Which qualification should I
pick?
Programme
Management is gaining popularity for professionals in the Project Management
domain. A much-needed skill is currently
scarce. Those who have read my earlier blog
on the topic hopefully have no major disagreements on that. Readying oneself
for the role is the obvious next step now...
All PMP’s are fan of the PMBoK Guide and would out
rightly want to go for PgMP® thinking there lies the answer. While those
conversant with PRINCE2® would think, MSP® is the only choice! Those with no Project
Management qualification may not even consider giving Program Management a
thought, thinking they missed the boat! Hey, take a pause...Evaluate and
Decide. Let us assess the two certifications – Program Management Professional (PgMP®) from PMI, USA and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®) from APMG, UK
Eligibility – What is the qualifying criteria, or
eligibility that one must fulfil to be able to apply for the certification
exam?
PgMP® – Four-year Bachelor’s Degree, Four+ years
(i.e. 6000+ hours) of Project Management experience, and Four+ years (i.e. 6000+
hours) of Program Management experience.
MSP® – No such eligibility criteria, i.e. anyone can apply!
The
eligibility aspect makes MSP so very much viable and PgMP majorly daunting for
professionals, which as one can imagine qualifying only after at least 18+ years
of work experience. Now, in a growing economy like ours, who would wait for so
long to write this exam and aspire to be a Program Manager?!!! Usually people
want to grow into a Program Manager, most likely, around 10+ years of work
experience...i.e. having practiced Project Management for about 5+ years or so.
Btw, a Project Management qualification is not a prerequisite for either
of the Program Management exams, just in case you thought so.
Application Process – Okay, so you qualify...now what is the
process?
PgMP® - the certification involves a three-step
process:
Step 1 - Fill up the application form, as per
the format prescribed, and send to PMI for assessment and obtain approval
Step 2 - Study and take the Exam (online CBT
from a prometric is the most preferred way)
Step 3 – a 360 degree feedback from 12 of
your reference contacts, 4 above your level, 4 at your level, and 4 below your
level. PMI calls this a Multi-Rater Assessment (MRA) that consists of an online
survey comprising of 44 statements.
Depending on
the candidate, and the related environmental factors, the entire process may
take three to six months to complete.
MSP® - the candidate simply needs to contact an
APMG Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) and sit through a classroom
training, which is the most common and preferred way, and study the MSP manual.
The ATO would facilitate the Exam application process and Exam bookings as
well. The candidate can appear in the Exams (Foundation & Practitioner
Level) during the training itself, which is usually a five day affair, and come
out certified! But, does this make the credential less valuable? No, not at all!
The examination tests the candidate rigorously on the knowledge and application
of the MSP manual. The global pass rate for MSP Practioner is around 82%
Exam Blueprint, Fees, and
Validity
PgMP® - there is no clarity from PMI on the passing
score, as they determine it through a psychometric analysis that determines the
difficulty of the Examination and the point of passing.
The entire
certification, for a PMI member, costs USD
1500. The credentials continuing requirement (CCR) for PgMP is similar to
that of PMP, i.e. 60 PDUs every three years.
MSP® - there are two levels of Exams, Foundation
& Practitioner, that candidates can attempt for acquiring the MSP
credentials. Passing the Foundation level is necessary before one can apply for
the next level, i.e. Practitioner. The cost for the credential varies
geographically, however in India, the five-day training including the
Foundation and Practitioner exam fee is priced at around INR 50,000 by most of the ATOs. While most professionals go for
Practitioner level credential, for those who wish to gain more expertise may
consider writing the Advanced Practitioner too.
Foundation level – is a 60 minutes closed
book exam, with 75 multiple choice questions to attempt. A score of 50% is
required to pass. The Foundation level credentials stays with you for life.
Practitioner level – is a two and a half hour
open book Exam, with scenario based objective type questions, which requires a
50% score to pass. The Practitioner is required to re-registration on expiry,
i.e. before five years.
Advanced Practitioner – is a three hour open
book exam, with up to 3 scenario based questions that requires essay type
answering, and a 50% score to pass. The credential holder must re-register
within three to five years, i.e. before the credential expiry
Framework – While credential is one aspect, the Knowledge,
Guidance, and Framework is important for application. Which standard offers a
better framework that can guide the application and delivery of the Programme
for the organisation?
PgMP® - The Standard for Program Management, from
PMI, identifies the following performance domains – Program Strategy Alignment,
Benefits Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Program Governance, and Program
Life Cycle Management across the three stages of – Program Definition, Program
Benefits Delivery, and Program Closure. The standard identifies the next level
of components of each of the domains, however does not include sufficient
guidance on the process – a common feedback from practitioners. Perhaps the
next revisions would help.
MSP® - The Managing Successful Programmes manual,
from APMG, includes the three core concepts - MSP Principles, MSP Governance
Themes, and MSP Transformational Flows. It touches upon various aspects from
Programme lessons, to Organizational and Management approaches, and a process
flow for delivery. The framework has received positive feedback from
practitioners, and organisations are increasingly embracing the concepts for
delivery of its strategy. The UK Government attributed the success of London
Olympics 2012 largely to MSP®
Personally,
this is a tough category for anyone to pass a verdict on. Experts from the
field are more than welcome to contribute to this topic. Both standards have
come-up only after years of research work. One may consider reading through
both the Frameworks and pick the parts more applicable to the Program at hand,
or Organisation’s preference (if any).
Growth data
PgMP® - the latest data that I could get my hands
on, the statistics: there are about 850 PgMPs worldwide, of which 500+ are from
USA, and India has 41 of them in all.
MSP® - as per Sept 2012 report with data from 2009 onwards - more than 4500 professionals are taking the
Practitioner Exam every year globally, with about 100+ in Asia-Pac in 2011 that is a steep growth of upto 80% year on year.
Job Prospects
Well, at the level
of Programme Manager, for the companies that recognize Programme Management as
a discipline, it would ideally not matter which credential the candidate
carries but what would matter is the qualification, knowledge, and delivery
capability.
More Information
PgMP® - http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Certifications/pdc_pgmphandbook.ashx
MSP® - http://www.apmg-international.com/en/qualifications/msp/msp.aspx
Scoring
Let’s see
how the two certifications score from the perspective of a prospective taker:
Certification
|
Eligibility
|
Application Process
|
Exam, Fees, Validity
|
Framework
|
Growth
|
Job Prospect
|
Total Score
|
PgMP®
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
2
|
MSP®
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
6
|
Still not
sure?...Go figure!
Happy Learning!
Happy Upgrading!
