PROJECT MANAGER COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE PM College and Caliper Develop the Most Comprehensive Set of Tools for Measuring Competencies and Performance of Project Managers

PM College and Caliper Corp. have introduced the Project Manager Competency Assessment Program, a comprehensive set of Web-based tools for measuring the competencies and performance of project managers. The program's key benefits are: Increases efficiency and profitability of project management training programs. Improves quality of project management recruitment and job placement decisions. Gives individuals career guidance. Improves the quality level and profitability of project execution, management, and delivery. Reduces likelihood of project failures from occurring.

HAVERTOWN, PA (PRWEB) November 17, 2002 - PM College®, the training and professional development arm of PM Solutions, and Caliper Corporation, a global leader in assessment and development measurement, today introduced a new Web-based program for analyzing the current and potential skill sets of project managers.

This new Project Manager Competency Assessment Program gives organizational leaders a holistic view of job candidates' current project management knowledge and skills, as well as their potential to effectively fill a project manager role. The assessment will also help organizations analyze developmental needs, identify gaps, and target training where deficiencies are recognized. This eliminates unnecessary training programs and ensures more productive results from organizations training investments.

With current Information Technology (IT) project failure rates equaling 23%, according to The Standish Group, organizations need to have a comprehensive way to measure the competency of their project management staff and identify a targeted training and professional development program. Gartner, Inc. reports that insufficient skills of the project manager are responsible for 60% of IT project failures. Projects that fail cost companies $75 billion per year on average, according to Gartner, Inc.

"We saw a real industry demand for an assessment program that enables organizations to recruit the 'right person for the 'right job, and determine the best possible training plan for those individuals," explains Dr. Jimmie West, vice president and dean of PM College. "The ability to identify project manager candidates with superior potential will save companies significant time and money in the long run. Identifying gaps where individuals need to improve also makes training and development programs much more efficient and cost-effective."

The Project Manager Competency Assessment Program is a collaborative offering that is administered by PM College and Caliper.

By combining our own expertise in assessment and development tools with PM Colleges professional development knowledge, weve developed the most comprehensive set of tools for measuring project manager competency," says Alan Breward, President, Caliper International, Inc.

The Project Manager Competency Assessment Program is unique in terms of its ability to deliver a thorough and detailed analysis of the underlying behaviors of people and their project management performance capabilities. There are other tools on the market that offer knowledge tests or multi-ratings, but no package nearly as comprehensive," notes Breward.

The program has three main components: a multi-level knowledge test, a personality and cognitive assessment, and a multi-rater survey reviewing the current performance of project managers.

•   Knowledge Assessment Profile (KAP) measures the knowledge of the project manager based upon the nine areas identified in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), from the Project Management Institute (PMI®). PMI is the leading non-profit professional association in the area of project management. Project managers are able to see how they rank in terms of the passing score, average score, and the highest score.

•   Caliper Profile, the second tool in the Competency Assessment Program, measures the candidate's project management potential. It is an assessment battery developed by Caliper that provides competency-based reporting to the project management industry. Extensive research and interviews have been conducted to ensure that the project manager competencies being measured are fully validated.

•   360º Rating Tool measures current job performance of the individual as rated by subordinates, peers, and supervisors. Individuals being assessed are rated on a performance scale (lowest to highest).

Visit www.pmcollege.com/competency for additional program details.

West concludes, Project management takes a unique set of abilities that combine technical, organizational, communication, and business skills. Not everyone is suited for the project manager role. Organizations now have the ability to identify and harness the talents of their project management staff in order to improve their project performance and profitability."

About PM College®
Project Management College (PM College) is dedicated to providing excellence in corporate project management training and professional development. Backed by its academic partner, The Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University, PM College offers superior course content and realistic educational approaches to create behavior change essential for project management success. Students can earn a Masters Certificate in Project Management or a specialized IT Project Management Masters Certificate awarded by the PM College and endorsed by The Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon University. Interactive case studies, real-world current examples, and state of the art materials and knowledge transfer techniques combine to give students the classroom practice and experience they can take back and apply to their jobs. PM College is also recognized as a global charter Registered Education Provider (REP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). By providing organizations with the skills needed to effectively manage programs, projects and teams, PM College training helps improve bottom line performance. For more information, visit www.pmcollege.com.

About PM Solutions
PM Solutions is a management consulting, training, and research firm dedicated to optimizing business performance through project management initiatives. Core services include organizational project management maturity assessments, Strategic Project Office deployment and enhancement, methodology development, corporate training, project management software integration, project portfolio management, and professional services. PM Solutions comprehensive approach integrates business strategies with project management practices, enabling sound management decision-making and higher profitability. Headquartered in Havertown, a suburb of Philadelphia, PA, PM Solutions has built its reputation by providing premier service to clients through the most knowledgeable and expert consultants in project management. For more information, visit www.pmsolutions.com.

About Caliper Corporation
Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, Caliper Corporation is a global human resources assessment and consulting firm with clients in over 38 countries, and international offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan. Caliper assessment instruments help companies assess the potential of individuals and develop the promise of organizations. Through the use of incisive assessment tools like the Caliper Profile, the firm helps organizations make the most knowledgeable, intelligent, and objective decisions about hiring and job placement. For more information, visit www.caliperonline.com.

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