PeopleCert MSP-Practitioner MSP Practitioner, 5th edition Exam Exam Practice Test

The four critical tests for benefits validation are Description, Observable outcomes, Attribution, and Measurement. "Attribution" assesses whether the programme is genuinely responsible for the benefit. The MSP Practitioner confirms,"Four tests of business validation are: Description, Observable outcomes, Attribution and Measurement,"emphasizing the importance of validating benefits to ensure they result directly from programme activities.

All the listed groups are valid stakeholders in a city-building programme. MSP recognizes that stakeholders can be diverse, including internal groups like employees, external political leadership, and the wider community such as potential residents.

The MSP Practitioner notes:“All are valid stakeholders in programme,”emphasizing the importance of identifying and engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders to ensure programme success.

Inclusive stakeholder management supports better decision-making, risk mitigation, and benefits realization by addressing varied needs and expectations across the stakeholder landscape.

Dependency management isnotconsidered a principal control for managing the tranches but rather a governance control related to delivering the benefits.

The MSP Practitioner explains:“Dependency management is governance control for Delivering the benefits,”which means while dependencies between projects and benefits must be managed, they are not direct tranche controls.

Principal tranche controls focus on approving and reviewing Business Cases and conducting Benefit Reviews to ensure each tranche delivers value and remains aligned with strategic objectives.

Recognizing this distinction helps ensure the programme maintains effective controls focused on stage delivery and benefit realization without conflating governance functions.

Designing the Projects Dossier is a key activity in the 'Defining a Programme' process. The Projects Dossier is a comprehensive document that defines all the projects within the programme, detailing their scope, objectives, interdependencies, and delivery approach.

The MSP Practitioner states:“Only project dossier is created in defining programme from available options,”emphasizing that managing transition, producing the Programme Brief, and aligning projects with benefits realization occur in later programme stages.

Developing a well-structured Projects Dossier is critical for effective programme planning, control, and coordination of project delivery to achieve overall programme benefits.

A key attribute for the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) is having access to and credibility with key stakeholders because the SRO plays a pivotal role in stakeholder management and programme accountability. The MSP Practitioner notes,"This attribute is necessary as SRO is also involved in stakeholder management,"emphasizing that SRO’s influence and stakeholder credibility are critical to programme success.

While identifying the correct people to communicate with is important, MSP does not list it as one of the four core elements of successful communication.

The MSP Practitioner outlines the four core elements as:

a) Stakeholder identification and analysis

b) Message Clarity and consistency

c) Effective system of message delivery

d) Feedback Collection system

These elements ensure messages are targeted, clear, consistently delivered, and that feedback is captured to improve communication.

Misidentifying core communication elements can weaken engagement efforts, so focusing on these pillars supports stronger communication outcomes throughout the programme lifecycle.

The probability of success is higher when programme requirements are well-defined and clearly understood. MSP Practitioner states:“Probability is high when requirements are well defined and clearly understood. Clear specifications of output increases the probability of success.”Process changes affecting technology and structures typically have clearer specifications and boundaries, making successful delivery more likely compared to changes driven by complex behaviors or historical practices.

The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) approves the Business Case and is accountable for ensuring it remains valid and aligned with strategic objectives.

The MSP Practitioner states:“SRO approves (as he is accountable for it).”This underscores the SRO’s critical role in governing programme justification and ensuring investment decisions remain sound.

While the Sponsoring Group may endorse or sponsor the programme, formal accountability and approval for the Business Case rest with the SRO, ensuring clear responsibility for delivery against agreed benefits.

This accountability helps maintain control and confidence in programme investment and delivery.

An Emergent programme is characterized by its evolution from a set of concurrent, individual projects that arise independently but require coordination to ensure they align with organizational strategy. The MSP Practitioner defines Emergent programmes as:“Programmes evolved from concurrent, individual projects with need to ensure compliance to organization strategy.”This reflects programmes that may not have been planned from the start as a programme but are brought together to align with strategic goals and provide greater control and coherence.

Levels of confidentiality and information security requirements are documented in the Information Management Strategy. This strategy sets out how information will be handled throughout the programme, covering aspects such as access rights, data classification, storage, and dissemination protocols to protect sensitive information.

The MSP Practitioner specifies:“Confidentiality details are defined in Information management strategy,”indicating that this document governs the secure management of programme data and communication. It is essential that confidentiality levels are clear to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information, which could jeopardize the programme’s success or breach legal and regulatory obligations.

While Quality Management, Resource Management, and Benefits Management Strategies address different governance aspects such as assurance, resource allocation, and benefit realization, they do not primarily deal with confidentiality.

Information management is critical for stakeholder trust, compliance with legislation (e.g., GDPR), and safeguarding intellectual property or competitive advantage. Clear documentation in the Information Management Strategy ensures that all programme participants understand their responsibilities regarding confidentiality, promoting consistent and secure handling of data.

The Programme Manager is responsible for producing the Business Case. This document outlines the justification for the programme, including costs, benefits, risks, and options. The Programme Manager prepares the Business Case to ensure it is comprehensive, realistic, and aligned with the programme’s objectives.

The MSP Practitioner notes:“Programme manager prepares it as he is responsible for it,”emphasizing the role’s responsibility to articulate the strategic rationale and provide a sound basis for decision-making. The Business Case is then reviewed and approved by the SRO and other governance bodies.

The Programme Manager collaborates with other roles such as the Business Change Manager and SRO to ensure all aspects of the Business Case are valid and supported. This role is pivotal in maintaining the integrity and credibility of the programme justification throughout its lifecycle.

Transformational Flow in MSP defines the route a programme follows through its lifecycle—from initial conception, through delivery of new capabilities, transitioning to desired outcomes, realizing benefits, and finally closing the programme. It guides the programme’s progression through each phase to ensure the transformation is successful. This concept is central to MSP's approach to managing transformational change and is explicitly described as providing the route through the lifecycle of a programme, from conception to delivering new capability.

All the options listed are correct. Benefits Management in MSP ensures the programme is aligned with strategic goals, understands both positive and negative impacts, and integrates closely with the transformational flow to realize benefits effectively. The MSP Practitioner confirms:"All of the options are correct,"underscoring the comprehensive nature of benefits management across the programme lifecycle.

The POTI (Projects, Operations, Teams, and Infrastructure) model is part of the Blueprint governance theme. It defines the high-level scope and structure of the blueprint, outlining how projects, operational activities, teams, and infrastructure work together to deliver transformation.

The MSP Practitioner confirms:“POTI model defines scope blueprint,”situating it firmly within the Blueprint theme that describes the future state and the means to achieve it.

Understanding POTI helps in mapping and managing the components necessary for successful delivery of programme benefits within the defined future organizational state.

The Vision document is prepared specifically to share with stakeholders to communicate the desired future state the programme aims to achieve. It is a clear, inspirational statement designed to create alignment, motivation, and understanding among all parties involved.

The MSP Practitioner states:“Vision's purpose is to share the idea of better future planned by programme with all stakeholders.”It conveys the strategic intent and overarching goals without delving into technical or detailed delivery plans.

Unlike the Business Case or Blueprint, which are more technical or internal management documents, the Vision serves as a powerful communication tool fostering stakeholder engagement and support from the outset.

Training, moving, and supporting operational units fall under business change and transition costs. These costs are related to the activities required to move from the current state to the future state, including training staff and supporting new operations. The MSP Practitioner clarifies:“Training and moving an operational unit is related to transition,”distinguishing these from capital costs (assets) and programme management costs.

The Business Change Manager (BCM) holds the primary responsibility for monitoring the progress of benefits realization against the plan. This role is focused on ensuring that the expected benefits from the programme’s outputs and outcomes are actually realized in the business environment. The BCM works closely with stakeholders, operational managers, and programme teams to track benefit achievement, resolve issues that might impede benefit delivery, and report progress.

According to the MSP Practitioner:“BCM is responsible for monitoring benefits.”This accountability includes validating that the changes introduced by the programme are embedded within business operations and are delivering measurable value as outlined in the Benefits Realization Plan. The BCM must maintain a clear line of sight on benefits, manage dependencies between projects and operational teams, and oversee any transition activities required to sustain benefits.

The Programme Manager and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) have broader accountability for programme delivery and governance, but it is the BCM who acts as the day-to-day custodian of benefits. They translate strategic benefit objectives into operational terms and ensure the organisation adapts to new ways of working. This ensures that benefits do not remain theoretical but are tangibly realized, measured, and maximized over time.

Effective benefits monitoring by the BCM mitigates the risk of programmes delivering outputs that do not translate into business improvements or strategic value, reinforcing MSP’s emphasis on outcome-focused delivery.

The false statement is that“End of tranche review drives benefits management.”In MSP, benefits management drives end of tranche reviews rather than the other way around.

The MSP Practitioner clarifies:“Benefits management drives end of tranche reviews,”meaning that benefits realization considerations inform tranche planning, execution, and review processes.

This approach ensures that benefit delivery remains central to programme governance and decision-making, promoting alignment of delivery with strategic value.

Analysis of the options available isnottypically included in the Programme Brief but is developed during the preparation of the Business Case.

The MSP Practitioner clarifies:“Analysis of options starts while preparing business case,”meaning the Programme Brief sets out the scope, risks, costs, and key resources but does not contain detailed option appraisal.

This distinction helps ensure the Programme Brief remains a focused and concise document outlining programme intent and governance, while the Business Case undertakes the detailed financial and strategic evaluation required for decision-making.

MSP Principles represent the foundational success factors distilled from extensive lessons learned across programmes that have succeeded or failed. They embody the best practices and mindset that underpin effective programme management. The MSP Practitioner explains:“MSP Principles are derived from lessons learned in programmes that had both positive and negative results. They represent common factors that underpin the success of any programme of transformational change.”These principles ensure that programmes remain focused on strategic alignment, benefit realization, and stakeholder engagement throughout their lifecycle. They act as the guiding philosophies that help ensure programme success regardless of the context or complexity.

The Benefits Map is categorized as a Boundary document. Boundary documents define the programme’s scope, constraints, and interfaces with its environment, helping to establish what the programme will deliver and what lies outside its remit.

The MSP Practitioner explains:“Benefits Map is a Boundary document while others such as programme preparation plan, risk register, and stakeholder profiles are management documents.”The Benefits Map visually depicts how outputs connect to outcomes and benefits, defining the boundary between delivery and benefits realization.

Boundary documents provide critical clarity for managing expectations, preventing scope creep, and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, forming a foundation for programme governance and control.

A vision-led programme is one that is undertaken to fulfil political ideas and priorities, such as electoral promises. These programmes are driven by a clear vision for change that aligns with political or societal goals rather than just compliance or operational needs. Public programmes started to fulfil electoral promises fit this definition of vision-led programmes as they reflect a vision for future societal outcomes.