Requirements, Preparation, Experience, Examination & Multi-Rater Assessment

Karen Yvonne Lucas, PgMP | PMP, has more than 20 years of experience of progressive responsibility in Information Technology Services to executives and senior management providing senior level guidance, evaluation, analysis and management. She services mid to large-scale commercial enterprises, local governments and federal defense initiatives having mission critical programs and projects with enterprise reaching operational, marketing and systems components. She has served in a senior role in the Program Management Offices of AMTRAK, CITI, UUNET, Cable & Wireless, and SPRINT as well as at the IRS, DHS, VHA, DOD, DLA , NIH and HHS. Ms. Lucas is the former Practice Director of Enterprise Program Management Services for a verified SDVOB and is now an at-hire consultant and lecturer.

The PMI Family of Credentials include the CAPM, PMI-SP, PMI-RMP, PMP and PgMP.

PMI Credentials establish not only your dedication to the project & program management profession, but also your educational and professional experience related to the same.

In order for any person to obtain a PMI Credential s/he must satisfy the educational and experience requirements – and also – demonstrate your ability to apply project and program management best practices, methodologies and common knowledges toward solving today’s business needs.

For the PgMP Credential you must also satisfy two additional evaluations: situational knowledge and the multi-rater (peer, subordinate, supervisory) assessment.

In order to maintain the PMI Credentials you must continue to show ongoing professional commitment to the field of project &/or program management through yearly completion of Continuing Certification Requirements (CCRs) – courses which reinforce, update, and expand your knowledge of methodologies and common knowledges within the field.

11 Determine If You Are Ready Do You Have the Required Education, Knowledge, Skill &

Experience? Have You Connected to the PgMP on the LinkedIn Community

Forum? Have You Obtained a PgMP Mentor? Have You Reviewed the PgMP Handbook on PMI.ORG? Have You Prepared Your PgMP Application? Have You Located at least 10 EACH of Your References

(Subordinates, Peers & Superiors) for the Multi-Rater Assessment (MRA)? PMI requires only 12 – however, if they do not respond you are OUT OF LUCK.

Submit Your Application & Pay Fees The Window is Open 90 days. PMI will conduct an application completeness

review (5 business days) if you applied on-line.

Pay Credential Fees

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PMI’s Process Begins The Audit Process begins (5 days) The Panel Review Process begins (up to 10 business days) PMI Informs the Candidate of Eligibility for the Multiple

Choice Exam.The Candidate Has Up to 1 Year to take the Exam.

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Candidate’s Process Begins Take the Exam. Upon PASS move onto the Multi-Rater

Assessment (MRA). Contact your MRA References Telling them to Look for &

Respond to the MRA request quickly. The MRA Process will take the entire 3 week period.

PMI Informs the Candidate of Successful PASS for the MRA.The Candidate Has Up to 1 Year to take the Exam.

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CONGRATULATIONS !!! You are now a PgMP !

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Request materials and Certification from PMI as soon as possible.

Join the PgMP ONLY LinkedIn Group.

Mentor Another PgMP Candidate.

In order to be a PgMP what Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skill & Abilities should I have?

Effective Program Management requires the Program Manager’s support of Corporate Financing through incorporation of the Corporate Strategy (Mission, Vision, Goals, Objectives & Success Statement). Without clear integration of the Corporate Finance Expectations & Corporate Strategy the relationship of programs to that strategy is tenuous and program success is unlikely.

Effective Program Management requires the Program Manager’s support of Corporate Financing through incorporation of the Corporate Strategy (Mission, Vision, Goals, Objectives & Success Statement). Without clear integration of the Corporate Finance Expectations & Corporate Strategy the relationship of programs to that strategy is tenuous and program success is unlikely.

Effective Program Management relies upon the Program and Program Manager for Responsible and Reliable Enterprise-Wide Oversight, Review, Assessment, Corrective Action & Performance Measurement / Monitoring Authority related to strategic programs, project s &/or initiatives.

Effective Program Management relies upon the Program and Program Manager for Responsible and Reliable Enterprise-Wide Oversight, Review, Assessment, Corrective Action & Performance Measurement / Monitoring Authority related to strategic programs, project s &/or initiatives.

Effective Program Management requires the Program & Program Manager’s subject matter expertise to exert Enterprise-Wide Influence in the program’s key field from which the Corporate Strategy expects results. Also, the Program Manager must have a strong foundational knowledge, skill and ability in business (accounting, finance, productization, marketing, risk, etc.).

Effective Program Management requires the Program & Program Manager’s subject matter expertise to exert Enterprise-Wide Influence in the program’s key field from which the Corporate Strategy expects results. Also, the Program Manager must have a strong foundational knowledge, skill and ability in business (accounting, finance, productization, marketing, risk, etc.).

Effective Program Management requires the Program to have Enterprise-Wide Reporting, Analysis, Measurement, Evaluation & Communication Authority and Expertise. This establishes the Program as the source for the corporation’s understanding of metrics, status, success, obstacles, issues, mitigation and change strategy.

Effective Program Management requires the Program to have Enterprise-Wide Reporting, Analysis, Measurement, Evaluation & Communication Authority and Expertise. This establishes the Program as the source for the corporation’s understanding of metrics, status, success, obstacles, issues, mitigation and change strategy.

Fundamental Expectations from Business for Program Managers & Directors

Fundamental Expectations of PMI for PgMP Candidates: Minimum Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skill & Abilities for PgMP by Role Delineation Study

o Who should apply?Those who manage programs that contain complex activities that span functions, organizations, geographic regions and cultures; build credibility, establish rapport and maintain communication with stakeholders; possess advanced skills in finance, cross-cultural awareness, leadership, influence, communication, negotiation and conflict resolution.

o What do PgMP candidates do?Candidates ensure the ultimate success of the program; modify programs and make decisions that advance strategic and business objectives; define and initiate projects and assign project managers; and oversee multiple projects.

o What Types of Abilities does a PgMP Exhibit? Currently responsible for defining projects Currently responsible for the Program’s Financial Health (for

example: Profit & Loss, Return on Investment, Fiscal Year Planning, Multi-Year Budget/Spend Planning, Earned Value, Break Even, Cost Benefit Analysis, Alternatives Analysis, and more…)

Currently responsible for assigning project managers and overseeing programs

Currently responsible for balancing resources over multiple projects of a program (business strategic initiative and/or operations project with resources in common).

Held to the expectation that they demonstrate an advanced ability to coordinate multiple, related projects to achieve strategic business and organizational goals

Currently demonstrate knowledge, skill and abilities honed from many industries and countries regarding fundamental knowledge of program management.

Peer recognition as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in multiple business areas.

Education & ExperienceEducation & Experience

o Requires High School Diploma, Associates Degree or Global Equivalent(6,000 Hours of Unique Non-Overlapping, Professional, Project Management Experience)

o AND – Requires 4 Years of Project Management Experience (6,000 Hours of Project Management Experience as identified under the 5 process groups from the PMI PMBOK)

o AND – Requires 7 Years of Program Management Experience(10,500 Hours of Unique Non-Overlapping, Professional, Program Management Experience. For EACH program there must be at least 2 corresponding projects that share the common strategic goal and budget of the program) – as identified by the PgMBOK.

Or substitute as Follows

o Bachelor’s Degree or Global Equivalento AND – Requires 4 Years of Project Management

Experience(See above Project Management Experience – Requires 6,000 Hours)

o AND – Requires 4 Years Program Management Experience(See Program Management Experience – Requires 6,000 Hours)

SEE THE PGMP HANDBOOK (PMI ONLINE) P. 7 FOR HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION FOR THE PGMP APPLICATION

Knowledge, Skill & Knowledge, Skill & AbilitiesAbilities

The PgMP Process includes an Application, Exam and Multi-Rater Assessment

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Do You Have the Required Education, Knowledge, Skill & Experience?

Have You Connected to the PgMP on the LinkedIn Community Forum?

Have You Obtained a PgMP Mentor?PgMPs on LinkedIn – especially those in your professional area – will be available to mentor you through the process. But, you will have to ask.

Have You Reviewed the PgMP Handbook? The PgMBOK?

Have You Prepared Your PgMP Application?

Have You Located at least 10 EACH of Your References (Subordinates, Peers & Superiors) for the Multi-Rater Assessment (MRA)?

PMI requires only 12 – however, if they do not respond you are OUT OF LUCK.

Ideas for Your Reading before taking a PgMP Preparation Course and/or the PgMP Exam:

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) – Fourth Edition

Global Project Management Handbook: Planning, Organizing and Controlling International Projects – Second Edition

Practice Standard for Earned Value Management

Earned Value Project Management – Third Edition

Program Management Professional Exam Specification

Information Technology Project Management

Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

Systems Engineering Lifecycle (SELC)

Program Governance

Fundamentals of Business Management

PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) Exam Specification

Practice Standard for Risk Management

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COST $ 1500.oo USD PMI Member$1800.00 USD Non-PMI Member

Domain Percentage of Questions Approximation

Defining the Program 14% ca. 24 questions

Initiating the Program 12 % ca. 20 questions

Planning the Program 20 % ca. 34 questions

Executing the Program 25 % ca. 43 questions

Controlling the Program 21 % ca. 36 questions

Closing the Program 8 % ca.13 questions

Examination BlueprintThe adjacent table represents the % of questions of the PgMP Exam from each domain.

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Please … KNOW YOUR MRA respondents well. They should be chosen for their ability to communication their personal witness to your work as completely as is required such that an independent assessor knows they witnessed it and that they can communicate what you have done in the language of Project and Program Management.

Choose your MRA Respondents by “role” and not by title. You will need:

Minimum of 12 Reference Contacts Altogether

oSupervisors must have approval authority over the program you manage (ex. The executive sponsor or the client)

oPeers must be other managers having similar responsibilities and performing similar tasks as you in the Program Management role.

oDirect Reports must be those who worked on a project or program team under your direction (or that of a Project Manager reporting to you)

oProfessional References must be those belonging to any three of the above categories.

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Ask PMI and PgMPsConnect to PgMPs via LinkedIn. Obtain a Mentor to help you through the process.

CERTIFICATION QUESTIONS:CERTIFICATION QUESTIONS: CERTQUESTIONS@PMI.ORGCERTQUESTIONS@PMI.ORGPMI QUESTIONS:PMI QUESTIONS: CUSTOMERCARE@PMI.ORGCUSTOMERCARE@PMI.ORGPMI STANDARDS ONLINE DELIVERY:PMI STANDARDS ONLINE DELIVERY: STANDARDSDELIVERYSUP@PMI.ORGSTANDARDSDELIVERYSUP@PMI.ORG

PHONE:PHONE: 1-610-356-46001-610-356-4600

MAIL:MAIL: 14 CAMPUS BOULEVARD14 CAMPUS BOULEVARD NEWTON SQUARE, PA 19073-3299NEWTON SQUARE, PA 19073-3299

ONLINE:ONLINE: www.linkedin.com www.linkedin.com Communities: Communities: PgMP Credentialed PgMP Credentialed

Networking GroupNetworking GroupPMI PMP ProfessionalPMI PMP Professional

EXAM PREPARATION SERIES:EXAM PREPARATION SERIES: PMI REGION 5 CONFERENCE (2 day PMI REGION 5 CONFERENCE (2 day workshop)workshop)

MILT JONES – www.pmccinc.com - MILT JONES – www.pmccinc.com - mjones@pmccinc.commjones@pmccinc.com

o How long is the exam?

o How much does the exam cost?

o What is the benefit to me of passing the exam?

o Is the PgMP Credential “necessary” for anything?

o What career growth or benefit will I see by taking & passing the PgMP Exam?

Karen Yvonne Lucas, PgMP | PMP, has more than 20 years of experience of progressive responsibility in Information Technology Services to executives and senior management providing senior level guidance, evaluation, analysis and management. She services mid to large-scale commercial enterprises, local governments and federal defense initiatives having mission critical programs and projects with enterprise reaching operational, marketing and systems components. She has served in a senior role in the Program Management Offices of AMTRAK, CITI, UUNET, Cable & Wireless, and SPRINT as well as at the IRS, DHS, VHA, DOD, DLA , NIH and HHS. Ms. Lucas is the former Practice Director of Enterprise Program Management Services for a verified SDVOB and is now an at-hire consultant and lecturer.

Program and Program Management serve to provide program and project management governance, policy, procedure, process, guidance, standards, tools, techniques, templates, methodologies, evaluation, risk, performance measurement and reporting expertise in the roles of Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Center of Excellence. By hiring PgMPs clients seek to ensure not only successful delivery of programs, projects and operations – but also to specifically achieve the company’s strategic goals through obtaining benefits from a coordinated framework and methodology for continual improvement of program/project management, vendor management, ongoing operations management, resource management and strategic mission. Ideally, the proper setup, management, measurement & services offered through the PgMP and Program Management will increase the likelihood of benefits realization within the client’s organization and partner agencies and – ultimately – achievement of corporate strategy.

CONTACT : BB: 202-352-4397

E: KYLUCAS@GMAIL.COM