The PMP and the CSM

 

Our ProjectManagment.com community discussion board has many recurring topics, one of which is a compare/contrast between PMI's PMP certification and Scrum Alliance's CSM.  I've participated in this discussion on occasion, but I'm a bit embarrassed that I got caught up in it- though not as much as I will be the next time.  It’s really a faulty comparison that we should qualify or avoid.

The first reason the two certifications are not related is because- as I’ve often said- Scrum is not a project management method.  It’s a framework for addressing complex adaptive problems and delivering products.  Although each iteration in Scrum might be considered a small project, and there may be interaction between project managers and scrum teams, there are distinctions between scrum development teams and project teams that we ought to recognize.

Secondly, and more importantly, there are great differences between the roles of project managers and scrum masters.  One has only to read the descriptions in the PMBOK (6^th ed) and the Scrum Guide (2017) to see how different these two roles are.  I won’t attempt to reproduce those here, but let me point out that the entire Scrum Guide is the same number of pages as PMBOK’s description of a project manager.  If the project manager is like an orchestra conductor (an analogy used in the PMBOK), then a scrum master might be more like an assistant to a chamber group.  Because the roles are different, and the career paths are different, the certifications are different.

Third, the organizations’ approach to certifications are different.  PMI, as we know, has strict requirements before granting a PMP.   Prerequisites include degrees, project management education, and documented project management experience, all before taking a notoriously (and purposely) difficult exam under the watch of professional proctors.  By contrast, Scrum Alliance prefers personal coaching and development to proof of knowledge and experience.  The CSM is a relatively short but dense course on Agility and Scrum, and the final exam really exists only to aid the trainer.  My scrum certifications were all earned in small settings, guided by talented coaches who got to know me and who stay in contact with me to this day.  I can’t say the same for my PMP, and I’d wager few of us can.

Finally, we’re comparing different levels of certification.  The CSM is only the start of Scrum Alliance’s track towards a full Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) …and let me tell you that earning those advanced certifications is no joke.  Although the CSP and PMP are still wildly different certifications in completely different career paths, they are at least comparable in that they require proven training, competency, and experience.  In this regard, Scrum Alliance’s CSM is more comparable to PMI’s CAPM.

Let me end with one thing that the PMP and CSM have in common: employers are looking for them.  I can think of no project management certification as widely known and respected as PMI’s PMP.  As of 2018, Scrum Alliance’s CSM still rules the job boards for organizations seeking scrum masters.  But we ought not to observe the popularity of these two certifications and think that they are in competition, or that they are comparable.  They represent different stages of different career paths.