RegPM FAQ

How long does it take?

If you have been involved in project management for at least two years, the program may take up to three months to complete. If you are relatively new to project management, the program may take up to 12 months to complete.  It may take longer if, in the process of addressing the performance criteria, you identify skills gaps which require you to undertake some additional project management training.

The assessment process itself will vary depending on how long it takes a candidate to compile the evidence.

What are the benefits?

• Identify any skills gaps;
• Improve your knowledge, skills and capabilities in project management;
• Gain a competitive advantage over non-Registered Project Managers;
• Gain recognition from the peak body for project management in Australia for your capabilities in project management;
• Gain recognition in your organisation for your project management capabilities, in addition to your technical capabilities;
• Identify a path for progressing your career - from project team member to project manager to project director or program manager;
• Inclusion on the Register of Project Managers.

Am I entitled to use post-nominals after I have been awarded the RegPM?

After you have been awarded a RegPM award at one of the three levels, you will be able to add the following after your surname:

Is the RegPM award industry-specific?

The RegPM award program is generic.  It is based on the National Competency Standards for Project Management (NCSPM) which are also generic.  Additionally, the qualifications required by those wishing to assess candidates for the RegPM are generic (ie Certificate IV in Workplace Training & Assessment).

Assessors for the RegPM will have a background and experience in a particular industry or profession, and this may be of added value to a candidate.  It is important to note however that Assessors must assess against Competency Standards for Workplace Training & Assessment and not against industry codes or practices, particularly if those codes or practices are inconsistent with the NCSPM.

What is involved in the assessment process?

The assessment process need not be arduous if you prepare adequately for it. An AIPM Registered Assessor is interested in ensuring that high standards of compliance with the Standards for Workplace Assessment are maintained, and will therefore ensure that you satisfy strict skills application criteria ie the workplace assessor must be able to match your workplace performance in project management to each of the performance criteria within the units of competency.

Sometimes the generic Competency Standard (NCSPM) statements are difficult to relate to your workplace. It is your Assessor’s responsibility to understand your work environment and relate the generic Competency Standard to the specifics of your environment. It is your responsibility to gather evidence of application in what you do in project management, and align the evidence to the framework advised by the assessor.

The assessment process is therefore quite straight-forward. You have already applied for assessment. You have selected an Assessor and discussed your workplace specifics so the assessment can be conducted ‘in context’ (ideally modified, annotated to your requirements). You then:

• gather evidence of a current and ideally one other completed project for each of the performance criteria
• prepare for workplace assessment
• complete the process
• receive advice from your assessor regarding meeting the criteria
• receive your certificate

Of course there are many ways the assessment may go. Many assessors will combine compilation of evidence with interviews with you and your peers/supervisor; and/or observe your performance in the workplace (ie spend an hour or two with you and review your project and what you are currently doing, with what templates/ process/ tools). Sometimes a gap will be evident, either in your practice or in your organisation’s framework, and additional evidence or effort may be required. If there is a knowledge and therefore application gap, training may be recommended in a specific subject.

At the time of the assessment, you will be found either competent or not-yet-competent. If the former, then the process continues with an assessor report to the AIPM, notification of success to you, and receipt of a certificate at the level sought. If not-yet-competent, the assessor will advise you of the requirement and you can choose how to fill the gap. This is your prerogative, and your actions are not confined to dealing with the assessor for remedial action.

Most importantly, the whole process need not take a long time. Stage A can be reached as quickly as you can compile evidence (either you satisfy all requirements, or other actions are recommended to you to ‘fill the gap’). In your interests this should take no more than 3 months. Again the Stage B remedial action is up to you – it may be as simple as finding/ clarifying evidence, or may require you choosing a training provider to resolve a ‘gap’, or tackling your organization for clarity on particular processes/ templates provided. Once resolved, the assessor must complete the assessment process expediently – he/she should have provided very clear directions to you, and if your respond accordingly, the assessment report can be completed and the process completed.

So try to stay in control of the process: it is designed for your convenience. If it is not proceeding to your satisfaction, please advise the Certification & Assessments Manager at AIPM National Office, and it will be addressed immediately.

Is there a process in place to "quality assure" the assessment process?

A Verification Council (VC) formed under the auspices of the AIPM, is responsible for the quality assurance of the RegPM program. The role of the Verification Council is to:

• appoint an independent person or organisation to act as Verifier(s);
• review the performance and effectiveness of the Verifier(s);
• establish Terms of Reference for Verifiers;
• establish other quality control procedures to ensure Assessors are assessing candidates according to industry standards.

Additionally, there is an Assessor Network Council (ANC) which must:

• establish Rules and Procedures for Assessors;
• issue regular Assessor Network News(letters);
• monitor the performance of Assessors and adherence to the terms of their engagement (the AIPM establishes the criteria for being included on the Register of Assessors);
• conduct annual workshops for RegPM Assessors.

Once I am included on the Register of Project Managers, how long does this registration last?

Registration and inclusion on the Register of Project Managers is valid for three years from the date the RegPM award issues, subject to continued financial membership of the AIPM.  After three years, RegPM award recipients must renew their registration to remain on the Register.

Do I have to continue to be an AIPM member to remain certified?

Certification is restricted to financial members of the AIPM. For your certification to remain valid you need to remain a financial member by paying your annual membership renewal fee.

What is the difference between the different certification systems?

There are a few certification systems for project managers. The certification page on wikipedia is available for further reading.

I have a project management qualification. Does that qualify me as a RegPM?

There is a difference between a certification (issued by a professional body) and a qualification (issued by a university, TAFE, Registered Training Authority etc). Traditionally, qualifications issued by universities and other higher education institutions do not include a competency-based component in the assessment criteria - the assessment component usually comprises of exams and assignments.

Obtaining a project management qualification will certainly provide you with a strong basis for completing the RegPM program. In particular, it should equip you with the necessary knowledge base for undertaking the RegPM. To ensure that the course you undertake does cover the required knowledge areas, you should select a course which has been endorsed by the AIPM.

Some of the courses endorsed by the AIPM are provided by universities and RTOs which are accredited by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), and able to issue qualifications. Some of these courses also include a competency-based assessment component ie the compilation of a logbook. As a result, you may be able to use the same logbook to obtain both the qualification from the university or RTO, AND for the RegPM program. When enrolling in a course which has a competency-based assessment component, you should inform the course coordinator that you are also enrolled in the RegPM program.

I have a "PMP" - does this qualify me for the RegPM award?

The PMP is the certification awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI).  The PMP is not competency-based.  It has two elements - knowledge and experience. As a result, a PMP contributes to Associate level membership.

As the PMP is not a competency-based certification program, it does not qualify a person for the RegPM.  However, the knowledge base of the PMP is the same as the knowledge base for the RegPM.  The PMP therefore provides a strong foundation for those undertaking the RegPM. 

Will the new NCSPM standards affect me if I commenced the program under the previous Standards?

The National Competency Standards for Project Management (NCSPM) were finalised in 2004, after being substantially re-written in 2002/2003. The final standards are designed to better reflect actual workplace requirements, and impacts on all three roles – Project Team Member (QPP), Project Manager (RPM) and Program Director (MPD).  Each supports, manages and directs respectively, and so the least change is to the project manager (RPM) role.

The team member focus is no longer on ‘managing’ sub-projects in his/her own right, but on performing skills in support of the project manager across the eight functions of project management.  Duties might include schedule maintenance, risk register input, contract variations monitoring, change request records, cost capture and control, responsibility assignment updates, maintenance of meeting minutes and actions plans, and the like.  Responsibility is not for management of all or part of the project, but for support of key functions in project planning, delivery and finalisation.

The project manager manages all functions; manages the activities of the total project environment and impacting influences of the external environment; and manages expectations of the stakeholders, including the final outcome expected by the organization.  Changes are more refinement and clearer performance criteria, not changes in role.

Most change is in the MPD role.  The MPD will direct the output of multiple project managers, and manage programs of multiple projects.  In directing activity, the MPD will be expected to control the project delivery environment, effectively reviewing multiple projects for planning and delivery consistency; ensuring projects align to strategic goals and objectives; consolidating practice; and integrating outputs to best effect for the business overall.  Considerable emphasis is therefore placed on project selection and prioritization; benefits quantification and tracking; projects to business alignment; and coordination of projects for resource usage, interdependencies and analysis of risk in the broader context.  In managing outputs of multiple projects, the standards emphasize “defining and planning program scope”, etc; in other words managing at a program level what projects managers manage at the project level.

Transition from re-written standards to final standards.
If your RegPM assessment is currently underway, it will be completed under the same standards that were in place at the beginning of your assessment. If you are contemplating the assessment process now, you need to prepare for assessment against the new standards (all RegPM Assessors are using the new NCSPM Standards).

What if I fail?

I am not currently working in project management. Am I still able to enrol in the program?

I am not resident in Australia. Can I still enrol in the program?

Although from a workplace assessment perspective, it is often useful for your Assessor to observe you in your working environment, it is not essential.  A number of overseas candidates have successfully completed the program, communicating with their Assessors by email and by teleconference. 

Assessors on the Register of Assessors have indicated whether they are available to assess overseas and/or interstate candidates.

Back to About RegPM Page
Back to RegPM & PMO Page