What is Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®)?

Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) is the go-to certification and guidance for aspiring Project Managers, Programme Managers, and Business Change Managers. MSP® was first published in 1999 by the UK Office of Government Commerce.

MSP® offers a systematic approach to managing programs of business change, designed to achieve outcomes and realise important strategic benefits. It is also an established best practice programme management framework, which has been developed to align projects and programmes to organisational strategy while enabling enterprise agility.

MSP® is used in a wide variety of sectors including the public sector, and many professionals who earn their MSP® qualifications often go on to become Programme Managers, Delivery Programme Managers or Project Transformation Managers. These job roles often allow you to work as a full-time employee, or as a Contractor, taking on temporary positions.

Other job roles you can explore as a holder of MSP® qualifications include:

• Senior Responsible Owner
• Sponsoring Group
• Business Change Managers
• Programme Office

MSP® training focuses on the delivery of outcomes of benefit, actively engaging stakeholders, and mitigating risk.

Being MSP® certified will help you:

• Support business outcomes
• Enable business change
• Optimise customer experience
• Manage risk in line with business needs
• Show value for money
• Improve continually 

Read more: Learn the Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) basics

Benefits of MSP® training

Completing your MSP® qualification will benefit you in the following ways:

Teach you the best practice for implementing change – You will learn a good practice roadmap for implementing change, to help your organisation work towards the highest standards in project and change management.

Boost your earning potential – An MSP® qualification is a good way to learn the skills you need to advance your career into more senior job roles. You will also stand out against other candidates in any new job search.

Turn large projects into manageable chunks – Your MSP® Foundation & Practitioner qualification will help you easily implement large-scale projects, assigning responsibility within your team to get the project completed on time and within budget.

Improved flexibility – MSP® allows for a high level of flexibility and incorporates learning from experience. The focus on learning means that companies can use past experiences to work towards a positive future.

Join the MSP® family – When you earn your MSP® qualifications you become part of a wider family of skilled professionals, keen to understand best practice knowledge in change and project management.

Read more: How to become a Project Manager

MSP® framework

MSP® consists of principles, themes, and processes that provide a roadmap for the programme lifecycle.

• Principles - Represent the characteristics of a successful programme.
• Governance Themes - Allow organisations to put the right leadership, organisational structures, and controls in place.
• Processes - Provide a route through the lifecycle of a programme to deliver the new capability and desired outcomes.

Explore our Project & Lean Management training courses

When to use MSP®?

MSP® is a best practice method in program management with:

• A focus on achieving outcomes and realising benefits.
• A good description of the characteristics and concepts of program management.
• A focus on added value and management of risks.
• Clear terms of reference for all roles within the program management structure.
• A focus on processes (describing all processes and activities within these processes of program management).
• Outlines for all program management products.

MSP® can be seamlessly combined with the PRINCE2® project management approach. They have both been developed as best practice by the Cabinet Office, and they contain a similar process-based management approach.

MSP® training courses

We offer a wide range of MSP® training courses, so you are sure to find something that works best for your situation.

Virtual Classroom

• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) Foundation & Practitioner
• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) Foundation
• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) Practitioner

Online

• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) Foundation & Practitioner with Exams
• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) Foundation & Practitioner with Foundation Exam
• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) Foundation & Practitioner with Practitioner Exam

Read more: Where can an MSP® qualification take you?

Interested in training for your MSP® qualifications? Call us to speak with one of our Course Consultants on +44 (0) 20 3198 7700 or fill out our contact form and someone will be in touch with you to discuss your training options.