APM Competence Framework - Book Review

The Competence Framework has been recommended by Arras People over the years for a number of reasons, not least that it is one of the only books where a project professional can assess their own current skills and competence levels in project management. The book was devised following the publication of APM's Body of Knowledge - the publication that provides a brief overview on the main areas of project management.

The competence framework takes the whole discipline of project management (note - project management not programme management or PMO) and splits it into three domains. The technical competence includes areas such as scheduling, risk,  configuration management etc. The behavioural competence includes areas such as communication, teamwork and leadership and finally, contextual competence, areas such as legal, organisation structure and governance.

There are 30 competences in technical, 9 in behavourial and 8 in contextual.

Each competence then has a page of its own; taking the scope management competence within the technical domain. There is a brief definition of scope management followed by 4 indicators. Each indicator is a sentence which describes what a project professional should be capable of doing in relation to the competence. For example, the first indicator; "Identifies and defines interested parties' requirements and objectives". Against each indicator you are expected to note down your Knowledge level and your Experience level i.e., how well you know about the theoretical side of the subject Vs experience of actually carrying out the task/s. See the example below

Copyright APM

Once scoring has been given for each indicator and a total scoring gained for the competence; the overall competence level is given a A, B C or D rating which are the APM levels for A = Director, B = Snr PM, C =  PM and D = associate.

A full explanation of how to score, what the scoring means and how to use the book throughout your career are included in the beginning of the book

So that's the technical aspect of assessing yourself against the core areas of project management; the question remains who should you buy this book?

I advise people at all levels in project management to ensure this book is on your bookshelf;

• If you looking for a way to assess yourself against an industry recognised standard - not just today - but throughout your career this book is one of the easiest ways to do that
• If you're looking for development in your career, do you know which areas you need to concentrate on?
• If you're looking for career advancement in project management, do you know what it takes to be a project manager, senior project manager and so on?
• If you're compiling a CV, do you know what the main areas of project management competencies are - the tasks required - the experience required? This book is a great place to start to ensure your CV covers off the main elements of a project management role

>> Available through resellers via Amazon

Further Reading

>> See the Camel post on Competency Interviews which features the Competence Framework

-- Reviewed by  Lindsay Scott, Arras People

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