IT Project Management - PMP vs Prince2 vs Project+ vs Agile

I'm an Infosec pro and as the team lead I'm the de facto PM for all security-related IT projects.

I have no aspirations to be a full-time PM, but a cert that signifies that I understand project/program management could surely make me a better candidate for management and consulting roles.

Along with that, each methodology has pros and cons. Most of my education and experience in PM is in the PMBOK, but having also studied ITIL, Prince2 has me curious. And since I'm only concerned with IT projects the Project+ and Agile methods might be a good fit as well.

Would anyone like to offer their opinions on which I should prioritize for my specific needs?

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N2IT

IMO one framework is more than enough. What you are looking for is to be able to speak and communicate like a PM, I think a hybrid of PMBOK/Prince2 and Agile would put you in a really good place.

If you are going to manage app dev folks then you want to almost exclusively learn Agile or Scrum/Extreme Programming.

However with infrastructure etc, the PMBOK/Prince2 could serve you well. For what you stated I think the PMP or Prince Practitioner would do the trick.

However if you go in for App Dev management jobs you'll get ran out of the interview if you start talking about the PMBOK. It just doesn't apply to app dev very well at all. In fact if you tried to manage an app dev team with the PMBOK it would be like pulling teeth and no one would respect you.

eSenpai

N2IT wrote: »

IMO one framework is more than enough. What you are looking for is to be able to speak and communicate like a PM, I think a hybrid of PMBOK/Prince2 and Agile would put you in a really good place.

If you are going to manage app dev folks then you want to almost exclusively learn Agile or Scrum/Extreme Programming.

However with infrastructure etc, the PMBOK/Prince2 could serve you well. For what you stated I think the PMP or Prince Practitioner would do the trick.

However if you go in for App Dev management jobs you'll get ran out of the interview if you start talking about the PMBOK. It just doesn't apply to app dev very well at all. In fact if you tried to manage an app dev team with the PMBOK it would be like pulling teeth and no one would respect you.

I agree with all of this even if Agile is almost never the same thing in two different places and Extreme can have a cult like following which makes for a lot of bad software IMHO. For almost any infrastructure, ERP, security or other requirement intensive project where it touches many different things and/or simply has to be right on implementation, the PMBOK/Prince2 methodologies win out. I could not imagine something as intensive as say the space shuttle being built using Extreme.

Like N2IT says, what you really want is to be able to speak the PM language...and probably add to your resume credentials.
For the latter:

If you were in software development, then I would say Agile/Scrum was the way to go for the same reasons N2IT pointed out.
Project+ will not open many new doors for most people with your extensive background but the PMP definitely will while Prince2 will to a lesser degree since Prince2 is mainly used in European based companies.

I too contemplated project+ before just doing a gut check and wading headfirst into the PMP since I had the project management background but was initially hesitant due to the average study times I found while researching it. Additionally, and perhaps my biggest issue, is that I came from a primary Prince oriented organization so I had to forget my knee jerk reactions to practice test questions and learn the mindset of the PMBOK.

One last consideration is that many colleagues who have done both certs said Prince2 is easier/faster to get than the PMP so if time is a factor, or you simply don't want to devote all the time PMBOK requires, then Prince2 would be the better option in that scenario.

Like you, I did not go into it looking to be a full-time project manager only on the other side of the cert. Yet we are indeed project managers just the same so I went with the larger framework option in order to be able to talk to all PMO's in their native tongue while not having them give me the "you are not one of us / you know nothing of project management" stare when I asked for clarifications.

csicilia

In my opinion PMP and PRINCE2 are complementary. PMP/PMBOK gives a very broad Project Management background as professional but from the process and deliverables point of view you still have a lot of work to do have a "method", on the other hand PRINCE2 is not so broad in general Project Management knowledge and focuses more in an actionable method with a detailed process, deliverables, etc.

My advice to someone who wants to be certified and be a better project manager would be to go on the PMP-PMBOK track first and just after that continuing with PRINCE2.

Recently it has been released the PRINCE2-Agile combining PRINCE2 method with Agile paradigms, in my opinion the blend has been very well done.

twodogs62

Thank you for information.

OctalDump

Personal opinion only, but familiarity with multiple models is helpful both to understand all of PM deeper, but also to have more tools available for the situation. At a minimum, something like Prince2/PMP and one of the Agiles.

My attitude to these methods is that they are like weight loss programs: everyone gets the absolute fundamentals (eat better, get exercise) but in general are terrible at putting in to practice. So, someone comes up with a nice structured program (weight watchers, paeleo etc), and if you stick to the program it tends to work. When you get too clever for what you know, it breaks down again. So, if a weight loss program told you to eat 6 specific meals each day, and do 2 lots of 20mins of exercise once in the morning and again in the evening, and you think you'll be clever and do all the exercise at once followed by all 6 meals "to save time", and then vomit it all up, collapse and give up.

But once you have the deep understanding (which takes a while to develop), then you CAN start tweaking (eg, oh, they want me to eat this amount of protein and this amount of carbs, and no fat, for the morning snack, I can substitute this for that and get the same effect). But that level of insight into what works is rare in my experience.

Which is why I recommend having at least a couple or more methodologies, and chose one for the project and do it right. And don't skip steps! Too often people skip the most fundamental stuff - eg criteria for success and then review at the end "did we succeed? why, why not?"

Personally, I like Scrum because it plays into many of my personal biases, but it isn't always appropriate (eg can't get people working closely enough to ensure the implicit communication it relies on to work).

csicilia

Just released white paper from the publishers of PRINCE2: "PRINCE2®, the PMBOK® Guide and ISO 21500:2012": https://www.axelos.com/case-studies-and-white-papers/prince2,-the-pmbok-guide-and-iso-21500-2012

These are the conclusions:
Adoption of either PRINCE2 or the PMBOK® Guide can help an organization meet the requirements ISO 21500, but when used together they provide a complete package covering both knowledge and method:
- A PRINCE2 project manager needs a body of knowledge to call upon in order to be a competent person – this can be the PMBOK® Guide
- The PMBOK® Guide requires a method that the project management team can adopt – this can be PRINCE2
- ISO21500 defines a standard against which project management methodologies are designed. This should guide an organization (or project team) for the adoption of both PRINCE2 and the PMBOK® Guide
- Both PRINCE2 and the PMBOK® Guide require tailoring to the organization and type of project so that they provide an optimal approach in a variety of situations.

perosky13

Hey, I see you have Crisc. Do you have materials for Crisc? I would appreciate if you can send me.

ItsmHarun

I want to say you Prince2 certification is best option for you.

dustervoice

perosky13 wrote: »

Hey, I see you have Crisc. Do you have materials for Crisc? I would appreciate if you can send me.

Please go to ISACA website to purchase study materials . We don't promote sharing copyrighted materials here; moreover, if you can use a keyboard i'm sure you can do a basic google search no need to beg on this forum .

ItsmHarun

both certification is the best .........

danarzu

I suggest you Agile certification PSM-I

datacomboss

I'd do PMP and supplement with some reading on Scrum and Kanban.