Additional Info
Introduction To Project Management :
Project Management Institute (PMI), has described Project Management as the use of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a wide range of activities that meet the requirements of a particular project. Project management essentially focuses on planning, managing, and organizing the possible resources. Some of the activities that must be a part of project management activity are to successfully guide the project team into all phases and execute the project successfully. Other activities involve identifying and efficiently managing the project life cycle and implementing it to the user-centered design process.
Goals and Objectives of PMP :
The objectives and goals of the organization can be achieved efficiently through proper project management. The project manager performs a key role in managing the project. They anticipate all the risks that might arise during the production process and guarantee that all the risks are addressed with a proper plan. By developing a good project management structure the employees will have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, they will also be informed of the schedule of the deliverables and will have the chance to plan their schedule accordingly. A good project management structure ensures that the project is accomplished within a specified period and budget.
Project Management has recognized nine key areas within project management, and they are as mentioned:
- Integration Management
- Scope Management
- Time Management
- Cost Management
- Quality Management
- Human Resource Management
- Communication Management
- Risk Management
- Procurement Management
Project Phases :
To have greater control over the project, the project is divided into different phases. Each state defines the tasks and activities that have to be completed within a specific period. It also describes how many team members will be allocated in each phase so that all resources are used to their full potential.
Project Life-Cycle and UCD :
A project life-cycle applies to all phases of a project, from initiation to conclusion of the project. When describing the project life-cycle, the first phase in the cycle is regarded as zero. According to PMI, there are about four to five stages in a project life-cycle. Some may even contain more phases, it depends upon the complexity and size of the project. Most of the companies across the globe use Agile or Waterfall life-cycle methods. You can also include user-centered design (UCD) best practices and methods. A user-centered design process involves planning, collecting and analyzing data, writing content, designing and developing, and testing.
Project Plan :
Project plan plays a vital role for effective project management. When the project manager devises a project plan, they have to assure that they include all user-centered design best practices and methodologies. A project plan consists of features such as objectives, scope, budget, and team roles and responsibilities, schedule, assumptions, dependencies, risk assessment, and management plan, and turn control plan. A project plan describes a complete set of activities that need to be undertaken by team members. It is also probable that the sponsor may request some new changes in the final product, in that case, the project plan must be renewed accordingly. Then project managers may also introduce charter agreements in their project plan. This choice has to be taken by the project manager depending on the project requirements. A project charter is a document that is approved by the project sponsor.
Scheduling :
Scheduling is one of the essential aspects of project management. If the project is not correctly scheduled then it might lead to a project failure. Scheduling defines what are the activities that have to be offered, and also defines who is responsible for carrying out these activities.
Domain Areas of the PMP :
- The range of the PMP exam is broken down into five knowledge regions, which include the following:
- Project Initiation (13% of exam coverage)
- Project Planning (24% of exam coverage)
- Project Execution (31% of exam coverage)
- Project Analysis and Monitoring (25% of exam coverage)
- Project Launch and Closure (7% of exam coverage)
The Scope and Characteristics of the PMP Exam :
The actual exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. Unlike some other IT certs, the PMP is closed-book, and no other classifications or types of materials are permitted into the testing center. It is vital to note that 12.5% of the exam coverage (25 questions in all) are supposed to be “sample” questions and are used to examine suitability in future exams. These questions arise sporadically throughout the exam, and they do are not used in calculating the final score of the exam. Thus, the applicant is only graded on 175 questions. The candidate is permitted up to four hours to take the exam, which is administered by the Prometric Testing Centers worldwide. The original exam is computer-based; this ensures that the candidate will know their results almost immediately. There is also a paper-based variant of the exam that is currently offered but is only possible in a limited number of Prometric Testing Centers. Interestingly enough, the PMI does not exhibit any sort of official passing score. The computer notifies the applicant if they have passed or failed the exam and displays the candidate’s ability level in each of the domain areas. Proficiency can be at any one of four levels.
PMP Examination Requirements :
Not just anybody can apply for the PMP exam. There are strict and exhaustive guidelines that have been set forth which are as follows:
- The individual completes their duties with minimal supervision and is 100% responsible for all the phases of the project management life cycle.
- Have direct oversight and management of the various cross-functional teams to deliver and execute the project deliverables to the client’s satisfaction inside tight timeframes, budgets, and limited resources.
- Possess an in-depth understanding of at least one traditional project management methodology and be able to apply those skills efficiently and adequately to any type or kind of project that has clearly established specifications and project deliverable deadlines.
The Benefits of Acquiring the PMP Certification :
- Quick Growth and Advancement in Career : The PMP is a long-established, internationally-recognized certification that is highly regarded by the whole business community, both IT and non-IT sectors. By attaining the PMP, you will gain access to a very unique and specialized group of professionals who are already PMP certified. Thus, there will be tremendous networking opportunities and to meet other contacts who can steer you to a higher-paying job with added project management responsibilities.
- Enhancement of Skill Set : As just described, the conditions for even just appearing to take the PMP are quite high. Bypassing the exam, you will display to any future employer that you have a very strong skill set and are ready to lead a team.
- Enhancement of Marketability : By having passed the PMP, it indicates that you can work across a broad spectrum of activities, whether it is relevant to IT or not. It also suggests that you can communicate with a wide range of people, with greatly varying backgrounds and skillsets. And since the PMP cert is so highly valued by many industries, there is the potential that your involvement could be in high demand all over the world.
- Seriousness of Work : By holding the PMP cert, it shows an employer that you have the total commitment to your chosen field, and thus, are highly disciplined in practical project management skills. Most importantly, it also proves that you can deliver a project to the satisfaction of a client, which in turn, could expect more repeat business for the organization that you work for. This will produce you that much more prestige.
Also, since you will be administering with people with many different attributes and skillsets, they may need education as well in project management techniques. Having the PMP, will even prove your ability to effectively train others as well.
Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities :
A modern project manager is normally juggling over an ever-increasing number of digital tools. The job of a manager involves things like managing errands in projects and assigning tasks to the team and much more. A manager is majorly accountable for creating a team. The manager has to take care of everything from laying the foundation to hiring people to get them on track. They have to acquire new skills and find a work-life balance. They simply need to concentrate on the right things and exploring is the mantra. Throughout the history of project management, the basic principles have always stayed the same, that involves managing resources, schedule, activities, and tasks. There is no scheduled optimization between ancient marvels of project management and modern-day projects included. The project manager has to be sure to manage risk and minimize uncertainty. Project managers use project management software, namely ProofHub, to coordinate their tasks and workforce.
Salary of a Project Manager with PMP certification :
The national average salary for a Project Manager is ₹15,00,000 in India. These Salary estimates are calculated based on 16,603 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Project Manager employees all over the country.