PMI® (Project Management Institute) describes itself as the world’s leading non-profit project management association with over half a million members. PMI awards several certifications relating to project management, with the PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification for project managers being the most common. Those who contribute to projects, but do not lead them, may earn their CAPM® (Certified Associate in Project Management), and those who manage multiple projects simultaneously in the form of programs may earn their PgMP ® (Program Management Professional). There are also two project specialty certifications awarded by PMI—the PMI-SP® (Project Management Institute Scheduling Professional) and the PMI-RMP® (Project Management Institute Risk Management Professional).
The PMBOK® (Project Management Body of Knowledge) is the book produced by PMI that is the recognized standard for the profession of project management and the foundation for PMI’s certifications. Currently in its fourth edition, the PMBOK describes 42 processes that are “generally recognized as good practice” in the field of project management.
Ryan Gensel
September 19, 2009
Isn’t this just a semantic argument? The difference between a profession and a performance is how one is contracted to use their competence. Organizations are economies of scale, and competence is a scarcity. The larger the organization, the more centralized a role could become because of an individual’s specialty, or the more distributed it could become as a compliment to practicing knowledge. All employees are delegated some responsibility to plan, but authority is relative, and to balance the competence and performance of others is not a science, any more than it is an art. The difference between an artist and a scientist is who’s paying you.
-Ryan Gensel
twitter.com/readysetproject
ryangensel.blogspot.com
Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo
September 19, 2009
Hi Ryan,
In my research I looked at the semantic, legal, sociological and economists definitions of profession, and in all cases, project management came up short…….
But you do raise an issue that unfortunately, appears to me to be hurting the practice of project management, and that is the mistaken impression that having the PMP means you are a competent practitioner.
Whether intentional or not, PMI has allowed, if not encouraged, this belief to persist when there is nothing to prove that people who have their PMP tend to manage projects more successfully or better than those who do not, nor does it mean that those who do NOT hold their PMP are less likely to manage projects more successfully than those who do.
In short, IMPO, PMI (along with several other professional organizations purporting to represent the practice of project management) is selling nothing more than wishful thinking……..
BR,
Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia
http://www.getpmcertified.com
Ryan Gensel
September 20, 2009
Thanks for the great response Dr. Paul!
I think “profession” is inherently linked to the pre-existing knowledge silos that maintain institutional academia. By implying the need for a distinct “multi-disciplinary” role would alienate the “supposed” authority. I imagine the role of a professional project manager (informal noun) to facilitate integration and motivate team members. PMI provides a wonderful ontology that describes projects, but it’s more of a postmortem language to record an autopsy (and establish blame). I love the PMBOK, but it’s a formal system describing an informal one. It’s an approximation of a complete system.
PMP’s are awarded on their experience, diligence to learn, and ability to apply knowledge. What they do with their competence is no guarantee of their performance. I think organizations have to set the expectation for the role of PM, but a PMP has to realize their role independently of what the PMBOK may discuss (as a professional not as a PMP).
There’s no magic bullets.
-Ryan Gensel
twitter.com/readysetproject
ryangensel.blogspot.com
Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo
September 19, 2009
Sorry, but what justifies your claim that project management is a “profession”? I surely hope it is not based solely on PMI’s marketing hype….?
There are not one, but two published, academically sound research efforts, one of which was funded in part by PMI that concluded “project management is not now, nor is it likely in the foreseeable future, to be recognized as a profession” (Zwerman & Thomas, 2004)
My own PhD dissertation- “Is project management a profession? And if not, what is it?” confirmed Zwerman’s research and went on to conclude that project management is a process, and that process is embedded in all existing professions and trades and even into most of our day to day lives.
While I share your enthusiasm and passion for project management, we need to be very careful that we don’t take PMI as being the FINAL WORD on the practice of project management. The largest? Yes, but the most highly respected? I think not….
BR,
Dr. PDG, Jakarta, Indonesia
http://wwwgetpmcertified.com
David Samuel
September 19, 2009
While Dr. PDG makes several excellent points about Project Management, I respectfully disagree.
If one is to examine whether project management is a profession, one should examine the roots of the terms involved.
“Profession” is defined as:
n.
1. A. An occupation or career: “One of the highest compliments a child can pay a parent is to choose his or her profession” (Joan Nathan).
B. An occupation, such as law, medicine, or engineering, that requires considerable training and specialized study.
C. The body of qualified persons in an occupation or field: members of the teaching profession.
2. An act or instance of professing; a declaration.
3. An avowal of faith or belief.
4. A faith or belief: believers of various professions.
(http://www.answers.com/topic/profession)
“Management” is defined as:
n.
1. The act, manner, or practice of managing; handling, supervision, or control: management of a crisis; management of factory workers.
2. The person or persons who control or direct a business or other enterprise.
3. Skill in managing; executive ability.
(http://www.answers.com/topic/management)
If a profession is an occupation or career, and management is the act, manner, or practice of managing, as defined above, is stands to reason that Project Management is an occupation or career practicing management of projects.
An argument running counter to this might be that management is not a profession, which, by the definitions elaborated above, does not hold water.
Extending the metaphor of Project Management into everyday activities is under-representing the nature of true Project Management. It would equate to saying all baseball players are “Professionals” and therefore those that play in the major leagues are the same as those that play t-ball. It is just not the same activity, practiced with the same levels of expertise, competence, professionalism and results.
With all due respect to Dr. PDG, I believe Project Management is a profession, and, moreover, is recognized by many Fortune 500 companies as a core competency. I agree that taking PMI as the “FINAL WORD” on the practice of Project Management is a slippery slope, but saying, ““project management is not now, nor is it likely in the foreseeable future, to be recognized as a profession” (Zwerman & Thomas, 2004)”, in my view, is slightly disrespectful to the thousands of highly competent professionals practicing this fine art and science.
Dr. PDG, I would also like to understand which organizations in the community you feel are more highly respected than PMI, and your basis for these conclusions. Additionally, if you would be so kind as to offer more specific citations of the works involved in your post (including your own) it would be appreciated.
Respectfully Yours,
David Samuel, PMP