I have mixed feelings about the subject of “Is PMP certification still relevant in today’s world?”. On the one hand,
- I am a PMP myself,
- I have had a PMP certification since 2004, and
- I’m proud to be a PMP, but I recognize the limitations of a PMP certification.
On the other hand, I can clearly see the limitations in the PMP certification.
Is PMP Certification Still Relevant?
What Are the Limitations of PMP®?
PMP is heavily based on a traditional plan-driven project management approach (what many people loosely call “Waterfall”). The world is rapidly changing today. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a traditional plan-driven approach to project management under the right circumstances. However, we definitely shouldn’t try to force-fit all projects to that approach.
- A traditional plan-driven approach to project management works well in situations where there is a relatively low level of uncertainty and predictability is important
- It does not work well in situations
- With a high level of uncertainty or
- Where an emphasis on creativity and innovation may be more important than an emphasis on planning and control to achieve predictability
In today’s world,
- A project manager needs to be capable of using a broader range of methodologies to fit the nature of the project rather than
- Force-fitting all projects to a traditional plan-driven approach.
Situations are becoming increasingly common that require a more flexible and adaptive approach due to very uncertain rapidly-changing technology and a very dynamic and very competitive business marketplace.
What Is the Impact of Agile on PMP?
For those reasons,
- Agile is having a profound effect on the project management profession that will cause us to rethink the way we do project management.
- That doesn’t mean that traditional plan-driven project management and PMP are obsolete.
- However, we’ve got to think of project management in broader terms and
- Recognize that traditional plan-driven project management is not the only way to do project management
Check out this article for more on that:
What is “Agile” and Why Is It Important to Project Managers?
Is PMI-ACP Certification the Answer?
PMI-ACP® certification is a step in the right direction but it doesn’t go far enough in my opinion:
- It doesn’t really address the big challenge that many project managers face today of “how do I blend Agile and traditional plan-driven project management in the right proportions to fit a given situation?”
- Unfortunately, PMI still treats Agile and traditional plan-driven project management as fairly separate and independent domains of knowledge with little or no integration between the two
What About PMBOK® Version 6 and 7?
The final edition of PMBOK version 6 was released in September 2017. One of the big changes is that it contains more references to Agile.
- The changes to PMBOK v6 barely scratch the surface of what needs to be done to develop a more integrated approach
- It’s apparent that PMBOK v7 will go even further in this direction but I can’t imagine that future extensions to PMBOK will solve this problem either
The whole concept behind PMBOK is not very compatible with an Agile approach. These are two very different ways of thinking:
| PMBOK | Agile |
|---|---|
| PMBOK is based on the idea that you can develop a checklist of things to consider in almost every conceivable project management situation that you can imagine. | Agile requires a very different mindset. An Agile approach needs to be much more adaptive and it would be impossible to develop a checklist defining what to do in every conceivable situation you might find yourself in in an Agile environment. |
| PMBOK and traditional plan-driven project management are based on a defined process control model | Agile is based on an empirical process control model which means that both the product and the process to produce the product are continuously adapted based on observation throughout the project |
| PMBOK is over 500 pages long with lots of details on what to do or consider in various situations | Agile is based on some very brief and succinct principles and values without a lot of detail and expects you to figure out what to do in a given situation. |
| PMBOK is also based on compartmentalizing a project into distinct and well-defined process groups | Agile requires a much more holistic and integrated approach to project management |
What is the Future of Project Management?
Here are some articles on the future of project management that will help put this in perspective:
https://managedagile.com/topics/future-of-project-management/
Overall Summary
Is PMP Still a Good Foundation?
Some elements of PMBOK and PMP are definitely useful as a foundation for any kind of project management.
- However, the depth of study and knowledge required for PMP certification tends to “brainwash” people into thinking that PMP/PMBOK is the only way to do project management and that is not the case
- Someone who only wants a foundation of knowledge in traditional plan-driven project management principles probably doesn’t need that depth of knowledge
The full PMP certification would still be appropriate for any project managers who plan to specialize in traditional plan-driven project management. However, that depth of knowledge in plan-driven project management should not be needed for someone who wants to develop an integrated Agile Project Management approach.
Related Articles
Check out the following related articles on “Agile and PMI”:
- What’s the Impact of an Agile Project Management Approach?
- What’s New with PMI-ACP and How Does It Impact My Training?
- Reinventing Project Management
- What’s Different About PMBOK Version 7?
- PMI Acquisition of Digital Agile Delivery (DAD)
- What is the Purpose of the New PMI Agile Practice Guide?
- PMBOK and Agile – Does PMBOK Version 6 Go Far Enough to Integrate Agile?
- Is PMP Certification Still Relevant in Today’s World?
- Will PMBOK Ever Be Compatible With Agile?
Additional Resources
Resources for Agile Project Management Online Training.