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asapm's Extra Credit program has been available for just over two months now, and it is driving record downloads of our USA National Competence Baseline for PM. Not wanting to miss out on the excitement, I decided to join the rush. But first, some background.
Extra Credit allows PM Practitioners who meet certain criteria to conveniently achieve IPMA-D, asapm's Certified Project Associate designation. Normally earned by passing a knowledge-based exam that includes multiple-choice and essay questions (that help to probe true grasp), qualified Extra Credit applicants pay a nominal fee, and then submit a critique of one element in the USA-NCB. That critique can praise an NCB topic that is too-often ignored in other documents, identify inaccuracies or missing items, or offer other suggestions for improvement. asapm's semi-autonomous Certification organization will review those critiques and make suggested improvements in the next update of the NCB.
So why did I apply for Extra Credit, especially when I already have another certification in Project Management?
a. A Foundation for Further Competence Development: The IPMA-D PM certification is based on a knowledge-based exam, as some others are. And, its use of open-ended essay questions as the majority of the score may be more difficult to score, but offers a better assessment of knowledge than the multiple-choice tests used by others. And IPMA-D is the first rung in a ladder of multiple levels in a competence framework, while others start and end with that rung.
The IPMA-D progression opportunities include developing knowledge into Skills, adding needed Interpersonal Skills and Behavioral Attributes, achieving Competence, and demonstrating PM Performance. In this model the practitioner can rise from Certified Project Associate to Certified Project Manager (as opposed to being certified in project management), and beyond. And with this certification family, the Enterprise Learning Specialist has a clear framework for development of a career ladder that climbs to PM Performance Competence.
b. International Recognition: As an International PM Consultant, my work takes me all over the World. And increasingly even in the USA, savvy Executives ask about the higher-level PM certifications they hear about from Europe, the UK, India, or China. IPMA-D is recognized Worldwide as part of IPMA’s multi-level certification program that not only assesses competence, it establishes the foundation for developing PM Performance.
c. Soft Skills and Context Recognition: Authors of articles in both the popular press and PM magazines have recently "discovered" the Soft Side of Project Management. Long before this "discovery", IPMA's certification program, and specifically the USA-NCB and our IPMA-D exam places great emphasis on the Behavioral Attributes of Project Managers. This is consistent with my metric, that these "Soft Skills" are responsible for 95% of PM Performance.
And while technical competence elements are important (the NCB has 22 technical competence elements) in their best use they are just part of the solution, providing the information for the communication and interaction that competent PMs consistently demonstrate. IPMA has recognized that need by assessing Behavioral/Interpersonal Competences as well as the Technical Competences.
And, because no successful project exists in a vacuum, the Contextual competences are also a crucial part of your competence development. Why? In addition to their importance in establishing the PM relationship with the permanent organization, they also reflect the reality of a multiple-projects, program, and portfolio environment--without requiring a separate standard or document to include them.
d. Market Differentiation: Over the last 16 or so years, other knowledge-based PM certifications and certificates have soared. But when everyone has one, it loses its differentiating value. For job applicants, in the mass of applications for a job opening in a tight economy, if 90% of applicants have the same cert—there may be little else to distinguish you. Or in my case, when a Request For Proposal comes out and all the other respondents have just one cert, but I have this additional internationally-recognized one, that is a key differentiator! Thus, using Extra Credit to add an upward-extensible and fast-growing certification line is so obvious I wonder why I didn’t consider it earlier.
To Summarize: I didn't have to give up my other knowledge-based certification to gain Extra Credit with asapm's program. It is not an either-or case for me. But I needed to act quickly: the Extra Credit program ends December 31, 2008 or after 2,008 applications, and the latter may arrive before the former.
If you qualify, I hope you also ... Discover the PM Competence Difference!
Stacy Goff, IPMA-D, PMP
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About the Author
STACY A. GOFF, PMP, is president of ProjectExperts®, a USA-based Project Management methods, tools, consulting, and training company. A Project Management practitioner since 1970 and consultant since 1982, he works worldwide to help improve Enterprise or workgroup project productivity, quality, timeliness and cost-effectiveness.
Mr. Goff is a long-time member of the Project Management Institute, is a co-founder of asapm, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management, and is the USA Representative to IPMA, the International Project Management Association.
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