APM Practitioner Qualification - by Paula Nowell

PROJECT
July 2005

Standfirst

If you take the karaoke approach to acquiring qualifications, there is no certainty that you will be able to put on a convincing performance as a project manager, says trainer Paula Nowell, who recommends a closer look at a different approach.

It is NOT unusual to hear that some high profile project has failed. How much of this is down to having the wrong people in place and how is it possible to know when two people apply for a job which one only knows the theory and which one can actually apply it?

Making the wrong choice may mean the difference between project success or failure.

Many people are used to the approach: “Teach us some theory and then we will repeat it back.” It is easier to mimic a song in a karaoke environment than to be the original performer, but effective qualification is about being the original performer; being able to demonstrate how you - not the trainer, the manager or the consultant - would manage a project.

Qualifications need to be seen in a different light. It should not be about ‘badge collection’ but about continuous development.

Organisations have a lot to answer for in this area. How many times do you see job advertisements asking for a project management qualification in order to tick the appropriate box – the one that says ‘all our project managers are qualified’? What does ‘qualified’ actually mean?

The answer to resolving these issues and gaining more recognition for new types of assessment, such as the Association for Project Management’s Practitioner Qualification, may lie in changing the general attitude of organisations and individuals towards qualifications.

The focus should be: “How will this qualification improve my knowledge and ability in the project management discipline? How can this be an opportunity for development?”

Do organisations want people with badges or do they want people who have the ability to manage a project? Do they want people who can think for themselves or do they just want the karaoke imitations?

Qualifications like PQ that test ability to actually do the job take a different approach. People usually describe it along the lines: “We were not taught anything but we have learned a lot.”

For example, in a recently held PQ assessment a candidate said: “I didn’t know what to expect from this qualification. I was quite surprised when I arrived that I was asked to demonstrate my ability to manage a project. I thought someone would teach me something first.”

The novelty of this approach can lead to some initial misunderstandings. Some candidates may think that they have to sell themselves as if in a job interview or recite chunks of theory. They may also find the environment challenging if their project management experience has been only as implementers. (By that, I mean that they have not been involved in the earlier phases of a project when the question ‘why we are doing this project?’ is answered.)

The feedback to candidate highlights areas for improvement for each of the assessment criteria where they did not score top marks. The idea is to emphasise what should already be the driving concept behind any qualification – continuing professional development.

This approach gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your strengths and identify your weaknesses. There is nothing to be afraid of. You may find yourself saying “I was not taught anything but I have learned a lot”.

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