CHAPTER 9 Professional Responsibility T he Project Management Institute engaged the Columbia Assessment Service (CAS) to study the PMP examination process. This resulted in changes to the PMP examination. In fact, the exam was revised considerably as a result of the work that was done. CAS began by analyzing the responsibilities of project management professionals (PMPs). Then they specified a plan for the testing of PMPs, wrote and rewrote questions for the exam, and determined the passing score for the test. The Project Management Professional (PMP) Role Delineation Study was published in 2000 to address the responsibilities of a PMP and the plan for the test. Since the PMP examination is very important to all of us who are certified as project manager professionals, it is also important that the examination be one that tests what actually happens in project manage- ment. The test questions must be fair and accurate and draw information from every aspect of project management. Those who participated in the studies and interviews that were part of the process were not bound to the topics covered in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. For this reason the advisers found that it was necessary to add a sixth domain to the examination. So in addition to questions on initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing, the exam now also contains questions on professional responsibility. These ques- tions will account for 29 questions out of the 200 questions on the exam. This may seem like a lot, but when you consider that there are a lot of questions that are common to all of the domains, such as communications techniques, communicating effectively, coaching, mentoring, personal 211 212 Preparing for the Project Management Professional Certification Exam strengths and weaknesses, instructional methods and tools, stakeholders’ in- terests, competing needs and objectives, conflict resolution techniques, and generating alternatives, it is difficult to relate a specific question on the exam- ination to a particular domain or process area. In the area of professional responsibility, tasks are defined, along with specific knowledge areas and skills that are required for each task. The exami- nation questions are based on this material. The number of questions for each topic is based on surveys relevant to the importance of each task that were done within the project management community. The following tasks are the basis for the questions that will be on the PMP examination. They are from the Project Management Professional (PMP) Role Delineation Study, published by the Project Management Insti- tute. Task 1 ‘‘Ensure individual integrity and professionalism by adhering to legal re- quirements and ethical standards in order to protect the community and all stakeholders.’’ A project manager must be familiar with the laws that govern the proj- ect in the place where the project is being carried out. The project manager is the person in charge. In our classes we refer to the project manager as the one person responsible for everything in the project. If something goes wrong with the project, it is the project manager’s responsibility. The project man- ager has responsibility for everything that happens on the project, much as the captain of a ship is responsible for everything that happens on that ship. I recently gave testimony in a lawsuit involving a road-milling machine that accidentally broke a gas line while it was removing several inches of old road surface. The issue was to decide which of the several insurance compa- nies would pay for the damages involved resulting from the accident. Since the project manager was responsible for the project, his insurance company should be the one to pay. The road construction company had failed to notify the utility companies, as was their responsibility. Had the utility com- panies been properly notified that the work was taking place, they might have averted the accident. Even though the project manager had specifically instructed the con- tractor to notify the utility companies, and even though the contractor said that they had contacted them, the accident remains the project manager’s responsibility. 9618$$ $CH9 09-06-02 14:59:59 PS TEAMFLY Team-Fly ® 213Professional Responsibility It is important that the project manager have a complete and thorough knowledge of the stakeholders of the project and also of the community that surrounds and mingles with the project. In a real sense the members of the community around the project are stakeholders, and there is a responsibility to protect them from any harmful effects of the project. I am sure that we can all recall the day that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident oc- curred in the Ukraine. Many thousands of lives were lost as a result of this disaster. Task 2 ‘‘Contribute to the project management knowledge base by sharing lessons learned, best practices, research, etc. within appropriate communities in order to improve the quality of project management services, build the capa- bilities of colleagues, and advance the profession.’’ In this task the project manager is expected to contribute to the im- provement of project management knowledge both by increasing the quality and by improving the methods and techniques of project management. In addition to improving the tools of the profession the project manager should contribute time and energy to help improve the capabilities of colleagues. Being a member of the Project Management Institute and participating in the activities of the chapter, the international organization, and the other international organizations that support project management foster the growth and improvement of project management. Attending conferences and meetings and contributing by the presentation of a paper at those con- ferences can improve the world of project management. Supporting com- pany training programs and helping to offer training programs through a local chapter of a project management association will go far to reach these ends. Some project managers offer their time to further the developments of research. This does not mean that you must head up a research study, obtain a grant for thousands of dollars, or join the faculty of a university. It does mean that you should fill out questionnaires and surveys when you are asked, and it does mean that you should respond to students when asked to assist in research that they are doing. Many opportunities present themselves to project managers that foster goodwill and increase the knowledge that others have about project manage- ment and what it does. I was once asked to speak before the annual meeting 9618$$ $CH9 09-06-02 15:00:01 PS 214 Preparing for the Project Management Professional Certification Exam of Meeting Planners International. These are the people that plan conven- tions and conferences in places all over the world. As it turned out, this group had a great deal of interest in project management. What better places to practice project management than conventions and conferences? They have critical schedules, limited budgets, and high visibility. The convention planner has the opportunity either to upset the plans of thousands of people and lose millions of dollars for an organization or to make thousands of people feel that their time and money were well spent. To accomplish these things we need to have good communication skills and good judgment. Task 3 ‘‘Enhance individual competence by increasing and applying professional knowledge to improve services.’’ This area of professional responsibility involves understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses. For this you will need to have a good knowledge of yourself and make a plan to improve yourself. A project man- ager has the responsibility to improve his or her competencies. To do this you must also have knowledge of methods of personal evaluation. As in modern quality management, it is not the large improvements to our knowl- edge that are so important, but it is the small increases in our knowledge and capability over the years that will truly improve our value to ourselves and others. A project manager should do a self-assessment periodically and develop a plan to reach goals for self-improvement and professional competence. Task 4 ‘‘Balance stakeholders’ interests by recommending approaches that strive for fair resolution in order to satisfy competing needs and objectives.’’ In the development of any project one of the most important things that we must do is to accomplish the scope of the project. We have a profes- sional responsibility to make sure that each of the agreed upon stakeholders’ needs is met by the completion of the project. We must also take the respon- sibility of making the stakeholder aware that there may be better and less expensive ways of solving the same problem than the way that the stake- holder has suggested. It is an important responsibility of the project manager 9618$$ $CH9 09-06-02 15:00:01 PS 215Professional Responsibility and the project team to consider all reasonable alternatives as possible solu- tions to project problems or as possible ways of achieving project goals. To be able to do this properly we must be aware of the stakeholders’ business and interests. In chapter 5, Risk Management, we discussed stake- holder tolerance. This is the level of risk that the stakeholder is willing to take in the project. It is important that the project manager be able to assess the risk tolerance of the stakeholder so that the proper risk management plan can be worked out. The stakeholder must be considered in many other areas of the project development as well as in risk management. The project manager and the project team probably know more about the current technology that the project will use. The project team then has a responsibility to keep stakehold- ers informed about changes in technology that may affect the project, even if there are delays and changes in budget are necessary to use the new tech- nology. In all projects there will be conflicts that arise between participants. In the world of changing needs and expectations, conflicts will need to be re- solved. Knowledge of the conflict resolution techniques, discussed in chapter 4, is also the responsibility of the project manager. Negotiating and commu- nications skills serve the project manager well in this area. Task 5 ‘‘Interact with team and stakeholders in a professional and cooperative man- ner by respecting personal, ethnic, and cultural differences in order to ensure a collaborative project management environment.’’ The project manager needs to ensure that the project team functions without prejudice. Today, many companies and projects are international in nature. Not many companies can afford to run their business without con- cern for foreign competition and customers. For example, software develop- ment contracts are now negotiated in different countries, and the Internet is making us all into one community. We must be very watchful that we consider the cultural and ethnic differences of our project team and our customers as well. To do this we have to have a thorough knowledge of communications and make a sincere effort to understand the norms of our team and stakeholders. This involves choosing the appropriate communication channels and considering all of the filters and inhibitors that are involved. 9618$$ $CH9 09-06-02 15:00:03 PS 216 Preparing for the Project Management Professional Certification Exam It is easy to make mistakes and appear to be uncooperative. A responsi- ble project manager must be able to exercise self-control in situations that involve people with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I teach proj- ect management around the world, and there have been many times when it has been necessary to forget the practices that I’m used to and adjust my sensibilities and feelings to the surroundings rather than try to make the surroundings conform to my feelings. Communications with people who speak other languages is always going to present problems, but if you take the time to learn how to say good morning, please, and thank you, you will go far in developing good relations. The technique of speaking louder to someone who does not speak English is not going to improve understanding. Code of Professional Conduct It is essential that a project management professional conduct his or her work in an ethical and legal manner. Without this, team members, customers, colleagues, employees, and stakeholders will have no confidence in a project manager’s ability to report on progress or any other aspect of the project. Trust is an element that must be present for any project to succeed. PMI has instituted the Project Management Code of Professional Con- duct in order to encourage self-discipline in the profession. Project managers are required to report violations of the PMI Code of Professional Conduct. This has the effect of maintaining standards of conduct. All certified project management professionals agree to support the Code. A project management professional is required by the Code to provide truthful representation of his or her business in any advertising or public statements regarding cost of services, description of services, and expected results. He or she has a responsibility to satisfy the scope of the project as agreed upon unless the customer initiates changes. All sensitive information must remain confidential when it is obtained while carrying out professional activities. The project management professional must also ensure that there are no conflicts of interest that may interfere with his or her judgment. This includes offering or accepting gifts for personal gain unless they are in con- formance with the laws and customs of the country in which they take place. In managing a project, a project manager takes on the responsibility of providing qualified professional service. No project manager should take on 9618$$ $CH9 09-06-02 15:00:04 PS 217Professional Responsibility a project for which he or she is not qualified. The project manager is required to maintain his or her level of professional skills to serve as project manager for the types of projects that are being managed. Project managers provide leadership to ensure that the maximum amount of productivity is achieved. Quality, cost, and time objectives are to be met as agreed upon. A project manager must ensure that the workplace is safe, and that all people working in the area that is the project’s responsibility are protected from danger. Suitable working conditions must be maintained for the proj- ect team and any others in the area of the project’s activity. 9618$$ $CH9 09-06-02 15:00:05 PS . had contacted them, the accident remains the project manager’s responsibility. 96 18$$ $CH9 09- 06-02 14: 59: 59 PS TEAMFLY . a project, a project manager takes on the responsibility of providing qualified professional service. No project manager should take on 96 18$$ $CH9 09- 06-02