P3O® Foundation and Practitioner

Transform Business Support from a Back-End Function to a Strategic Asset

P3O® stands for Portfolio, Programme, and Project Offices, but it represents much more than an acronym – it’s a powerful approach to turning strategy into results.

Built on a flexible model and a proven set of principles, P3O® helps organisations:

  • Align initiatives with corporate strategy to ensure every effort supports big-picture goals
  • Deliver measurable value through strong governance and tailored support structures
  • Enable smarter decision-making by providing accurate, reliable information at the right time

At its core, P3O® is a joined-up, end-to-end solution for designing, building, and managing the offices that drive change. It’s about creating the right blend of functions, services, and governance – all tailored to your organisation’s size, structure, and maturity – so you can deliver strategic business transformation with confidence and clarity.

Course specification

Who should attend:

P3O® Foundation is an excellent starting point for beginners or support staff looking to build a solid understanding of portfolio, programme, and project offices. It lays the groundwork for anyone aiming to contribute effectively within a P3O environment.

P3O® Practitioner, on the other hand, is ideal for those ready to lead. It’s tailored for PMO managers, portfolio analysts, and professionals seeking to apply P3O principles in real-world scenarios and drive strategic value across the organisation.

Duration:

Public courses are delivered as virtual tutor-led classroom. In-house courses can be delivered virtually or face-to-face classroom:

P3O® Foundation: three days.

P3O® Practitioner: two days.

Timings:

9 a.m. to 5p.m. each day

Examination:

P3O® Foundation and Practitioner exams are taken remotely.

P3O® Foundation is a multiple choice examination questions, 75 questions – 70 live questions and five trials, 60 minutes’ duration, 35 marks required to pass (out of 70 available) – 50%, Closed book.

P3O® Practitioner is objective testing, four questions of 20 marks each – 80 marks in total, 150 minutes’ duration, 40 marks required to pass (out of 80 available) – 50%, open book exam

Delegates will be emailed an exam ‘voucher’ upon confirmation of the course so that they can book their exam.

Venues:

Public courses are delivered virtually. Inhouse courses can be delivered face-to-face or virtual.

Face-to-face training is held at the client selected venue.

Virtual classroom training is delivered using Zoom.

Dates and Prices:

P3O® Foundation public virtual three-day course: £1,445 (includes P3O hard copy manual and exam).

P3O® Practitioner public virtual two-day course: £1,070 (excludes P3O manual, includes exam).

Please contact Provek to discuss inhouse courses.

Course style:

This course combines in-depth theory with hands-on practical case studies, led by a credible trainer with real-world experience in both project and programme management. You’ll be guided step-by-step through the P3O framework in a way that’s both accessible and applicable, building up to the final exams with the help of realistic sample questions.

You’ll receive comprehensive pre-course materials, including the official P3O manual designed to set the stage for a productive and immersive learning experience.

Be prepared to stay engaged: evening assignments throughout the course week are an essential part of the journey, reinforcing learning and boosting your confidence ahead of the exams.

Pre-requisites:

P3O® Foundation: None

P3O® Practitioner: P3O® Foundation is required to sit the P3O® Practitioner exam.

 

Brochure:

Download the course brochure.

Got a question?

Are you interested in delivering this course to a group of staff? Contact a member of our team

Learning outcomes

Unlocking the Power of P3O®: Principles, Practices & Possibilities

Core Principles & Functions of P3O®

  • Discover how P3O® serves as the backbone of effective portfolio, programme, and project support – driving strategic alignment, decision-making, and value delivery across the organisation.

Diverse Office Models

  • Dive into the different types of offices within a P3O® structure – Portfolio Office, Programme Office, Project Office, and more – and understand how each plays a unique role in optimising performance and outcomes.

Roles & Responsibilities That Drive Success

  • From Portfolio Analysts to Programme Officers, explore the key players within a P3O® model, and how clearly defined responsibilities help streamline governance and ensure accountability.

Building & Sustaining a P3O® Capability

  • Learn the steps to establish a robust P3O® model – whether permanent or temporary – and gain insight into sustaining it over time through organisational alignment, funding strategies, and continual improvement.

Supportive Tools & Governance Techniques

  • Uncover the essential tools, templates, and governance techniques that enable consistent delivery, risk management, and reporting across all change initiatives.

Integrating with Key Frameworks

  • See how P3O® complements and integrates seamlessly with frameworks like PRINCE2®, MSP®, and MoP®, creating a cohesive ecosystem for change delivery and strategic portfolio management.

Course bookings

  • Corporate courses can be booked as separate three day (Foundation) and two day (Practitioner) courses, or a consecutive five day course. They can be delivered virtual or face-to-face.
  • Our public courses are delivered virtually as separate three day (Foundation) and two day (Practitioner) courses
  • Find our public course dates here

For further information or to book a course use our contact form or contact our team via enquiries@provek.co.uk or call 01635 524610.

P3O® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. The Swirl logo™ is a trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.

PeopleCert’s complaints and appeals policies can be viewed here – complaintsappeals.

 

Case studies

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Read examples of how Provek has worked with organisations across many industry sectors to deliver customer satisfaction and benefits.

What have our clients said

Assessment

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Deploy the right mix of proven online and face to face assessment techniques to identify and develop the project, programme and change management talent in your organisation.

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Training

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Develop the project management staff in your organisation with the right standard, tailored or bespoke course and delivery option.

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Consultancy

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We work with our clients to embed programme and project management and improve delivery through an engaging and seamless provision of assessment, consultancy and training services.

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Take your project management
to the next level.

Call us on 01635 524610 or request a call back from us.

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