There are changes afoot to the Best Management Practice portfolio; from January 1st 2014, PRINCE2®, ITIL® and Best Practice Suite Programs like MSP® will have a new Accreditor called Axelos.

So what does this mean for those with APMG certificates? Are they worthless now? Is PRINCE2 going to change dramatically and require an overhaul of retraining within organisations using the framework?

In short: no. But these developments are worth keeping an eye on leading up to the handover in 2014.

Axelos is a joint venture between the government and the firm Capita (who will own 49% and 51% respectively). Axelos will be taking over from APMG after submitting the winning bid on a re-tender from the government but it's not as clean cut as just a straight replacement.

As a provider of PRINCE2 Training, ITIL Courses and MSP Training, this is big news for us here at Silicon Beach, and for the many businesses that come to us for their Best Management Practice courses.

In this post we'll briefly examine the details of the deal, and more importantly, discuss any potential impact it may have on you as either an existing or future PRINCE2 (or ITIL or MSP) Practitioner.

Explaining the Change

So why the change? Well in short, it's about money - namely, making more of it.

Capita are paying £10 million up front and £9.4 million in each of the first 3 years. The official announcement claims that the deal will generate £500 million for the UK Government over 10 years.

The UK Government recognises the potential for income that PRINCE2 and their other business products could provide to a global market; a key feature of what Axelos will be providing as the Accrediting body.

They've outlined their 5 strategies for growth as:

• Grow International Markets, including emerging economies
• Invest in existing products, including integration to other frameworks
• Develop new Best Management Practice Products
• Build an online community supported by a collaborative / social platform
• Offer solutions for major employers and industry players

You can read more about the Axelos strategy and how they've moved from 'listening' to 'doing' from the latest Axelos eBulletin.

What Does This Mean?

For most people, not a lot. Those who already possess a PRINCE2 (or other) qualification needn't worry; there won't be a re-qualification drive and your APMG certificate will remain as relevant as ever (at least until it expires!).

For those with plans to take a PRINCE2 (or ITIL etc.) exam in the next few months, don't wait around for the accrediting body to switch over - the format of the exam will stay the same and be worth the same as a qualification either way.

Going forward, there could be some changes to the format of the exams but not significantly - there won't be a PRINCE3 coming out any time soon, project managers are happy with PRINCE2 the way it is.

There has been much talk about 'gamifying' the exam/training process, with the new CEO of Axelos, Peter Hepworth, having experience working for Activision (creators of 'Call of Duty') but this certainly won't be an immediate development due to lack of support from practitioners.

All in all, for those who have any vested interest in PRINCE2 or the other qualifications, this takeover is actually nothing to be concerned about.

What Now For APMG?

APMG won't disappear - aside from continuing to be an examining institute for PRINCE2 and the like, in recent years they have been diversifying their portfolio of qualifications (potentially in anticipation of current events) and so are not reliant on the government-owned products.

Courses like Change Management, Agile Project Management and Managing Benefits will become more of a primary focus and will ensure APMG continue to remain a key player in the business management qualification sphere.

More Information

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