Licensed to Drive

Is Project Management a commodity or a craft?

Some days back I visited the Regional Transport Office of Bangalore North district, more commonly called RTO office. For those unfamiliar about my part of the world, RTO issues driving license if you pass their written test and driving test.

Bangalore, and I guess many of the cities in India, is teeming with driving schools. As the name would suggest, these folks teach you how to drive. In Bangalore and again, probably in other Indian cities, driving schools have, in a way, exceeded their brief. They also help you get the driving license. It is not uncommon to see a driving school agent chaperoning young would-be drivers around the RTO offices, filling up forms on their behalf, making them rehearse the driving rules and in general making them feel at-ease. With the passage of time, this has been stretched to such an extent that many would-be drivers go to a driving school, not to learn driving but to get a driving license!

Does this sound familiar? Rather very familiar? Isn’t this very similar to what is happening of PM education? You don’t see much of PM education happening around except maybe people getting coached to pass an exam. Traditional colleges and institutes do not offer PM as a course except maybe as an elective. The ones that do offer are not necessarily aligned to the practice.  Add to it the growth in number of PMI^® registered education providers who at the best provide only PMP^® exam prep programs.

As per PMI^®’s website an R.E.P. program has been designed to enhance the ongoing professional development of PMI^®’s members, those credentialed through PMI^® and others in the project management profession. But as time passed, a good number of them are now merely PMP^® exam coaching centers, with more following the suit. Some of them guarantee you passing the examination. A savvier few would even return your money back if you do not pass. Being a project management mentor, I have got requests for help in filling up in the PMP^® application from aspirants. (I feel like screaming at such requests!)

The conflict between credential being a commodity versus it being recognition of a craft (A craft is a skill, especially involving practical arts – Wikipedia) is a much debated and discussed topic in multiple forums. The jury is still out on this decision. But in the meanwhile, someone has to take serious look at PM education.

Coming back to my story, I had gone to the RTO for my daughter’s driving license. Even if she gets it, I would be really wary of handing her my car keys. I hope the powers-that-be in the industry do not share such apprehensions about a PMP^® certified project manager!

Eager to know if you would agree or disagree with me. Please do write.