Certification Status
3rd Quarter, 2005 update by Stacy Goff

IPMA 2004 Certification YearBook Is Now Available! July 2005
International Project Management Association has produced and released the 2004 Certification YearBook. This yearbook shows the certification programs of each Member Association, which levels offered, and the number of certificants at each offerred level.

For those who are not familiar with the qualifications of the competence and knowledge levels of this unique program that certifies Project Managers, the pdf document explains a more about the unique Four-Level-Certification (4-L-C) program.

We salute those Project Managers and Associates who have successfully demonstrated their competence, skill and knowledge. To download the 2004 PM YearBook, click here (it is on our PMCert site).

Update on asapm's competence-Based Certification Project January 2005
Everyone wants to know, "What is the status of the asapm Competence-Based Project Manager Certifications?" Great question! We had a bit of a setback in March when we found that our plans for the US market could not be approved by International Project Management Association. They (rightfully) felt that our certs needed to be more consistent with the international model they have successfully followed for years.

So our current action plan has several parts, the greatest being, to complete the USA National Competence Baseline. asapm members and friends are working away on the definitions, plus the knowledge and competence criteria needed to be effective for each of around 50 Competence Elements. Why are we involving non-members in this effort? To get the experts in each area, whether they are members or not! Of course, we hope these expert volunteers will join, to continue to help asapm advance Project Management beyond its current state in the USA.

What is this National Competence Baseline? With too many of today's PM practitioners, knowledge is all we have. While the true test of project success goes far beyond what one knows, to include what one knows how to do (closer to skill, a higher level), progressing eventually to what one does consistently well (getting really close to Competence). Thus a "Body of Competence", or or Competence Baseline is orders of magnitude more useful than other approaches if you are really interested in project performance. asapm's US National Competence Baseline is the framework we are using to identify the key things effective Project and Program Managers practice.

Wait, it gets more complex. There are different levels at which an effective Project Manager may perform his or her duties. While current certifications only test knowledge about the discipline of project management, the program we are working on assesses your competence at different levels of Project or Program Manager performance.

OK, so why is this taking so long? Great question, one we keep asking ourselves. Especially because IPMA has given us a great starting-point model. First is the need to Americanize the Competence Baseline. In our discussions, we've called the core model FranGermLish. Some of it is hard to understand. The second factor is that we feel we need a more legally defensible approach in American, with more of a trail for the credential, than the approach that works well in most of the rest of the world.

The third factor is this: we are relying on volunteer time. While this Cert can be orders of magnitude more meaningful as an indicator of Project Manager potential than anything else currently available, it is staffed by volunteers. The good news is, our volunteers are experts in their disciplines. The bad news: they have real work commitments, too.

"When will we see something? We've been promised progress for a year, now!"

Good question: our current PMCert Director, Ron Waller, says he can't even estimate the availability until the National Competence Baseline is done and approved. We are still targeting end of first quarter, 2006 for our first assessments of level B, Project or Program Manager of large, complex projects. But, depending on December progress, that may slip to 2nd Quarter.

For those who are impatient, here is a teaser: On the asapm website is just one of the 50 Competence Elements, Management By Projects; it includes a brief description of the Competence Element, followed by the draft Knowledge Criteria (yes, you still need knowledge; it's just that that is only the starting point) and the draft Competence Criteria. To see the example, click here.

We are still in need of several types of participants or support for the program.

• If you are interested in helping review the US National Competence Baseline, please Contact asapm.
• If you are interested in participating as a Certification Program Sponsor, please Contact Bill Duncan.

Click here for the PMCert website, with more information.

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