What is the best project management certification?

The world is moving away from operational efficiency and productivity being the primary concerns of most organisations, to a new age where the emphasis is on transformative projects, with increased frequency of product innovation, application and technology deployment, and introduction of new ideas.

Projects now account for 20-25% GDP ($25 trillion) so if you are not already working in a project management job you certainly will be within the next few years.

So, do you need a Project Management certification?

It isn’t essential but if you want to join the growing global community of project management professionals, work on multiple projects and make a valuable contribution to your organisation, it would certainly be a good idea. Isn’t it better to be prepared rather than wait to be passed by? And you won’t be alone. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that ‘Employment of project management specialists is projected to grow by 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Approximately 68,100 openings for project management specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.’

According to research, the result of a nationwide study into the state of UK management and leadership, by the UK Chartered Management Institute and You Gov:

• 82% of managers who enter management positions have not had any formal management and leadership training – they are “accidental managers”.
• Trained managers are more comfortable with managing change initiatives (87%, compared to 77%) and also with employing emerging technology to improve efficiency (66% vs. 50%).

The risks are too high to rely on accidental project managers. Without a community of program and project management professionals, organisations will struggle to compete in a global market. If you want to build a career in project management gaining a professional project management certification may soon be an essential.

I am not going to bombard you with every possible project management certification, and I’ll also focus on the entry level qualifications as you will need to gain one of these project management certifications to start your project management career. There are probably four million people who have been through a project management education program to get their project management jobs and hold a current project management certification.

Details of variations and advanced levels can be found from the organisations that are listed below.

The majority of countries have a professional body or an association for project management. The largest is Project Management Institute (PMI) headquartered in the US. This US body pioneered project management certifications together with a project management body of knowledge (PMBoK) in the 1990's. At the time there was very little competition, and they established Chapters throughout the world. The chances are there is a PMI Chapter in your country.

PMI have introduced a variety of Project Management Certifications but their most popular and successful is their original PMP (Project Management Professional).

In order to earn your PMP you need to meet the following prerequisites regarding your education, training, and on-the-job experience:

1.    If you have a Four-Year College / University Degree you will need to demonstrate:-

• 36 months of experience leading projects within the past eight years
• 35 hours of project management education/training or the CAPM® certification

— or —

2) if you have a High School or Secondary School Diploma

• 60 months of experience leading projects within the past eight years
• 35 hours of project management education/training or the CAPM® certification.

Project Management Training can be taken through registered educational providers if needed and if you have the required experience.

The obvious reasons for gaining the PMP are:

• Is a popular Project Management Certification so if you want to play safe, this could be the one for you.
• If you work in the US, it will be the certification most recruiters and employers are accustomed to.

However, you need to have significant experience in Project Management before you can take the PMP professional certification and PMI offer an entry level project management certification.

The CAPM® does not require previous Project management experience and assesses understanding of the fundamental knowledge, processes, and terminology that are needed for effective project management performance (as defined in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMBOK® Guide). This knowledge together with on the job project management experience will help develop your competence in the practice of professional project management.

To sit the exam, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a secondary degree, such as a high school diploma, GED (general educational development), or global equivalent.
• Have at least 23 hours of project management education completed before you take the exam.

IPMA is an umbrella organisation headquartered in The Netherlands. It works through a number of member associations, about 70.

Like PMI, IPMA have developed a Body of Knowledge.  They call theirs the International Competency Baseline (ICB) and their members and associations have developed Certification Programmes based on the standards laid down by IPMA.

The entry level IPMA Qualification is Level D, which does not require previous project management experience and in order to gain the Level D certification you will need to:

• Stage One:  submit your completed application form and self-assessment form.
• Stage Two: In stage two, you are required to complete two exams: a one-hour multiple-choice exam with 60 questions covering 50% of the syllabus, and a two-hour exam consisting of 14 short-answer questions, out of which you must answer 12.

In addition to the IPMA Certification, many of the larger National Associations also have their own programmes. Two of their largest are the Association of Project Management in the UK (APM) and the German Project Management Association (GPM).

• If you work in a country where your employer supports the National Standard.
• If you work for a European company and you have the opportunity to take a certification in a language other than English.
• If you prefer the IPMA approach which has more of a focus on competence than on process.

APM is the only chartered membership body for the project profession in the world.  It has over 40,000 members and more than 400 corporate partners making it the largest professional body of its kind in the UK. From research and resources to membership and events, APM also offers a range of project management qualifications and standards.

APM’s Project Fundamentals Qualification provides a broad understanding of the principles of the profession, offering awareness of terminology and knowledge, so you can make a positive contribution to any project.

A one hour, 60-question, multiple-choice online exam, this qualification is for those wanting a broad understanding of the principles of the profession, so you don't need any prior knowledge or experience to take it. The reasons for taking the PFQ include improved confidence and credibility in your role and keeping up with the latest mix of tools, techniques, processes and skills.

APM’s Project Management Qualification enables takers to achieve a broad level of project management knowledge.

It will enable you to demonstrate knowledge of all elements of project management, how these elements interact and how your project fits into your strategic and commercial environment no matter its size.

Typically takers will have some pre-existing project management knowledge and it’s the ideal next step for anyone holding the Project Fundamentals Qualification.

The Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) standard is a professional benchmark that demonstrates a defined level of knowledge, professional practice and ethical behaviour.

Becoming a Chartered Project Professional provides recognition, credibility, validates your expertise and improves earning potential. It is for anyone that has a proven track record of delivering projects, programmes, portfolios, has up-to-date knowledge of current practices and methods, and is actively involved in the project profession.

PM2 was developed by the European Commission, as a straightforward approach to project management. It was created to meet the requirements for managing projects within European Union institutions, but the project management methodology has proven to be suitable for a wide range of projects as it covers general project management principles. The guidance is free and can be downloaded from the Publications office of the European Union.

It is being adopted by some European countries. Project management Training is available from a number of vendors, but these are not endorsed by the European Union. The product is provided for the public good and helps organisations develop capability within their teams for delivering projects without incurring the costs associated with some of the other offerings.

To gain the PM2 certification no previous Project Management experience is required you will need to book an exam or more information is available about the PM2 Foundation here.

• Budget is an issue and you are happy to self-study.
• Your employer introduces it as a company standard.

There are a lot of agile project management approaches, many of them stem from the publication of the Agile Manifesto in 2001 which was drafted by 17 software engineers to bring a new focus to software development.

A number of organisations have an agile element in their Project management certifications, most notably PMI and PRINCE2®. However, the Agile Business Consortium, a not-for-profit organisation, whose only focus is on business agility offers the Agile Project Management Certifications. This portfolio of qualifications is widely recognised in a number of countries.

To gain a Foundation level certification in Agile Project Management previous project management experience is not required and you can take a training course with an accredited training provider or self-study before sitting the exam.

The Agile project management foundation exam is for:-

• Practicing or aspiring project managers
• Agile team members looking to become Agile Project Managers.
• Individuals pursuing the AgilePM Practitioner Certificate.

As more organisations are adopting agile ways of working interest in the Agile Project Management qualification has grown significantly.

• You may have another project management certification and want to learn more about Agile delivery.
• Your employer is introducing an agile approach to managing their projects.
• You are new to project management and like working in an agile way.

PRINCE2® (Projects in a Controlled Environment) is probably the best-known project management methodology. It was originally developed by the UK Government and widely used by UK Government Departments and a range of international organisations in both the public and private sector.  Four years ago, the UK Government sold their intellectual property to a private organisation so PRINCE2 is now commercially driven.

A recent update (version 7) has been published with new content, though PRINCE2 does not cover the same range of project management competencies as either PMI or IPMA.

• You may already have a project management certification, and this could enhance your understanding of Project Management processes.
• Your corporate/governance standards mention PRINCE2.

The general consensus is that the project success rate is virtually unchanged in the last 50 years. Accurate information is hard to come by but the consensus is something like 70% of projects do not meet their original objectives. 

As stated by Martin Cobb in 1995 in what is now known as Cobb’s paradox: "We know why projects fail, we know how to prevent their failure - so why do they still fail?" - Martin Cobb Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Ottawa, Canada.

Some people have started to do something about this and have taken a fresh approach trying to improve the success rate of projects.  If you would like to learn about project management and take a project management certification that is different from the traditional approach to managing projects, you may like to consider the following:

The Half Double Institute was established by the Danish Foundation for Industry who brought together a team of academics and industry representatives to redesign project management to significantly improve project success rate. 

They set themselves a strategic target of delivering twice the value in half the time. Working with a range of Danish companies over the last 7-8 years they researched, piloted and developed a new approach to managing projects that is now available as the Half Double Methodology.

The research was led by Aarhus University, they have published several research findings but their fundamental approach was to take a team and output focused view on delivering benefit to the organisation. 

To obtain the Half Double Foundation certification, participation in an Ignite Training session followed by the successful completion of the exam is required. The training course and exam focuses on three core principles – Flow, Leadership and Impact – which leads to greater value creation and a proven increase in project success rates. It teaches candidates simple tools and practices to use in their organisations, enabling their projects to have more impact in less time.

• Your organisation is reviewing their strategic program management.
• Your current project management approach isn’t delivering the benefits you expect, and you are willing to try something different to improve your project success rate.
• You can be persuaded by hard evidence that something new works.
• You already have a Project Management Certification and are keen on expanding your understanding of what other Project Management approaches exist.

Praxis Framework launched about 5 years ago and is probably the most comprehensive new approach to Project Management.

It is a community driven web-based product that brings guidance together from the Project Management Membership Bodies and a range of other sources into a strategic program management approach covering people, teams, tools and processes as well as project management maturity. The content can be used under a Creative Commons Licence and tailored to form a Project Management playbook to meet an organisation’s particular needs. 

The course and certifications include content suitable for both projects and programs, so it is a simple and economic solution for many organisations.

To obtain the Foundation Certification, you may choose to self-study and sit the exam or enrol in a Praxis training course with an accredited provider. There are no pre-requisites for the foundation exam; the certification is aimed at practising or aspiring Project or Programme Managers, Business Change Managers and Administrative Support (for example Project and Programme Office personnel).

• The course and certifications bring together content suitable for both projects and programmes, so it is a straight forward and economic solution for many organisations.
• If you work for a global company with project managers holding different project management certifications this could be an option for your global standard without having to retrain your project professionals
• You believe that the people and team dynamics in project management are as important as, if not more important than, the tools and processes. The continuous improvement tools in Praxis, which are used to review team performance, align well with your corporate culture.

One of the first project management thought leaders to talk about the project economy is Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez which he covered in his recent Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects (HBR Handbooks) in which he introduced the Project Canvas. 

Project Canvas builds on the outrageously successful business model canvas by Alexander Osterwalder. Project Canvas identifies fourteen project management components that need to be considered and addressed as part of planning and scoping the project. It is an excellent thinking and planning tool but does not cover detailed tools and techniques. It is particularly suitable for senior management and sponsors to get to the heart of what is required to deliver projects successfully as part of their strategic portfolio. Training courses are available and there is a course on LinkedIn Learning. There is also a Project Canvas Certification.

To earn this certification, you must first complete the free LinkedIn Learning course, followed by booking and passing the Project Canvas exam.

• You already have a project management Certification but are interested in learning about new ideas and approaches
• You believe project managers should operate at a strategic level and you want a tool to help you engage senior management
• You want a tool to help focus those early discussions with your project sponsor and your team
• You already use the Business Canvas and want to apply the same approach to your portfolio of projects.

We are already in the project economy but not everyone wants to be a Project Manager or work on complex projects. Many people may not like the uncertain nature of working on projects where you are not sure where your next opportunity is coming from.  For these people there is a great career in being involved in a Project Management Office.

The House of PMO has developed a formal career path for Project Offices. The Project Office is often the glue that holds things together and the link between the organisation’s strategy, execution of the project portfolio and delivery of benefits to the organisation.

It is a great option if you recognise the trend towards a project economy and want to be involved in strategic portfolio management. They reference Praxis as providing an excellent source of information regarding project management but focus on the key roles and duties of people in the PMO.

The House of PMO Essentials offers a suite of four training courses - targeting the various stages in a PMO practitioner’s career and focusing on how to enhance performance in these roles day to day.

• Essentials for PMO Administrators – is designed for beginners, with no prior knowledge or qualifications required.
• Essentials for PMO Analysts - is intended for individuals who understand the fundamentals of project, programme or portfolio management. As a result, a formally recognised professional Project Management certification at Foundation level or above is a prerequisite.
• For both Essentials for PMO Manager and Essentials for PMO Directors – participants are expected to have practitioner-level expertise in managing projects, programs, or portfolios. Eligibility for these courses requires holding a formally recognised professional Project Management certification at practitioner level or having a minimum of three years of relevant hands-on experience.

Certification in all four qualifications is achieved through training participation and successfully completing an exam. The training enables you to leverage from your own experiences, learn and go on to apply the competencies and best practices to develop your career.

You will definitely be working on projects in the next few years and organisations will require people to lead and deliver those projects. They certainly need more people who are able to handle the multi-dimensional nature of projects and deliver them successfully.

A certification will demonstrate you have a basic understanding in project management.  A certification complemented with practical experience is the ideal solution.  

Combining the findings of the CMI report with the trend towards a project economy, I would suggest a Project Management Certification could soon be a prerequisite for a management role in every industry.

If you have read this far, please check out the links to see which certification is best for you, find time to study for it and gain that certification within the next several months and then seek out opportunities to apply your knowledge and develop your confidence either within your current organisation or those organisations that have embraced a project orientated future.  

Then go on and enjoy a long and happy career.