The PMP Cert
One of the most intensive certifications available is the PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification. Offered by PMI (Project Management Institute), the PMP® demonstrates advanced knowledge of and experience with Project Management concepts. When it comes to finding internet resources and practice exams, it is also one of the most difficult and obscure certifications. As a result of several interviews requesting this certification, and quite a bit of research here is my breakdown on the PMP Cert:
Most training for the PMP® certification is both intensive and costly, but the PMP® is generally considered a good investment. According to my 2002 certification salary survey, individuals with a PMI cert averaged $90,000 per year. Fortunately, good practice questions are just beginning to appear on popular training sites so you can get an idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lay before taking the exam.
This is the problem in and of itself is that as I just said it mostly covers just that — best practices. It is a never ending always evolving discipline so I have only continued development and let my experience earn me a “real world certification” not just what a dated curriculum instructs… I know it is a matter of principle that you as a professional can follow a disciplined course and get fundamentals that others can measure too so all are on the same page… HR people it seems screen for this as a crutch I feel all too often. But as a active professional, I never have time nor xtra energy to exert in taking schooled courses… Thats why I buy e-books like McGraw-Hill PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide so I am on top of the game. Another book to get is the Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (simply referred to as the PMBOK) And when the time comes, and the account requires the certification; I will challenge the HR depts. to cover my expenses for the PMP Exam as part of my coming aboard. And if this isnt good enough then those companies arent really looking for someone as good as YOU or ME. . . They are obviously seeking a troll.
As time allows I will publish the Axioms I digest from the e-book for your benefit and reading pleasure !
- First off the book is more concerned about the expensive Exam than the damn principles you are supposed to learn and digest, (isnt that what the importance is not just passing a stupid test) thats why I call my programming & development a Multimedia Practice because just like a doctor, though they study their tails off until they get into surgery they dont have enough experience even from their residency to pass any sort of exam!
- project is defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service
Operations are the day-to-day work that goes on in the organization
ergo:
Projects, on the other hand, are short-term endeavors that fall outside of the normal day-to-day operations an organization offers… - Often projects are confused with general business duties: marketing, sales, manufacturing, and so on. The tell-tale sign of a project is that is has an end date and that it’s unique from other activities within the organization…
- The end results of projects can result in operations. That’s why I have always A)executed a project then B) provided Ongoing Service Agreements (OSA) to support all ongoing business operations thereafter…
- Projects vs. Operations — just covered the cert’s stupid need to clearify… but for those who dont routinely do this, it IS GOOD it is object oriented nomenclature…
- Progressive Elaboration — All projects begin as a concept to create a new product or service
Progressive elaboration is the incremental design and refinement of the initial concept
toward the project plan.
Complete understanding of the needs-and the ability to fulfill those needs-comes from progressive elaboration
This is why I have a Project Vision Memorandum (PVM) and it evolves into harvesting a
Marketing Requirements Document (MRD) and/or a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Defining Project Management – Project management is the supervision and control of the work required to complete the project vision.
> Project Integration Management
This knowledge area focuses on project plan develop and execution.
> Project Scope Management
This knowledge area deals with the planning, creation, protection, and fulfillment of the project scope.
> Project Time Management
Time management is crucial to project success. This knowledge area covers activities, their characteristics, and how they fit into the project schedule.
> Project Cost Management
Cost is always a constraint in project management. This knowledge area is concerned with the planning, estimating, budgeting, and control of costs.
> Project Quality Management
This knowledge area centers on quality planning, assurance, and control.
> Project Human Resource Management
This knowledge area focuses on organizational planning, staff acquisition, and team development.
> Project Communications Management
The majority of a project manager’s time is spent communicating. This knowledge area details how communications can improve.
> Project Risk Management
Every project has risks. This knowledge area focuses on risk planning, analysis, monitoring, and control.
> Project Procurement Management
This knowledge area involves planning, solicitation, contract administration, and contract closeout. - Defining the Project Life Cycle – Each phase within the life of the project created a deliverable.
- Milestones – Often, the deliverable of each phase is called a milestone. The milestone is a significant point in the schedule that allows the stakeholders to see how far the project has progressed-and how far the project
has to go to reach completion. - Defining the 5 Project Management Process Project Management, explores five major processes
- Initiating
This process launches the project, or phase. The needs of the organization are identified and alternative solutions are researched. The power to launch the project or phase is given through a project charter, and when initiating the project, the wonderful project manager is selected. - Planning
Can you guess what this process is all about? The planning process requires the project manager and the project team to develop the various core and subsidiary management plans necessary for project completion. This process is one of the most important pieces of project management. - Executing
This process allows the project team and vendors to move toward completing the work outlined in the Planning process. The project team moves forward with completing the project work. - Controlling
The project manager must control the work the project team and the vendors are completing. The project manager checks that the deliverables of the phases are in alignment with the project scope, defends the scope from changes, and confirms the expected level of quality of the work being performed. This process also requires the project manager to confirm that the cost and schedule are in sync with what was planned. Finally, the project team will inform
the project manager of their progress, who will, in turn, report on the project’s progress to the project sponsor, to management, and perhaps even to key stakeholders in the organization. - Closing
Ah, the best process of them all. The closing process, sometimes called the project postmortem, involves closing out the project accounts, completing final acceptance of the project deliverables, filing the necessary paperwork, and assigning the project team to new projects. - Oh yeah, Ill ADD a 6th lol celebrating !
11. project manager will encounter three constraints:
Project Scope, Schedule, Budgeted Cost
12.Management by Projects
An organization that uses projects to move the company forward is using the Management by Projects approach. These project-centric entities could manage any level of their work as a project. These organizations, however, apply general business skills to each project to determine their value, efficiency, and, ultimately, their return on investment. As you can imagine, some projects are more valuable, more efficient, or more profitable than others.
13. Here’s where it becomes spaghetti:
There are knowledge areas which are based on the five IPECC Processes above:
Project Integration Management
Project Scope Management
Project Cost Management
Project Quality Management
Project Human Resource Management
Project Communications Management
Project Risk Management
Project Procurement Management
There is a grid/matrix that threads dependencies between all of these to study on pg38 of the PMBOK.
14. Adapting Management Expertise
Let’s take a quick look at some of the attributes of a successful project manager
Communications
Budget Management
Project Organization
Negotiation Skills
Team Leadership
15. I just learned my first thig in the book! I can now define that I am affluent at “Adapting Application Areas” of expertise. meaning that I can use alot of experiences in many disciplines to add greater added value to the PM role and responsibilites of any project…
16. Program Management vs. Subproject Implementation
17. Project Portfolio Management
and there’s my overview… I bet I’d pass the PMP with flying colors and so could YOU !!!
any questions then write me I LOVE talking about this stuff over a wine and a cigar !
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