Project Management Competency Development Framework
Mark McAllisterAssistant Director| DEEWRKambah, Act, Australia
We are trying to start a career pathway for our internal staff that can focus on Project Management as a viable career. As part of this we are going to start rating Project Managers against project complexity and provide a risk attribute based on that.
What I am seeking help to find is examples of Development Frameworks and progress charts that would enable us to track the development cycle. Ideally it should also contain the minimum education/experience levels required to advance to the next level. Saving Changes...
Senior Advisor to the CEO| PMISterling, Va, United States
PMI's competency framework is exactly that. It's not just the book that I just linked to. I'm pretty sure the authors will help you along with it if you are interested in using it. Last October, getting it some exposure was a big push at the MS Project conference. Saving Changes...
Mark McAllisterAssistant Director| DEEWRKambah, Act, Australia
Thanks Dave - I've got a copy of the 2002 version - is there much difference? Saving Changes...
Senior Advisor to the CEO| PMISterling, Va, United States
I know that its changed quite a bit, but I couldn't tell you how. I think that George Jucan was involved in that. I'll ask if he will join this discussion. You can also contact him directly. He would be a great person to be connected to here. Saving Changes...
George JucanManaging Partner| Organizational Perfomance Enablers NetworkWoodbridge, Ontario, Canada
Hi Mark,
To my knowledge PMI’s PMCDF is the only complete Project Manager’s competency framework, encompassing knowledge (treated by PMP Exam Specs), performance and personal skills considered as required from a competent project manager. As part of the ISO committee working on the first ISO Project Management Standard we do have in the plan to work on a competency model as well, but this standard will not be available until 2010 the earliest.
Regarding the available resources, the current version of PMCDF was greatly improved over the previous edition - I am not touting my own horn (being one of the Core Team leading this edition), is the general feedback received from the Subject Matter Experts that reviewed the book before publishing.
Chapter 2 – Performance Competencies has been closely aligned with PMP exam specifications. Chapter 3 – Personal Competencies (which I led) was fundamentally redesigned and greatly updated. Both chapters include specific elements, criteria and evidences of the specific skill, enabling “measurements” even on soft skills. Chapter 4 presents a method of assessment and continuous development of required skills, generic enough for any organization to be able to adapt it to specific needs.
What is not included in PMCDF is the relationship with project’s complexity. While between Knowledge and Performance competencies and the Complexity Model presented at http://www.gantthead.com/content/articles/231775.cfm I can see a direct link, relating the Personal Competencies to project’s complexity might be a “complex” matter.
By the way, you may also want to take a look at PMI’s Career Framework – it is still a work in progress but might provide you some direction. There is also an attempt to rationalize roles and responsibilities in Project Management at http://www.gantthead.com/content/articles/231020.cfm. Hope it helps,
PMI Team Member
