Does anyone know anything about the Gartner Institute's IT Project Management Certification? I am interested in going for it and the advanced e-business designation, but the programs are so new, it is tough to find much information on the program. Saving Changes...
Senior Advisor to the CEO| PMISterling, Va, United States
There is actually quite a bit of information on their web site, but I don't have any personal experience with it. Gartner has a great reputation for research. I would compare it to PMI (who are pretty much the current industry standard) before enrolling.
The problem with PMI is that it is so construction industry focused, that it takes a lot of tailoring to fit into the current IT direction. Saving Changes...
I researched the Gartner Institute IT Project Manager cerifications program more in depth and decided to go for it. I am proud to report that today I passed the IT Project Management Core Capabilities exam and I am a newly certified GCA (Gartner Certified Associate).
Here is my take on the program and why I decided to do it. I believe that IT will become more and more project oriented in the future, with companies outsourcing to do major projects and even day to day programs. The Application Service Provider market is getting ready to explode, and keeping a full in-house IT department is becoming more and more expensive because of recruiting and retention in today's tight job market. Companies will need in-house project managers that understand the business side of the company and the technologies that can help make business run better. System Intergrator's and consultants could use these project managers as well. I wanted to get certified to prove that I have the neccesary skills to manage IT projects, and to have some business-related skills to balance my technical ones.
I wasn't able to take Gartner's Core Capabilities 5-day training course(although I heard it is very good) because I had to pay for training myself, and the course was a bit cost prohibitive for me. So I took an IT Project Management course from a third-party that was shorter and less expensive, but that still provided a lot of great information. Then I studied PMI's PMBOK, my class notes, and a couple good books (one on general project management, and one on Software Development Project Management) and went and took the test. I also found a site on the web that has test simulations for the certification (thanks to an article on the certification in Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine).
I found that the information you need to know to pass this 85 question/two hour exam is very similar to PMI's PMBOK material with an IT flavor to it. I personally chose Gartner over PMI because I am just starting out in project management, and PMI's requires more experience than I have. The GCA certification has no prerequisites. The premier certification GCP (Gartner Certified Professional) exam does require at least two years of Project Management Experience or a PMP certification from PMI.
In my opinion, the GCA program is a good starting point for those doing or wanting to work on IT projects. I learned a lot. Those that have a lot of experience managing IT projects will probably learn a thing or two as well, but I am sure the core capabilities exam will be much easier for them. There are specializations available like ERP and E-business (with others coming soon such as Data Wharehousing/Mining and IT Security) to continue your education along with the GCP that requires a 1-3 month online project simulation as the exam. As I gain more experience in my organization managing projects, I plan to continue the along the certification track.
Hope this helps some of you out there in IT considering this certification program! :-) Saving Changes...
Senior Advisor to the CEO| PMISterling, Va, United States
Congratulations Eric! That's particularly impressive, given that less than 3 weeks ago you were still shopping for a certification program. Saving Changes...
Thanks Dave! Actually, I had already taken the Project Management course and began studying the PMBOK and other materials before even knowing that the exam exsisted! After researching and deciding on the Gartner certification, I did about two weeks of focused studying though. Saving Changes...
Eric -- thanks for the post on the Gartner IT PM exam. I've been thinking about taking it myself. I'm wondering if you could provide a bit more detail.
Could you tell us what training course you took in preparation for the exam? I can't seem to find any except the one offered by Gartner's... Or, do you know of published info on what topic areas specific to IT the exam covers?
And, do you know the URL for the web site that had the sample tests?
And, could you provide the authors for any IT specific books that you felt were particularly beneficial?
Thanks, and congratulations on passing! Saving Changes...
I have seen IT Project Management courses offered by SkillPath (www.skillpath.com) and Global Knowledge (www.globalknowledge.com). I took the SkillPath one, and it was very good, but could have been a little longer. Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. Other courses are longer and cost much more. As far as areas covered on the exam, just look at Gartner's site. The Exam Objectives are exactly what you are tested and graded on.
For sample tests, try Measure Up (www.measureup.com). The practice test is short, but gives you a good indication of the type of questions to expect on the exam.
Books that I found really helpful were Software Project Management by Walker Royce, and Practical Project Management by Michael Dobson. The most important book was the PMBOK from PMI. You can download it at www.pmi.org
Hope this helps,
-Eric Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Your replies and comments lead me to believe that this is the best place to post my request. I am endeavoring to establish myself in the IT Project Management carrer field, but it is a notable carrer shift from my engineering design management position. Any suggestions as to where I may start my investigations (e.g. literature, webistes, etc.)? Saving Changes...
Mike Cooper PMPPrincipal Project Manager (retired, sort of)| New England Project ServicesWestford, Ma, United States
Several places to look come to mind: - PMI has lots of general project management information, and an IS specific interest group, www.pmi.org - you could look into the SEI capability maturity model and see how it might apply to your organization www.sei.cmu.edu - there is the Software Program Managers Network, at www.spmn.com - there is the UK based TICKit scheme, which is used in much of the world outside the US www.tickit.org - there is my IT project management focused website which has some free tools, articles, book reviews, www.westfordconsulting.com - There is Michael Greer's website, at http://www.michaelgreer.com/ - PM Boulevard is an all purpose PM website similar to Gantthead, www.pmblvd.com - ALLPM.com is another all purpose PM website, www.allpm.com
I'm considering taking the Gartner IT certification, and I would like to know if anyone can enlighten me on the pros and cons of taking the 5 day course offered by Garnter versus the web course offered by 4pm.com and certified by Colorado State University?
Does anyone know if one course is better than the other, or are they roughly similar in scope? Saving Changes...
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