8 Years of AsTrE and 8 Achievements

AsTrE has been established for 8 years already! Time flies and this realisation made us consider what has been achieved during that time. Now we want to share some of our achievements. So what has been achieved in that time?

1. AsTrE move from a voluntary association bounded by a constitution to a Trade Association which resulted in a change to the constitution. Members are passionate about quality training and consulting and want to be distinguished in the market place.
2. AsTrE has undertaken the only Market Survey of project, programme and portfolio organisations of its kind. We surveyed members earlier this year and found some really interesting information about the market and the performance of the main exam institutes. This is going to be repeated on an ongoing basis.
3. APMG held a training day for AsTrE member organisations on the use of Social Media. This was a great help to those organisations that attended. It resulted in a communication plan being developed and a LinkedIn Profile being set up. We will be providing some interesting information there and welcome new contributors.
4. AsTrE campaigned for Axelos to understand the Affiliate Scheme better. This resulted in Axelos changing approach so that they were no longer going to make the changes which had been put forward to limit affiliations.
5. When PRINCE2 2017 was launched with new examinations AsTrE organised an information day with the Axelos Chief Examiner to help members understand the new examinations better. This has enabled Axelos member to ensure they have good insight to share with their trainees. The session was available virtually and recorded for members who could not be there in person.
6. The APM, APMG and Axelos all attend the AsTrE meetings regularly. This provides an opportunity for members to gain insight to the latest information and interact directly with these important organisations. The Agile Business Consortium has now agreed to attend in the future.
7. When PeopleCert were appointed by Axelos as the sole examination institute they attended meetings to provide a forum to discuss quality issues with members. AsTrE Officers also liaised with PeopleCert to provide a better understanding of how their proposals would impact members. This resulted in changes to the commercial terms offered by PeopleCert covering areas such as trainer sponsorship, shipping and fees.
8. AsTrE members have been appointed to important positions such as APM Registered Project Professional Assessors, Chartered Project Professional Assessors, APM Chair of Examiners, APM Lead Question Developer and APMG Accredited Consulting Organisation UK Representative, as well as significant commercial and public sector positions. This is recognition of the quality of members and their commitment to the profession.

Our aim for future years is to build on our achievements to date. The support of existing and new members to realise even greater benefits is critical to delivering for the membership. In turn, this delivers value for our clients which is the aim of every AsTrE member organisation.