Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what specific qualifications in project management are senior responsible owners required to have before being appointed.

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority Capability framework for Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) identifies typical qualifications and professional memberships but these are not mandated. The department does not centrally direct specific qualifications in project management for SROs but these are encouraged to be specified in individual job roles.

However, candidates for Government Major Projects Portfolio SRO roles are expected above all to demonstrate proven experience of managing high value/high profile projects and/or programmes.

Nonetheless, in a recent central recruitment campaign for 10 SROs the Department required candidates to hold one of the following professional qualifications or an equivalent: Managing Successful Programmes; Project Leadership Programme; Major Projects Leadership Academy; Prince2; APM Project Fundamentals.

On appointment, SROs are expected to complete the Major Projects Leadership Academy if they have not already done so.