Certificated Project Manager Guidance Notes

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Certificated Project Manager

Guidance Notes for Candidates

Contents: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Introduction Benefits of certification Pre-entry requirements What is being assessed? Selection of Assessors The assessment process Applying for CPM Final results Continuing Professional Development IPMA registration 3 3-4 4 4-5 5 5-9 9 9-10 10 10

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1.0

Introduction Certification is the recognition of your competence and ability to effectively manage significant projects or programmes of change. Participation in the certification process enables individuals to improve their self-awareness, reflect upon, and learn from, their experience. Certification assesses an individuals competence in managing projects. Competence is the ability to acquire and apply your project management knowledge and skills in an appropriate context. Certification is a demonstration of competence and not a test of academic achievement or of knowledge, which would be examined at a lower level.

2.0

Benefits of Certification The benefits and advantages of Certification can be as follows:

As a member of the APM:

It provides peer recognition of your competence in project management. It will complement technical or business qualifications, by demonstrating that you are competent at managing complex projects. It assists the transferability of your skills from one company or industry to another.

To an employer:
It provides a benchmark for the appointment, training and development of project management staff. It provides a marketing tool by demonstrating the organisations commitment to excellence in project management and the competence of its staff at managing projects. In conjunction with an employees technical qualifications, it demonstrates a well-rounded project manager within an organisations specific areas of business.

To a client:
It enables clients to assess a proposed project managers competence. It provides positive proof that the individual concerned has gained peer recognition of their ability to manage projects. .

To APM:
As the only recognised professional body in the United Kingdom whose primary interest is the furtherance of project management, the Certification programme attracts project managers from a wide variety of different industries regardless of their basic academic qualifications or professional disciplines. As a member of IPMA, the International Project Management Association, based in Netherlands, APM has developed a worldwide accreditation of professional project managers that will enable the cross-border transfer of skills. All member countries of IPMA have implemented similar and equivalent Certification programmes.

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To the project management community:

Certificated project managers can be listed on the IPMA website, on payment of a fee to APM on behalf of IPMA. Certificated project managers may also use the internationally recognised title IPMA Level B Certified Senior Project Manager 3.0 PrePre-entry requirements You must have gained extensive experience in the use of project management disciplines throughout your career and ideally managed several projects from start to finish. Experience of the complete project lifecycle is required, although this could have been gained across more than one project. You must be capable of managing complex projects with the following characteristics: Involvement of several companies and/or organisational units Involvement of several disciplines e.g. technical, business, financial Interrelated sub-projects or work packages within the overall project context Requiring the application of many of the recognised project management competences detailed in the APM Body of Knowledge (and also incorporated in the APMs Competence Framework) A project does not necessarily have to be big, in the sense of scope or budget, to be complex, conversely a large budget project need not be particularly complex. Many projects are undertaken as part of major change programmes within large, sometimes global, organisations and many of these individual projects may meet the criteria for a complex project. For your chosen project, which must have been completed in the last 5 years, you must be able to demonstrate that you had a full time, hands-on project management role, and that you were responsible for dealing with the risks and issues as they arose. You should be able to evidence your responsibility for the project budget and/or deployment and control of project resources. It is your role and level of responsibility that is important itself. rather than the project itself However the project or sub-project(s) should meet the criteria for complexity outlined above and should have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. 4.0 What is being assessed? The Assessors will assess project management competences through your experience, self-assessment form and project report and also through an interview. The key areas being assessed are your:-

personal qualities
professional attitude, leadership skills, independent judgement, communication skills, vision, flexibility and self-awareness.

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project management understanding and practice

the principles of project management, appropriate use of tools, techniques and methodologies, commercial acumen, problem solving, stakeholder involvement. 5.0 Selection of Assessors APM has a panel of experienced Assessors drawn from a variety of industries all of whom are Certificated Project Managers. The Assessors have all been through the Certification process and have undergone extensive training in assessment techniques. 6.0 The Assessment Process Certification is a three stage process. Stage 1 Submission of application completion of an application form, a self assessment form including a statement of strengths and weaknesses, curriculum vitae and a project prcis, together with the appropriate fee. Completion of a project report (within the time allocated) Attendance at an Interview, on payment of the appropriate fee.

Stage 2 Stage 3 6.1

Stage 1 Application Submission The application form, self assessment form and relevant fee structure are available on the APM website: www.apm.org.uk. The self assessment is based on the APM Body of Knowledge 5th Edition, and if you are already a member of APM, you will have received a copy of this on CD. If you are not a member, and would like a CD to help you complete the self assessment, please e-mail your contact details, including address, to qualifications@apm.org.uk, and a CD will be sent to you. You will also find the Body of Knowledge Definitions on the website. The application form should be completed as follows:

Application Form
Complete the application form, including details and the name and address of two business referees. The first referee must be your current immediate manager and able to support your application by actual knowledge of your responsibilities. At least one of your referees should be a Member or Fellow of the APM. At least one of your referees should have been involved with your chosen project. If you are head of your company, please name two business or professional associates. The referees must both sign the application form. APM may contact referees at its discretion.

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It is important to note that presentation of your documentation is an important aspect of your application and acts as a reflection of your professionalism when viewed by the Assessors.

Curriculum Vitae
Your CV must contain sufficient information to show clearly your career progression and project management experience. It should be a comprehensive record of how you have reached this stage in your project management career and clearly demonstrate your range of skills and how they were achieved.

Self Assessment Form

The recommended method of completing the self assessment form is: Read the Body of Knowledge thoroughly to get an overview. Complete your assessment form by entering a score for both Knowledge and Experience for each element.

Statement of Strengths and Weaknesses

Carefully consider what you believe to be your strengths and weaknesses as a project manager. Give a clear definition of these and be specific about the steps you are taking to overcome the weaknesses. You may wish to include a copy of your (CPD) Continuing Professional Development plan to support your statement, which should be added as an appendix to your CV.

The Prcis
The purpose of the prcis is to enable the two Assessors to judge whether the project you have proposed will provide them with an adequate basis to allow them to form an opinion concerning your competence as a project manager. You must provide them with sufficient information to establish that the activity in question represents a complex project, and that your own role in relation to the activity was regarded as that of project manager. It should include elements over which you had no organisation authority but for whose actions you had responsibility. The prcis should indicate the circumstances that gave rise to the project, its purpose and objectives, and must emphasise your own role and responsibilities. It should also give an indication of the team which you managed, the main features or elements of the project, and the timescale over which it occurred. Before submitting the prcis, please examine the suggested project report structure in section 6.2 of this guide, and consider whether or not the project being proposed will provide a sufficient basis to enable you to submit a project report that is likely to satisfy the Assessors. The prcis and final report should be about the same project. The prcis should not exceed 2 pages and it is suggested that you give a half page summary of the project and use the rest of the prcis to describe your role and how you managed the project. An organisation diagram should be included as a third page.

The Prcis Format

The prcis should be on A4 typed on one side only The prcis can be single spaced All pages submitted should be numbered consecutively Your name should appear on every document

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Submission and Payment

For Stage 1, your self assessment form, application form, CV and prcis may be posted to the address at the end of this document, or submitted electronically to qualifications@apm.org.uk Payment can be made by cheque (payable to APM) or by credit/debit card: please speak to a member of the Qualification team to arrange this, on 01844 271680. 6.2 Stage 2 The Report

Aims of the Report

The purpose of the project report is to provide evidence in support of your application for Certification. It will be judged according to the extent that it demonstrates that you are a fit and proper person to be a Certificated Project Manager. The project report should be a maximum of 5,000 words in length. The project report should have a logical structure along the lines suggested below. The ability to draft, present and discuss an executive report is itself an important management competence. The structure suggested is for guidance as you will be assessed upon the quality of the structure adopted for the report and the clarity of presentation of information in your report, as part of your demonstration of communication skills.

Scope
The project report must be based upon the same project as in your original prcis, and must be a project or significant sub-project which was managed directly by you. It should make clear why the project occurred, the client context, the projects objective and the outcomes achieved, how it was managed, and what can be learned from it. The Assessors will be more interested in the project management competences that you displayed in its implementation. The Assessors will be seeking evidence of the relevance of objectives and the composition of the project team and their management to the project context. Your contribution and any distinctive features of the project should be made clear. The Assessors will pay particular attention to awareness, objectivity and a willingness to learn from and share experience. The project report should be written in the style of an executive report for a management audience, and not as an academic dissertation. The audience to be addressed consists of fellow professional project managers, namely the Assessors, and those who may wish to refer to the report for guidance. Project management or specific industry jargon should be avoided. The project report should also be intelligible to a peer group of senior managers who may not necessarily be project management specialists. A copy of the project report of successful candidates will be retained by APM, and will be available for the use of selected members, certification candidates seeking guidance, and other interested parties. Summaries of selected project reports may appear in APM publications and on the APM website with the agreement of the authors. If you intend to include commercially sensitive or security sensitive materials in your report please notify APM.

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Report Format
The report must be on A4 paper printed on one side only with a minimum font size of 12pt. Pages must be numbered consecutively. You name must appear on every page. You must post 3 hard copies of your report to the address at the end of this document, and e-mail an electronic version if possible.

Project Report Structure

A model project report structure is shown below:

Management Summary
A summary of the main points and conclusions

Contents
A contents page and list of tables, figures, appendices

Introduction
What the project was, where it occurred, and when

The Situation
The background which gave rise to the project. The nature of the problem that was identified. Why a project was felt necessary and the parties with an interest in it

The Client
A profile of the client organisation and reporting mechanism

Objectives
What was sought, and the outputs that were required in terms of cost, quality and time

Roles and Responsibilities

Precise terms of reference, including your role and responsibilities as the project manager.

The Project Team

Who was involved, and how the project team was assembled and managed. An organisation diagram is always useful

The Anatomy of the Project

The main feature or elements of the project

Management of the Project

The management processes and supporting technology used for co-ordination, communication, monitoring and control

Distinct Aspect
What, if anything, was different or distinctive about this particular project, with a focus upon novel or unusual aspects. Why the project is considered important, significant or of special value.

The Outcome
What happened in terms of output performance achieved, as compared with the original objectives and targets. The extent to which the original concept of the project or its objectives were modified in the light of experience.

Analysis
Critical success factors and explanations for any variances which might have occurred. Unforeseen events and how these were handled. Problems encountered and how they were overcome. What were the management issues?

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Lessons
What lessons could be learned by others from the experience of the project. The effect of participation on the project managers competence and experience.

Hindsight
What major element of the project, or project procedure, would be done differently or changed with the benefits of hindsight. 6.3 Stage 3 The Interview Candidates who successfully complete the Project Report are invited to attend an interview which may be at APM Headquarters or elsewhere as appropriate lasting between one and two hours, with the two Assessors who have handled your application throughout. There is a series of fixed dates throughout the year for interviews. The APM Qualifications team will make all the arrangements. 7.0 Applying for CPM Complete the application form and self assessment form as explained in section 6.1 and submit with the required fee. Ensure you submit all the required documentation. Everything should preferably be printed, or written legibly. Please ensure your name is on every document.

It is recommended that you present your documentation to its best advantage. It is your first contact with your Assessors and is the basis of their initial perception of you as a project manager. The Assessors decision on Stage 1 is based on these documents.

Timing
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 you will receive a decision within 4 weeks of receipt of your submission your report is required within 3 months of Stage 1. an interview will be arranged as soon as possible, subject to availability of both candidate and Assessors, normally within 2 months on the Assessors decision to move to Stage 3.

Fees and Cancellations

The fees for application for Certification are published annually by APM. Fees are non refundable. 8.0 Final Results You will be notified of the Assessors decision, in writing, within four weeks of the interview date.

Appeals
Candidates are only able to appeal at Stage 3. A decision to reject your submission at Stages 1 and 2 is not subject to appeal as candidates will already have been given every opportunity to provide further relevant information, if deemed necessary, to assist in the
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assessment process. If the Assessors reject your submission at Stage 3 they will give you further guidance on areas for improvement which would assist you to make a new submission. If either you or one of the Assessors disagrees with the outcome or handling of the Stage 3 interview, there is an appeals process available for an individual case to be reconsidered. The decision at the conclusion of the appeals process is final.

Number of attempts
You can have up to three attempts to achieve certificated status. Each attempt will entail payment of both registration and certification fees. 9.0 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) There is a requirement for all members of APM to keep themselves up to date with the profession. The APM has established a CPD policy, to which Certificated Project Managers are required to commit. Failure to continuously improve and participate in CPD activities, can result in the withdrawal of registered certificated status. Further details of the APM CPD scheme are available on the APM website. 10.0 IPMA Registration IPMA Registration at IPMA Level B is available on payment of a registration fee. A demonstration of CPD is required to maintain a place on the register. APM looks forward to receiving your application for Certificated Project Manager. If you have any queries please contact APM by telephone on 01845 458 1944, by email qualifications@apm.org.uk or by fax on 0845 458 8807 Please send all of your documents to: Qualifications Department, Customer and Operational Services Association for Project Management Ibis House Regent Park Summerleys Road Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire HP27 9LE

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