Project Manager Competency Assessments and Development

The ultimate goal in performing competency assessments is to develop and sustain superior project management performance. PM College’s Project Management Competency Assessment Program focuses on building the strengths and identifying the gaps in project management knowledge and skills. Assessments provide a comprehensive view of an individual’s (or a team’s) project management knowledge, behaviors, and performance levels. Results of the assessment allow organizational leaders to determine which individual project managers have the highest potential to grow and excel. Project managers can then be assigned to the types of projects they are best suited to lead effectively.

Competency assessment results also help organizations target training only where deficiencies are recognized, thus eliminating unnecessary training programs and ensuring more productive results from their training investment.

Program Components
The Project Management Competency Assessment Program has three main components: a multi-level knowledge assessment, a personality and cognitive behavior assessment, and a multi-rater survey reviewing the current performance of project managers.

• Knowledge: The PM Knowledge Assessment Profile (PMKAP) measures an individual’s project management knowledge based upon the nine areas identified in the industry-standard A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), from the Project Management Institute (PMI®). The individuals assessed can see how they scored in each knowledge area and how they compare to the rest of the population assessed. Organizations gain insight from the aggregate data to see where deficiencies exist and begin developing a targeted training program designed to meet those needs.
• Behaviors: The PM Attribute Assessment, the second tool in the Competency Assessment Program, is a personality and cognitive assessment tool that measures the behavior traits shown to contribute to the success of an individual in a project manager role. Behavior traits such as leadership, interpersonal relations, problem solving, decision making, personal organization, and time management are measured. Extensive attribute research and interviews have been conducted to ensure that the project manager competencies being measured are fully validated. Verbal feedback is provided to the individual(s). An aggregate report, detailing the competency levels of those that took the assessment including their strengths and areas for improvement, is distributed to management. These results help the organization understand who are the “natural” project managers and who may need additional development.
• Performance: The Multi-Rater Tool includes a self-assessment as well as an assessment by people who have first-hand knowledge of the individual’s performance in the workplace (raters). Raters can be peers, subordinates, supervisors, or clients. The individual and the raters apply scores to a number of key performance indicators in the project management process areas. There is a dual focus to this portion of the assessment: confirmation of performance and analysis of competency.

Actionable Results
These three assessment components can performed separately or combined to provide an overall picture of the project manager competency within a given team, group, or organization. Professional development programs that are competency-based help organizations target their training dollars to make the most difference in project management outcomes. Matching project manager competencies with the types of projects they are prepared to handle will result in more effective project execution and, subsequently, better organizational performance.

More Information
To learn more about how PM College can help you assess and improve project manager competency within your organization, contact us today at 1-888-619-2819 (toll free).