Training Courses

• PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner (Project management to build capability to support change)
• Managing Successful Programmes (Planning capability delivery while integrating the change management work)