Is a Certification in Project Management Worthwhile?

 

Introduction

"It is absolutely necessary to obtain certification!"

"Certification is an excellent investment!"

"While certification is nice, it adds little value!"

"Eradicate the errant project manager by certifying them"

"It is mandatory to obtain certification."

There are far too many debates and positions on the value of certifications; what, if any, is reality? The reality is this: there is no consensus on the value of certification, at least in the domain of project management.

How Much Do We Understand?

What we do know is that there are numerous project management certifications available, including the PMP, RMP, PRINCE2, MSP, IPMA (four levels), CCC/CCE, PSP, EVP, and CPM certification. Additionally, we know that some are more specialized in a particular field, while others are more popular and valuable. Which is which and how are values defined? This is the point of contention.

Several additional concerns:

Should human resource managers and executives screen candidates based on their professional certifications?

Is certification a mark of distinction or a demonstration of competence?

Are individuals who have been 'certified' able to actively contribute to organizational performance transformation?

Is project management certification, at the very least, contributing to an organization's improvement in performance?

We can post many more questions here, and in order to address them effectively and fairly, we will almost certainly require a large volume rather than a short article, as well as numerous contributors to make the case for and against. Once again, it is clear that there is no consensus among project management professionals regarding the value of certification, or at least the value of some of the more common and even popular certifications.

What Are The Generally Accepted Perspectives?

The following categories apply to the most prevalent views:

Certain professionals, training providers, and even professional associations will defend the various introductory certifications and continue to promote them as "expert" level certifications, referring to them as "best practices" and "master project management"... Promotional levels are directly related to the promoter's benefit and frequently cross the line into unethical behavior; or at the very least, misguided behavior.

Others will dismiss these introductory certifications as worthless, using terms such as "paper certifications," "technical ___," and my personal favorite, "can recite the standard verbatim but cannot manage a hot dog stand." Again, this practice may be unethical if the attackers have competing products and/or hidden agendas; as a result, they attempt to elevate their products by attacking the competitors.

Other professionals fall between these two extremes and will provide a more balanced perspective, with an open and transparent position and disclosure of their affiliations.

It is exceedingly difficult and possibly inappropriate to judge the various professional certifications, and we will refrain from doing so; this is a vast subject, and we are unqualified to render such judgments. However, in the area of project management, we possess extensive global expertise that enables us to provide a professional opinion, albeit one that is likely to be contentious.