How would you explain the difference (in laymen's terms) the difference between a Project Manager ("PM") and a Project Management Professional ("PMP")?
Is one an occupation and the other a discipline?
Formal Training?
Ability to pay/study/pass specific criteria?
One is "an organized individual" and the other a "process expert"?
Do we need to make a distinguished?
Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
I think of it this way. Anyone can call themselves a Project Manager. They may have had formal training, many years of experience, etc. Or they may have had no training and suddenly jumped into the field.
A PMP has had the formal training and has been certified that they were able to be tested on the knowledge.
Neither guarantees success. Saving Changes...
Like Dinah conclusion "Neither guarantees success".
PM "Project Manager" can be consider a job title. Doesn't require a PMP or other certification
PMP is a certification on Project Management, meaning you have confirm understanding of all knowledge area of Project Management
The PM should be a PMP, it is more and more required
Yes we should make a distinction Saving Changes...
Deborah EgbuonuSenior Business Analyst| Alberta Pensions Services CorporationEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
As the name implies, a project manager is someone who has the knowledge, experience in managing projects. A project manager professional has experience, knowledge and certification in project manager. Saving Changes...
Alejandro FernándezCommissioning Manager| CAF (Construcción y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles)Amstelveen, Netherlands
My opinion is that Project Manager is anyone that manages a project , understanding project as endeavor limited in the time , that requires resources and is intended to get an unique outcome.
For example to refurbish a house or to go on holidays falls under this definition of project so at some extent everybody is, or has been Project Manager.
Those who manage the projects, mainly in professional environment, according the structured process established by PMI, have enough experience (which is a requirement to become PMP) and have proven the knowledge of the methodology by passing the exam are PMP.
I would add to final comments:
PMP's have tracked experience in manage projects and also can accredit their knowledge. Project Managers not necessarily
PMP's are following the PMI methodology . This has been proven effective but there are also other institutions that has been develop their own process to manage projects which is successful as well. Saving Changes...
A Project Manager is a person who manages projects.
A PMP is a Project Manager who has been certified to manage projects by the PMI, according to the standards, ethics and best practice of that organisation. Saving Changes...
MARK A ANNUNZIATA, SrVP/EXPERT CONSULTANCY TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY| ROMAN STRUCTURES, INC WELLINGTON FLDammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
All- In the Construction Industry, the role and skillset of the Project Manager is well defined. For Projects above 10M USD the Project Manager utilizes staff for the following: 1) Procurement 2) Project Controls (EVM) 3) Doc Controls 4) Subject Matter Experts 5) QA/QC functions 6) Project Execution Team 7) Admin/Finance 8) Safety Team 9) Contracts My point is that PM's in Construction already practice and implement the processes formally acknowledged by a PMP certification. When recruiting, we confirm these skills prior to hiring. A PMP Cert. by a candidate would only confirm an understanding of part of the formal processes, about 60% of the skillset required for a PM in Construction- the missing major processes of knowledge areas would be Safety and Contracts.
However, if the candidate has a PMP, the burden of skillset analysis can shift to specific Project experiences.
M Saving Changes...
MARK A ANNUNZIATA, SrVP/EXPERT CONSULTANCY TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY| ROMAN STRUCTURES, INC WELLINGTON FLDammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
All-
In the Construction Industry, the role and skillset of the Project Manager is well defined.
For Projects above 10M USD the Project Manager utilizes staff for the following:
1) Procurement 2) Project Controls (EVM) 3) Doc Controls 4) Subject Matter Experts 5) QA/QC functions 6) Project Execution Team 7) Admin/Finance 8) Safety Team 9) Contracts
My point is that PM's in Construction already practice and implement the processes formally acknowledged by a PMP certification. When recruiting, we confirm these skills prior to hiring. A PMP Cert. by a candidate would only confirm an understanding of part of the formal processes, about 60% of the skillset required for a PM in Construction- the missing major processes of knowledge areas would be Safety and Contracts.
However, a candidate presenting a PMP Cert will allow the Interviewer to move onto Safety Plan, Contract type, and law questions; as well as Specific Project experience details.
"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly 98 million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea..."
