Project Management
MSP® Foundation
A three-day workshop for program managers preparing for the AXELOS / PeopleCert Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Foundation exam. Aligned to MSP 5th edition: seven principles, seven themes, seven processes — and how MSP differs from PMI's PgMP. Built for program leaders working in UK / Commonwealth / EU contexts and organizations standardizing on AXELOS frameworks.
- Format
- Live virtual, in-person, or private on-site
- Duration
- 3 days
- Level
- Introductory
- From
- $1795.00
About this course
Course overview
The AXELOS programme-management framework, taught for the Foundation exam and the working programme.
MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) is AXELOS's programme-level companion to PRINCE2 and ITIL. Where PMI's PgMP emphasizes the standard for program management as a body of knowledge, MSP emphasizes the framework that runs UK / Commonwealth / EU programmes — seven principles, seven themes, seven processes, and the role-set (SRO, Programme Manager, Business Change Manager, Sponsoring Group) that govern the programme through its tranches. This three-day course covers all of it at Foundation depth, plus the cross-framework comparison that helps you choose between MSP, PgMP, and SAFe-program for a given engagement.
Day 1 covers MSP orientation, the seven principles, and the first three themes (organisation, design, justification). Day 2 covers the remaining four themes (structure, knowledge, assurance, decisions) and the seven processes. Day 3 covers role-set integration, framework comparison, and a timed mock exam followed by a 30-day study plan tuned to the AXELOS syllabus weights.
Learning outcomes
What you'll learn
Every module is tied to an outcome you can bring back to your team the next day.
- Apply the seven MSP principles — lead with purpose, collaborate across boundaries, deal with ambiguity, align with priorities, deploy diverse skills, realise measurable benefits, bring about lasting change
- Apply the seven MSP themes — organisation, design, justification, structure, knowledge, assurance, decisions — at the practitioner-level depth Foundation tests
- Apply the seven MSP processes — identify, design, plan, deliver, embed, evaluate, close — across the programme lifecycle
- Distinguish the MSP roles (Sponsoring Group, SRO, Programme Board, Programme Manager, Business Change Manager) and how they coordinate through tranches
- Distinguish MSP from PMI's PgMP, the Standard for Program Management, and SAFe's program-level constructs
- Sit for the MSP Foundation exam after a 30-day post-workshop study plan tuned to AXELOS syllabus weights
Audience
Who it's for
- Programme managers and senior project managers in UK / Commonwealth / EU contexts adopting MSP
- PMO leaders standardising on AXELOS Best Practice frameworks (PRINCE2, ITIL, MSP, MoP)
- PgMP holders adding MSP for cross-framework fluency and international engagements
- Public-sector programme leads where MSP is the default framework
- Consultants advising on programme governance who need both MSP and PgMP literacy
Course structure
Syllabus
A structured path from core concepts to applied practice.
Day 1 — Orientation, Principles, and Themes (Part 1)
- Programme vs project vs portfolio at the AXELOS framing; MSP 5th edition structure and exam format
- MSP within the AXELOS Best Practice family (PRINCE2, ITIL, MoP)
- The seven MSP principles: lead with purpose, collaborate, ambiguity, alignment, diverse skills, benefits, lasting change
- Themes (Part 1): Organisation (governance, three-tier accountability), Design (vision, blueprint, target operating model)
- Justification (business case, benefits realisation plan, financial appraisal); practice items lab
Day 2 — Themes (Part 2) and Processes
- Themes (Part 2): Structure (programme office, tranche planning), Knowledge (information mgmt), Assurance (audit, gateway reviews), Decisions (stage gates, risk/issue mgmt)
- Processes: Identify the programme — vision, mandate, sponsor brief, programme brief
- Processes: Design the outcomes; Plan progressive delivery (programme plan, tranche plan, transition plan)
- Processes: Deliver the capabilities, Embed the outcomes, Evaluate new information, Close the programme
- Practice Lab: themes + processes scenario items at MSP Foundation difficulty
Day 3 — Roles, Framework Comparison, Mock Exam
- Role-set walk-through: Sponsoring Group, SRO, Programme Board, Programme Manager, Business Change Manager
- Cross-theme integration in practice — how org, justification, design, and assurance interact
- Framework comparison: MSP vs PgMP, vs Standard for Program Management, vs SAFe program-level
- Timed mock exam (60 items / 60 min) at Foundation difficulty; item-by-item debrief
- 30-day study plan, exam-day strategy, and PeopleCert exam-application walk-through
Public cohorts
Upcoming sessions
Secure your seat in a live, instructor-led cohort. Private team deliveries available on request.
No public cohorts on the calendar yet.
We run this course as a private team cohort on demand, or you can be the first to know when the next public date drops.
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions?
Is this an ATO-accredited delivery?
Should I take MSP Foundation or PgMP?
Is the exam included in the price?
Do I need MSP Foundation before MSP Practitioner?
Can this be delivered as a private cohort?
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