Technical knowledge
Build advanced understanding of governance, integrated controls, risk, quality, stakeholder leadership, PMO and assurance.
Technical knowledge. Professional practice. Chartered ambition.
A pathway built around credible professional evidence
The Chartered Pathway combines the complete Project Controls Professional Level 6 apprenticeship with KBC's Certified PMO Professional Level 6, applied AI, portfolio management and earned-value development. It is designed for professionals who want stronger workplace impact and a structured route towards Chartered Project Professional status.
Professional practice
Apply learning to authentic project environments and organise credible evidence of judgement, autonomy and impact.
Ethics and CPD
Develop professional conduct, reflective practice, current knowledge and an evidence-led improvement mindset.
Chartered readiness
Understand APM Pathway 2 expectations and prepare a stronger professional evidence base for a later independent application.
Important: completing the pathway does not itself award Chartered Project Professional status. ChPP is awarded only by APM after the candidate meets its eligibility, written-submission, professional-practice, CPD, ethics and interview requirements.
Who should choose the Chartered Pathway?
For professionals who combine controls with leadership
The route is suited to professionals expected to provide authoritative controls advice, design governance, assure information, influence decision-makers and lead improvement across projects, programmes, portfolios or PMO environments.
Project controls leaders
Project Controls Managers, Heads of Planning, Scheduling Leads and Cost Engineering Leads.
PMO professionals
PMO Managers, PMO Leads, Portfolio Office professionals and governance specialists.
Assurance and risk
Risk, quality, controls-assurance and performance specialists.
Programme controls
Professionals integrating project, programme and portfolio information.
Data and reporting
Senior analysts responsible for trusted dashboards, reporting and forecasting.
Professional progression
Experienced practitioners preparing for senior responsibility and future ChPP application.
Strong applicants can typically access
- Governance and assurance forums
- Integrated schedules, cost and risk information
- Programme or portfolio reporting
- Senior stakeholders and decision-makers
- PMO or controls improvement opportunities
- Workplace evidence suitable for professional reflection
Chartered ambition needs evidence
APM expects applicants to be professionally active, current in practice and able to demonstrate experience across projects, programmes, portfolios or key control and enabling functions.
The professional-development architecture
Seven internal pathway components
The Chartered Pathway brings together the four-module Certified PMO Professional Level 6 programme and three specialist development components. Final sequencing, duration and included external assessments are confirmed in the learner's written offer and training plan.
Certified PMO Professional Level 6
A 16-month, four-module KBC programme recognised by APM as technical-knowledge evidence for ChPP Pathway 2.
1. PMO governance
Purpose, operating models, assurance, decision rights and benefits oversight.
2. Integrated controls
Scope, schedule, cost, resources, EVM, forecasting and change.
3. Risk, issue and quality
Uncertainty, escalation, quality assurance and continuous improvement.
4. Stakeholders and reporting
Influence, communication, executive reporting and benefits narrative.
Specialist development
5. AI in Project Controls
Governed AI workflows, data models, dashboards and human approval.
6. Portfolio Management
Strategic alignment, prioritisation, balancing, benefits and portfolio governance.
7. Earned Value Management
Performance measurement, forecasting, trend interpretation and corrective action.
Internal pathway units
The source pathway uses the term “credit” for each component. These are KBC internal pathway units and are not regulated higher-education credits unless a separate awarding-body document states otherwise.
Duration is individualised
Skills England publishes 48 months as the typical practical duration. Any shorter KBC schedule must remain realistic after prior learning, planned hours, employer release and full KSB coverage are considered.
Mandatory coverage: every apprentice must complete the full ST0845 occupational standard. Professional components can enrich delivery but cannot replace required Level 6 project-controls learning.
The complete ST0845 capability remains mandatory
Chartered project-controls capability
The pathway builds professional breadth without losing the technical depth expected from a Project Controls Professional.
Strategy and governance
Organisational strategy, controls procedures, plans, reporting frameworks and decision rights.
Scope and integrated baselines
Breakdown structures, coding, schedule, cost, risk, change and configuration.
Estimating and cost engineering
Basis of estimate, cost assurance, budget baselines, commitments, accruals and cash flow.
Planning and scheduling
Logic, critical path, resource loading, schedule assurance and scenario analysis.
Performance and forecasting
Progress rules, earned value, trends, productivity and out-turn forecasts.
Risk, quality and safety
Risk analysis, HSE, sustainability, quality assurance and continuous improvement.
Commercial and supply chain
Contracts, tenders, supplier performance and auditable information.
Data and digital controls
Software, data assurance, statistics, automation, modelling and responsible technology.
Leadership and professional conduct
Influence, coaching, integrity, impartiality, collaboration and accountability.
Chartered pathway lens
- Can the evidence withstand professional challenge?
- Are governance and assurance proportionate?
- How does controls information improve decisions?
- What professional judgement is being exercised?
- How is learning converted into measurable improvement?
Professional recognition is separate
The apprenticeship develops occupational competence. Certified PMO provides recognised technical-knowledge evidence. ChPP remains a separate professional award assessed independently by APM.
The recognised technical-knowledge component
Certified PMO Professional Level 6
A 16-month KBC professional programme for experienced project, PMO and project-controls practitioners. Four sequential modules develop governance, integrated controls, risk and quality, stakeholder leadership and evidence-based reporting.
Programme at a glance
Level 6 professional development
16
Indicative months across four modules.
4
Applied Level 6 modules.
2h
Live online teaching each week.
ChPP
Pathway 2 technical-knowledge recognition.
Assessment approach
Critical knowledge assessment, applied workplace portfolio and reflective commentary demonstrating Level 6 analysis, judgement and professional application.
Governance
Purpose, authority, assurance and value.
Controls
Planning, cost, schedule, EVM and change.
Risk and quality
Uncertainty, issues, assurance and learning.
Stakeholders
Influence, communication and reporting.
Core curriculum
- Supportive, controlling and directive PMO models
- Sponsors, boards, decision rights and accountability
- Predictive, agile and hybrid life-cycle governance
- Business cases, benefits and strategic alignment
- Stage-gates, assurance, reviews and lessons learned
- Ethics, compliance, inclusion and organisational culture
Applied evidence
Governance organogram, RACI, decision and escalation log, stage-gate template, assurance review and reflective commentary.
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate governance and authority critically.
- Analyse culture and working practices.
- Design proportionate PMO assurance.
- Tailor governance to context.
- Demonstrate ethical professional judgement.
Employer value
Clearer accountability, more consistent stage-gates, better decision records and a PMO operating model linked to strategic outcomes.
Workplace challenge: move the PMO from administrative coordination to a trusted governance and assurance function.
Core curriculum
- Requirements, scope, assumptions and configuration
- Integrated scope, schedule, cost, resources, risk and quality
- Logic, dependencies, duration estimating and critical path
- Budget baselines, cash flow and forecasting
- Planned Value, Earned Value, Actual Cost, CPI, SPI and EAC
- Change control, version integrity and decision support
Applied evidence
Work breakdown structure, logic network, baseline schedule, EVM status report, forecast and variance analysis, and change-control log.
Learning outcomes
- Critique integrated plan structure.
- Develop credible multi-phase schedules.
- Establish controlled baselines.
- Interpret cost and schedule performance.
- Protect baseline integrity through change control.
Employer value
More credible commitments, clearer early warning, stronger forecasts and disciplined management of change.
Workplace challenge: turn disconnected planning data into an integrated management system that decision-makers can trust.
Core curriculum
- Risk identification, ownership, appetite and escalation
- Qualitative and quantitative risk analysis
- Issue, defect and change distinctions
- Quality planning, assurance, control and acceptance
- Root cause analysis, lessons learned and Kaizen
- Leadership through uncertainty and disagreement
Applied evidence
Risk and issue register, risk response plan, bow-tie or Monte Carlo output, Quality Management Plan, audit evidence and lessons-learned log.
Learning outcomes
- Select proportionate analysis methods.
- Integrate risk, issues, quality and change.
- Challenge assumptions professionally.
- Design assurance and acceptance controls.
- Lead no-blame learning and improvement.
Employer value
Earlier risk visibility, clearer ownership, more consistent quality controls and reduced recurrence through disciplined learning.
Workplace challenge: create an environment in which concerns are surfaced early, analysed objectively and converted into action.
Core curriculum
- Power-interest, salience, influence and attitude analysis
- Trust, expectation management and difficult conversations
- Audience, message, channel, timing and feedback loops
- Status, exception, assurance and benefits reporting
- Vision, negotiation, emotional intelligence and persuasion
- Portfolio shaping, transition and trusted executive advice
Applied evidence
Stakeholder register, salience map, engagement plan, status or exception report, executive dashboard and engagement metrics.
Learning outcomes
- Compare stakeholder frameworks critically.
- Plan and implement engagement.
- Tailor communication to diverse audiences.
- Produce decision-focused reports.
- Advise leaders on alignment and benefits.
Employer value
Stronger stakeholder buy-in, clearer governance conversations and reports that explain meaning, options and decisions rather than data alone.
Workplace challenge: move from presenting data to shaping an evidence-based strategic narrative.
What you will develop
- Structured prompting for project-controls use cases
- Governed data models and quality controls
- n8n workflow and agent design
- AI-supported dashboards and reporting applications
- Meeting-to-action automation
- Human approval, audit trail and responsible-AI controls
Indicative outputs
Prompt library, workflow maps, governed data model, automation, dashboard, AI policy, API blueprint and applied capstone.
Strategic use cases
- Schedule and cost narrative drafting
- Risk and issue synthesis
- Controls data quality checks
- Executive reporting support
- Action tracking and evidence capture
- Scenario and trend communication
A KBC certificate
This is a Kent Business College certificate. It is not an APM, PMI, APMG or PeopleCert qualification and must not be presented as one.
Governance principle: AI supports professional judgement; it does not replace accountable review, data validation, decision rights or ethical responsibility.
Strategic alignment
Connect programmes and projects to organisational objectives, investment themes and value.
Prioritisation
Apply transparent criteria to select, sequence, defer or stop initiatives.
Portfolio balance
Balance risk, return, resource demand, change capacity and mandatory commitments.
Benefits
Strengthen ownership, measures, dependencies and benefits-realisation oversight.
Governance
Design portfolio decision forums, reporting cycles, tolerances and escalation routes.
Information
Build a credible portfolio view from project-controls, finance, risk and benefits evidence.
Indicative workplace outputs
- Portfolio definition and prioritisation model
- Investment scoring and decision criteria
- Portfolio dashboard and risk view
- Benefits and dependency map
- Governance and reporting framework
Current certification naming
PeopleCert currently presents the MoP scheme within the PRINCE2 Portfolio Management portfolio. Foundation and Practitioner are independently awarded and remain subject to current prerequisites and examination rules.
Catalogue control: do not describe Portfolio Management as an APMG award unless a current approval or contract supports that exact wording.
Core development
- Performance Measurement Baseline
- Planned Value, Earned Value and Actual Cost
- Schedule and cost performance indices
- Estimate at Completion and forecast interpretation
- Variance analysis, thresholds and management action
- Visualisation, governance and reporting
Indicative workplace outputs
EVM implementation plan, control-account structure, performance report, EAC analysis, variance narrative and recovery recommendation.
Foundation
Build a comprehensive understanding of EVM terminology, principles and methods.
Practitioner
Apply and tailor EVM effectively in a project environment and interpret performance evidence.
Independent award
APMG International awards the certification. Training, exam voucher, resit and registration arrangements are included only when confirmed in the learner's written offer.
Integration: EVM is most valuable when scope, schedule, cost, progress rules, data assurance and governance operate as one coherent control system.
Occupational assessment and future ChPP application
Two evidence journeys clearly separated
Apprenticeship assessment
The applicable ST0845 v1.1 assessment plan uses a technical work-based assignment with report, presentation and questioning, plus a professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence.
Gateway readiness
- Full practical period and required training complete
- Employer and provider confidence in occupational competence
- Required portfolio and evidence ready
- Assessment organisation and arrangements confirmed
Portfolio quality
Evidence should demonstrate authenticity, complexity, personal contribution, professional judgement, outcomes, reflection and confidentiality controls.
APM Pathway 2
For eligible professionals holding a recognised technical-knowledge assessment.
- Professional activity and current knowledge
- Relevant project, programme, portfolio or enabling-function experience
- Written professional-practice submission
- Recent CPD and two proposers
- Commitment to the APM Code of Professional Conduct
- Professional interview covering practice, ethics and professionalism
Recognition boundary
Certified PMO addresses recognised technical knowledge. It does not replace the separate professional-practice evidence and APM assessment required for ChPP.
Evidence strategy: workplace outputs should be designed to support occupational competence first. Where appropriate, they can also help the learner organise later professional-practice evidence, subject to APM requirements.
Live teaching, coaching and workplace application
How learning is delivered
Live
Tutor-led online learning and discussion.
Coach
Skills coaching and evidence planning.
Apply
Workplace projects, artefacts and reflection.
Review
Three-way progress and training-plan review.
The applied learning cycle
1
Prepare
Read, diagnose and frame the challenge.
2
Explore
Discuss concepts, evidence and options.
3
Apply
Create or improve workplace outputs.
4
Evidence and improve
Capture results, reflect and refine professional practice.
Indicative workplace outputs
PMO operating model, integrated baseline, risk and quality framework, portfolio dashboard, EVM report, AI workflow, assurance review, executive briefing and professional reflection.
Employer responsibilities
- Provide a productive, relevant role.
- Release the apprentice for paid off-the-job training.
- Provide suitable supervision and workplace opportunity.
- Support access to data, systems and stakeholders.
- Participate in progress reviews.
- Help protect confidentiality and approve evidence use.
Employer value
A stronger PMO, improved control confidence, better decision information, more disciplined assurance and a professional capable of influencing senior stakeholders.
Apprenticeship Service: the employer retains control of its account and approvals. KBC must never request the employer's login credentials.
Eligibility criteria
Could this fully funded apprenticeship be right for you?
Kent Business College completes a suitability and funding review before enrolment. Use this guide as an initial indication only.
UK resident for the past 3 years
You must have lived in the UK for the past 3 years.
Must not require sponsorship to work
Must hold a British Passport, Indefinite Leave to Remain, or Tier 2 visa with at least three years of UK residency.
Not enrolled in other government-funded training
Must not be enrolled in other government-funded training at the time of this programme.
Self-employed individuals are not eligible
Self-employed individuals are not eligible for DfE funding.
Paid employment in England
Normally 30+ hrs/week; minimum 16.
Employer based in England
Your employer must be based in England and registered with the Apprenticeship Service.
Spend at least 50% of working hours in England
You must spend at least 50% of your working hours within England.
This is an indication only and does not guarantee funding. Final eligibility is confirmed after a full suitability and funding review by Kent Business College.
Publication review July 2026
Sources, conditions and next steps
Primary sources
Skills England: Project Controls Professional ST0845 version 1.1; occupational duties, KSBs, 48-month typical duration, 835 minimum hours and £27,000 funding band.
Skills England assessment plan: technical work-based assignment, portfolio, professional discussion, gateway and grading requirements.
Apprenticeship Funding Rules 2026/27 Version 2: eligibility, recognition of prior learning, English and maths, training plans, funding and employer responsibilities.
KBC Certified PMO Professional Level 6 catalogue: four-module curriculum, 16-month programme design, live teaching and assessment approach.
Association for Project Management: recognised-assessment register and ChPP Pathway 2 eligibility and application process.
APMG International: Earned Value Management Foundation and Practitioner certification information.
PeopleCert: current Portfolio Management Foundation and Practitioner certification information.
Programme change
Funding rules, standard versions, professional certification names, exams, provider approvals and included benefits may change. The signed apprenticeship agreement, training plan, employer contract and learner offer take precedence.
Next step
Apply or book an information session
KBC will review your role, prior learning, employer support, funding eligibility and whether the Chartered Pathway is the most appropriate route.
Admissions and employer enquiries
office@kentbusinesscollege.org
kentbusinesscollege.com
Project Controls Professional Level 6 Chartered Pathway
ST0845 v1.1 Level 6 Chartered pathway
Information reviewed: 25 July 2026. Confirm the applicable standard version, funding year and professional-recognition position before enrolment.
