Quality specialist group: News

Delivering real stakeholder value

Interested in starting your own business or are you simply looking to gain transferable skills to help you secure that well paid role? Then please register for the upcoming courses at the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, just off The Strand, London.

These courses are suitable for anyone involved in a project or thinking about starting their own business; for example, a Tech Start-up, Social Enterprise or something in another sector. The courses would also be suitable for anyone interested in ‘Agile’ Project Management and seeking to enhance their CV.

Those attending will gain transferable skills in Project Management. In particular learn how to gather project requirements effectively, quantify these objectives and present them in a format suitable for Funders and Investors. Thereby making it easier for grant giving bodies and investors to make decisions about which projects to fund. In addition, they will also learn how to design solutions that will deliver their Stakeholder’s stated objectives, ensuring that their project is delivered on time and on budget.

No programming code is involved, although the ability to research your project or business idea is essential. As is the ability to participate in group discussions about the viability of project objectives, as well as the strategies and design solutions needed to achieve these goals.

The cost of the courses starts from £11.19 for BCS Members and £53.57 for Non-members, inclusive of VAT and a booking fee. Refreshments are provided throughout the day. Please note that joining the BCS may be more cost effective as Student membership is available for £37 per year or £57 for four years. For Student membership, as well as other types of membership please visit: https://www.bcs.org/membership/become-a-member/

The next series of courses are scheduled for September 2018, details about each course and instructions on how to register are provided at the end of this article. Places are limited, so please book as soon as possible.

The courses are sponsored jointly by the BCS Quality Specialist Group and Young Professionals Group. They are led by Tom Gilb HonFBCS, a Consultant who has a proven track record of delivering successful projects on time and on budget. Tom Gilb has been referred to at the 'Father of Agile' and is providing his services pro bono. More details about Tom Gilb and his work can be found at: www.gilb.com

Tom Gilb reported in his courses that students from Imperial College successfully used his project management methodology to secure more than $1 million in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Their project, Loowatt, provides sustainable sanitation solutions for the world’s population that live in water-scarce regions. The project and the impact it has had in places such as Madagascar are detailed on their website: www.loowatt.com

Professor Margaret Ross MBE
Vice Chair, BCS Quality specialist group