STAR PMs receive new project management certifications

The STAR PMCA team is celebrating the recent certification of Nathan Vinall and Douglas Pountney by the Australian Institute of Project Management, furthering the official credentials of the STAR PMCA team.

Our Managing Director Nathan Vinall recently achieved the AIPM status of CPPE (Certified Practising Portfolio Executive). This was the result of a ten-year self-driven journey for Nathan as the gained the experience to attain this strategic, portfolio-level certification.

Not long after Nathan’s success, Project Manager and Cost Administrator Douglas Pountney achieved his official Certified Practicing Project Manager (CPPM) accreditation from the AIPM. This recognition is a testament to the many years Doug has spent successfully managing projects throughout Australia.

Both Nathan and Doug were practicing architects for many years before they shifted their focus to full time project management. Their experience as architects provides them both with a unique perspective when it comes to the project management and cost administration of construction projects.

Congratulations Nathan and Doug on your achievements!

If you’d like to find out more about the AIPM Project Management certification process, click here.

Does it matter if your project manager is registered or not?

There are thousands of construction project managers working with clients all around Australia to help organisations, big and small, deliver their construction projects.

Some of these project managers will be Registered Project Managers (RegPM), certified by the AIPM (Australian Institute of Project Management), and some of them won’t be. As a project owner engaging the services of a project manager, is considering whether your PM is registered something that really matters?

What exactly is a Registered Project Manager ?

A RegPM is a project manager who has completed certification with the AIPM to validate their capability to perform in the role of a project professional at various career levels. The certification helps PMs to benchmark their skills against others in the industry, demonstrates the level of their capability, and shows their commitment to keeping up to date with current and emerging PM skills and practices.

What it means to you if your PM is registered

Registration for Project Managers hasn’t always been an option in the construction industry, and there are many project managers who have worked successfully for years without being certified by the AIPM at a recognised level of career experience. But there are a range of benefits to the certification process – both for the skills development of the project professionals, as well as some benefits to clients as well.

  1. A RegPM certified has an obligation to uphold good professional practice under a national AIPM governance framework, and once certified there is an obligation for continuing professional development to retain certification. The value to clients and industry partners alike is a RegPM is required to keep abreast of current recognised industry thinking, people management and PM practices. This enables the PM to bring new knowledge and skills to address the various challenges of the project lifecycle and delivery.
  2. A RegPM has been assessed for their competence at each step of their career. Knowing your PM has been assessed as competent for their career level by an external body offers clients a level of confidence in the PM’s reasoning, rationale and ability to achieve the desired project outcomes.

Having an AIPM certified RegPM on the team can provide clients with peace of mind throughout project delivery. This in turn allows the client to potentially have a lighter touch on the project, and remain focused on their business and the bigger picture of the project itself.

So, should you engage only registered PMs for your projects? This will depend on the relationships you have with your existing PMs, as well as your attitude to risk. If you don’t have a trusted PM partner and are assessing new options, engaging a certified RegPM will provide a level of certainty, beyond any referrals or testimonials you might receive, that the PM is qualified to successfully deliver the job.

If you’d like to find out more about the AIPM Project Management certification process, click here.