This article will delve into the Project Management Institute or PMI. The Project Management Institute is a non-profit professional membership association for project management professionals throughout the world that want to bolster their careers and further improve organizational success. The PMI achieves this through, amongst others, a multitude of certifications, globally recognized standards, and professional development opportunities.
The PMI offers a total of 8 certifications of varying degrees and diverse project management disciplines. The most popular of these certifications, and the certifications covered in this article, are the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP), Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP), and PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP).
The Certified Associate in Project Management is an entry-level certification for professionals interested in the project management field. Although this certification is not as widely recognized as its counterpart, the PMP certification, it is a valuable certification designed for those with little or no project experience. Such as students, recent graduates, or project management professionals wishing to garner skills necessary for managing more substantial projects. The prerequisites that candidates must meet to be eligible for this certification can be found here[1] .
While the CAPM is geared towards individuals looking to enter into the field of project management, the PMP requires a formidable knowledge base related to project management and the experience to go along with it. The Project Management Professional certification is considered the standard to which all other project management certifications are held. This certification is geared towards project management professionals that want to gain valuable knowledge, professional credibility, and advance their careers. While the general assumed consensus is that candidates for the PMP must be project managers before applying, the Project Management Institute states that “Even if ‘project manager’ isn’t part of your title, the PMP applies to anyone who helps bring a project to completion[2] ”. Although this may broaden the pool of candidates slightly, there are still rigorous prerequisites that candidates must meet to qualify for the PMP Exam. Those prerequisites can be found here[1].
If the PMP is geared towards candidates with a formidable knowledge base, then the Program Management Professional (PgMP) is geared towards seasoned professionals with a vast amount of “Program Management” experience. The stark differences between PMP and PgMP stem from the words “Project” and “Program”. These words dictate the nature of management experience the candidate must have to be eligible. The PMP requires candidates to have project management experience in managing a single project. In contrast, the much more stringent PgMP requires candidates to have program management experience, which translates to the capability to successfully manage multiple, related projects that span over various functions or organizations. The advanced difficulty of the tasks required of PgMP candidates directly corresponds to the difficulty in achieving the prerequisites, which can be found here[3].
Further on down the list of certifications is the Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP). Individuals who have managed to achieve this certification have displayed their advanced competency in the coordinated management of one or more portfolios. Individuals with this certification are highly sought after, and rightfully so, as PMI records that organizations with mature project portfolio management practices complete 35 percent more of their programs successfully. The prerequisites that candidates must meet to be eligible for this certification can be found here[4].
The last certification covered is the PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP). The PMI-SP is geared towards individuals that have advanced knowledge and experience in developing, managing, and maintaining project schedules. The specialized nature of this certification makes it a highly sought after for organizations with a great deal of need in the planning and scheduling department. The prerequisites that candidates must meet to be eligible for this certification can be found here[5].
Throughout the world, organization strive to supplement their employee base with professionals that have distinguished themselves with PMI certifications as well as certifications from other organizations. Each certification shows an advanced level of knowledge, experience, as well as a determination to excel. And that is why Pioneer International Project Management Consultant has various professionals with a multitude of certifications, including PMP certifications and PMI-SP certifications.
[1] https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/certified-associate-capm
[2]https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/project-management-pmp
[3] https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/program-management-pgmp
[4] https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/portfolio-management-pfmp
