Certification Value Research
Uncovering Value & Opportunities Through Customer Research
Project Overview
Client: Project Management Institute (PMI)
Project Type: Customer Research & Experience Strategy
Timeline: 1 month (February-March 2024)
My Role: CX Researcher & Strategist
Background
In the evolving world of project management, establishing a well-functioning Project Management Office (PMO) is essential for driving organizational success. The PMO-Certified Practitioner (PMO-CP) certification, developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI), aims to provide professionals with the skills and knowledge required to lead and optimize PMOs.
The Ask
PMI needed to understand why professionals pursue the PMO-CP certification, whether their expectations were being met, and how the certification has influenced their careers. The research also aimed to identify challenges in implementing PMO best practices and gather suggestions for enhancing the certification’s value.
Our Approach
Discovery Phase
We conducted in-depth qualitative research through ten 30-minute interviews with PMO-CP certification holders across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Participants represented diverse industries including banking, engineering, software, and real estate, with 7-30 years of professional experience., and included current PMO managers and senior leaders responsible for governance and project lifecycle management. This provided comprehensive insights into how the certification affects real-world practice.
Methodology
One-on-one interviews: Conducted in-depth discussions to uncover motivations, expectations, implementation challenges, and perceived certification value
Sentiment analysis: Categorized feedback into themes around value perception, implementation challenges, and career impact
Executive Summary: Distilled insights on motivations, expectations, challenges, value, and career impact, and included initial opportunities to serve as a starting point for further exploration.
Key Insights
User Motivations
We discovered three primary motivation patterns:
Knowledge acquisition: Professionals seeking structured frameworks for PMO setup and management
Professional validation: Experienced PMO leaders wanting credentials to validate their expertise
Career advancement: Project managers looking to transition into PMO leadership roles
Value Perception
The certification provided significant value through:
Comprehensive frameworks for PMO establishment
Tools for demonstrating PMO value to senior leadership
Methodologies for customizing PMO approaches to specific organizational needs
Implementation Challenges
Identified critical pain points:
Organizational resistance to PMO concepts and processes
Difficulty gaining stakeholder buy-in
Limited recognition of the certification compared to other PMI credentials
Gap between certification content and real-world implementation
Strategic Recommendations
Based on our analysis, we developed three strategic opportunity areas:
Enhance PMO Value Recognition
How might we provide validation and resources to help professionals showcase the value and benefits of PMOs and influence top management to ensure their success?
Enhance Certification Content
How might we incorporate suggestions to make the training and certification more comprehensive and valuable?
How might we enhance the aesthetic appeal, strengthen the branding, and optimize navigation to create a more engaging and user-friendly experience?
Establish PMI as the PMO Authority
How might PMI distinguish ourselves as leaders in the evolving field of PMOs?
Impact & Outcomes
The research provided PMI with actionable recommendations to enhance the PMO-CP certification. These included expanding training resources, improving exam content to test practical application, and offering detailed guidance on ROI calculation and stakeholder management. By addressing these areas, PMI can better support professionals in demonstrating the value of PMOs and advancing their careers. It also uncovered the significant opportunity for PMI to shape the emerging PMO field, positioning them to lead rather than follow industry standards.
Following these initial recommendations and a year of further research and development, PMI launched the redesigned PMO Certified Professional (PMI-PMOCP)® certification, eLearning, and practice guide in February 2025.
Next Steps
Future initiatives may include advanced certification levels and expanding professional networking opportunities. These enhancements will help professionals navigate the evolving landscape of project management, positioning PMOs as strategic drivers of business success.
Reflection
This project demonstrated my ability to translate customer research into actionable experience strategy, connecting business objectives with customer needs while identifying opportunities for market leadership.