Training Accreditation

Accreditation Criteria for the PPM Certificate and PPM Diploma

If you are interested in becoming an Alternative Assessment Site (AAS) the information below will be of interest to you.

Definitions

Organisation – This includes all legally accepted terms used to define a commercial entity, including self-employed people.

Approved Trainer – An individual who meets the criteria laid down in the accreditation process.
Unit - one of the 12 elements which make up the totality of the Diploma syllabus.

Eligibility of organisation

To be eligible for certification as an Alternative Assessment Site (AAS) an organisation must meet and maintain the following criteria:

• Have carried out training which substantially covers the scope of the PPM Diploma/Certificate syllabus at least three times within the previous 12 months from date of application, or have an association with other training organisations that fulfil this requirement. For organisations that have been trading for less than 2 years, at least one director or senior employee must conform to this requirement
  
• Undertake to have approved trainers present throughout the delivery of courses leading to unit assignments. Non-approved trainers can deliver part of all or a course working alongside an approved trainer
  
• Possess training material that covers the subjects defined in each unit of the PPM Diploma/Certificate syllabus, either directly as an organisation, or via associations with other training organisations
  
• Employ at least one trainer that meets the eligibility criteria for approved status as described below, and have at least one trainer accredited to run every syllabus unit
  
• Have at least one verifier accredited for each of the syllabus units.

Eligibility of approved trainers

Trainers are approved for each unit separately. To be eligible for certification as an approved trainer for a unit, a trainer must be sponsored by an AAS and will need to demonstrate:

• A minimum of 12 months experience in delivering training courses that cover the material of the units for which they are requesting approval
• Either 2 years Project Management experience relevant to the unit content, or have delivered a minimum of two training courses that cover the unit content, under guidance from an existing APM Group approved trainer
• Knowledge of the unit content by passing the unit assignment.

Eligibility of approved verifiers

An approved verifier must assess candidates' assignments. The candidate's trainer or tutor may not assess the assignment. The requirements for approved verifiers are the same as for trainers, but without the requirement for training experience.

Evaluation process

The assessment process will start after a completed application form and full payment has been received by the APM Group. The applicant AAS will be given a copy of the APM Group's Diploma Quality Manual and access to an exclusive closed website for the the APM Group accredited training community.

The APM Group will assess organisations' course material and administration and management procedures. You can either develop your own training material, submit material developed by an associate training organisation, or license material from another approved AAS.

The following management and administration processes are assessed as part of AAS accreditation:

• Management structure of the organisation
• Quality control system including management review, internal audit, appeals and complaints procedures in the organisation
• Course quality control system including delegate acceptance criteria
• Course enrolment system
• Pre-course documentation including joining instructions and pre-course reading material
• Administration of delegate history and recording of unit progress for delegates
• The system for organization of the course venue including bookings, confirmation forms and procedures
• Names of proposed trainers (and CVs if applicable)
• Document control system
• Confidentiality waiver system, including maintaining confidentiality of assignments
• Training and competence of administration staff.

How to apply

If your organisation is interested in applying to become an Alternative Assessment Site, please Contact Us.