Haven’t heard much about Chartered Status lately…

Posted on | April 23, 2009 | Author: | DanS | No Comments

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From anywhere, from anyone, for any reason whatsoever, we here at Arras People are left only to wonder amidst the overly red skin on our necks from the past weekend: “Whither chartered status?”

Doubtful we were the only ones. At any rate, back in the colder days of late January, we did such wondering aloud, asking whether or not Chartered Status for project managers was something APM could easily manage alone while meeting the expectations of its members. With no relevant news update and no relevant information on the APM website, we’re more than a tad concerned about the future of the Chartered Status application. Not only for the APM’s sake – for the sake of all project management personnel affected by the possibility of a charter.

Here’s a rundown from our 2009 Benchmark Report in relation to project management practitioner knowledge of the Charter application:

The Association for Project Management (APM) may have a challenge on their hands with their Chartered Status application for Project Management.

So says Arras People, the project management people, in their 2009 Arras People Benchmark Report, released in January.

The fourth annual report features the views and opinions of project management practitioners across the UK. Respondents to questions about the application indicate apprehension amidst the confident talk in favour of Chartered Status. Citing new statistics derived from the survey, Arras People concluded that APM ‘will have a significant challenge moving forward if they are granted a Royal Charter…keeping these members happy, minimizing attrition and managing potential membership growth along with driving professional standards in the marketplace will test their capabilities.’

Among non-APM members who were asked if they aware of the Chartered Status application, 80 per cent responded they ‘were not aware’. 76 per cent of those non-members supported the APM’s ownership of this initiative and believe that it will enhance the status of the profession.

Current APM members did not pledge the same level of optimism as non-members. Though an overwhelming majority (90%) of membership trust APM, 27 per cent feel they will never achieve Chartered Project Professional (CHPP) status if the application proved successful.

That was three months ago. In that time? Few words have been devoted to the subject, save for smatterings in Google searches regarding Arras People’s Charter questions in its Benchmark Report. Which, for the practical application of the Charter itself, isn’t a sign of progression in the application process.

Maybe we’ve been tooting the horn for Chartered Status a bit too much in the last six months. Or maybe this is sometimes just the byproduct of building something, then handing it over for approval – the application process seems a trial of patience and persistence, as the Privy Council’s deliberate deliberations would ensure. After meeting with a prominent APM member last June, we reported on APM’s goals within the application timeline. According to the Chartered Status Timetable and Feedback page at the APM web site, February was the “Earliest opportunity for a Privy Council decision on grant of a Charter to APM”. (Please note that APM adds the following disclaimer - ‘NB: The dates stated are the earliest possible. The timetable by which the Privy Council will complete its deliberations is outside the control of the programme.’) Clearly, the process puts APM at someone else’s mercy – no matter how long it takes to put ink to paper for the final decision.

With April almost in the bag and mid-2009 the target range for Chartered status awarding, we wait with patience for the next few months. Such is life when you’re waiting to become a certified UK professional on par with the engineer.