Behind the scenes of APMG course accreditation

I am delighted that APMG-International have certified that the Agile Change Agent course meets their standards for a global qualification. As a course developer I am aware of many other organisations that offer to “accredit” my material, which means that they will put their name to it, but do not have any criteria for reviewing the material, nor any trained reviewers.

"APMG International is only one of a handful of accreditation bodies in the world that have a robust process for evaluating the quality of courses and examinations."

To pass the APMG assessment takes a lot of work because their process is comprehensive. I attend many courses as part of my personal development, so it is pleasing to see the emphasis the process puts on the candidate experience. To gain accreditation, course materials must “be structured to enable effective delivery”.

In practice, this means that the assessors are looking for a sensible flow throughout the course so that it tells a story and makes sense to candidates. For this article, I reviewed the assessor comments from courses I have submitted for accreditation in the past few years and I can see the benefit that has been added by questioning the order of the contents and pointing out when more detail has been needed.

As this course leads to a globally recognised qualification, the “story” must include every item on the syllabus. The syllabus is built up from the textbook upon which the course is based, with examiners identifying what the key areas of knowledge are, and then building questions around this.

To gain accreditation, all of the courseware must teach an understanding of these knowledge areas, and give examples of how this knowledge can be applied to different situations. For example:

• What is the purpose of a process
• What information should a document provide
• What are the responsibilities for a role

And for each of these points, there must be an understanding of what difference it makes if the process is followed or the document is complete or the role is performed.

The assessment process encourages a range of different materials to be used, including sample questions and quizzes to test understanding throughout the course with activities and suggested answers to demonstrate how to apply the learning. Elements such as question types can be integrated into training - for instance, I believe you have to explain the question types which will appear in the exam - and provide practice for these – you can't call it a course to prepare you for an exam if you do not include details of this nature.  At all times, the emphasis is on delivering value and an effective learning experience for the candidate to support them in achieving the best possible outcome.

This emphasis on the candidate experience extends to the assessment of the trainer. We are really put through our paces by an independent assessor who will check out our knowledge of the subject and our ability to deliver it in a way that others can understand. This takes place every couple of years and is a nerve-wracking experience for even the most talented and experienced trainers!

Finally, as an author of many textbooks, it is reassuring to see the requirements APMG have for ensuring copyright has been acknowledged when quoting other writers. I think this is a sign of integrity and is the type of organisation I want to be associated with.