PMP,CSM very general information for everybody

PMP (Project Management Professional) Certificate:

PMP(Project Management Professional) certificate by PMI is a test of knowledge and also demonstrates certain amount of project management experience. Is it a test of competancy? IMO, the answer is NO. You can be a PMP and somehow still manage to be a bad Project Manager. But probability is that, your chances of being a good project manager are higher if you have done PMP. My own experience tells that, PMP provides you right tools in your hand to make sure you increase the probability of success/graceful end of the project.

Moreover framework for PMP is such that, you have to constantly keep on updating your knowledge if you need to continue with the PMP certification.


CSM (Certified Scrum Master) Certificate:

Agile! My favorite project management methodology. And it can prove to be a big trap as well! :) Agile makes things visible sooner. But agile without proper knowledge and involvement from 'relevant stakeholders' is like giving a nuclear weapon in a monkey's hand. It is a formula for failure. So does CSM Certificate and training really help? IMO absolutely yes, if you are really serious about 'Agile'. But just like PMP does not mean successful projects, CSM does not mean CSM will give you gurantee of success in agile. Morever CSM can be achieved simply by attending 2 days of training (and taking optional exam) towards the end of it. So CSM training shows you all the traps to avoid obvious failures.



GIST PMP and CSM:

a) They are tools to equip project managers to increase probability of success.
b) They definately demonstrate knowledge, but not necessarily competance. They are recommended but not mandatory.
c) They mean a person is serious about 'Project Management' field and has urge to be successful.