Diploma of Project Management vs Diploma of Government (Project Management)
The Diploma of Project Management [BSB51407] is a qualification from the Business Services Training Package.  It contains nine compulsory project management specialist units which are almost identical to the National Competency Standards for Project Managers endorsed by the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) which is recognised as a significant player in the professional accreditation of practising project managers.

The Diploma of Government (Project Management) [PSP51304] is a qualification from the National Public Sector Training Package.  It contains ten compulsory units and one elective unit.  The elective unit can be taken from any training package according to the candidate’s interest.  This qualification covers project management but also requires candidates to demonstrate competence in a wide range of government skills such as public sector ethics, promoting diversity and occupational health and safety.

The Diploma of Government (Project Management) is well suited to candidates who manage projects within a public sector setting. The group of three project management units PSPPPM 501B, 502B and 503B from this qualification are deemed equivalent to the nine project management units from the qualification Diploma of Project Management.

This is perhaps a more all-encompassing qualification than the Diploma of Project Management.  The main draw backs that clients have identified with this qualification are the name, which may imply that it is too “Government” in focus, the need to do 3 Project Management units and 8 other units, and the fact that the Project Management units do not align directly with the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and AIPM requirements (although they do actually cover the same content indirectly).

What units are required for these project management qualifications?

Diploma of Project Management - BSB51407
The Diploma of Project Management BSB51407 is a qualification from the Business Services Training Package. It contains nine compulsory project management specialist units which are almost identical to the National Competency Standards for Project Managers endorsed by the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) which is recognised as a significant player in the professional accreditation of practising project managers.

This qualification only covers project management.  It is well suited to candidates who have to manage projects in either a public sector or business setting.

Diploma of Government (Project Management) - PSP51304
The Diploma of Government (Project Management) PSP51304 is a qualification from the National Public Sector Training Package. It contains ten required units and one elective unit, which can be taken from any training package according to the candidate’s interest.

This qualification covers project management and also requires candidates to demonstrate competence in a wide range of government skills such as public sector ethics, promoting diversity and occupational health and safety. In addition to the project management units a candidate must complete a further eight units of study in order to gain the whole qualification of Diploma of Government (Project Management).

It is well suited to candidates who have to manage projects within a public sector setting. The three project management units PSPPPM 501B, 502B and 503B from this qualification are deemed equivalent to the nine project management units from the qualification Diploma of Project Management (described above).

Which qualification should I choose?
We find that most candidates seeking a qualification in project management prefer to complete the Diploma in Project Management BSB51407.  This qualification is more popular with many of our clients, including the Department of Defence and the Defence Materiel Organisation.  The standards underpinning the Diploma of Project Management:
•  reflect directly the elements of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK)
•  are endorsed by the Australian Institute of Project Management
•  align directly with the attainment of professional recognition standards used by the AIPM for its RegPM program

A further attraction for clients is that these nine units comprise a whole qualification.  By comparison, the three public sector project management units found in the Diploma of Government (Project Management), which are deemed identical, do not comprise the whole qualification.

What’s the difference between a Diploma of Project Management and an AIPM Certified Practising Project Manager assessment?
Diploma of Project Management is a qualification issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).  There are two main ways to achieve the Diploma.
  •  The first way is to complete a training course, and this is appropriate for a person with limited or no experience in project management.
  •  The second way is to seek a competency assessment of the skills you already have.  This is appropriate for a person with
      relevant experience as a project manager.

AIPM CPPM certification is a professional accreditation issued by the Australian Institute of Project Management. It recognises practical experience as a project manager.  The only way to qualify for an AIPM CPPM certification is to have appropriate practical experience as a Project Manager.  Simply holding the Diploma is not enough to meet the CPPM requirements, but if you hold a Diploma and have experience, you would be likely to meet the requirements.

Very similar Competency Standards for Project Management are used of the achievement for both the Diploma of Project Management (issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework) and the CPPM certification (issued by the Australian Institute of Project Management).  Slightly different standards, which have been defined as identical to the Diploma of Project Management, are applied to the Diploma of Government (Project Management).

The same concept applies to the higher levels of Advanced Diploma of Project Management and the AIPM’s Certified Practising Project Director certification, as well as the lower level qualification of Certificate IV in Project Management and the AIPM’s Certified Practising Project Practitioner.

The Bayley team can assist you to obtain either a qualification in Project Management or an AIPM assessment, or both, at any appropriate level. Please contact us, obligation free, to discuss your experience and the opportunities that are open to you.

Can I be assessed for an AIPM Certified Practising Project Manager at the same time as an RPL assessment for the Diploma?

A person with significant practical project experience may not necessarily hold a formal qualification such as a Diploma of Project Management. In many cases, it is not necessary or appropriate to ask these people to undertake training as if they were beginners to the field. The vocational education framework allows a qualified assessor to determine whether an experienced candidate might have met the performance criteria for the Diploma as a result of work and life experience, prior training etc. If the candidate meets all the requirements for the Diploma, then they may be awarded the Diploma without the need for further training. This is known variously as recognition, competency assessment or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

By definition, a candidate for the Diploma by RPL is claiming that they meet the requirements of the qualification by virtue of their experience and prior training. From this, it logically means that most RPL Diploma candidates can also meet the AIPM experience requirement and can be simultaneously assessed for the Reg PM.

What about the Advanced Diploma of Project Management and the AIPM Certified Practising Project Director accreditation?

In the same way as for the Diploma of Project Management and the AIPM CPPM, the Advanced Diploma of Project Manager and the AIPM Certified Practising Project Director (CPPD) assessment share an almost identical set of standards, but are administered through two different systems.  The Advanced Diploma is a training qualification recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework, whilst the CPPD accreditation is managed by the AIPM.  Again, the major difference between them is the requirement by the AIPM that successful candidates should have practical work experience.

So a person who holds the Advanced Diploma of Project Management may or may not qualify for the CPPD award, depending on their level of practical experience.  For this level, it is much more common that people complete the Advanced Diploma and then go about getting the necessary experience to allow them to reach the CPPD award. In the same way, a person who has RPLed for the Advanced Diploma of Project Management may also be able to simultaneously qualify for the CPPD as the fact that they seek RPL for the qualification is an indication that they believe they have significant practical experience addressing the (shared) set of competencies.

There are a few other important factors to consider for these higher level competencies (Adv Dip/ CPPD).

Can I be assessed simultaneously for both an AQF qualification and an AIPM accreditation?

This is only possible if you use an assessor who is qualified and recognised by the two systems involved - the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) and the AIPM.  For example, not all Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) have assessors recognised by the AIPM (so these assessors can’t issue CPPM and CPPD certifications) and certainly not all AIPM assessors work for an RTO or have a strategic partnership (called an auspicing agreement) with an RTO to allow them to issue Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas.  You need an assessor who does both for a simultaneous assessment.

The Bayley team offers several assessors who can assess simultaneously both an AQF qualification and an AIPM accreditation.

Why would I want to have both a qualification and an AIPM accreditation?

The Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Project Management are recognised vocational educational qualifications from the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).  An AQF qualification in Project Management is proof that you have met performance standards for Project Management, and places particular emphasis on building knowledge and skills.  An AQF qualification provides you with the entry level knowledge and skills that you need to work in a particular field – in this case, Project Management.

A qualification is a great place to start if you want to build a career in Project Management. Some employers place emphasis on their staff having formal qualifications in their field, so this is another very good reason to have an AQF qualification in Project Management. A qualification is a formal way to have your skills and knowledge recognised, and it can set you apart from a person who does not have a qualification.

In addition, some universities will give credit for higher level AQF qualifications if you want to complete a university qualification. A qualification is also very good evidence for the subject matter knowledge component of an AIPM assessment.

An AIPM assessment is issued by the Institute in recognition of a person’s practical experience as a project manager. It is acknowledgement that the candidate already has the necessary underpinning skills and knowledge, and also brings the additional benefit of demonstrated practical experience as a real life project manager. An AIPM assessment is very attractive to employers as it is evidence that you have both knowledge and skills as well as the ability to apply these in a real life practical setting, over a period of time.

How much experience would I need to get an AIPM assessment?

This will obviously vary from person to person, but as a guide, people with approximately 3 years’ practical experience as a project manager will be able to demonstrate the requirements for a CPPM assessment.  For a CPPD, candidates typically require 5 or more years’ experience in directing multiple projects. For the CPPP, approximately 2-3 years’ experience as a project officer would be fairly typical.

Please contact us, obligation free, to discuss your experience and the opportunities that are open to you.

My job title is not “Project Manager”.  Can I still qualify for an AIPM accreditation or an AQF qualification?

Many people are what we call “accidental” project managers, so don’t worry if your formal job title does not identify you as a project manger.  Our assessors are very skilled at identifying people who are actually doing the role of a project manager, despite what their job title says. You might be called Operations Manager, Logistics Manager or some similar title, but actually be demonstrating all the skills of a project manager.  In fact, you can look beyond your current work for evidence of project management skills to examples such as renovating your house, planning a wedding, organising an extended overseas holiday or planning a trip away for your sporting club.

Please contact us, obligation free, to discuss your work and life experience and the opportunities that are open to you.