Agile Project Management-themed Quick Quiz - Test Your Instincts!
Agile project management is based on common sense: delivering requirements incrementally throughout the project's life-cycle. Some key features are:
Iterative Development
Self-organising Teams
Empowerment
Collaboration
Quiz: No Experience Needed
Agile concepts are essentially 'common sense' so even if you've no project management experience we think you'll work out some or all of the answers. Our quick quiz gives some examples of how these concepts will be used in practice.
QA - Some Explaining to do? - Misleading Star Ratings, Massive Loans, Offshore Account
Updated 06/12/2017
Summary of Article
We suggest that you read the entire article - all of the material is public domain its easy to review it for yourself:
QA prices up by 14.5% - well ahead of inflation
Yet selling same courses at 50% QA website price through Focus On Training*
Both sites have misleading Star Ratings counter to Competition and Markets Authority rules
QA's massive debt / loans - £93,736,270 in June 2016 as one example
Jersey based offshore account ownership
Profits from apprenticeships, some funded by Apprenticeship Levy, going offshore
Sub-standard none Fire Safety compliant training room in advertisement
Embarrassment for partners - QA are linked to the major tech companies and now several universities
Substantial refunds due? Private purchasers may have been mislead by Star Ratings
Business predicated on status quo - continued 'preferred supplier' role for NHS etc., irrespective of Brexit, currency, inflation...
Seriously consider the wisdom of large upfront payments for 'training passports' - they EXPECT THESE TO BE PARTIALLY UNUSED!
* 'Focus on Training', when used in this article, is the trading name of: Focus Project Management (Europe) Limited: Company 5702441, wholly owned by the QA 'group'. FOCUS ON TRAINING LIMITED
Company 09561373 are an entirely separate entity with no association to QA.
500,000 Training Days per Year - Less than 20 Reviews per Year - 78 Reviews from 2013 to 2016, None for 2017!
Updated 06/12/2017
Summary of Article
We suggest that you read the entire article and as all of the material is public domain its easy to review it for yourself:
QA and Focus On Training*1 review ratings are entirely unrepresentative and are hand-selected
Their advertised training room is sub-standard and not Fire Safety compliant
QA, owners of Focus On Training, use Focus to massively undercut their own pricing
*1 'Focus on Training', when used in this article, is the trading name of: Focus Project Management (Europe) Limited: Company 5702441, wholly owned by the QA 'group'. FOCUS ON TRAINING LIMITED
Company 09561373 are an entirely separate entity with no association to QA.
Try Our 'Fix the Training Room' Quiz - Public Domain Examples from QA's Online Advertising!
Updated 04/12/2017
Learner-centered environments are the responsibility of the trainer and should be considered during the planning of any training event and actioned in good time, well before commencement of the course.
Uncomfortable, poorly laid out rooms detract from the ideal of delivering focused, intuitive learning therefore reducing the value of the learner's investment.
Learners attend professional courses in order to benefit their organisations and also for their own career development. The provider should endeavour to meet their side of the arrangement with a safe, learner-friendly environment.
Background to this Example
The image has been appearing over the last year as part of QA's sponsored PPC campaign. Keywords / phrases that trigger it include prince2 training and agile training.
We finally had a good look at it and found numerous issues that point to poor practice and one issue that's particularly troubling.
The course appears to be a 'Best Practice' course such as PRINCE2 from the materials on the desks and the lack of IT in the room. The number of pages in the folders means that this is probably a three to five day training event.
At their current prices, with the 10 attendees shown on a five day PRINCE2 event, QA would have a revenue of £19,160 exclusive of VAT for the event which will return a substantial profit. With their upcoming New Year price-rise, this would be £21,410. It doesn't appear to have been spent on the classroom...
* QA and Focus On Training are within the same 'group', have the same directors and sell the same product albeit at widely varying prices.
PRINCE2 2009 is Still Available - Achieve Practitioner NOW & Save Money and be Registered until 2022!
Updated 30/11/2017
PRINCE2 2009 is still available until 31/12/2017.
PRINCE2 2009 is being replaced entirely by the 2017 version at the end of this year. If you've already studied towards 2009 or are in a team using it then it may be cheaper to sit the 2009 version. A bonus is that you'll be registered for FIVE years - until 2022!
The new version, PRINCE2 2017 is entirely compatible with the previous version and there is no requirement to update. The 2017 version has a three year validity period at the end of which you'll need to resit the Practitioner exam or maintain membership with AXELOS.
Example of PRINCE2 Success
Phil H. studied with us in Sheffield in November 2017 and completed his five day course, with minimal evening work and passed the Foundation and Practitioner levels at the first attempt.
Master Project Management - Salary Upturn* FREE Training Session - Book YOUR Place NOW!
Below, we discuss the need for project management and related project roles. We also describe why achieving your project management qualification matters.
Maybe you've watched with amusement/horror as the candidates on The Apprentice trample over each other while demonstrating their 'project management' skills. Often the result is a less than fit-for-purpose solution and the team resort to back-biting and recrimination.
Grand Designs almost always concludes with an amazing build though its rarely on time and on budget. Unlike in the real world, extra funding magically appears at the last minute.
Both shows make compelling viewing though neither meet the ideals of true project management. You'll know you can do better, even distinguish yourself.
Project Management - What It is and How to Become Qualified
TrainX 'Attend from Anywhere' - True Virtual Training and Certification!
Value-Focused, Requirements Driven Online Training
Introducing our newly extended virtual training with greatly increased bandwidth and system resources.
The technology utilised provides not just the ability to attend from anywhere but to achieve from anywhere. You're able to study in a true live virtual classroom environment and you're now also able to take your exams in your own office or home!
Quick Comparison - 'Attend from Anywhere' to 'Attend from Anywhere'
Training Provider / Product
Training Platform
Class Size / Makeup
Hands-On Equipment
QA / 'Attend from Anywhere'
Citrix GoToMeeting
16 combined Physical & Virtual Attendees
QA Managed
TrainX / 'Attend from Anywhere'
Citrix GoToMeeting or GoToTraining
6 Attendees - Virtual Only
Commercial UK Data Centre Hosted & Managed or Microsoft Hosted
PRINCE2®, ITIL® and PRINCE2 Agile® are registered trade marks of AXELOS Limited. Used under
permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
PRINCE2®, ITIL®, PRINCE2 Agile® and AgilePM® courses are facilitated in partnership with Raj Khanna
Associates Limited, who are an Accredited Training Organisation with APMG-International.
The APMG Swirl Agile Project Management Device is a Trade Mark of APM Group Limited.
Agile Project Management® Training delivered In Association with Raj Khanna Associates Limited, who are
an Accredited Training Organisation for APMG UK.