Training and Education Function Model | The Complete Project Management Office Handbook, Second Edition (ESI International Project Management Series)

The PMO's presence in the project management environment often makes it a common referral resource for a variety of project management matters, including training. The PMO will have or can readily develop insight as to what training is needed in the project management environment, and it should be proactive in preparing the preferred training solutions. This will enable the PMO to respond to routine inquiries about available training and to use prequalified, professional level training resources to deliver a curriculum that has been developed to meet the unique needs of the relevant organization.

The "training and education" function model makes the PMO a centralized resource for training and education within the project management environment. The concepts presented in this functional model can be applied even when there is a designated training department in the relevant organization. In such cases, the training department can review this function model as a means to examine the needs of the project management environment, in collaboration with the PMO. Alternatively, the PMO can establish a staff position of training manager, which will apply established practices and collaborate with the training department to introduce an appropriate training curriculum for the project management environment. In either case, the PMO should be able to influence the content and context of training developed and conducted for the benefit of participants within the project management environment.

The prominent activities of the PMO's "training and education" function model are depicted in Figure 10.1. Each activity is described in the following subsections.

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Figure 10.1: "Training and Education" Function Model

Establish Training Program

The development stage of the PMO and the maturity of project management capability in the relevant organization will guide how formal and comprehensive the project management training program will be. As well, the number and types of potential trainees across the relevant organization will influence the topic focus and approach to training. This activity of the "training and education" function model presents recommended steps the PMO can pursue to determine these factors and to construct a training program that will result in discernable project management efficiency and effectiveness. This, in turn, should contribute to improved business performance.

The several prescribed steps for establishing a training program in the project management environment are described in the following subsections.

Assess Training Needs

The PMO will have to develop at least a fundamental understanding of the current capabilities and competencies of individuals in the project environment in order to determine what types and levels of training are needed. An initial perspective on training needs can be accomplished through surveys, meetings, and even informal conversations with project managers and other project stakeholders. Their project management experience and insight about individual and group skills, knowledge, and competencies could be sufficient to identify some fundamental training needs. In particular, the PMO could convene a select group of managers to discuss and deliberate current performance capabilities and to identify discernable project management training needs related to individual comprehension of concepts, application of processes, use of tools, etc. The PMO then can compile the information collected to plan and present basic training solutions.

The more mature project management environment may warrant a more formal assessment and examination of training needs. The PMO can arrange for project management competency surveys and assessment instruments to be administered to project participants to establish a base-line or frame of reference against accepted industry competency standards. The results of such an assessment can be analyzed to ascertain specific training needs. The PMO, in collaboration with the appropriate executive committee or control board, can determine whether the training needs assessment will be conducted with stakeholders outside the immediate project management environment.

The PMO can examine training needs using a simple or more formal approach, depending on its established role and capabilities. In either type of training needs examination, there are several recommended points of consideration. They include the following training needs assessment elements.

Project management competency: Identify the overall and individual competency of project managers. Determine where strengths can be enhanced and weaknesses reduced through general and specific training solutions.
Leadership and managerial capability: Identify the overall and individual effectiveness of soft skills within the current project management environment. Determine where project manager experience is a factor, and identify areas and individuals where training can be used to enhance or improve individual leadership and management capability.
Technical skills and knowledge: Identify the overall and individual competency of technical staff members. Examine technical requirements, determine availability of technically skilled individuals, and determine where technical training is needed. In particular, identify where technical skills and knowledge training can be integrated with project management training.
Executive and senior manager awareness: Identify the current involvement and awareness of project management concepts and practices among executives and senior managers in the relevant organization. Determine any gaps and review the types and levels of familiarization training or orientation programs that can be conducted to achieve necessary awareness in the ranks of senior management.
Contractor participation: Identify the extent to which the relevant organization desires or will require vendor and contractor participation in project management and technical skill training. Include vendors and contractors in training needs assessments, or issue requests for them to conduct their own assessments.

These elements represent the points of examination addressed in a training needs assessment. Assessment results in each of these areas can be analyzed to determine specific types of training required within the project management environment. The PMO may want to consider having such an assessment performed by an external resource that has experience in individual and organizational project management environment assessments. This would lend the credibility of a third-party assessment and save time and cost associated with constructing a validated project management assessment tool and an accompanying process for conducting the assessment. Of course, the PMO can use this list of training need assessment elements to construct and conduct a simple, informal training needs assessment.

Define Training Requirements

The PMO will gain insight into training requirements from the results of any formal or informal training needs assessment. The PMO will want to identify any particular individuals requiring training to ensure their effectiveness as a project team member. The PMO also can pursue an effort to specify overall training requirements for the different types of participants within the project management environment.

The PMO will want to consider establishing training requirements in the following areas:

Project manager development: The training afforded project managers will rely on the competencies associated with project manager authority and responsibility levels. The PMO should consider defining training requirements for entry, standard, and advanced project manager levels. This results in specifying training courses applicable to those levels. It is presumed that project managers will bring appropriate experience to their project oversight efforts. Project managers can also be considered for selected types of technical training, particularly advanced technical or technology training.
Project manager certification: In addition to routine project manager training, the PMO may also consider training that facilitates or otherwise supports internal and external project manager certification. This consideration represents identification of special training programs that focus on helping project managers to achieve the skills, knowledge, and competency that qualify them for professional certification.
Professional development: The aspects of technical and business training should be integrated into project management training where possible. In some cases, separate training programs or courses will be needed to enable the individual to advance within a particular professional discipline or career pursuit. The PMO should address these additional training requirements relative to its authority to respond to the needs of the affected individuals and the business interests of the relevant organization.
Team member development: Project team members are too often neglected in the delivery of project management training. It is through the combination of training and on-the-job experience that project team members gained the skill and knowledge to advance to become project managers. That consideration known, the relevant organization will benefit from capable project team members who readily understand the concepts and practices of project management in which they participate. The PMO should identify training requirements for project team members, which could include some or all of the basic training courses available to project managers. The more the project team members know about the project management process, the more projects will be conducted with efficiency.
Executive familiarization: Perhaps more than project team members, executives and senior managers are discounted from consideration for project management training. It is conceded that they do not require the detail of project management competency that is used by project managers. It also is recognized that members of senior management inherently do not have available time for detailed training. However, an organization would be remiss in excluding executives and senior managers from gaining insight and understanding of modern project management concepts and practices. The PMO should identify training requirements, normally in the form of shorter one-half to one-day familiarization training or orientation programs, for executives and senior managers in the relevant organization. If possible, participation in longer training programs is recommended.
Stakeholder familiarization and training: The PMO staff, adjunct project staff, and business unit participants are key stakeholders that would benefit from training conducted in the project management environment. The PMO staff will likely require participation in both standard and advanced project management training as a means to ensure a common frame of reference for the oversight, control, and support that they will provide. They also may require specialized training associated with PMO functions, such as process development, tools selection, etc. Individuals who serve in adjunct project roles may also benefit from project management training. This includes such people as are found in the HR department, legal department, procurement department, and others that participate in project activities on less than a full-time basis. The PMO should define training requirements for such stakeholder involvement.
Vendor/contractor integration: Small vendor/contractor organizations (i.e., individual or two-person operations) can be included in training requirements defined for the project management environment. This is particularly appropriate when vendors/contractors serve in a recurring role in project efforts over time. The PMO should design and convey vendor/contractor training requirements that are consistent with the training requirements specified for its own project managers and project team members.

The PMO should compile the training requirements, by group, in a document that can be referenced when preparing the training plan for the project management environment. This requirements document can become an attachment to that training plan.

Identify Training Resources

The PMO should facilitate the introduction of resources, normally internal or external business entities, to conduct training in the project management environment. Training resources should be identified and selected per the skill and experience in project management training that they can offer, including the capability to deliver a wide range of basic and advanced courses that will satisfy the needs of the different stakeholders in the relevant organization. Training resource selection also should consider any application of course completion toward diplomas, degrees, continuing education units, and professional certification.

As well, the training resource should be able to contribute expertise and assist the PMO in planning the training program, including determining which courses will provide maximum benefits in the project management environment, identifying frequency and location of course delivery, and ensuring assignment of qualified course instructors. Similarly, the PMO will have to set up training program administration — participant registration, fund transfers for internal resources and payments to external resources, and course completion and training record management. The PMO may want to include this administrative element in the responsibilities it assigns to the training resource.

The primary purpose of this activity is to identify what resources are available and will be used to conduct training within the project management environment. There are three primary resource types to consider, as described in the following subsections.

In-House Training Resources

The PMO can examine the offerings and capabilities of any education center, training department, or corporate university currently serving the relevant organization. In larger organizations, this internal resource will likely have multiple classroom locations for training program delivery, as well as some capability for off-campus course delivery in work facilities.

The primary factor in selecting an in-house training resource is the consideration of whether or not it has sufficient range and depth of offerings in project management to serve the needs of professionals in the project management environment. Of course, a comprehensive in-house training resource will likely have the capability to develop courses to meet the needs of its patrons, but not all organizations favor this approach because of the time it takes to develop and test the several required courses, the unique expertise in modern project management required for course developers, and the general need to maintain course materials as new project management concepts and practices emerge for inclusion in updated training materials.

Nevertheless, the in-house training resource can be an important partner with the PMO in establishing some fundamental project management training courses. It also can be called upon to assist the PMO in selecting and managing any preferred external project management training resources.

External Training Resources

The PMO can examine the offerings and capability of commercial project management training resources. These external vendors normally provide training at facilities in various national and international locations, and therefore are excellent options to in-house training centers that do not have that geographical capability. External training resources also extend efforts to learn about your business interests and technical frame of reference, and thereby integrate such information in instructor awareness and delivery from the podium as a standard feature of training.

The primary factors in considering an external training organization is the range of available project management training courses, the ability to customize those training courses for use in the relevant organization, and the ease and ability for participants to translate skill and knowledge received in the classroom into immediate applications and solutions in the workplace. Most but not all external project management training resources offer a wide range of professional project management training courses to achieve the learning needs of all stakeholders in the project management environment. Some external training resources offer a few levels of customization and course development to accomplish alignment of training with current processes or specific industry or professional-discipline practices. A few external resources provide accompanying mentoring and consulting services that are consistent with the training course content to help the PMO to implement newly acquired skills and knowledge in the project management environment.

The PMO can collaborate with the internal training management department to identify and select an appropriate external project management training resource. In particular, the PMO may need to prepare or otherwise participate in developing a budget and acquiring funding to obtain such external training services. This warrants an examination of preferred external training resources to establish not necessarily the lowest cost of project management training, but the greatest return on the investment of training funds for the relevant organization.

Public Training Resources

The smaller PMO, particularly those just starting operations, may want to consider available project management training courses that are available to the public. Some of the external project management training resources referenced above also conduct such public programs. The difference in the public program is that it does not particularly focus on the current technical processes and industry practices of each course participant because they come from a variety of cross-industry organizations. However, public training is an excellent means to either start up project management training or to gain insight to the approach and capabilities used by external training resources under consideration for selection as a preferred training resource.

Prepare Training Plan

The PMO can use the results of previously presented training program activities to prepare a plan that will guide delivery of training in the project management environment. The training plan will identify what training courses are available, as may be required or optional for different participants, and include the course presentation schedule, location, and assigned instructor. As well, the training plan should include an outline or description of each course offering, the recommended audience, the applicability in the project management environment, and any personal qualification or achievement awarded as a result of participation. Each course description should identify the internal or external training resource responsible for course delivery and the means to contact them. The training plan also should include the process by which individuals can register for attending the project management course.

In particular, the PMO should examine options and develop the training plan to identify the different training program structures available to participants in the relevant organization. This includes consideration of the following standard training program categories:

Core project management courses: Identify the several essential project management courses that are recommended or required for all project managers and, possibly, for project team members. Specify any preferred presentation order for course attendance, and indicate any certificate associated with completion of the course and curriculum.
Advanced and optional project management courses: Identify the several project management courses that will be available to those individuals who have completed the core curriculum and to those who need advanced or specialized training otherwise not covered by the core curriculum. This also may include training in use of project management tools and project management methodology user training.
Technical courses: Identify the courses designed to support technical work activities associated with project efforts. This also may include any just-in-time training that satisfies business interests or provides technical qualification.
Professional development courses: The extent of PMO authority and the nature of individual assignments to the project management environment may prompt consideration for including professional development courses in the project management training plan. This inclusion may be the primary means for staff members to review and select professional development training provided by the relevant organization.
Executive courses and workshops: Identify those project management courses, workshops, seminars, and forums that are applicable to senior management involvement in and understanding of the project management environment. This category of training should include at least one course or workshop that enables executives and senior managers to gain familiarization with the modern project management concepts and practices being implemented by the PMO within the relevant organization.

The PMO can collaborate with the internal or external training resources to obtain training course descriptions and other training plan content. In some cases, it can use the training resource to lead training plan preparation activities.

Develop Training Courses

Training course development is an activity that should be performed in conjunction with the preparation of the training plan. The training plan can be finalized when all course development decisions have been made. To accomplish training course development, the PMO will likely need to work with internal or external training resources to identify requirements, collaborate training course development solutions, and review and approve customized course material. A review of each preferred course is necessary to determine if it will be presented using its current format and content, if it is to be customized to meet the specific needs of the project management environment, or if it requires a design and construction effort for it to be presented as a new course.

First, the PMO will need to consider and plan the format and content for training course delivery. This includes the activities conducted to select methods of course delivery from among the following prevalent types:

Instructor-led classroom training: This is the traditional approach to training that facilitates interaction among participants and promotes their discussion and exchange of ideas in a classroom setting. It allows various instructor-led, adult learning techniques to be used, e.g., lecture, discussion, facilitated exercises, etc. This is generally recognized as a quick method for the completion of training.
Instructor-led e-learning: This is the traditional method of classroom instruction translated for on-line use. Normally, this type of e-learning experience represents a combination of independent participant coursework combined with routine real-time availability of a qualified instructor to conduct on-line and telephone discussions as well as to respond to student inquiries and to make points of clarification through on-line (e.g., e-mail) contact.
Standard e-learning: This method represents the use of on-line training courses that take the participant through a series of learning objectives using automated procedures. This may include e-mail access to an assigned instructor.
CD-ROM-based instruction: The use of the CD-ROM approach to training represents independent performance of training steps that generally result in the achievement of learning objectives for the participant. This method allows for presentation of project management topics that participants can pursue at their own pace. It generally does not provide interaction with a qualified instructor for questions and inquiries.

Once the preferred format of instruction has been identified, the PMO can deliberate and decide on actual training course development that is needed. Not all instructional delivery formats lend themselves to customization and modification. However, most external training resources can adapt instructor-led classroom training to satisfy individual customer needs by incorporating an awareness of processes and practices in the relevant organization.

In particular, the PMO will need to examine course development options from a time and cost perspective. The following are three primary options for the PMO to consider:

As-is course format: The PMO acquires the training product more or less off-the-shelf from the internal or external training resource. It is ready for use, as is, and it can be scheduled for delivery and presented upon achieving sufficient participant registration.
Course customization: The PMO should understand that significant modification of training course materials is a process that may be as time-consuming and costly as new course development. However, minor modifications (e.g., simple content additions and deletions) may not have an excessive impact on time and cost. The PMO will have to evaluate its need for integrating current project management practices, technical concepts, and organizational policies into such training, and determine if that warrants the added cost.
New course development: The PMO is making a significant business investment in deciding upon or recommending the new-course development option. A quality three-to-five-day course will generally take months to design and develop the concepts and content. Then there is additional time required for testing, post-test revisions, and preparation of any associated handouts and job aids. The costs of such an effort are a distinct budget item.

For the most part, there are many excellent project management curricula in the marketplace today, and the PMO should consider this as a first option if training is not otherwise obtained from internal training resources. Likewise, the PMO has inherent interest in providing training for immediate application in the workplace. Only as-is and minor customization course development options provide timely solutions to pressing project management needs. Major customization and new course development should be a part of longer-term strategic plans for the relevant organization.

Manage Training Program

The PMO should be prepared to oversee any training program it establishes for the project management environment. Of course, it can obtain assistance from the internal or external training resources it engages, but it will still need to provide leadership to the effort. The several activities of training program management are described in the following subsections.

Establish Training Registration Capability

In conjunction with implementing a comprehensive project management training program, the PMO must ensure the means for individuals to identify available training courses and to register for them. Ideally, this is done on-line, through either the relevant organization's Web site or by using a link to the training resource's Web site. Once at the registration Web page, anyone in the relevant organization can schedule attendance at an upcoming training event. If a manual, off-line registration system is to be used, the PMO will have to make arrangements for its operation.

Some desired features of a training program registration capability include:

Individual access provisions: Individuals authorized to register for training should be provided with an access code for on-line registrations, and the training resource should be given an authorized list for manual registrations. This ensures that only authorized project stakeholders in the relevant organization are able to perform registration.
Individual contact information: The registration process should be able to capture adequate information about the registering individual to enable future contact and to track completed training in an individual training record.
Registration acknowledgement and reminder: The registration process should provide the individual with an acknowledgement of successful registration. Such notification should also go to the individual's supervisor and to the PMO. In some cases, course registration may be made far in advance of the scheduled course delivery date, and this warrants a follow-up reminder at some designated time, usually a few weeks before the course delivery date.
Course payment: Where appropriate, the registration process should generate billing information for an external training resource or a funds-transfer listing for an internal training resource. Such documentation may be a time-based report that is produced perhaps monthly for all who have registered in a given period, and not necessarily an individual transaction.
Training information and materials: The registration process should generate distribution of any advance information or training materials needed by the registered student. In particular, information about getting to the training location, class start and end times, and any other relevant information should be provided to the student. In some cases, the advance material will include precourse reading requirements and associated text materials. Some of these items can be combined with registration acknowledgement; others may be delayed until a specified period before the course presentation date.
Registration withdrawal: The registration system must have the capability to remove individuals from registered status in the event that they are unable to attend as scheduled. This action includes steps for supervisor and PMO notification, retraction of billing or fund transfer actions, and return of any pertinent advance materials.

The PMO should maximize the involvement and participation of the internal or external training resource in establishing the training program registration capability.

Publicize and Promote Training Program

Establishing a comprehensive project management training program is of no value to the relevant organization if participation is weak. The PMO should be proactive in its development and dissemination of project management training information that promotes attendance in preferred and optional training courses.

The following list contains a few suggestions regarding how the PMO can publicize and promote its project management training program:

Training program catalogs: The PMO should arrange for a training catalog or other similar publication to be prepared and distributed with information about the core project management curriculum along with any advanced or optional courses available to stakeholders. This publication should include information about individual benefits and certificates and any requirements for the accomplishment of training associated with professional advancement in the relevant organization.
Senior management announcements: The PMO should arrange for the most senior managers in the relevant organization to announce availability of the newly developed project management curriculum. Such announcements should demonstrate support for the training program as a business interest and request endorsement of managers at all levels in the relevant organization.
Web page listing: The PMO should arrange for information about the project management training program to appear on the internal Web site used by project stakeholders in the relevant organization. If an automated registration process is available, a link to the training program registration page should be provided to accompany the Web page listing.
Training success announcements and events: The PMO should use Web pages, internal memos, and even public press releases to announce significant training accomplishments by individuals. Achievements of completing all courses in the core project management curriculum, a promotion associated with the completion of a training event, or an "aced" course would warrant such an announcement. If there is a certificate to be earned as a result of training, a monthly or quarterly luncheon could be held to recognize such individual accomplishments.
Project manager roundtables: Any meeting or event with several project managers in attendance should be used (a) to promote the established project management training program and (b) to reiterate the request for an endorsement of the training program among project team members.

Again, the PMO should collaborate with the involved internal or external training resource to gain insight to other training program publicity and promotion methods. As well, it can elicit training resource participation and support in meeting this challenge.

Conduct Project Management Training

The PMO will be responsible for ensuring that project management training is accomplished as specified in the training plan. While the training resource will have responsibility for actual delivery of the training course, the PMO will need to monitor that delivery as well as a few other aspects of project management training, as recommended in the following list:

Monitor attendance: The PMO should review recent and registered attendance in project management training courses at recurring periods of time, perhaps monthly. This review will indicate whether expected levels of participation are being achieved. The PMO should compare current attendance numbers against projections used to justify the training course delivery schedule. The PMO can then make subsequent course delivery decisions in collaboration with the training resource based on registrations and projected attendance.
Review student evaluations: The PMO should regularly examine the course evaluations of students who have completed each course. This will enable the PMO to determine whether the training program, course by course, is attracting stakeholder interest and satisfying individual training needs and expectations. Minor adjustments can be made to course delivery fairly easily when overall course evaluation results identify a weakness, content gap, or other undesirable pattern in the training approach.
Maintain participant training records: The PMO can take responsibility for managing the training records of individuals working within the project management environment. In being copied upon registrations, and likewise upon course completions, the PMO can enter training information for future reference by individuals and by managers involved in selecting project team members. The PMO can delegate this responsibility to project managers or resource managers.
Prepare and distribute course completion certificates: The PMO will ensure that all successful training participants receive the proper certificate of course completion. This is an activity that can be performed by the training resource, but it warrants monitoring by the PMO. The PMO also can be involved in special recognition events for individuals.
Monitor unsuccessful course participation: Presumably, most courses in the project management training program will have some form of learning measurement — a quiz, an examination, or a demonstration of skill. The PMO will want to identify any individuals who are not successful in completing any courses attended. First, the PMO should find a means of encouraging individuals to retake any "failed" course, usually at no additional cost. As well, the PMO will want to identify any individual trends in failed course completions, particularly in the core or basic courses. Continuing trends showing an individual's inability to complete course learning may warrant special mentoring or counseling and affect consideration for advancement. The PMO can delegate this interaction with the affected individual to the relevant project manager or resource manager, as appropriate.
Manage training mandates and withdrawals: The PMO will be responsible for managing mandates for training course attendance in the project management environment. This may include mandates for an individual or a group of individuals to take a single training course or to complete an entire curriculum. Such business decisions that dictate mandatory training require the oversight of the PMO. Likewise, business decisions may halt delivery of one or more training courses. The PMO will be similarly involved in conveying this decision and in managing associated registration withdrawals.

As suggested throughout this discussion of the "training and education" function model, it is to the PMO's benefit to transfer as much of the training program management responsibilities as possible to the vested internal or external resource. In turn, the PMO should establish a recurring schedule for receipt of training program status reports from the training resource, and it also should schedule a regular meeting with the training resource to discuss training program progress and benefits.

Evaluate Training Program

The PMO has ultimate responsibility for assessing the impact and benefits of the project management training program within the relevant organization. The process of evaluation includes the three activities presented in the following subsections.

Evaluate Training Plan Implementation

The PMO should, from time to time and at least annually, review its training plan to ensure that it still represents the best means to achieve project management training objectives. Some suggested elements of this evaluation are highlighted in the following list:

Training course selection: Determine whether the proper courses are represented in the core project management curriculum. If a core curriculum has not yet been established, decide whether it is time to introduce one. Examine the advanced and special courses in a similar manner: determine whether it is time to add an advanced curriculum. Identify any changes to course content, or consider the possibility of customizing the course. Specify any changes to the training plan that are needed with regard to course selection and content.
Course performance: Review course performance and analyze benefits achieved from course and curriculum delivery. Examine the training program from several perspectives. First, identify any increased capability in achieving business objectives. Specify any discernable improvements in project management effectiveness, as demonstrated by on-time, on-budget project performance results. Compile and review observed improvements in individual and project team performance resulting from training, e.g., greater cohesion, less disarray, increased individual capability to achieve assigned tasks on time, individual professional advancements as a result of new project management skill and knowledge, etc.
Training course delivery schedule: Review attendance at mandatory and optional training courses, and determine whether the current course delivery schedule and frequency continues to satisfy the needs of project stakeholders within the relevant organization. Examine any courses having weak attendance, particularly courses slated for attendance by senior management. Determine whether a better course schedule or additional publicity and promotion is needed for sparsely attended courses.

Compile the results of this evaluation, and then review and recompose the project management training plan for improved effectiveness in the next training period.

Evaluate Training Resources

The PMO should examine the performance of internal or external training resources in conjunction with its recurring evaluation of the project management training program. Such performance reviews can include the following elements:

Instructor performance: Assess how well instructors have performed in the classroom or in e-learning encounters.
Administrative performance: Evaluate training resource contributions to course registration, course completion, and course delivery processes.
Course evaluation review: Examine overall results of course evaluations (a) to determine where students observe strengths and weaknesses and (b) to ascertain effectiveness of instructional methods used as perceived by course participants.
Course development review: Evaluate any new course or course customization efforts underway and evaluate the timeliness and cost against the development plan.
Business contract/agreement review: Examine the contract or agreement that was used to provide training resource course delivery and associated services. Determine where any terms and conditions warrant change reviews, establish costs for the upcoming training period, and confirm continuation of the internal or external training resource as a training program provider.

The PMO can perform the elements of training resource evaluation at any time, but it should complete a full examination at least annually.

Update Training Program

The final step of this PMO functional effort represents a renewal of the project management training program to produce additional benefits from training course delivery while removing or reducing disarray in training program implementation. This includes attending to the following items:

Training requirements update: The PMO should revisit its previous examination of training requirements for the project management environment. It will need to determine whether the current training needs analysis is still valid (or, more precisely, useable) or whether another detailed examination of requirements is necessary. Essentially, the PMO will need to confirm or modify its training participant forecast for the upcoming training period.
Training resource update: The PMO should revisit its relationships with internal and external training resources (the people who actually deliver the training courses). In this regard, the PMO can evaluate the performance of each resource as a basis for deciding whether the business relationship will be continued into the next training period, modified, or discontinued.
Training plan update: The PMO should review the training requirements and the results of participation of the training resources, focusing on the details of the training course and the curriculum delivery — course title, instructor, dates of delivery, locations of delivery, etc. This PMO effort includes defining and implementing a basic or advanced project curriculum if one did not previously exist. It also addresses plans for any new course development or course customization to be started or completed in the upcoming training period.
Training program administration: The PMO should review and improve the various administrative practices used to facilitate the training program. This includes such matters as course registration, handling of student inquiries, training record management, etc. As needed, the PMO can adjust practices and activities, introduce new ones, or even redirect responsibility for their accomplishment.

This training program update activity allows the PMO to refresh course content and approach to make it more beneficial for the relevant organization and more satisfying for training course participants.