My employer is considering investing in me to get my PMP, but before they do they've asked me to research and develop a proposal for cost analysis and impact of the designation. I've searched many forums and find many opinions as to why an individual should or should not invest in the certification, 99.99% of the arguments are based on the job opportunities involved. Why would my employer invest in me a certification that best suits me when in a job search?? That's insane!
What value does the certification bring to our organization? Is it strictly a marketing tool?? Does it gain us a market advantage? Where are the posts/feeds supporting this perspective?
Thank you Saving Changes...
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Kathleen ColbeckProgram Manager| SAICAlbuquerque, Nm, United States
The big payoff for the company is they have knowledgeable project managers on staff who follow an understood methodology. Your company isn't just winging it every time a project comes up, which should be an advantage over competitors who don't have PMPs on staff. PMI has a pretty good white paper, "The Value of Project Management," that may be helpful to you. Saving Changes...
DIfferent for difft types of organizations:
(1) IT Service Provider Organizations sponsor for their resources, so they can claim that their DMs are good enough to handle a project delivery; this is definitely a credential to put forward to their clients, their managers are equipped to handle a project delivery, using consistent methodologies and are professionally credentialed on the same...so have faith in us, and give us more projects
(2) Consulting Companies sponsor for PMP, as it helps them showcase their consultants as professionally certified by an industry organization. Combined with experience, the PMP consutants are anyday bettersell to their clients
(3) Corporates / Enterprise PMO - helps their PMO staff to learn a particular PM methodology, get them trained, get them certified, and have them follow variations of PMBOK - thus helping the respective EPMO to reduce the risk of project failure...known risk - mitigated, as all their professionals are equally qualified, and can bring in some levelling in executing projects; besides, this is an obvious showcase to their own staff, that the organization is helping them in their career growth Saving Changes...
John ColePM II| County of RiversideRiverside, Ca, United States
I agree that there are multiple answers for different organizations. But the answer is NOT "so that you are marketable."
1. A PMP certification allows you to bring focus to good project delivery tools and techniques...instead of using whatever you dream up for the given project.
2. A PMP certification allows you to bring consistency of good delivery tools and techniques...instead of every PM doing his/her own way.
3. A PMP provides allows you to have a consistent, and shared, conversation with other PMs. You are all familiar with the terminology, so it has a shared meaning, and you can all apply tools and techniques to identify the value they have in a given situation.
4. A PMP allows you to understand tools and techniques that have been used by other PMs. This means that what you are studying to get the certification, and what you use after the certification will have already been improved upon by countless other PMs.
5. No one questions why an accountant should get a CPA certification...no one questions why an engineer gets the PE certification...yet employers question a PMP. No certification is a guarantee of success, but it improves your organization's chances of success and reduces the risk that the organization must take. Saving Changes...
Obtaining a PMP indicates your knowledge and expertise in the field of Project Management. Sure to add value to your current job by enhancing your knowledge of the discipline itself. I think it is great your employer is considering investing in you. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Great post and replies and kudos to your employer for considering investing in you.
I highly agree with Mr. Cole's lead in comment, "I agree that there are multiple answers for different organizations. But the answer is NOT "so that you are marketable.""
IMHO, the marketing of the PMP (get a PMP so you can get a job, get a pay raise, etc) by PMI REPs is a violation of any sensible code of business conduct guidelines. And shame on PMI for letting it happen. Companies of high integrity would never market or let others market their products that way.
Getting back to your employer's request, if you do not apply what you learn by way of getting your PMP then there is no value, so keep that in mind in your analysis because that is on you. Saving Changes...
Bill DowPMO Director| University of WARenton, Wa, United States
There has been some great posts here and some good thoughts so I just wanted to jump in.
I think the incentive is the consistency that the PMP project manager will come in with when having that PMP credentials. I am not saying that just because you have your PMP you are going to be great project manager, no, but what I am saying is that you can talk the same language and there is a huge advantage to employers for that to happen.
When you have a group of individuals that can talk Risk Management, Cost Management, Communications...etc. and everyone is saying the same thing, there is value to that. There is value to ramp up, there is value to mentoring and being able to help one another...etc.
I like the idea of hiring PMP folks just from the pure consistency perspective, but again, not saying there is not amazing PM's out there that don't have their PMP's. We know there are....
Great question, thanks for asking...
Bill Dow, PMP Saving Changes...
Bernard GorePortfolio, Programme & Project Professional| NZ PoliceWellington, New Zealand
This is a problem with most work-relevant training, and can be tackled with a number of approaches, probably several of them in a multi-pronged assault.
There are statistics and benchmarks out there for the impact a sound methodology has on success of projects, and you can build a solid case around these. Check out info referenced on this link:
http://www.cio.com/article/519213/Why_Proj...taxonomyId=3198
Check the P3O manual - it is by OGC but isn't tied to Prince2 etc, and covers how to build a busiess case for a PMO of any flavour - and many of the arguments there are the same as for individual upskilling in PM capability.
Do you do work that the company's clients or other stakeholders see? Many companies are becoming more professionally-minded in such areas, and would be positively influenced by the fact yours uses qualified staff in this field - and I've seen contracts where such is mandated, because the client knows that they have a better chance of a good result.
On the "job opportunity" question - it has been a tactic for many years to put a restrictive clause around provision of expensive training - if you leave within a certain length of time you have to pay back a proportion of the cost. You'll have to check as this varies in different jurisdictions, and has been challenged in some, but if you suggest this lock-in and make it clear you'd be willing to commit yourself, it should help temper any fears on their part that you'll up and leave the moment you get the certificate.
Last but not least - show and tell is always a good approach - especially if you do it right and tilt the playing field look at some aspect of current practice that is really a bit weak and has reasonable visibility - status reports, business case, change management, or whatever - grab the relevant templates available here or elsewhere based on PMP (or one of the other big methodologies), or adopt a process form them - put in the extra hours to customise that and make it really work - and you'll sell the case, because you can then say "look how much that one small aspect of PMP improved what we do - imagine what we could do with the whole methodology and someone training to use it to the max? Of course you will then have to deliver to that - but you like a challenge, don't you?
One more thing - you are effectively writing a business case for this, so check out the PMuniversity stuff on this site (under the education link, top right), especially the module "Identifying winning projects" which has some great ideas on business cases and what REALLY drives the decisions. Should only take an hour or two, and well worth it. And you get a spiffy badge on your profile! Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
'Professional' project managers get better results and their project benefits have more longevity. I think ESI has done some research into this recently - their PMO study has something in it (which is currently on the ESI homepage).
They also have some white papers on the value of training and getting ROI from your training investment, which might give you some stats etc for your business case: http://www.esi-intl.co.uk/resource_centre/white_papers/ Saving Changes...
IMHO, the first questions you should ask yourself is why YOU want to get a PMP?
Is this job related due to nature of contract work; will it help add value to your organization for CMM, are you in a PMO, will it enhance your knowledge and skills, will it help create a career path for you etc?
The thing that stands out to me in your comment is that they want to first invest in you to get more training. The PMP sounds like the goal; I'd first investigate if your meet the requirements to apply and if not what training and experience you need to have to apply.
Just think of this like a business case and they want to help you to become a better leader. What is your business case to achieve this and what value will you provide your company once you've attained the PMP. Happy customers, growth margins, new initiatives, CMM...
Love to hear how things are working out for you. Saving Changes...
