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Description

Portfolio and Programme Management: Selecting Projects, Arbitrating and Tracking Benefits

Two days to move from an inherited list of projects to a portfolio that is chosen, arbitrated and actively steered

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • All levels
  • Up to 6 participants

Projects pile up without anyone genuinely deciding which of them deserve resources. Every department pushes its own. The same experts are committed ten times over. Trade-offs are made in crisis meetings and projects are stopped far too late, after consuming most of their budget.

These 14 hours address the governance of a set of projects rather than the personal organisation of a project manager. Participants build selection criteria, a consolidated dashboard and a periodic arbitration process. The distinction between a portfolio and a programme is examined, together with the tracking of expected benefits after delivery.

Learning objectives

  • Distinguish portfolio steering from programme steering
  • Establish criteria for selecting and prioritising projects
  • Build a consolidated dashboard that senior management can read
  • Organise an arbitration committee and prepare the decisions it owns
  • Track expected benefits beyond project delivery
  • Decide to stop a project that no longer delivers on its promises

What makes this programme different

A selection matrix built from the organisation's real priorities
An arbitration committee simulated with departments each defending their own projects
Explicit treatment of project termination, a decision rarely supported by proper tools

Programme

1Portfolio, Programme and Project

Three objects, three logics

  • Respective purposes and decision scopes
  • Roles of the portfolio manager and the programme director
  • Alignment with the organisation's strategy
  • Conditions for a successful implementation

2Selection and Prioritisation

Choosing where resources go

  • Alignment, value and risk criteria
  • Comparative assessment of heterogeneous projects
  • Taking delivery capacity into account
  • Building a prioritised list that can be defended

3Resources and Arbitration

Fitting projects within real capacity

  • Available capacity and commitments already made
  • Detecting overloads by skill
  • Deferral and cancellation scenarios
  • Preparing and chairing the arbitration committee

4Consolidated Steering and Benefits

Tracking what projects actually deliver

  • Consolidated dashboard and early warning indicators
  • Periodic portfolio review
  • Deciding to stop a project in difficulty
  • Tracking benefits after delivery

Who is it for

Project directors, programme managers, members of a project management office and operational directors responsible for a set of projects.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.