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We receive many questions regarding our practitioner courses and the word practitioner itself. What does the word Practitioner mean? What’s the difference between Foundation and Practitioner? Do I need to do the Practitioner course?
What Does ‘Practitioner’ Mean?
The dictionary definition of a Practitioner means someone whose regular work has involved a lot of training. Many hear the word used in healthcare for example nurse or general practitioner. It is also widely used within PMO to discuss roles and courses.
Courses at Foundation level are considered to be entry-level training for those who want to learn the essential knowledge and fundamentals to their role. Whereas courses at Practitioner level, are for those who have experience in the role and can then apply what they have learned into the workplace.
Management of Portfolios (MoP®)
This year we announced we are now offering the Management of Portfolios certification suite. Similar to the P3O® courses, MoP® is very popular and offers both Foundation and Practitioner level courses for those working at a portfolio level – within a Portfolio Management Office or an Enterprise PMO (ePMO).
MoP® focuses on two key areas:
- How to choose the optimal projects and programmes to suit your organization’s strategic objectives
- How to execute them to optimize value for customers and other stakeholders.
It focuses on the change delivered by project and programme management as a whole, rather than the work of individual initiatives.
What’s the Difference Between Foundation and Practitioner Levels?
The purpose of the Foundation qualification is to confirm that a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding to work as an informed member of a Portfolio Office or in a range of portfolio management roles. Whereas the purpose of the Practitioner qualification is to confirm whether the candidate has achieved sufficient understanding of how to apply and tailor the MoP® guidance and to analyse portfolio data, documentation, and roles in relation to a scenario situation.
Do I need to do the Practitioner course?
With the AXELOS courses you have to complete the Foundation level first. You should consider the Foundation level if you’re new to portfolio management. You could already be involved in a range of formal and informal portfolio management processes and roles such as investment decision making, project and programme delivery, and benefits realization.
Once you have completed the Foundation level, it would then be beneficial to move onto the Practitioner course to be able to demonstrate an understanding of how to apply and tailor the MoP® guidance in a practical context. You will be able to advise on the implementation of appropriate practices and techniques and apply the method to a live portfolio.
We have the MoP® Foundation and Practitioner courses coming up on our training schedule, click here to see upcoming dates.
The MoP® courses on this page are offered by PMO Learning. MoP® is a [registered] trade mark of AXELOS Limited. MoP® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
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