PM Certification: An Opportunity

and An Invitation

A. I am a Program Manager (field based)B. I am a Project Manager (field based)C. I am NOT a Program/Project Manager, but work on Project Teams (field based)D. HQ StaffE. Other

Conceptual Design

Initiating Processes

Planning Processes

Executing Processes

Closing Processes

Monitoring and Controlling

The Integrated Project Life Cycle

GOAL: Beneficiaries Receive Optimum Value From Project Investments

Professional Certification

Face2Face Moldova

Face2FaceKampala

Face2FacePhilippines

Online Course

Face2Face

Humphrey

FellowsFace2Face

AfghanScholars

MultipleWebinars

Over 200 international PM15 international NGOs

40 countries

Why Certification?

LondonFeedback

Will this be an enabler or a barrier to National Staff?

Will it cost too much at this time?

Will senior management support it at this time?

What about experienced people – can they “test out”?

Why certification now – given limited resources?

Will organizations be willing to accept a new standard?

Certification Criteria

1

2

3

Syllabus Areas • The Integrated Project Life Cycle• Project Identification and Conceptual Design• Project Initiation• Project Planning• Project Implementation• Project Monitoring and Control• End of Project Transition

Project Identification and Conceptual Design

• ID 02 – Understand the tools used to identify stakeholders in terms of project dependency, risk and power

• ID 11 - Understand the uses of the logical framework• ID 12 – Recall the facts, terms and concepts related to

the key project parameters described in the logical framework, including

- objective statements- indicators - means of verification - assumptions

Project Planning• PL 02 - Compare and contracts Project Proposals

and Project Implementation Plans in terms of purpose, content, audience and process.

• PL 04 - Within the context of a discussion of scope management, compare and contrast the Project Logframe and the Work Breakdown Structure.

• PL 05 - Within the context of a discussion of time management, explain the steps required to develop a project Gantt Chart

QuestionsWhat ideas do you have to assure broad organizational participation as we move forward with the certification initiative?

And what ideas do you have to gain broad individual participation as well?

OGC Product Portfolio

PRINCE2 ® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce.

ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries M_o_R® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries

MSP™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce

P30 ® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce. P3M3™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce”

Non-OGC Product Portfolio

The APMG Swirl Service Catalogue Device is a Trade Mark of APM Group Ltd

Roles and Responsibilities• Scheme owner

• Technical expertise

• Qualification and delivery expertise

• Development funding support• Independent scheme

administrator• Assist in the development of

best practice

APMG’s Role cont…• Maintain quality control and set standards• Work with UNDP• Deliver exams in developing economies• Have exams sat in over 150 countries• Have exams translated into 17 languages; English, French, Dutch,

German, Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Castilian Spanish, Danish, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Polish, Swedish.

• Six tiered pricing structure which prices exams according to local affordability in country

• Currently working with a number of different sectors on new opportunities

APMG Brings

• Delivery mechanism– On line exams– Simplifying the exam process

• Experience– PRINCE2

• Working in partnership• Global Standard• Continually reviewed

– NFER• Question standard setting• Validated by

PRINCE2 Development

• Started developing PRINCE2 on behalf of OGC in 1993 with the first exams sat in 1996 with a staff of 3

• In 1999 we celebrated if 20 exams were taken in a week

• Now have over 3000 exams sat globally every week in 15 different subjects

PRINCE2 Worldwide Foundation Exams

The story of the scheme so far

Continuing

Updating &

ReviewQualificationDevelopm

ent

AccreditationITDevelopment

Com

mun

icatio

ns

IdeaDevelopment

• Chris Cattaway

• Syllabus• Question Bank• Pilot• Translations

• Assessors• Training material• Trainers

• Website• Question & Candidate Database• On-line exams & certificates

• News articles/webinars/Linkedin/twitter/blogs• Marketing material• Launch

Any Questions

Syllabus On Web

Materials will be available from

PM4NGOs

Training providers encouraged to offer prep

courses

Sample exams

www.pm4ngos.orgpm4ngos groups on LinkedIn & Facebook

Level One Learning and Prep Resources

On-line courses

Level One Certification Process

Online registration and

online exam:•60-90 mins•75-100 Multiple Choice questions

Exam Pricing•international staff $120•national staff $50•local NGOs $20

•Employer attests exam conditions respected•Immediate feedback & certificate e-mailed

PMD Pro 2 &3(Available 2010)

• Contextualised (PM4NGOs & APMG)– Accessible and affordable

• Industry-standard certifications– APMG exams affordable for nationals and local

NGOs in developing countries– Exams at existent exam centres– Discussing with other awarding bodies

• Experience Assessment (PM Pro3)– e-mail & online submission, interview online or

Skype etc

• Renewal– Comparable to renewal and CPD requirements of

industry standard certifications

http://www.apmg-exams.com/NGOFSstart.asp!!!Sample Exam Available Online Now!!!

Sample Question

Instant Feedback

More LondonFeedback

Why do experienced NGO people needPrince2 or PMI certification?

Need to get the donors to the table

Who will own the certification – private or common license?

Make training free and charge for certification

Training more important than certification

How do people with no access to internet taking the online exam?

Our Vision

More • options for learning and preparation• accessible examinations• payment methods• languages• industry-standard schemes included

• community of practice, webinars, peer-peer learning, coaching & mentoring

• standard maintained through Continuous Improvement and involvement of practitioners

QuestionsWhat challenges can you see to organizations adopting a project management certification?

What ideas do you have to overcome those challenges?