Home > News > April 2004 > 22-Apr-2004

Blair backs project management skills drive

The Association for Project Management will launch an Introductory Certificate in Project Management today at the Congress Centre in London. The new qualification, developed in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills, will enable thousands of people involved in project management to achieve recognition for the first time. The initiative anticipates a significant expansion in demand for people qualified in project management.

Tony Blair spoke in February of changes to the Civil Service, which would “shift focus from policy advice to delivery. Delivery means outcomes. It means project management.”. What we needed, he said, was “a Civil Service equipped to lead, with proven leadership in management and project delivery.”

The qualification forms part of APM’s long-term strategy to broaden standards in and recognition of project management skills across all business sectors. Training for the qualification will be available from APM Accredited Providers.

Designed to provide recognition for those who are starting out in project management or who are not full time project managers, the initiative also contributes to the goals of the Government’s Skills Strategy – 21st Century Skills: Realising Our Potential White Paper. During 2004, DfES alone expects to put forward 520 candidates who have attended their project management learning programme.

Miles Shepherd, Chairman of APM and Senior Project Manager at AEA Technology, believes employers and employees alike should be excited by this new development: "The Introductory Certificate represents a huge step in achieving formal recognition of people’s skills. The recognition of Tony Blair, his Government and the Civil Service that project management skills are becoming a pre-requisite in public and private sectors gives us a significant boost.

"Companies in all sectors are looking to improve their project management knowledge and effectiveness. The APM Introductory Certificate in Project Management allows them to do just that. People working in every aspect of business have project management skills and experience that has gone unrecognised until now.

"The new Certificate will provide that recognition and will benefit employers and employees alike. Employers can be more certain of the level of skills in their businesses, and employees will benefit from having their skills recognised in a formal qualification.”

The Introductory Certificate in Project Management syllabus focuses on core components of Project Lifecycle, specifically:

• Project Management Principles
• Risk Management
• Communication
• Project Success Criteria
• Change Control

The qualification is based on a single 60 question multiple choice paper to be taken in one hour.

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