The time is right to become a certified project manager, as the Walrus said. Instead of complaining about the hype surrounding the PMP, let’s return to the concept of?performance-based competency assessment. I started this topic several weeks ago and then put it aside for my series about estimating. While the estimating series isn’t yet complete, it seems like this should be a higher priority. Let me first introduce you to three project management organizations that you may not know about:

• The?Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards is a volunteer organization that works to create performance standards that meet the needs of global project management communities. The GAPPS project manager standard is available for free download at www.globalpmstandards.org.
• The International Project Management Association (IPMA), a federation that includes over 40 national associations from Europe, North America and Asia, as well as Latin America and the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia, is called the?International Project Management Association. Before Y2K, IPMA was the world’s largest professional association. It has certified more project managers than any other organization.
• The USA Member Association in IPMA is the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (asapm). We have combined IPMA’s Four Level Certification program and the GAPPS Project Manager standard to offer the USA’s first (and perhaps only) independent, performance-based project manager certifications. This program is run by me, so I am biased.

Let me now share my opinion on competency assessment. There are two main approaches to defining and assessing competence.

• Attribute-based is where personal attributes like knowledge, skills, and other characteristics, are identified and evaluated. Competence is inferred from the presence of the necessary attributes.
• Performance-based means that work outcomes and performance levels can be identified and evaluated. Competence is determined by the demonstrated ability to meet the performance criteria.

Asapm’s GAPPS standard falls under the latter category. Performance-based competency standards (PBCS), which are widely used around the globe, were developed in the context of government-endorsed standards and qualifications frameworks in Australia and South Africa. The European Economic Community is currently developing a PBCS approach to address all jobs in all its member countries. Let’s look at a portion of the GAPPS standard for a glimpse of what it is all about. Let’s start with the definition for?Manage stakeholder relationships? This is the first of six units. It defines the elements required to manage stakeholder relations during a project. It contains the Performance Criteria that are required to demonstrate competence in ensuring appropriate participation of key individuals, groups, and organizations throughout the project. There are also four?elements’. This unit has four?elements? The first is to?ensure stakeholder interests are identified, and addressed. I trust you will agree that this is a must-do for project managers if they want to see their project succeed. Each element is composed of a number performance criteria. These are the performance criteria for this particular element:

• The relevant stakeholders are identified.
• Stakeholder interests are investigated, documented.
• When making decisions about a project, it is important to consider the interests of all stakeholders.
• Diverse interests are addressed by actions.

Candidates must show documentary evidence to support their eligibility. They must also prove to two independent assessors that the candidates understood what they were doing. Here are some questions that our assessors might ask.

• Who was your stakeho?