By
Mark E. Mullaly, Builder.com
18/02/2003
URL:
http://www.zdnetasia.com/builder/manage/project/0,39045577,39114296,00.htm
In a North American context, the holy grail of project management certification
is currently the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation administered
by PMI. Whether the quest for the PMP is a noble pursuit or a quixotic fantasy
has been the focus of three of my columns on gantthead.com, as well as generating a
great deal of discussion online and in my e-mail inbox. The verdict so far:
Caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
While the PMP is a validation of
knowledge and experience, it is not a demonstration of competency. While the
premise of the PMP is that knowledge and experience will lead to competency, to
assume this as a universal rule is a dangerous practice. The PMP designation
itself is not an indication of how well someone manages projects but simply a
demonstration that they have a standardized level of knowledge and have worked
in the field of project management for a period of time.
This column sets
forth to explore alternative certifications. What are our other choices as
consumers? What value do these choices deliver, and do they in any way provide a
better measure of the effectiveness and suitability of a project manager to
perform their role?
What emerges from this exploration is a surprising
array of certification options, some of which are desirable and recommended and
others that represent a meandering detour to nowhere particularly valuable.
There is a great deal of work being done in the broader world to create
effective and meaningful tools for project manager certification, and as with
the PMP itself, it is necessary to choose those options that offer the most
value based upon our individual goals:
International
Project Management Association (IPMA)
The IPMA, formerly known as the
Internet (the reason for the name change being obvious to all), has—since
1987—worked to develop a truly international certification framework. As an
international body, IPMA coordinates efforts across its 30 national member
organizations, predominantly based in Europe. Each organization is responsible
for establishing its own national standards in the context of the baseline
standards defined by the IPMA (the IPMA Competency Baseline, or ICB) as well as
its own certification program, which is verified by the IPMA.
What is
unique about IPMA certification is that it has four discrete levels of
certification. The entry certification, the Certificated Project Management
Practitioner (Level D), is analogous to the PMP certification and certifies
experience and knowledge. Prerequisites for writing the exam are the provision
of a curriculum vitae and completion of a self-assessment. The three subsequent
levels—Certificated Project Management Professional (C), Certificated Project
Manager (B), and Certificated Project Director (A)—also require provision of
project references for completed projects and an interview with a review panel.
The two most senior levels also require the preparation of a project report.
Certification at level D has no time limit, while renewals must be received for
levels A, B, and C.
Australian Institute of Project
Management (AIPM)
The AIPM is the national project management
organization within Australia and has adopted the PMBOK as the basis of their
certification program. Like the IPMA, however, there are multiple levels of
certification that are tied directly into the Australian government's Australian
Qualifications Framework, a national program of qualification for all
post-secondary vocational training and education.
While based upon the
PMBOK, however, the AIPM designation is a demonstration of competency.
Candidates go through an assessment process where they must demonstrate the
successful application of the knowledge principles defined by each level to an
Assessor who works individually with the candidate. A second stage of review has
an independent Verifier validate that the assessment undertaken by the Assessor
was complete, appropriate, and met the defined standards. The base level of
certification is the Qualified Project Practitioner (QPP), which qualifies
participants as team members or project specialists. Subsequent designations are
the Registered Project Manager (RPM) and the Master Project Director
(MPD).
CompTIA Project+
I hesitated on
whether to include this in a survey of certifications and opted to do so more in
the interest of thoroughness than for any other reason. CompTIA is the Computing
Technology Industry Association, most commonly known for their A+ computer
service certifications that the technicians at your neighborhood computer store
have hanging on the wall. Introduced this year, the Project+ certification is
supposed to offer demonstration of "critical knowledge of business practices,
interpersonal skills and project management processes" (their words, not mine).
The certification consists solely of successfully completing an examination. It
is not based on any defined set of standards but simply four objectives that
define a basic set of knowledge. At best an entry-level certification, there is
no supporting experience requirement.
PMI's
Certified Associate in Project Management
No survey of alternative
certifications would be complete without at least mentioning the CAPM. Generally
regarded as "PMP-Lite," the CAPM certification is designed for project team
members who would typically rely on "experienced project management
practitioners for guidance, direction and approval" (their words again). The
certification process is similar, in that it requires demonstration of between
1,500 and 2,500 hours of "project management experience," as well as 23 hours of
education and successful passing of an examination.
What is important to
recognize, however, is that the PMP itself has the same requirement for "project
management experience," not actual experience managing projects. The PMP simply
requires demonstration of a significantly greater number of hours of experience.
Given the similarity between the requirements of the PMP and the CAPM, it
remains to be seen what role the CAPM will have in the
marketplace.
Interestingly, each of these certifications is available to
North American practitioners (although the logistics for the IPMA and AIPM
certifications may be a little bit more challenging, neither organization rules
out the possibility, however, and AIPM specifically allows for out-of-country
certifications). The IPMA and AIPM certifications in particular distinguish
themselves as evaluations of competency, rather than simply knowledge, and offer
two very different models that PMI would be well advised to investigate as a
framework to build on the PMP. My previous conclusion is still valid—let the
buyer beware. It never hurts to be an informed buyer, however.
More on ganttheadRelated content:
Project Management in Practice by Mark Mullaly
Studying for PMI Certification: Follow This Project Manager on
the Path to Certification by Donna Boyette
Certifiably IT? by Amber Nelson
Related discussions:
Importance of PMP Certification to a Potential Employer in
Today's Job Market
IT Project Management Certification in Project Management
Central
Mark Mullaly is
subject matter expert for the Project & Program Management department on
gantthead.com and the author of gantthead's "Project Management in Practice"
column.
