A guide to project management certifications

Project Management Office Certifications:
The who, what, how, why, and the costs
Author: PM Majik
Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. www.pmmajik.com

Contents
1.0 The purpose of this presentation
1.1 Why you need a PMO certification
2.0 Choosing a PMO certification
3.0 Project Management Professional – who and what
3.1 Project Management Professional – how, why, and costs
4.0 Portfolio Management Professional – who and what
4.1 Portfolio Management Professional – how, why, and costs
5.0 PRINCE2 – who and what
5.1 PRINCE2 – how, why, and costs
6.0 SAFe – who and what
6.1 SAFe – how, why, and costs
7.0 ITIL – who and what
7.1 ITIL – how, why, and costs
8.0 The right PMO certification for you
9.0 Resources

1.0 Purpose of this presentation
The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the different certifications
available to people working in project management offices (PMOs).
We’re going to look at:
• The reasons you should get a PMO certification
• How you can go about choosing the right PMO certification for you
• Details about some of the most common certifications –
• Project Management Professional
• Portfolio Management Professional
• PRINCE2
• SAFe
• ITIL
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/project-management-certifications-how-to-choose-the-
right-one/

1.1 Why you need a PMO certification
Gaining a certification for PMO work can have a range of benefits, both for your personal
development and to improve your career.
• Match the requirements of job descriptions
It’s becoming more and more common that employers expect you to have
certifications and provable skills to work in a PMO
• Achieve a higher salary in your current position
Having certified PMO skills shows your employer that you’ve improved your
capabilities and can add more value to the business
• Improve chances of promotion
Working up from a business analyst or a project manager into a PMO position can be
much easier when you have demonstrable PMO skills after completing a certification

2.0 Choosing a PMO certification
There are many professional certifications targeted at project management and project
management office roles.
You need to make sure that, no matter which organisation you pursue your training and
certification with, you check:
• Who is certifying the course and are they a professional body?
• Is the certification recognised in your industry?
• Where is the course from and is it recognised in the country you work in?
• Which project framework does it work with and is it relevant to your role?
We’ll be looking at these elements as we cover each certification in this presentation.
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/project-management-certifications-how-to-choose-the-
right-one/

3.0 Project Management Professional – who and what
Who certifies the PMP certification?
• PMP is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
• The PMI has been around since 1969 and advocates for the professionalisation of
project management
• It’s an internationally recognised organisation that every project management worker will
be aware of
What does the PMP cover?
• People – you learn about the soft skills it takes to manage people in a project
• Processes – you’ll cover how you need to work within process to deliver projects
• Business environment – you get to know how projects fit into the wider business
context
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/project-management-professional-pmp-certification-
what-you-need-to-know/
The Project Management Professional (PMP)
certification is a qualification that provides a framework
for project management, rather than being PMO specific.

3.1 Project Management Professional – how, why, and costs
To take the PMP certification, you need to study the Project Management Book of
Knowledge, or PMBOK, and to complete an exam to be certified.
There are strict criteria to be eligible to take the exam, which are:
• A 4-year degree
• 36 months hands-on experience leading projects
OR
• A high school diploma or associates degree, or local equivalent
• 60 months hands-on experience leading projects
PLUS
• 35 hours of project management education or a CAPM certificate
The benefits taking the PMP include increased employability, and PMI research suggests
you can achieve a higher salary in the USA.
Costs of the PMP
• PMI members pay $405 for the course, $49.50 for the PMBOK, and $60 for recertification
• Non-members pay $555 for the course, $99 for the PMBOK, and $105 for recertification
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/project-management-professional-pmp-certification-
what-you-need-to-know/

4.0 Portfolio Management Professional – who and what
Who certifies the PfMP?
• PfMP is certified by PMI, the same organisation that certifies the PMP
What does the PfMP cover?
• Strategic alignment of projects with business goals
• Governance
• Managing portfolio performance
• Risk management across the portfolio
• Managing communications between teams
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/the-portfolio-management-professionalpfmp-
certification-do-you-need-it/
The Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)
certification is specific to PMO roles, covering change
and transformation management.

4.1 Portfolio Management Professional – how, why, and costs
To get PfMP certified, your work experience needs to be assessed by a panel, followed by
an exam of 170 questions based on the Standards for Portfolio Management book from
PMI.
To be eligible for the assessment and exam you need
• eight years of professional business experience in the last 15
• A high school diploma, associate-level degree, or similar
• Seven years experience in portfolio management
OR
• A four-year degree
• Four years working in portfolio management
The PfMP is said to be the most elite portfolio management certification available.
Costs of the PfMP
• PMI members pay $800 for the certification and $60 for recertification every three years
• Non-members pay $1,000 for certification and $150 for recertification
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/the-portfolio-management-professionalpfmp-
certification-do-you-need-it/

5.0 PRINCE2 – who and what
Who certifies PRINCE2?
• PRINCE2 is a joint venture between the UK Cabinet Office and Capita
• The company they have formed is called AXELOS, which issues PRINCE2 certificates
What does PRINCE2 cover?
• PRINCE2 is a framework and process to run projects
• You learn how to bring projects in on time and on budget
• At the higher level of Practitioner, you learn how to adapt concepts to projects of
different sizes
• You’ll know how to run, control, and review projects once certified
• You will be competent at using all of the documentation that comes with the framework
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/prince2-certification-do-i-need-it/
PRINCE2 stands for Projects in a Controlled Environment
and is a complete foundation to run projects.

5.1 PRINCE2 - how, why, and costs
PRINCE2 requires you to undertake online or classroom training followed by an exam.
• The exam can be taken in four training centres in the UK
• Through the British Council if you’re overseas
• Online if neither of these are an option
There are two levels to PRINCE2:
• Foundation – there are no prerequisites for this course
• Practitioner – completing the Foundation level or equivalent certification is a requirement
Training for both can be combined into one course or completed separately.
PRINCE2 is a common way to run projects in the UK, but is recognised internationally with
more than 1 million people certified, with 88% of people saying it helped them find a job.
What does PRINCE2 cost?
Expect to pay anywhere from £350 - £1,000 depending on course delivery method
To combine both levels in one package, you’ll pay £750 - £1600
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/prince2-certification-do-i-need-it/

6.0 SAFe – who and what
Who certifies SAFe?
• Scaled Agile Inc. – a company formed by project management specialists - certifies
SAFe
• More than 20,000 companies have adopted SAFe around the world
What does SAFe cover?
There are two levels of SAFe, which cover the following:
• Certified SAFe Agile Product Manager teaches you to develop and execute projects
using SAFe and how to plan projects from design to delivery.
• Certified SAFe Lean Portfolio Manager helps you to understand how to link your
strategy to the wider business needs, how to apply project governance, and
measure overall performance.
Additional Resource
<Full URL with hyperlink to blog post>
SAFe means Structured Agile Framework and is specifically designed
to train you how to work with Agile projects.

6.1 SAFe – how, why, and costs
There are no specific qualifications you need before taking the SAFe certification.
• For the Product Manager course, you need to have experience in taking products to
market
• For the Portfolio Manager course, you need some prior experience in a SAFe
environment
You’re required to take a training course, online or in person, before sitting the exam for
SAFe.
It’s a particularly common certification and requirement for PMO work in the software field,
but can be used in other fields.
What does SAFe cost?
The Product Manager course costs roughly $700, recertification each year is $100
The Portfolio Manager course costs roughly $1,500, annual recertification is $295
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/do-i-need-a-scaled-agile-framework-safe-certification/

7.0 ITIL – who and what
Who certifies ITIL?
ITIL is ran and certified by AXELOS, a joint UK Government and Capita project
What does ITIL cover?
There are four levels of ITIL certification:
• ITIL Foundation
• ITIL Managing Professional
• ITIL Strategic Leader
• ITIL Master
When you complete the ITIL certifications you’ll have a firm grounding in strategic
leadership training to ensure that IT services align with business needs
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/itil-certification-what-is-the-and-do-you-need-it/
ITIL stands for Information Technology Information
Library, meaning that it’s a certification that’s very
heavily focussed on IT and software projects and
IT service delivery.

7.1 ITIL – how, why, and costs
To complete the four stages of the ITIL certification program, you can do a mix of self-study
and training courses.
Foundation level is a self-study or classroom-based training
• Managing Professional requires Foundation to be completed, and there are four
sections to study all at once or over four short courses
• Strategic Leader also requires Foundation to be completed and has two different
sections to work through
• Master requires all other ITIL certifications to be achieved and is structured as an
assessment rather than exams like the other levels
ITIL is globally recognised and will boost your IT service delivery CV.
What does ITIL cost?
There are range of different providers and course options, here are rough estimates of cost.
Additional Resource
https://www.pmmajik.com/itil-certification-what-is-the-and-do-you-need-it/
• Foundation - £270
• Managing Professional - £1,100
• Strategic Leader -£1,700
• Master - £2,000

8.0 The right PMO certification for you
There are a range of certifications available to PMO professionals that will enhance your
skills, boost your CV, and improve your employability.
We’ve covered five of the most common certifications you will come across in job listings
and given you the basics to help you make a decision.

9.0 Resources
If you want more information, visit www.pmmajik.com where you will find lots of project
and PMO resources including the FREE guide, 7 Steps to Set-Up a PMO.
Visit http://www.pmmajik.com/set-pmo/
PM Majik Website
On the PM Majik website you will find over 450 articles that contain practical and
pragmatic tips and insights for designing, mobilising and managing a PMO. New
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A guide to project management certifications

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A guide to project management certifications