Utility Project Management Certification for Electric, Water and Gas Utility Peers
The Utility Project Management Professional (UPMP)™ certification program is run and judged by a peer group of utilities across North America – and facilitated through the Smartgrid/AMI Utility Peer Group.
The 2011-2012 program is chaired by the Customer Experience Manager of Northeast Utilities.
Applicants can choose to focus on project management training for either electric/water customer care Information Technology initiatives (ie billing and CIS project management) -- or electric/water advanced metering and Smartgrid project technology project management.
APPLICATION – MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements prior to submitting an application:
-Four year college degree
-Four years of technology project management experience in the utility (water, electric, gas) sector
-A minimum of 3000 hours as project manager of utility technology initiatives
Applicants complete a series of web seminars, workshops and written submissions to obtain certification as follows:
Step 1
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Step 2
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Step 3
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Step 4
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Application
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Completed participation in ANY THREE (3) of the following:
· One-Day Workshop SCW263: “CIS/CRM IT Project Management Best Practices Around from Around the World”
· Web Seminar Course WCD365: “Utility Customer Data Integration: Best Practices and Lessons Learned at Utilities””
· Web Seminar Course SCR938: “Utility Consumers Report on Selection, Integration and Data Warehouse Vendors”
· Web Seminar Course SCD633: “Products Roundup: Today’s Utility CIS/CRM Solutions”
· Web Seminar Course SCR939: “Thoroughly Evaluating CIS/CRM Solutions”
· Course CC856: “Best Practices in Selecting and Implementing Utility Technology”
· Course CC922: “Case Studies from Seven Utilities: Selecting and Implementing Utility Technologies: The Do’s and Don’ts”
· Course SG393: “Utility Smartgrid/AMI Peer Group Workshop”
· Course CS392: “Water Utilities Customer Service & Customer Technology Annual Workshop”
· Course PM443: “Best Practices in Project Management for Utility Technology Selection/Implementation Initiatives”
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Written Submission
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Written Exam (or approved life experience submittal)
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WRITTEN SUBMISSION AND EXAM
Each applicant must develop a written submission as follows:
-Applicants submit an overview of a Project Management strategy for a utility technology selection/implementation initiative.
-At a minimum, the written submission must include the Applicant’s approach to the following: Overall Project Description; Project Goals; Project Management Strategy; Change Management; Technology Selection or Implementation Strategy; Quality Control Strategy; Project Communications Strategy.)
Upon being reviewed by a panel of utility peers from the Smartgrid Peer Group, the applicant may move to the final step of the certification process…the written exam. Upon passing the exam, which can be taken on-site or on-line, participants receive certification.
In some cases, life experience references can be submitted in lieu of an exam. For candidates that have completed successful utility technology projects as a Project Manager, applicants may submit three (3) written reference letters from three (3) separate projects for which they acted as Project Manager.
CERTIFICATION TIMELINES AND FEES
Steps #1 - #4 must be completed within a twelve-month period.
Certification fees are as follows: workshops currently range from $350-$1495 (depending on topic and duration) per person per workshop; web seminars range from $45-$495 per person per web seminar; $150 per person per written submission; $150 per person for the exam. Group rates are available.
A “Fast Track” program is available for those wishing to certify employees on-site in a three-day period. (“Fast Track” is available at the same rates above plus trainer travel expenses.)
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