The purpose of Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O®) is to provide universally applicable guidance, including processes and techniques, along with hints and tips, that will enable individuals and organizations to successfully establish, develop and maintain (or in some cases re-energize) appropriate support structures that will facilitate:
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) guidance is accompanied by a certification scheme.
In the ever-evolving business environment, it is vital to maintain a relatively high level of confidence in the delivery of an organization’s portfolio of programmes and projects. Organizations put at risk their investment in change initiatives if they fail to implement and maintain appropriate business support structures. Deployed properly, the various elements described in Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) act in a coherent and coordinated manner to give a source of reliable, accurate and up-to-date information as the basis for sound and transparent decision-making.
P3O is applicable regardless of individual business circumstances because it helps organizations to develop, and where necessary re-energize, business-appropriate support structures. Organizations across both the public and private sectors are under increasing pressure to better manage their projects and programmes in order to deliver the best possible value-for-money outcomes, and P3O provides the structures, processes and techniques to enable them to do so. During these uncertain economic times, the achievement of successful outcomes has become even more important than before.
By advocating the use of time proven support structures, roles and responsibilities in its processes and techniques, P30 facilitates effective portfolio, programme and project management (PPM).
P3O has been put together by practitioners working in both the public and private sectors. It ensures that the organization’s investment in change is on track and aligned with its business objectives. There will never be a one-size-fits-all solution, but by identifying the common characteristics in a diverse range of situations, P3O provides a flexibility of approach and the necessary rigour to help an organization maximise value for money from its investment.
The first edition of Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O®) guide was published in 2008 which was updated in 2013 following a review of changes proposed through the Best Management Practice change control system and a user survey supervised by AXELOS and The Stationery Office (TSO), UK.
The decision-enabling and support business model for all business change within an organization. This will include single or multiple physical or virtual structures, i.e. offices (permanent and/or temporary), providing a mix of central and localized functions and services, and integration with governance arrangements and the wider business such as other corporate support functions.
P3O model elements are as per following:
A P3O can significantly increase an organization’s chances of successfully delivering its strategy, maximizing benefits and delivering programmes and projects more cost-effectively.
It can do this in a number of ways. For example:
The Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) implementation may be run as a programme or a project, depending on the size of setup. Implementation lifecycle generally consists of following stages:
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) certification trainings are provided by PeopleCert's Accredited Training Organizations (ATOs) across the globe. Tecknologia is also a PeopleCert Accredited Training Organization (ATO) offering P3O certification trainings across the globe and in various formats.
| Certification Level | Course Duration (Virtual Classroom) | Course Duration (Classroom) | Certificate Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| P3O Foundation | 2 Days | 3 Days | 3 Years |
| P3O Practitioner | 2 Days | 2 Days | 3 Years |
| P3O Foundation & Practitioner | 4 Days | 5 Days | As above |
Click on the links for certification levels to explore the pre-requisites, exams and other details.
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) is the decision-enabling and support business model for all business change within an organization. The purpose of P3O is to provide universally applicable guidance that will enable individuals and organizations to establish, develop and maintain appropriate business support structures.
Prices vary depending on the mode of delivery, location, deliverables and the quality of training delivery. Typically Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) online training costs between £1700 and £2500.
Following are the pass marks details for Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) exams:
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) qualifications have helped tens of thousands of professionals globally enhance their skills and achieve their professional ambitions. Professionals holding P3O accreditation stand a better chance of being invited for an interview and definitely stand a better chance being offered a role afterwards.
P3O can be a very valuable addition to the list of professional qualifications and accreditations which can help achieve professional growth within organisations, without a need to switch jobs/ employers.
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) has been, in the past, and is very much relevant today for managing change across the organisations via mega programmes and projects.
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) certification is aimed at members of offices within a P3O model or anyone who needs to understand the terminology and concepts underpinning P3O and those wishing to pursue higher level certifications.
Beginners lucky to be working in any of the Portfolio, Programme or Project offices will find this certification to be very beneficial.
While P3O certification exams are hard, there is not rocket science involved and anyone with correct level of attention, training and devotion can definitely achieve success in the exams.
P3O foundation pass rate remains around 90% and P3O practitioner pass rate is around 75% globally, in first attempt. There are training organisations selling false promises of close to 100% success rate in both exams, caution is advised with such organisations.
It is absolutely possible to achieve P3O exam(s) success while relying on self study. However, high standard P3O training can accelerate the process, along with exam success probability, for sure.
Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) Foundation and Practitioner certifications are considered to be professional qualifications only. These qualifications are widely recognised and sought after globally, however, they are not the same as a college or university degree. Some quarters believe that P3O Practitioner qualification is equivalent to UK NQF 5/6 - Tecknologia has no grounds to confirm this.
There is no negative marking in Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) exams. No marks are deducted for a wrong answer.
Both P3O Foundation and Practitioner certifications have validity of 3 years from issuance date. Candidate must retake both exams within 3 years to maintain their certifications. Alternatively, candidates can log Continuous Professional Development points (CPDs) over three years, via paid PeopleCert membership, to maintain certifications.