Institute that Expanded Knowledge in the Project Management Field - Essay Example

People working in the same profession have always looked for mechanisms to improve their working conditions to create bonds through a forum in which their common needs are discussed and action is taken to improve their chosen field of work. American workers since the 1800’s have utilized unions as the preferred mechanism to unity their efforts and negotiate in their behalf. The union organizational structure is geared towards workers whose profile can be categorized as an unskilled, semiskilled or specialized direct labor. The management of an organization can not be members on an organized union. People that studied specific professions such as law, accounting, medical would not fit the profile of union member and there weren’t any unions for these types of workers. In order to meet the social and professional needs of this segment of the workforce professional associations were created to serve them. The project management profession is no exception. The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the organization that serves project managers across the world. The Project Management Institute was created in 1969. The organization has taken been very innovative and its overall reach and has been able to effectively expose the profession worldwide. The Institute has a membership of over 200,000 people from over 125 different countries (Pmi, 2007). Project management is a profession that attracts people from different specialization since within virtually every industry there are always projects that need guidance for successful completion. The PMI realized the needs of professionals from different industries and their assistance is guided towards helping profession in the financial services, aerospace, automobile, pharmaceutical, healthcare, construction, engineering, information technology, business management among many others. The institution has done a great job creating professional standards, conducting research and promoting the profession through certifications, networking and community involvement opportunities (Pmi, 2007). The project management institute has accomplished great social initiatives throughout the community including outreach programs in developing nation such as Brazil. In Sao Paolo, Brazil the local PMI chapter developed a pilot program which offered project management classes to teenagers from low income families. The classes were designed to expose students to the basic principles of project management and to teach them how these principles can be applied to improve their everyday lives. The curriculum the students were exposed to was created with the PMOBK framework in mind and it covered the following areas: Great projects of the world Projects around us The elements of a project Projects in life, school and work (PMI Annual Report, 2005). The organization has always been among the first ones to respond to the call of duty when unforeseen disasters strike causing devastating economic losses and human suffering. After the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia the PMI immediately went to work. The institution provided support in rebuilding the region. PMI worked with the relief agencies to improve their logistics to create more efficient response systems. In the United States when hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans community PMI was present. The organization called all its members and asked for their assistance, especially those living nearby. Many of them became volunteers working during the early stages of the crisis. Virtual discussion forums were form to perform brainstorming session for ideas to find solutions for the different problems the community was facing. The Pakistan earthquake on October 5th 2005 was another occasion PMI went to action to provide assistance. The earthquake was measure at 7.6 on the Richter scale. An earthquake of this magnitude will cause major damage. The natural phenomena left over 3.3 million Pakistani residents homeless and took the lives of over 70,000 people (Wikipedia, 2007). The Project Management Institute provided medicine, clothes, food and shelter for the victims affected by the disaster. The Project Management Institute has done a tremendous job in creating standards for the profession. They created a framework called project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). The PMBOK framework consists of the generally accepted practices in the profession. It gives project managers the tools and procedures to realize a project. Projects are separated into five phases: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. The knowledge areas of the profession are divided into nine areas which are: 1. project integration management 2. project scope management 3. project time management 4. project cost management 5. project quality management 6. project human resource management 7. project communication management 8. project risk management 9. project procurement management (PMBOK Guide, 2004) One of the primary goals of the organization is to raise awareness of the profession among different professional circles, students and the general population. The institute reaches the public by offering events at various locations worldwide to educate people on project management topics. For example on July 2007 the institute is offering two events called Program Management in Context: Developing Business Strategies Through Programs and Managing Multiple Projects. The PMI has an extensive marketing strategy which has enabled the organization to grow at astonishing rates. Last year the PMI was able to increase its membership by 50% (Pmi, 2007). The advertising strategies the company is utilizing include: their own monthly magazine, project management professional journal publication, annual project management leadership meeting, its own website (http://www.pmi.org), tradeshows, direct mailing lists, project of the year award and book insertions (Pmi, 2007). The Institute has followed the top trends in the marketplace such as the creation of virtual communities. PMI established its own virtual community to unite its membership worldwide. The creation of the online community provided a tool for the members to communicate with each other and a location to download and upload information securely. The Project Management Institute understands that research is extremely important in the practice of the profession. They foster research interest among its membership they created in 1997 a research program to encourage exploration, discovery and definition of project management knowledge (Pmi, 2007). The institute’s research department is staffed on a volunteer basis. Evidence that the institute has been catalyst in raising interest in researchers to this field can be obtained from the quantitative analysis an EBSCOhost search query on the subject. In 1961 a person could not find a single peer review article on the project management subject on this database, by 2003 there were over 1600 peer-reviewed articles available (Andrews). The Project Management Institute provides its membership with the opportunity to obtain certification in the project management. PMI provides various certification programs created to satisfy the needs of project managers at various career levels. Professional certifications have always been attractive credentials for people within a profession because they increase the opportunities of the person and their capacity to increase annual income. Certified professionals become part of a smaller group of professionals which are regarded as the experts in their fields who have the credentials to back up the claim. The Project Management Institute offers four credential options to the professionals in the field. The four certification programs are Project Management Professionals (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), OPM3 Product Suite and Program Management Professional (PqMP) (Pmi, 2007). A Project Management Professional certification is regarded as the professions most prestigious title. The certification program is for project managers with vast amounts of experience in the field. Some of the minimum requirements to become a PMP are over five years as a project manager and 7500 hours of experience in a position of responsibility. If a candidate holds a bachelors degree the requirements are lowered to 4500 of experience leading an organization and three years of project management experience. The candidate must have approved a minimum of 35 hours of project management education at an accredited university or educational center. People who hold a PMP certification for five or more years earn an average median salary of $94,340 a year which is 17.2% higher than their non-certified colleagues (Harter, 2007). A Certified Associate in Project Management is a great credential for recent undergraduate and graduate students or for professionals entering into the project management field. The minimum requirements to be able to take the examination are 1500 hours of work experience as a member of a team and 23 credits of formal education in project management. “The CAPM credential increases the holder’s visibility on project teams and signifies the holder has the fundamental project management knowledge needed for effective project management performance” (Harter, 2007). An OPM3 Product Suite certification provides a person with the ability to become an internal or external consultant of this great tool. OPM3 Product Suite supports the Organizational Product Management Maturity Model with a full set of ancillary products and services (OMP3ProductSuite, 2007). A Program Manager Professional Certification improves the standing of a professional in the field by validating knowledge of projects strategic decision making and global implications. This certification is the latest credential created by the Project Management Institute. The Project Management Institute in its 38 year history has developed itself into a world class organization. They are a socially responsible institute that has validated and expanded knowledge in the project management field. PMI offers great certification options to its members. The contributions of this great organization will continue to revolutionize the business world. References Andrews, E. PMI Research Program Overview. 7. Retrieved from http://www.pmi.org Harter, P. (2007). PMI Credentials Aim to Bring Organizational Success. Certification Magazine, 9(5), 2. Retrieved June 10, 2007 from EBSCOhost database. OMP3ProductSuite.com (2007). Retrieved June 10, 2007 from http://www.omp3productsuite.com PMBOK Guide (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (3rd ed.). 337-341. Retrieved June 1, 2007 from http://www.pmi.org Pmi.org (2007). Retrieved June 9, 2007 from http://www.pmi.org PMI Annual Report (2005). Project Management Institute, 8. Retrieved June 10, 2007 from hpp://www.pmi.org Wikipedia.org (2007). Retrieved June 10, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org Read More