Should you certify your schedulers?

Should you certify your schedulers? [P149]

For the last 60 years, planning and scheduling has been a craft either self-taught or occasionally with knowledge handed from ‘masters’ to ‘apprentices’. In the last 20 years, many people have confused learning to use a tool, with learning how to make use the tool to develop effective schedules that have a positive affect on project outcomes. As a consequence nearly 50% of projects finish late!

The future of project management is predicted to be one that focuses on the ‘soft skills’ including; communication, motivation and leadership. Uncertainty will be recognised as normal and skills for managing uncertainty will become essential for successful project delivery. Consequently, a revised focus on using the schedule to assist in the effective management of the use of time, by supporting the PM Team with useful information is emerging. This paradigm emphasises:
•    Collaboration and agreement
•    Coordination and timely information
•    The ability to adapt to changing circumstances quickly

In this scenario, scheduling should be seen as a modelling process that helps optimise, coordinate and communicate ideas about what might happen in the future. This requires practitioners skilled in the arts of planning and scheduling as well as having the ability to use the tools needed to make this a practical proposition.

Until recently, certifications in scheduling were focused exclusively on senior schedulers and had very little effect on the profession and practice of scheduling. These factors have now started to change - new ideas and paradigms are emerging that will change the way people advance their careers in planning and scheduling. Initiatives by the CIOB and Planning Planet are focused on delivering a career framework for professional ‘Time Managers’, taking people from novice, to a practitioner skilled in the art of planning and scheduling.

This paper focuses on these initiatives to revitalise our industry by creating a career path for planners and schedulers as well as clearly identifying the benefits of certification for organisations that employ planners and schedulers. The answer to the question posed in the paper’s title is YES!

Key reference include:

CIOB’s Guide to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects: see more on The Guide
The PMI Practice Standard for Scheduling 2nd Edition : buy a copy of the Standard
Free scheduling resources and papers: Mosaic's Scheduling Website
Existing senior practitioner certifications:

AACE PSP™: go to the AACE website
PMI-SP®: Mosaic's PMI-SP training course, or additional information on the PMI-SP credential

New certification frameworks

Planning Planet: visit the Planning Planet web site

Mosaic's scheduling certification training options: credential overview