The free CIOB event scheduled for the 15th November in Melbourne will be the de facto launch of the CIOB PTMQ Framework in Australia covering the various routes to the Project Time Management Certificate (PTMC) examination. Depending on interest, training courses and examinations can be organised wherever there are sufficient numbers.
The PTMC has no prerequisites – whist the examination is rigorous, formal training courses are optional, experienced schedulers in particular may choose the self-study option.
The PTMQ framework is part of an overall strategy developed by the CIOB to improve project outcomes and address widely held misconceptions about the role of effective time management within project management.
As a starting point, effective time management, the courses and the credentials have nothing to do with tools. In exactly the same way a car is a means for a skilled driver to implement his/her objective, scheduling software is a means for a skilled scheduler to implement effective time management. Unfortunately most schedulers are taught how to run tools and virtually nothing about what planning and scheduling is supposed to achieve.
We all know a significant proportion of projects run late and many that finish on time have been de-scoped. The process led by the CIOB has been focused on defining the problem and building practical solutions to address these issues that cause $billions to be wasted on projects every year. The overall solution that is nearing completion includes:
- Publication in 2011 of the CIOB Guide to the management of time in complex projects.
- Development of a new form of contract for complex projects due for publication later this year.
- Development of the PTMQ framework, officially launched on the 1st November
- Running a sustained campaign to raise awareness of the importance of effective time management in achieving value from an investment in a project.
PTMC fills a major void in the publicly available project management qualifications. The certification tests a persons understanding of effective time management and is designed for people entering a project scheduling role. For the first time project managers, PMO managers and HR departments can require an impartial assessment of a job candidates understanding of the role of project scheduling in the successful delivery of projects!
Existing ‘time management’ qualifications either require years of experience prior to the candidate being eligible to sit the examination or are tools focused and simply certify the person knows how to ‘push buttons’ to make the designated software ‘go’.
PTMC complements these existing qualifications at the entry level, focusing on the objectives of good scheduling practice to support tools focused skills (you cannot do effective scheduling without the tools). Additionally, PTMC provides a stepping stone towards the more advanced certifications either within the CIOB framework or others such as the PMI-SP.
If you are based in Melbourne we look forward to seeing you on Thursday 15th November, to register and anyone else interested in this exciting development see: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Training-CIOB-TM_Credential.html
Pat Weaver
Lynda Bourne
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