A conversation with Kevin Morgan…
Kevin Morgan, Principal Planning Engineer at Careys, recently studied for, and passed, the APM PMQ with the assistance of Parallel’s bespoke AI tool, and other study resources and support. Here he talks about his experience.
Introduction
Kevin Morgan’s current role is as a Principal Planning Engineer for Careys. He has been in the construction & engineering industry for just over 20 years. He started his career with a temporary job at Balfour Beatty, the UK-based international infrastructure group, but was soon offered a permanent role and spent 4 years there followed by 2 more years working for another main contractor. This was followed by 12 years with a consultancy firm before joining the Careys Group over two years ago. His role at Careys, which is a family-owned construction business, includes both project planning and project controls, and he works, as he has done throughout his career, alongside project managers.
Kevin is also an APM mentor and is passionate about upskilling project professionals or aspiring project managers in order to educate the younger generation that’s coming through because that will make them better at their job, which in turn will help their projects and, therefore, their company.
Reasons to study for the APM PMQ
Many project planners come from an engineering background in the construction industry which is a great foundation for how to build projects, but not necessarily how that relates to project management. Studying for the APM PMQ not only improved my knowledge on project management but also adds to my CV for the long term. Anyone working in a project environment can benefit from understanding how projects are managed and how their role plays a part in this.
Listen to Kevin talk about studying for the APM PMQ…
Kevin talks some more about his role…
I often refer to a Venn diagram I use to explain the three core roles of a planner, where you are expected to be able to fulfil each role at different times. These roles require different skill sets and planners typically have a preference based upon their likes and strengths. The three areas include:
- Tender planning
- Delivery planning
- Delay Analysis Planning
I’ve typically always focused on the delivery phase of planning because that is the area I enjoy most and that plays to my strengths. I’m very focused on how to deliver a project more efficiently and more effectively whilst also being the best sort of all round planner for the team/s I’m working with.
I’ve been a member of the APM, and actively involved, since 2010. The reason I’ve stayed with the APM is because it’s a way to set myself apart in the work environment. The APM is where I naturally fit and is the reason I’ve always wanted to do the APM PMQ. I know some project directors and project managers who recommended APM PMQ as very worthwhile. However, I realised that if you do PRINCE2 first you can do a shorter exam and I wanted both qualifications for my own self-recognition and sense of achievement. So, I did the PRINCE2 course and exam first – back in 2021 – then found the opportunity to get back into studying again in 2024.
This was all part of my new career development approach. I had 20 years’ experience as a project planner but wanted a way to demonstrate that with industry recognised qualifications. I also wanted to make sure I learned something along the way. I’ve done plenty of courses over the years and am always on the look-out for at least one thing that can transform my mindset or improve things. I have the same mentality in the courses I run as an internal trainer for Careys as well. No matter how much experience you’ve got when you go on a course there’s often just one little thing that’s new, and that is often a gem of information that can make a real, practical difference.
AI tools and resources for the APM PMQ from Parallel
The background context to using Parallel’s bespoke AI tool as part of the study program for the APM PMQ is that Parallel’s own study guide has been loaded into the tool. That means you can get the AI tool (which is based on ChatGPT) to ask you questions and then check your answers and explain things to you.
When Kevin first started studying for the APM PMQ, he observed that the APM’s Body of Knowledge is a great resource but was concerned that there’s a lot more you need to know to apply the theory to real projects. This is where a combination of the APM Body of Knowledge, Parallel’s study guide, Parallel’s APM PMQ distance learning course and the AI tool can provide benefit. You actually have to use the AI tool as just another resource to improve your knowledge rather than look for definitive answers from it. After all AI is just one of several resources when you’re studying on a course.
Even for a seasoned project planner like Kevin Morgan with 20 years’ of experience applying his knowledge to real world projects, there was knowledge he needed to gain about specific models and terminology in order to pass the tough APM PMQ exam. As an example, a model for risk identification has a defined number of steps that you have to follow and you have to understand the right wording to, for instance, identify the missing step in any given model.
As the course progressed, he realised where his knowledge on the models and the phrasing needed improving, which was where the study guide came in most useful.
As his PMQ-specific knowledge improved, he needed the AI tool less for learning the material, but used it as part of his daily routine to embed a consistent study pattern.
For the 6 – 8 weeks leading up to the exam, Kevin tried to test himself every day on each of the four types of questions in the exam. This consistency helped maintain his exam answer accuracy with regular feedback from the AI tool.
Of all the study resources: the AI tool, distance learning resources, the tutorials, the study guide and mock exam, Kevin personally found all of the resources helpful at different times and in different situations. The study guide was very useful because he could pick that up whenever he had time – he didn’t need the internet. Equally, the AI tool could give feedback on whether his test answers were right. It gave him the ability to improve his exam technique and, in turn, his confidence to pass the exam. Which he did with flying colours – he was the first person to pass the APM PMQ using Parallel’s AI tool as part of his course of study.
Final thoughts from Kevin Morgan
Some transport and infrastructure organisations now require their project managers to have, or be prepared to study for, the APM PMQ certification as an industry standard. Kevin believes this is a good step forward for the profession because it’s setting the bar at a minimum knowledge level. Of course, you need a good balance of the theory and the experience in the project profession to deliver projects successfully, but having a ‘common’ language and understanding of processes can improve project delivery across industries.
When training others on planning and controls within Careys, whether they are engineers or construction managers, Kevin has the ethos that project managers are typically the future of the business, and planning is at the heart of project delivery and success. So, for anyone interested in becoming a project manager, he would 100% recommend the APM PMQ over PRINCE2, because PRINCE2 is about one method, whereas the APM is an all-round approach. If your organisation is utilising PRINCE2 then this may be different. However, having the APM PMQ provides good all-round knowledge on what is required when either working on or managing projects.
And, as Kevin said,
“This new AI tool from Parallel gave me the ability to practise the exam questions over and over, which really did make a difference. It gets you into that mindset of exams and provides more experience doing mock exams. It gives you the confidence to overcome your fear of an exam. It’s the fear of the exam that can be a stumbling block for some people.”
