Project Management Best Practices

During my time at PMI’s Global Congress in Orlando, one of the questions that came up repeatedly was “how can I get started on the PMI-RMP Certification? What materials should I be using to prepare myself for the exam component of the certification”

Here’s what I learned.

The four PMI standards you should be focusing on are:

1) The Guide to the PMBOK 4th Edition, particularly Chapter 11 (Project Risk Management). Because risk communication represents 27% of the topics on the exam component of the PMI-RMP credential, you should be comfortable with Chapter 10 (Project Communication Management) as well.

2) The Standard for Program Management, 2nd Edition, particularly Chapter 11 (Program Risk Management)

3) The Standard for Portfolio Management, 2nd Edition, particularly Chapter 5 (Portfolio Risk Management)

and especially:
4) The Practice Standard for Project Risk Management, 1st Edition, 2009.
PMI writes: “The Practice Standard can be used by project management practitioners to validate the risk management process being employed in a specific situtation, project or organization. The Practice Standard for Project Risk Management is consistent with the current release of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Fourth Edition.” 

You can supplement your study with books such as:

Risk Management: Concepts and Guidance, 3rd edition by Carl L. Pritchard. Pritchard was the Team Lead for Chapter 11 of the current PMBOK Guide.

Risk Management, Tricks of the Trade for Project Managers by Rita Mulcahy. This is a practitioner book with plenty of exercises to develop and reinforce your risk management skills.

Linkedin.com has a PMI-RMP group and a PMI-RMP study group, both hosted by Annette Suh, PMI-RMP

If any of you out there do go through the process of earning this credential, please keep me apprised of your progress and share your experience with the process with the rest of us.

Clearing Up Some Misconceptions About the PMBOK Guide

Listening to PMP candidates, project managers, and students of management and project management,  I’ve learned that there are some misconceptions about what the PMBOK Guide is. Some think that it’s intended as a textbook on project management. Others think that it describes some kind of project  management methodology. Yet others have the notion that it’s meant as a study guide for the examination component of the PMP credential. Some even think that the PMP exam is on something called “PMBOK” (whatever that is) and that the Guide to the PMBOK is a study guide or textbook covering the topic of “PMBOK.”

I’d like to clear up some of the misconceptions.
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I get this question a lot and find myself answering it over and over again, on message boards, blogs and in person. In doing so I’ve come to realize that a large number of PMP aspirants do not understand what the PMP credential is nor do they have have a sufficient knowledge of what is covered on the exam component of the certification process.

First of all, unlike I.T. vendor “certs” and other commercial “certifications”, where the only requirement to earn the “cert” is the ability to pass an exam, the PMP credential is a professional credential. The credential is competence based and, as such, is best described as a credential as opposed to simply a certification. The credential infers a candidate’s ability to actually perform professional tasks (e.g., Project Management) at a given level. Unlike vendor “cert” exams, the exam component of the PMP credential is more than simply knowledge based. It encompasses both knowledge of the subject and the necessary skills to apply that knowledge.

In addition to passing a rigorous exam, the PMP credential requires a certain minimum amount of documented (and verified) experience in the profession, a certain level of education (both formal, academic education as well as professional training), adherence to a professional code of conduct, and a commitment to on-going continuing education and contribution to the project management community.

Having said that, what does the examination portion of the PMP certification process cover? Is studying the PMBOK sufficient to succeed on the exam?

The short answer is that, if you are pursing the CAPM credential, then the PMBOK can be enough. This is because the CAPM exam is only based on the material on the PMBOK. Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend supplementing any CAPM exam study with at least one study guide and with a good exam question test bank.

As far as the the exam portion of the PMP certification process is concerned, the exam covers a lot more than just the material in the PMBOK Guide.

If you are pursing the PMP credential, then you need to prepare for questions from other areas (i.e., non-PMBOK Guide) as well.
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As promised, I’m following up on my post from Sept. 14, 2009: Lack of training among project managers.

There continues to be  widespread lack of formal project management training among PMP candidates. In my original post, I wrote:

From my visits to message boards and blogs, I’m seeing a common misunderstanding among many PMP candidates; a misunderstanding is related to the trend of PMP candidates using their exam preparation classes to satisfy their 35 contact hour requirement. Many candidates seem to believe that taking a 35 hour prep class is actually a requirement to sit for the exam.

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Several PMP candidates on one of the PMP preparation message boards asked for an explanation of a PMP exam practice question that they had encountered. The members on the message board found it to be a very difficult question.

Difficult question? Not if you can see the BIG CLUE that PMI has provided.

QUESTION:

You are the project manager for an academic textbook publisher managing the development and deployment of the publisher’s new printing and binding equipment. Your quality control team leader has advised you that the latest control chart data reflects that the last 7 books produced were outside the lower control limit. What action should you take as the project manager?

A. Stop the printing of the books.
B. Work with the production team to bring the future
printing within the control limits.
C. Look for the non-random causes for the variations.
D. Plan to fix the 7 books.

This question offers an excellent example of how PMI designs PMP exam questions and how to be more successful answering them. PMI has provided a BIG CLUE to the correct answer, if you can see it.

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From my participation on various PMP discussion boards, particularly those used by folks who wish to earn the PMP credential, I’ve noticed an interesting (and somewhat disturbing) trend.

A significant number of PMP aspirants have no previous project management training prior to starting the PMP qualification and application process.  As a result, many of them use their 35-hour PMP “prep” class to satisfy PMI’s requirement that all applicants have completed a minimum of 35 hours of project management training prior to applying for their exam qualification letter.
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I received a query from Brian Mascarenhas of Mubai, India. Brian is a manager in the construction industry.

I am a mechanical engineer by profession. I have been working for 3 years in a manufacturing company handling projects and maintenance. This year i have joined a city gas distribution firm in the project division.

I have been reading a bit on PMP certification. I am presently doing my post graduation in construction management.I was thinking of doing my PMP certification after my pg course.I wanted to know is whether this certification is relevant to my field and if yes what benefits does it hold for future growth as i want to pursue my career in the project management field.

Thank-you.
Brian

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Value of CAPM