Jenna DuxburyProject Manager| Worship Design StudioUnited States, United States
Hello, PMI community! I have a question about project charters and budget management. I work for a very small company. I’m the only full-time employee, and I report to and work closely with the company CEO. I help supervise the work of three contractors in addition to liaising with 3rd party vendors and additional external contractors. Project Manager has been my official title at the company since 2018, though I also do a significant amount of operations management and project work - for example, on a project, I assign project team members to tasks and help develop the production schedule, and then I’m one of those main team members who actually creates deliverables and completes the project work. The CEO completes some of the project work as well. Despite the overlapping of my roles on the team, I believe (and very much hope PMI agrees!) that my years of experience managing projects will qualify me to take the PMP exam. I’m seeking some guidance for how to translate what I do into PMI terminology. For example:
I take my direction directly from the CEO, and we do not have a process of creating formal project charters. The CEO will assign me to a project, often via email, with general details about the project we are planning to undertake. I don’t really need to seek approval through formal documentation for using company resources because we are both aware from the beginning of roughly the amount of time needed, who will be part of the project team, and the general scope of work to be done.
Another example… because we are such a small company, I have never had an active hand in managing the finances and overall budget for our projects, so I’m wondering how to speak to that while describing my activities on the projects. If I don’t have any experience managing the budget for projects outside of my own hourly work schedule and helping to supervise those of our contractors, will PMI still recognize my qualifications? Any insight from the community on these topics?
Given your experience managing projects and working closely with the CEO, you likely have the skills PMI is looking for, even if you don't follow formal processes like creating project charters or managing full project budgets. PMI values practical experience in leading projects through their lifecycle, so I would suggest applying for the PMP exam. You can highlight your role in project initiation, resource management, and overseeing contractors, even if you're not directly managing the budget. Trust in your experience, and let PMI determine your eligibility. Best of luck!
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1 reply by Jenna Duxbury
Nov 19, 2024 3:25 PM
Jenna Duxbury
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Hello Danny, many thanks for your insight. That is a great suggestion to put my best foot forward and let PMI determine my eligibility. Much appreciated!
The key is to demonstrate that you have "sufficient" experience across the PMBOK framework knowledge areas. This means that it is okay to be light in some areas and heavier in others, but no experience with a critical knowledge area might be a concern if your application gets audited.
While you did not have fiscal authority on your projects, did you plan & track the labour effort for the contractors or was it just for yourself? If the former, you could still claim that was a form of financial management.
You've got a tricky scenario but it will come down to a) will you get audited and b) if you get audited, will the auditor not feel you have sufficient applicable experience
One thing you might want to do is download the PMP Exam Content Outline (ECO) and check the detailed tasks provided in it. If you can state with confidence that you have completed the majority of those tasks across the projects you would be submitting, you should be fine.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Jenna DuxburyProject Manager| Worship Design StudioUnited States, United States
Hello Kiron, thanks very much for your reply and for pointing me towards the PMP ECO. I’m relieved to hear that PMI is not necessarily looking for every box to be checked, but maybe I can focus on finding some opportunities to be more proactively involved in the planning of how resources are spent. Regarding your planning/tracking question, I mostly just deal with my own hours. Reading through the bullet points on those tasks helps give me an idea of where I can focus on documenting my responsibilities and areas in which I may want to get some more experience.
PMO Leader | Speaker & Mentor | Content Leader – PMOGA Latin America
Hub| Catholic University of UruguayMontevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
Project management and budget management in small companies are essential for the success and sustainability of projects. Here are some key points:
Clear project definition: Have a project charter that defines objectives, scope, deliverables, schedule and resources needed.
Detailed planning: Use tools such as Gantt charts to plan and visualize the project schedule.
Resource management: Allocate resources optimally and ensure their availability when needed.
Budget control: Establish a detailed budget and constantly track expenditures.
Effective communication: Maintain constant and clear communication with all team members and stakeholders.
In summary, project and budget management in small businesses requires meticulous planning, efficient resource allocation and rigorous cost control. Using the right tools and methodologies facilitates these processes and contributes to the success of projects, helping companies achieve their strategic objectives and maximize ROI. Saving Changes...
Jenna DuxburyProject Manager| Worship Design StudioUnited States, United States
Nov 18, 2024 9:07 PM
Replying to Danny PMP, PgMP
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Given your experience managing projects and working closely with the CEO, you likely have the skills PMI is looking for, even if you don't follow formal processes like creating project charters or managing full project budgets. PMI values practical experience in leading projects through their lifecycle, so I would suggest applying for the PMP exam. You can highlight your role in project initiation, resource management, and overseeing contractors, even if you're not directly managing the budget. Trust in your experience, and let PMI determine your eligibility. Best of luck!
Hello Danny, many thanks for your insight. That is a great suggestion to put my best foot forward and let PMI determine my eligibility. Much appreciated!
Jenna Saving Changes...
Jenna DuxburyProject Manager| Worship Design StudioUnited States, United States
Kiron Bondale and Danny Seow, I just wanted to let you know that my application to take the PMP exam was approved on Friday! I looked back at your comments a couple of times when working on my application materials, and they helped boost my confidence a bit. I’ve officially joined PMI as a member and am looking forward to taking (and hopefully passing) the exam. Thanks for taking the time to share your insights. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Jeanna,
congratulations for being accepted as PMP candidate.
Learning for exam will include many topics that you have not come across yet (like budgeting, estimation) and topics you will not need in your environment, which seems to be small, informal, and collaborative. So I recommend to learn without too much concern about your working environment. Some PMI-isms may seem overly bureaucratic but can be helpful if reduced to the core. Consider spending money on PMP Prep Courses (there are many) and a good set of mock exam questions.
Regarding your comment about the charter: indeed the email of our boss is a charter, a statement to ask you to initiate and run the project. You may consider to create a one-page standardized charter from this (may be based on the project canvas) and feed it back so all important topics are covered and documented. He then has the opportunity to comment and add, e.g. key stakeholders and risks.
Also, as a start with estimation, sum up the hours/days you think you need the resources to work on the project.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask.
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1 reply by Jenna Duxbury
Feb 09, 2025 6:38 PM
Jenna Duxbury
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Hi Thomas Walenta, thanks for your comment. I’m looking forward to using this opportunity of preparing for the exam to expand my knowledge about project management in general, especially the areas where I haven’t had much direct experience in my day-to-day work environment yet. I’m currently using the Study Hall Essentials program from PMI and that seems like it will be a useful resource.
I also appreciate your insights related to the project charter and resource estimations – I may experiment with what it might be like to create and utilize more formal documentation for certain projects now in my current job, even if it’s just for my own reference. It’s always good to try new things, and I’m excited about where this could lead.
Cheers,
Jenna
Saving Changes...
Jenna DuxburyProject Manager| Worship Design StudioUnited States, United States
Feb 08, 2025 2:58 PM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
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Jeanna,
congratulations for being accepted as PMP candidate.
Learning for exam will include many topics that you have not come across yet (like budgeting, estimation) and topics you will not need in your environment, which seems to be small, informal, and collaborative. So I recommend to learn without too much concern about your working environment. Some PMI-isms may seem overly bureaucratic but can be helpful if reduced to the core. Consider spending money on PMP Prep Courses (there are many) and a good set of mock exam questions.
Regarding your comment about the charter: indeed the email of our boss is a charter, a statement to ask you to initiate and run the project. You may consider to create a one-page standardized charter from this (may be based on the project canvas) and feed it back so all important topics are covered and documented. He then has the opportunity to comment and add, e.g. key stakeholders and risks.
Also, as a start with estimation, sum up the hours/days you think you need the resources to work on the project.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask.
Hi Thomas Walenta, thanks for your comment. I’m looking forward to using this opportunity of preparing for the exam to expand my knowledge about project management in general, especially the areas where I haven’t had much direct experience in my day-to-day work environment yet. I’m currently using the Study Hall Essentials program from PMI and that seems like it will be a useful resource.
I also appreciate your insights related to the project charter and resource estimations – I may experiment with what it might be like to create and utilize more formal documentation for certain projects now in my current job, even if it’s just for my own reference. It’s always good to try new things, and I’m excited about where this could lead.
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