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Author: Sarah Clements | Total views: 73 Comments: 0
Word Count: 1004 Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 5:36 AM

We Know You Are Experienced But Are You Qualified?

Many contractors are increasingly hearing this question when they interview for project management roles. Over the last few years, many organisations have become extremely selective in who they appoint in contractor roles. Unlike the late 1990s when there were not enough staff to go about, organisations have realised that they are now the ones with the power, and can therefore choose the best whilst still keeping rates low. Even as the market picks up there is no slowdown in the appetite for professionally qualified staff.

There are a number of project management qualifications in existence, all with their own structures, approaches and acronyms. This article will attempt to lead you through the maze of acronyms and enable you to select a route that is right for you.

PRINCE2
PRINCE2 was launched in 1996 by The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in partnership with the APM Group who have developed and managed the accreditation of PRINCE2. The APM Group was established in 1993 as the trading arm of the Association for Project Management and became an independent organisation in 2000. The APM Group has offices in The Netherlands, China and Australia with new offices opening in America and India by the end of the year. PRINCE2 examination material has been translated into 9 languages with 16, 000 people taking a PRINCE2 exam in the first five months of 2005.

PRINCE stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments and is a structured method for effective project management and has become the UK's de facto standard for organising, managing and controlling projects. It is a generic, best-practice approach for the management of all types of projects. It has a reputation as a highly effective, process-based approach to structuring and organising project delivery.

PRINCE2 has been adopted as the method of choice by the Government, a large number of Local Authorities and also by the National Health Service. Commercial organisations are also keen users of PRINCE2 and are often required to use it if they want to work with any Government agencies.

The use of PRINCE2 has leapt from the domain of the public sector and firmly implanted itself in the private sector. The use of the methodology is broad, both in terms of its reach across IT, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Construction, Media, Communications and Health; and in terms of its global reach across the UK, Netherlands, China, South Africa and Australia. PRINCE2 exams have been held in over 60 countries to date.

There are two levels of PRINCE2 qualification. Foundation level indicates to employers that you have knowledge of the structure and terminology of the method. Practitioner indicates that you have understanding of the method and how to apply it to different project situations. The examinations are open to all and are recognised by UKAS, the UK Accreditation Service.

PMI
The Project Management Institute was founded in 1969 in the United States. It has developed a Member Code of Ethics for those involved in project management, and administers project management training and certification. The Institute claims a membership of more than 200,000 in 125 countries, covering a variety of different professions. The Institute aims to provide a controlled, integrated approach to project management through the certification, education, research, awards, publications and professional standards that it administers.

The PMI methodology is contained in its publication "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK). The PMBOK splits project management into five Process Groups and nine Knowledge Areas. The Process Groups cover initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing a project. The Knowledge Areas describe the additional skills that project managers need to help them to manage a specific project. These include cost management, quality management and procurement management.

The key qualification offered by PMI is the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. To achieve this level of certification candidates must possess educational qualifications, have at least 3 years experience and pass a four-hour, 200-question examination.

PMI have also introduced the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) qualification for aspiring project managers or those in other roles. CAPM candidates must first meet specific education and experience requirements and then pass an examination.

APM Body of Knowledge
The Association for Project Management focuses on the UK and is the largest independent professional body of its kind in Europe. It has over 14,000 individual and 350 corporate members throughout the UK and abroad. APM's focus is to promote and develop project management across all industries and sectors through activities including qualifications, accredited training, research, publications and events. The APM has sixteen regional branches throughout the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The qualifications offered by the APM are based around the APM Body of Knowledge that covers the forty-nine areas of knowledge required to manage any successful project. There are 4 levels of qualification.

The first level is the APM Introductory Certificate, which is designed for those wanting to understand the principles of project management. Approximately 3000 candidates are qualified at this level.

The second level is the APM Professional (APMP) that demonstrates the fundamental knowledge of what is required to manage a successful project. It is a knowledge based foundation level qualification enabling you to participate in projects ranging from individual assignments to large capital projects. Approximately 3000 delegates are qualified at this level.

The third level is the APM Practitioner Qualification, for Project Managers, Project Co-coordinators and Team Leaders with more than three years experience managing non-complex projects.

The fourth and final level, the Certificated Project Manager recognizes the competence and ability of an individual to effectively manage significant projects or programmes of change. Approximately 250 candidates are registered at this level.

Overall, all the qualifications mentioned above are valuable as certification will increase your knowledge and act as signal to prospective employers that you are capable of doing the job at hand. In terms of marketability in the UK job market PRINCE2 is certainly the most widely used and recognized.