Get an APMP using PRINCE2 Skills
In this second guest article, Paul Naybour from Parallel Project Training explains how qualified PRINCE2® Practitioners can build on their existing skills with the APMP qualification.
If you are a qualified PRINCE2® Practitioner you may think that this credential along with your real-world experience is enough to develop your career in project management. And it may well be; if you work in a government organisation or a major corporation in the UK that promotes the use of PRINCE2® for managing projects and you plan to stay in your current organisation (or one like it) for the foreseeable future then you may not see the benefits of studying another method. After all project management is project management isn't it?
There's always something new to learn
Well, I'm sure you already know the answer to that question; there are different ways of managing projects which all have their advantages and disadvantages and if you are to be truly successful as a PM, and deliver successful projects consistently, then there is always something new to be learnt from studying different methods. No single method is perfectly suited to one type of project and, increasingly, for complex projects different methods may be used for certain parts of the project.
Build on existing skills and fast track your learning
For those with an existing PRINCE2® Practitioner qualification, you can study for the Association for Project Management's APMP qualification and have your existing PRINCE2® knowledge and capabilities taken into account - so you can take a shorter exam and don't have to go over old ground where the two methods complement each other. So you can gain a second qualification in the minimum of time helping you develop as a more rounded PM.
An APMP training course develops a project manager's knowledge and skills beyond what is covered on a PRINCE2® Practitioner course. There are 73 assessment criteria from the APM Body of Knowledge (6th edition) that you have to learn to sit the APMP exam but 26 of these are already covered by the PRINCE2® Practitioner syllabus. Therefore, you would only need to study, and be examined on, the remaining 47 assessment criteria.
The advantages of not having to study the whole APMP syllabus and taking a shorter exam on the reduced number of topics should be encouragement enough to expand your skill set. However, the real benefits to be gained are in developing capabilities that you will not have covered when studying for PRINCE2® but which will certainly help you in your career as a project manager - capabilities such as Communication, Conflict Resolution, Budgeting, Cost Control, Negotiation and Procurement as well as some of the "softer" skills such as Leadership and Motivational skills are all part of the APMP course of study.
What this means in practice is that, for the same amount of studying time just to gain the APMP, you could end up with 2 highly-regarded PM qualifications, which surely can only help your career prospects. In addition, you will gain a wider set of practical skills and a broader outlook on project management and all the other areas in which an experienced PM must become involved such as building and motivating a team to work towards a common goal.
Complementary project management approaches
PRINCE2® provides a structured PM framework for managing projects across a range of industries but APMP provides the detailed knowledge, based on industry best practice, of the whole range of project management techniques and skills required by a professional project manager. So, the two approaches complement each other perfectly.
There seem to be no downsides for you, as a PRINCE2® project manager, or for your organisation, in studying for the APMP. Organisations simply can't afford to have projects that are badly managed and take up valuable time and resources without delivering on their promises. They rely on professional project managers who understand the concepts of project management but, more importantly, can put them into practice in a way that makes their projects work and deliver the expected business benefits on time and within budget.