The Project Management Corner

What is the difference between PMP and ITIL certifications? Which one is better? These are questions that many aspiring and experienced project managers have when they explore the certification options. In my view, it is not a case of one certification being better than the other. Both can be useful to project managers, depending on their needs.

One of the differences is that PMP (Project Management Professional) applies to projects while ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is service oriented. In addition, ITIL is specific to the IT industry, whereas PMP tools and techniques can be applied to a wide range of industries. Some professionals working in IT opt to get both certifications. The PMP, owned by the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a project management approach based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) guide. The PMBOK provides the tools and techniques of project management which consists of five process groups and ten knowledge areas. ITIL, currently owned by AXELOS, is a framework for IT service management. It is a set of detailed practices for developing, delivering and managing IT services and includes twenty-six processes.

The pre-requisites for certification differ for PMP and ITIL. For example, the PMP certification requires project management experience in terms of number of hours. The ITIL certification has several levels - Foundation, Practitioner, Intermediate, Expert and Master. There are no pre-requisites for the ITIL Foundation exam. However, candidates have to pass the Foundation exam in order to move on to the other levels. Subsequent certifications in ITIL may require professional experience as well. Project Managers planning to obtain either of these certifications should review the pre-requisites carefully and understand the requirements

Another aspect of the certification is credential renewal. The PMP credential is renewed every three years by obtaining sixty PDUs (Professional Development Units) during each cycle. There are several ways in which you can obtain the PDUs. If not renewed, the certification expires after three years and the exam has to be retaken to maintain the credential. ITIL has a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme which is tied to their digital badges. The digital badge is linked to the certification and can be obtained by joining the provider's membership program. To maintain the digital badge, members must obtain twenty CPDs during a twelve month period. However, the certification itself does not expire.

Certifications are an excellent way to boost your professional profile. Before embarking on your certification journey, do some thorough research to understand what is available and whether it fits your needs.

What are your experiences with project management certifications? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

References & Further Reading:

ITIL VS PMP - Must Know Which is Best?

ITIL Foundation or PMP for Project Management Certification

Which one is a better and widely accepted certification from an Indian market point of view: ITIL or PMP?

ITIL Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP)® 

With more and more projects using agile, having a certification is definitely a plus for your career. For someone who is new to agile practices, like me, the certification training course also helps to understand how the scrum framework really works. If you are thinking about becoming a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), here are 6 things that you should consider.

1. What is your objective?

First, think about your objective for getting the certification. The CSM offered by the Scrum Alliance is an entry level certification where you will learn the fundamentals of scrum. The only prerequisite for the exam is that you attend the training course. If you are new to agile / scrum, obtaining the certification is a good starting point. I found the course to be an excellent way to get an understanding of all the basics. On the other hand, if you are an experienced agile practitioner you may want to look at alternative certifications such as the Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) offered by PMI. Do some research and find out what else is out there before making a decision.

2. Finding a course

Your training experience depends largely on the instructor. Finding a good instructor is key to getting the maximum benefit out of the training. You can find the available courses through the Scrum Alliance website. However, it's best to do some research about the instructors as well before you decide which course to take.

3. What you will learn

During the course you will learn the fundamentals of scrum including the scrum roles, team compositions, scrum meetings, the product backlog, burn down charts etc. The trainer will run the course using scrum principles so you will get some insight into the environment. Personally, my training experience was excellent. I enjoyed the course and the learning I gained was very valuable.

4. What you will not learn

The training, however, will not prepare you to implement scrum from scratch if you are starting out. You will learn the scrum principles and how a scum project should be run but, if you are a newbie you will still need the help of a coach or someone who is experienced to startup a scrum project. This will be more challenging if the rest of the team is new to scrum as well. The Scum Master's role is to facilitate, coach and help to remove the impediments for the team, working as a servant leader. If you have previously worked as a project manager it may take time to adapt to the role. 

5. What are your clients looking for?

Another aspect you should think about is what your clients are asking for. Are they looking for CSM or PSM (Professional Scrum Master) certified professionals? If they favor one type of certification, it might be worth your while to do that in order to highlight your skills.

6. Career path

Scrum has taken away the need to have a project manager in the team. The responsibilities of a project manager have been divided among the scrum team roles. Some companies are retraining their project managers to be either Scrum Masters or Product Owners. If you are playing the role of Scrum Master for a particular project and plan to continue in the project management path the certification will help you to perform your role better. On the other hand if your company is moving towards scrum you should consider your long term career goals. You may even want to consider taking the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification. Mike Cohn discusses four options for the career path of a Scrum Master in this LinkedIn article.

Take some time to consider all these aspects and do some research before making a final decision about which certification or series of certifications you want to take. Are you thinking about becoming a CSM? What other questions do you have? Or if you have completed the CSM, what other advice would you offer? Please share your thoughts in the comments.