An Assessment of the Project Management Professional PMP Certification

1. An Assessment of the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Scott R. AbrahamSWEN 5230University of Houston, Clear Lake

3. OVERVIEW (Cont.) Survey Questionnaire Goal/Question/Metric approach Survey Goals Survey Results Conclusion

4. INTRODUCTION PMP is the most globally recognized project management credential in the world Objectives of this research Learn about PMP certification Define PMP requirements Conduct survey Identify benefits of PMP

5. BACKGROUND Project Management Institute (PMI) Established in 1969 Headquarters in Philadelphia, PA World�s leading project management professional association 80,000 members world-wide Explosive growth: 350% between 1997 and 2001

6. BACKGROUND (Cont.) PMI (Continued) Developed Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) Local Chapters in over 60 countries Oversees PMP Certification Program (since 1984)

7. BACKGROUND (Cont.) PMI (Continued) Annual seminars and symposiums Educational activities Professional Awards Project Management Periodicals

8. BACKGROUND (Cont.) PMBOK Accepted knowledge and practices Stand alone document in 1987 Major revisions in 1996 and 2000 300,000 copies ANSI, ISO, IEEE

9. PMP EXAMINATION 200 multiple choice questions May be taken by computer 1,700 locations in over 100 countries No personal items or electronic devices 240 minutes for exam Recent passing score was 69%

10. PMP APPLICATION Category I Proof of degree 36 months of experience At least 4,500 hours Category II 60 months of experience At least 7,500 hours

11. PMP RE-CERTIFICATION Requires continuous education PMI has list of education providers 60 Professional Development Units (PDU) every three years Example: 5 PDUs per year for 1,500 hours of project management

12. SURVEY QUESTONNAIRE Goal/Question/Metric approach (4 Goals) Simple & short 131 surveys issued and received by PMI local chapter representatives 36 Surveys returned (27.48% return rate) 33 of 36 respondents were PMPs

13. GOAL #1 Determine if PMP Certification is beneficial to project managers Q1A Has your career benefited? M1A % of respondents Q1B How has your career benefited? M1B Categorize short answer responses

14. CAREER BENEFITS

15. SPECIFIC BENEFITS

16. GOAL #2 Determine the sphere of influence of PMP certification by determining if PMP has impacted an individual�s career or organization Q2A Does your current position require PMP? M2A % of respondents

17. GOAL #2 (Cont.) Determine the sphere of influence of PMP certification by determining if PMP has impacted an individual�s career or organization Q2B Does your company ever require PMP? M2B % of respondents

18. JOB REQUIREMENT

19. COMPANY REQUIREMENTS

20. GOAL #3 Determine if PMP re-certification requirements are difficult Q3 Do you find it difficult to complete the professional development units (PDU)? M3 % of respondents

21. ACQUIRING PDUs

22. GOAL #4 How long does PMP Certification take Q4A How long have you been certified as PMP? M4A Average, Median, Min, Max (Years) Q4B How long did it take you to become certified as PMP? M4B Average, Median, Min, Max (Months)

23. BECOMING A PMP How long the respondents have been PMP certified Average: 3.7 years Median: 3.0 years Min: 0.1 years Max: 10 years

24. BECOMING A PMP (Cont.) How long it took to become PMP certified Average: 9.1 months Median: 6.0 months Min: 1.0 months Max: 40.0 months

25. CONCLUSION PMP offers ability to stand out Most useful for senior positions or consultants Offers baseline for employers to consider for hiring decisions Ensures continuous learning in project management May be an employee retention tool if employers pay for PMP certification

26. CONCLUSION PMP is beneficial to project management professionals who want to further their careers

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