CPM Guidance Notes February 2011

8/4/2019 CPM Guidance Notes February 2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/cpm-guidance-notes-february-2011 1/10

CPAKCPMCanGuide Issue4 170211 of 10

Certificated Project ManagerCertificated Project ManagerCertificated Project ManagerCertificated Project Manager Guidance NotesGuidance NotesGuidance NotesGuidance Notes




p p p p roject management understanding and practice roject management understanding and practice roject management understanding and practice roject management understanding and practice the principles of project management, appropriate use of tools, techniques and

methodologies, commercial acumen, problem solving, stakeholder involvement. 5.0 Selection of Assessors

APM has a panel of experiencedAssessors drawn from a variety of industries all of whom are Certificated Project Managers. The Assessors have all been through theCertification process and have undergone extensive training in assessment techniques.

6.0 The Assessment Process Certification is a three stage process. Stage 1 - Submission of application

– completion of an application f orm,

a self assessment form including a statement of strengthsand weaknesses, curriculum vitae and a project précis, together with the appropriate fee.

Stage 2 - Completion of a project report (within the time allocated) Stage 3 - Attendance at an Interview, on payment of the appropriate fee.

6.1 Stage 1 – Application Submission The application form, self assessment form and relevant fee structure are available on the APMwebsite: www.apm.org.uk. The self assessment is based on the APM Body of Knowledge 5th Edition, and if you are already a member of APM, you will have received

a copy of this on CD. If you are not a member, and would like a CD to help you completethe self assessment, please e-mail your contact details, including address, [email protected], and a CD will be sent to you.

You will also find the Body of Knowledge Definitions on the website.

The application form should be completed as follows: Application Form Complete the application f orm, including details and the name and address of two

business referees. •

The first referee must be your current immediate manager and able to supportyour application by actual knowledge of your responsibilities. • At least one of your referees should be a Member or Fellow of the APM. • At least one of your referees should have been involved with your chosen

project. • If you are head of your company, please name two business or professional

associates. • The referees must both sign the application form. • APM may contact referees at its discretion.




It is important to note that presentation of your documentation is an important aspect of your application and acts as a reflection of your professionalism when viewed by theAssessors. Curriculum Vitae Your CV must contain sufficient information to show clearly your career progression andproject management experience. It should be a comprehensive record of how you havereached this stage in your project management career and clearly demonstrate your

range of skills and how they were achieved. Self Assessment Form The recommended method of completing the self assessment form is:-

• Read the Body of Knowledge thoroughly to get an overview. • Complete your assessment form by entering a score for both Knowledge and

Experience for each element. Statement of Strengths and Weaknesses Carefully consider what you believe to be your strengths and weaknesses as a projectmanager. Give a clear definition of these and be specific about the steps you are takingto overcome the weaknesses. You may wish to include a copy of your (CPD) Continuing

Professional Development plan to support your statement, which should be added as an

appendix to your CV. The Précis The purpose of the précis is to enable the two Assessors to judge whether the projectyou have proposed will provide them with an adequate basis to allow them to form anopinion concerning your competence as a project manager. You must provide them with

sufficient information to establish that the activity in question represents a complexproject, and that your own role in relation to the activitywas regarded as that of projectmanager. It should include elements over which you had no organisation authority butfor whose actions you had responsibility. The précis should indicate the circumstances that gave rise to the project, its purposeand objectives, and must emphasise your own role and responsibilities. It should alsogive an indication of the team which you managed, the main features or elements of theproject, and the timescale over which it occurred. Before submitting the précis, please examine the suggested project report structure insection 6.2 of this guide, and consider whether or not the project being proposed will

provide a sufficient basis to enable you to submit a project report that is likely to satisfytheAssessors. The précis and final report should be about the same project. The précis should not exceed 2 pages and it is suggested that you give a half pagesummary of the project and use the rest of the précis to describe your role and how youmanaged the project. An organisation diagram should be included as a third page. The Précis Format

• The précis should be on A4 typed on one side only • The précis can be single spaced • All pages submitted should be numbered consecutively • Your name should appear on every document




Submission and Payment For Stage 1, your self assessment form, application form, CV and précis may be postedto the address at the end of this document, or submitted electronically [email protected] Payment can be made by cheque (payable to APM) or by credit/debit card: pleasespeak to a member of the Qualification team to arrange this, on 01844 271680.

6.2 Stage 2 – The Report Aims of the Report The purpose of the project report is to provide evidence in support of your applicationfor Certification. It will be judged according to the extent that it demonstrates that youare a fit and proper person to be a Certificated Project Manager. The project report should be a maximum of 5,000 words in length. The project reportshould have a logical structure along the lines suggested below. The ability to draft,present and discuss an executive report is itself an important management competence.The structure suggested is for guidance as you will be assessed upon the quality of thestructure adopted for the report and the clarity of presentation of information in yourreport, as part of your demonstration of communication skills. Scope The project report must be based upon the same project as in your original précis, and

must be a project or significant sub-project which was managed directly by you. Itshould make clear why the project occurred, the client context, the project’s objective

and the outcomes achieved, how it was managed, and what can be learned from it.

TheAssessors will be more interested in the project management competences that youdisplayed in its implementation. TheAssessors will be seeking evidence of the relevanceof objectives and the composition of the project team and their management to theproject context. Your contribution and any distinctive features of the project should be

made clear. The Assessors will pay particular attention to awareness, objectivity and awillingness to learn from and share experience. The project report should be written in the style of an executive report for amanagement audience, and not as an academic dissertation. The audience to beaddressed consists of fellow professional project managers, namely the Assessors, and

those who may wish to refer to the report for guidance. Project management or specificindustry jargon should be avoided. The project report should also be intelligible to a peer

group of senior managers who may not necessarily be project management specialists. A copy of the project report of successful candidates will be retained by APM, and will

be available for the use of selected members, certification candidates seeking guidance,and other interested parties. Summaries of selected project reports may appear in APMpublications and on the APM website with the agreement of the authors. If you intendto include commercially sensitive or security sensitive materials in your report pleasenotify APM.




Report Format • The report must be on A4 paper printed on one side only with a minimum font

size of 12pt. • Pages must be numbered consecutively. • You name must appear on every page. • You must post 3 hard copies of your report to the address at the end of this

document, and e-mail an electronic version if possible.

Project Re port Structure A model project report structure is shown below: Management Summary

A summary of the main points and conclusions Contents

A contents page and list of tables, figures, appendices Introduction

What the project was, where it occurred, and when The Situation

The background which gave rise to the project. The nature of the problem thatwas identified. Why a project was felt necessary and the parties with an interestin it

The Client A profile of the client organisation and reporting mechanism

Objectives What was sought, and the outputs that were required in terms of cost, qualityand time

Roles and Responsibilities Precise terms of reference, including your role and responsibilitiesas the project manager.

The Project Team Who was involved, and how the project team was assembled and managed. Anorganisation diagram is always useful

The Anatomy of the Project The main feature or elements of the project

Management of the Project The management processes and supporting technology used for co-ordination,

communication, monitoring and control Di s tinct Aspect

What, if anything, was different or distinctive about this particular project, with a

focus upon novel or unusual aspects. Why the project is considered important,significant or of special value.

The Outcome What happened in terms of output performance achieved, as compared with theoriginal objectives and targets. The extent to which the original concept of theproject or its objectives were modified in the light of experience.

Analysis Critical success factors and explanations for any variances which might haveoccurred. Unforeseen events and how these were handled. Problems

encountered and how they were overcome. What were the managementissues?




assessment process. If the Assessors reject your submission at Stage 3 they will give youfurther guidance on areas for improvement which would assist you to make a newsubmission. If either you or one of the Assessors disagrees with the outcome or

handling of the Stage 3 interview, there is an appeals process available for an individualcase to be reconsidered. The decision at the conclusion of the appeals process is final.

Number of attempts You can have up to three attempts to achieve certificated status. Each attempt will entailpayment of both registration and certification fees.

9.0 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) There is a requirement for all members of APM to keep themselves up to date with theprofession. The APM has established a CPD policy, to which Certificated ProjectManagers are required to commit. Failure to continuously improve and participate in

CPD activities, can result in the withdrawal of registered certificated status. Furtherdetails of the APM CPD scheme are available on the APM website.

10.0 IPMA Registration IPMA Registration at IPMA Level B is available on payment of a registration fee. Ademonstration of CPD is required to maintain a place on the register.

APM looks forward to receiving your application for Certificated Project Manager.

If you have any queries please contact APM by telephone on 01845 458 1944, by [email protected] or by fax on 0845 458 8807 Please send all of your documents to: Qualifications Department, Customer and Operational ServicesAssociation for Project Management Ibis House Regent ParkSummerleys Road Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire HP27 9LE

CPM Guidance Notes February 2011

Documents

Transcript of CPM Guidance Notes February 2011