Discover how the PMI Talent Triangle® dovetails with Concord Academy® training and certifications
When I’m talking to prospective Concord Academy students, or employers who are considering enterprise-level training, some of the most common questions I get concern PMI® training. When it comes to project management for Advanced Work Packaging, is a PMI® certification enough? Do project managers who hold a PMI® certification need to become Concord Certified Advanced Work Packaging Professionals® as well? What is the difference between these two programs, and how do they compare?
The short answer is: the two programs are complementary. If you are in the industrial process industry, the PMI® certification alone won’t be enough. Investing in an AWP certification will empower you and elevate your career.
In this short article, I’ll provide an overview of both the PMI Talent® Triangle and Concord Academy® AWP certifications, and I’ll explain how these two complimentary programs work together to develop well-rounded and capable project managers for construction-driven capital projects.
Introduction to Project Management for Advanced Work Packaging
The PMI Talent Triangle®: An Overview
The Project Management Institute® recently overhauled their skill areas and definitions, moving to simplified, direct language that better captures the intent of the training. To understand how PMI® and Concord Academy® education fit together, we first need to understand the core skill areas that PMI® training addresses.
Ways of Working
This skill area focuses on teaching students about the different systems that companies use to get work done, and the philosophies that underpin those systems. Examples include agile, predictive, and design thinking. This skill area was formerly known as Technical Project Management.
Power Skills
The Power Skill area focuses on basic interpersonal and soft skills: collaboration, communication, innovative mindset, empathy, and so on. This skill area was formerly known as Leadership.
Business Acumen
This skill area teaches concrete business skills like competitive analysis, strategic planning, customer relationship management and more. It was previously known as Strategic and Business Management.
Now that we have a solid understanding of the way PMI® structures its training, I’ll take a look at each of the Concord Academy certification programs and explain how they fit with this paradigm.
In short, those who hold a Concord Certified AWP Professional® designation understand why and how Advanced Work Packaging works.
Concord Certified AWP Professional®
Our most popular certification program, the Advanced Work Packaging Fundamentals program teaches foundational knowledge that is essential to project management for Advanced Work Packaging (AWP). In the PMI Talent Triangle® these concepts would fall under Ways of Working, as we provide a comprehensive introduction to construction-driven capital project execution.
Students who complete this program gain an appreciation for the entire project lifecycle on a construction-driven capital project; they learn about the Path of Construction, roles and responsibilities, individual work package types (EWP, CWP, etc.) and much more. In short, those who hold a Concord Certified AWP Professional® designation understand why and how Advanced Work Packaging works.
Concord Certified AWP Champion®
Our Champion certification is a next-level program that covers the PMI® Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen. The Champion program builds on the prerequisite AWP Fundamentals program and is designed for those who are or want to become the AWP Champion in their organization: a leader dedicated entirely to supporting Advanced Work Packaging implementation in a capital project organization. Champions need a deep, technical understanding of AWP systems and processes, and must have a robust set of soft skills to support change management along with strong knowledge of business operations. If you’re interested in project management for Advanced Work Packaging, this is the highest certification to aim for.Concord Certified Workface Planner® Certification
This stand-alone certification program also falls under the PMI® Ways of Working, and is designed for those who are or wish to become Workface Planners on a construction-driven capital project. Students learn the terminology, key practices and application of Workface Planning and, upon completion, they obtain the Workface Planner Certification.
Complementary Approaches to Project Management for Advanced Work Packaging
So if you have a PMI® certification, do you need a Concord certification as well? If you’re working on a construction-driven project that uses Advanced Work Packaging, the answer is an unequivocal yes. While PMI training will provide you with a good understanding of general approaches to project management, only Concord Academy provides comprehensive training in critical areas of capital project management.
If you’re ready to invest in yourself or your team, the Concord team is standing by to support you. Book a call today!
