By Major Robert E. Dion, Jr.
P
roject Management Professional (PMP®) certifcation is so important in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that it is a requirement for senior
project managers who manage megaprojects (any project
that has a budget of more than $300 million, that lasts for
more than 3 years, and that requires an increased amount
of coordination). The Engineer Regiment also encourages
offcers to obtain the certifcation. Department of the Army
Pamphlet 600-3, Commissioned Offcer Professional Development and Career Management, advises offcers to obtain
PMP certifcation as part of self-development starting at the
captain level.1 In April 2013, the Army began tracking offcers who have obtained the PMP certifcation by creating
the W5 engineer skill identifer. The purpose of this article
is to inform offcers, noncommissioned offcers, and Department of the Army civilians of the requirements for the PMP
certifcation and provide tips on how to obtain it.
Phase 1: Requirements
A
ccording to the Project Management Institute (PMI®)
Web site, , the requirements
.for certifcation are as follows—
■ For applicants with a bachelor's degree. Within the
last eight consecutive years, document at least 3 years of
unique project management experience, with 4,500 hours
of experience in leading and directing projects and
35 hours of project management education.
■ For applicants without a bachelor's degree. Within
the last eight consecutive years, document at least 5 years
of unique project management experience, with 7,500
hours of experience in leading and directing projects
and 35 hours of project management education.
These requirements seem straightforward, but there
may be confusion about what counts as project management
experience. PMI defnes a project as ". . . [A] temporary
endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or
result."2 Projects have beginning and end dates. Operations,
on the other hand, are not projects. The ongoing work with
operations produces repetitive products, services, or results
within the unit's existing procedures.
It is unlikely that all of an applicant's time in the Army
will count toward the project management experience
requirement. The following are examples of projects (which
May–August 2013
count toward experience) and operations (which do not count
toward experience):
■ Projects.
USACE civil works.
USACE military construction.
Engineer vertical and horizontal construction work.
.Unit deployment and redeployment planning and
execution.
Unit dining-in and dining-out planning and execution.
Quarterly or deployment training plan development.
■ Operations.
Command maintenance.
Status report preparation.
Weekly unit meeting preparation.
.Army training and leader development class
preparation.
Phase II: Application Process
G
ood note-taking during past projects will help
speed the PMP application process. Unlike the professional engineering license application, which
requires applicants to obtain personal signatures to certify
work history performed under a professional engineer, the
PMP application does not require this. A good frst step in
the application process is to become a member of PMI for
a fee of $139. The PMI membership includes a free download of the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide
(PMBOK®),3 which is needed to study for the exam. A paperback copy of the book can be purchased for about $45. The
examination cost for members is $405, while nonmembers
pay $555.
The application is completed at . Each project that is claimed as part of the applicant's experience requires a list of the time spent leading
and directing in the fve project areas:
■ Initiating.
■ Planning.
■ Executing.
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