Qualification finder

Associate project manager

Key information

  1. Reference: OCC0310
  2. Date updated: 27/11/2025
  3. Level: 4
  4. Route: Business and administration
  5. Regulated occupation: No

Details of the occupational standard

Information Symbol

Higher Technical Qualification

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are designed to be delivered within a course of education. Some Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours may be more safely and reliably delivered in workplace settings, so may not be fully covered by the HTQ. Some qualifications will deliver additional content or added depth and breadth through, for example, use of specialist learning environments, work placements or innovative teaching methods. Check with the qualification provider if you require further information on coverage.

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in small, medium, and large organisations within the public, private and third sectors. Associate project managers work in all sectors such as government, retail, food and drink, infrastructure, education, charities, research, and banking. The working environment can vary from being in an office, on site, at client, and contactor’s locations and working remotely. 

The broad purpose of the occupation is to contribute to the successful delivery of a project, ensuring its scope and benefits are achieved as planned. They do this primarily by identifying, resourcing, scheduling, and monitoring the activities that need to happen in a certain sequence and timescale. They monitor the project objectives and milestones and adjust plans in accordance with evolving circumstances. 

Associate project managers are key to enabling organisations meet their business goals by successful project delivery. Projects can be large or small and deliver a required product that either creates something new or improves efficiency and effectiveness, such as designing and constructing a new motorway or implementing a new IT system. Projects are diverse in nature and could involve anything from banking through to construction. Many organisations deliver their own projects, using in-house associate project managers to work on scope they might be already familiar with. Some associate project manager’s work on a contract basis or for specialist organisations that deliver outsourced project work on behalf of clients.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of internal stakeholders including members of their own team and other departments such as IT, legal, finance, strategy, HR, operations, commercial, marketing, sustainability, senior management, and governing decision-making bodies. They also interact with a range of external stakeholders such as members of the public, investors, customers, regulators, suppliers, auditors, and partners. They will typically report to the Project Manager who ensures the delivery of the project scope.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for identifying, defining, and delivering some or all the aspects of a projects lifecycle within the limits set by the project manager. Associate project managers work on their own and in a range of team settings. 

They may contribute to the drafting of business cases that justify why a project is required. They will collaborate with stakeholders to negotiate and allocate project activities to members of the integrated project team.

The Associate project manager will be monitoring progress using relevant project tools and techniques and is also responsible for quality assuring work to completion. They will report on progress and adapt plans as needed. 

They will apply codes of practice, legislation, and regulation in respect of the organisation’s areas of operation. This will apply not only to legal and ethical responsibilities but will include the central placement of inclusion and sustainability. Associate project managers manage conflicting project and current political objectives such as net carbon zero, and risk management to influence successful outcomes.

They work within agreed budgets and available resources, and work without high levels of supervision, usually reporting to the project manager. They may occasionally be responsible for decision making, but more often will guide or influence the decisions of others.

They must also escalate project issues beyond the scope of their role or when they identify significant project risks and issues. 

They analyse and incorporate lessons learned into future project management and to keep their project skills up to date. 

They contribute to overall project aims in line with customer requirements.

They will understand how their role supports the wider organisation and project structure. 

 

Occupation duties

Duty KSBs
Duty 1 Support the project team in delivering the lifecycle of a project.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K8 K12 K15 K30 K31
S1 S2 S3 S5 S6 S18 S19 S23
B2 B3 B5
Duty 2 Review, analyse, and provide feedback on a business case to ensure the project remains valid.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K13 K14 K15 K23 K27 K28 K29 K30
S1 S2 S3 S5 S6 S9 S19 S24 S25
B2 B4 B5
Duty 3 Contribute to and deliver elements of the stakeholder engagement process to commence and progress project delivery, and collaborate with stakeholders to communicate the project plan.
K4 K11 K12 K14 K15 K30
S2 S3 S4 S5 S11 S19
B1 B2 B4 B5
Duty 4 Develop, update, and continually review, relevant sections of the project scope document.
K11 K15 K19 K30
S6 S7 S10 S19 S25
B1 B2 B4 B5
Duty 5 Prepare documents or diagrams which illustrate and deliver the key milestones and stages of a project schedule.
K13 K15 K21 K30 K31
S1 S3 S7 S12 S19 S22
B1 B2 B4 B5
Duty 6 Plan the resources required to deliver a project or the activities within the project.
K6 K8 K15 K16 K17 K21 K22 K24 K30
S6 S7 S12 S17 S18 S19 S26
B1 B2 B4 B5
Duty 7 Use quality management systems to ensure that project delivery meets legislative and local requirements.
K4 K15 K16 K17 K27 K28 K30
S15 S23
B1 B3 B5
Duty 8 Identify and manage risks and opportunities, to drive the successful delivery of the project.
K2 K4 K15 K23 K30
S4 S5 S7 S13 S14 S24
B3 B4 B5
Duty 9 Contribute to the production and presentation of the key project documents through governance to gain approval.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K7 K15 K16 K17 K30 K31
S1 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S12 S18 S19 S20
B3 B4
Duty 10 Monitor and report on budget forecast, spend and variance.
K6 K15 K17 K18 K20 K25 K30
S1 S4 S8 S21 S26
B1 B4 B5
Duty 11 Collate, analyse, and report on data relating to project performance.
K15 K16 K17 K20 K26 K30 K31
S1 S7 S8 S19 S21 S24
B1 B5
Duty 12 Monitor performance trends and process change controls to support the management of project scope.
K11 K12 K15 K20 K30
S7 S8 S10 S22 S25
B1 B2 B4 B5
Duty 13 Review the project and report on lessons learned which contribute to continuous improvement for future project delivery.
K15 K16 K17 K26 K30
S1 S3 S4 S11 S16 S18 S19 S25
B4 B5
Duty 14 Contribute to the project objectives and key performance indicators which drive and improve performance and sustainability goals.
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K13 K15 K16 K17 K21 K26 K27 K28 K30
S3 S4 S5 S6 S11 S16 S19
B2 B3 B4 B5
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Required knowledge

    Required skill

      Required behaviour

        KSBs

        Knowledge

        K1: The differences between projects and business as usual. Back to Duty

        K2: The importance of alignment between the project and organisational objectives. Back to Duty

        K3: The interdependencies between project, programme, and portfolio management. Back to Duty

        K4: Techniques used to understand the project context, such as PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental), SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) or VUCA (velocity, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity). Back to Duty

        K5: The need and benefit of the project governance structure, requirements, and process and the impact on their role. Back to Duty

        K6: The differences and comparative benefits between functional, matrix and project structures. Back to Duty

        K7: Different roles and responsibilities within a project environment. Back to Duty

        K8: The differences and comparative benefits between linear, iterative and hybrid life cycle approaches. Back to Duty

        K9: Importance, content, and purpose of a business case. Back to Duty

        K10: Approaches to the maintenance of a business case and the management of the benefits which will be achieved upon the successful delivery of the project. Back to Duty

        K11: The purpose, format, and significance of the project management plan. Back to Duty

        K12: Methods used to define, record, integrate, deliver, and manage scope. Back to Duty

        K13: The identification, analysis, and management of stakeholders. Back to Duty

        K14: Communication techniques and approaches to interact with stakeholders to meet their requirements. Back to Duty

        K15: The use of information management. Back to Duty

        K16: Techniques for managing conflict and negotiation. Back to Duty

        K17: Techniques for working collaboratively within a team and with stakeholders. Back to Duty

        K18: How and when to apply different estimating methods. Back to Duty

        K19: Configuration management and change control. Back to Duty

        K20: The principles of earned value management (EVM) and the interpretation of EVM information. Back to Duty

        K21: Project scheduling and maintenance, including critical path analysis. Back to Duty

        K22: Allocation and management of resources throughout the project life cycle. Back to Duty

        K23: Principles of project risk and issue management. Back to Duty

        K24: Procurement strategies and processes that are both ethical and sustainable. Back to Duty

        K25: The role and purpose of quality requirements, planning and control in a project environment. Back to Duty

        K26: Principles for evaluating project success, including how lessons learned are captured and can impact future project delivery. Back to Duty

        K27: Relevant regulations and legislation such as data protection, and how they impact on their role. Back to Duty

        K28: The impact of project objectives and how to respond to challenges around sustainability and the UK Government’s policy to achieve net carbon zero. Back to Duty

        K29: Principles of conducting project management activities which are ethical and inclusive. Back to Duty

        K30: Technology and software used in the performance of project management activities. Back to Duty

        K31: Presentation tools and techniques. Back to Duty

        Skills

        S1: Use project monitoring and reporting techniques to track, interpret and report on performance. Back to Duty

        S2: Manage and engage with stakeholders. Back to Duty

        S3: Influence and negotiate with others to create a positive outcome for the project. Back to Duty

        S4: Resolve conflict as and when required with stakeholders within limits of responsibility. Back to Duty

        S5: Adapt communications to different stakeholders. Back to Duty

        S6: Communicate and support the project vision, to ensure buy in to the project objectives. Back to Duty

        S7: Collate and analyse information and provide input to support negotiations relating to project objectives. Back to Duty

        S8: Monitor and analyse project budgets. Back to Duty

        S9: Review and provide feedback on a project business case to ensure the project remains valid. Back to Duty

        S10: Apply change control processes to support the management of project scope. Back to Duty

        S11: Evaluate an integrated project management plan to provide recommendations on areas for improvement. Back to Duty

        S12: Prepare, monitor, and schedule activities that contribute to the delivery of the overall project schedule and objectives. Back to Duty

        S13: Evaluate and make recommendations on the risk management plan to threats to delivery and recommend solutions. Back to Duty

        S14: Identify and monitor project risks and issues; and plan and implement responses to them. Back to Duty

        S15: Deliver a Quality Management Plan which contributes to quality control processes. Back to Duty

        S16: Use an organisation’s continual improvement process including lessons learned to improve performance. Back to Duty

        S17: Support the preparation or maintenance of a resource management plan for project activities. Back to Duty

        S18: Work with stakeholders to deliver the project. Back to Duty

        S19: Use digital tools and software to meet project objectives for example research, collaboration, presentations, and resolution of problems. Back to Duty

        S20: Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process. Back to Duty

        S21: Work within the approved project budget. Back to Duty

        S22: Ensure that integrated schedules support critical path analysis, interface management, resource forecasting and risk management. Back to Duty

        S23: Apply relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice, and ethical guidance where appropriate to their work. Back to Duty

        S24: Use data to inform decisions on actions to take to mitigate risks on project. Back to Duty

        S25: Use configuration management and change control to schedule and maintain projects. Back to Duty

        S26: Manages resources through the project lifecycle. Back to Duty

        Behaviours

        B1: Works flexibly and adapts to circumstances. Back to Duty

        B2: Works collaboratively and builds strong relationships with others across the organisation and external stakeholders. Back to Duty

        B3: Has accountability and ownership of their tasks and workload. Back to Duty

        B4: Operates professionally with integrity and confidentiality. Back to Duty

        B5: Seeks learning opportunities and continuous professional development. Back to Duty

        Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in MedTech for England

        Awarding body: Pearson Education Ltd

        Qualification type: HTQ Qualification level: 5 Qualification approved: 28/10/2025
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