THE EVOLUTION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATIONS What is Project Management? A project is an undertaking not meant to last for long but created to achieve a particular goal or product. It has a particular time frame depending on the available funds and expected results. It is not a routine, but a unique initiative with specified objectives. Project management is a practice as well as a combination of activities aimed at achieving a definite objective. It includes the methods of planning, motivating, managing resources including time, rules and measures and organizing them. Project Management Certifications Evolution It was however, in the 1950s when project management as a subject changed to become an independent discipline on its own. This makes project management a fairly new discipline and subject to transformation. The evolution of project management certification is a result of the changing social and economic needs. Also, with the passage of time, people require more from project managers and as the standards change so will the project management qualifications. It has therefore, managed to shift from being just an informal practice to a growing profession. Being one of the highly demanded skills in the business industry, it is growing at a very high rate especially in the Northern part of the United States of America. There has also been a projection of more than ten million jobs related to project management to be created in near future. Project management certification came into existence in 1967 by the European based International Project Management Association (IPMA), which was a partnership of many associations of the countries dealing with project management. Formed in 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a range of project certifications. It also provides knowledge on the most common techniques in project management. The certificates provided are aimed at boosting one’s career in the domain of project management. This program at present provides the following credentials: · Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) · PMI Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) · PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) · Project Management Professional (PMP) · Program Management Professional (PgMP) A Certification in project management ensures one’s knowledge in the life cycles of a project. Project plan implementation, assessment of the project’s performance according to the set goals and the ability to make necessary adjustments, so that the projects stay on track are the required skills in project management. It also provides the learners with skills in procurement, managing human resource, stake holder management, risk assessment and communication. Graduate certificates in this profession show that an individual can create a life cycle for the management of an entire project. It also demonstrates that they are knowledgeable and capable enough to handle all the tools and techniques involved and have the capacity to determine the variances in cost, timetables and benefits in the project implementation process.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 22:11:18 +0000