Which course is most beneficial for someone working in a GS/GG position, Project Management Professional (PMP) or Lean Six Sigma?

2016-07-25T13:45:01-04:00

As I prepare to transition to my civilian career, I retire in 5 years, I have been researching both of these courses. I will only seek employment in the GS/GG system and not in the private sector. Which of these two courses is most beneficial for someone working in a GS/GG position? I would like pros and cons especially form those who have both certifications.

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 25 at 2016 6:50 PM

2016-07-25T18:50:34-04:00

Personally, I would rather have a person with the PMP. The LSS means you can look at manpower and processes - the PMP means you can get a tasking and use what you have to get the tasking done.

BUT - like I said, that's just my personal opinion.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 25 at 2016 9:03 PM

2016-07-25T21:03:59-04:00

LSS lets you utilize WHAT you have and how to efficiently use your resources and cutting down on waste

PMP - From the looks of what MCPO Private RallyPoint Member stated, dives deep into project management and tasking your resources to do specific tasks.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2016 7:35 AM

2016-07-26T07:35:26-04:00

So, if you are seeking one of these two certifications, be prepared to use them when putting them on your resume.
I have formal PMP training and decided not to put the cert on my resume after being a PM and later Program Manager. I found herding several different herds of cats to be boring and uninspiring. Just being a resource manager is more my cup of tea. But if you like relying upon others managing resources to accomplish many projects and you get all the disdain for the project slip and budget shortfall then by all means....
LSS is fine but its a stretch to apply it outside of manufacturing to any degree of success, IMO. We had them in FORSCOM HQ but all they did was collect GS-14 pay and produced nothing of consequence. After they touted their proposal, a new green suiter ACoS came in and pooh poohed the proposal and asked for another....wash, rinse, repeat...
I've had several arguments/discussions with LSS Green and Black belts. They have yet to convince me of their long-term practical use in the military (outside of fault reduction and QA/QC improvement in manufacturing and supply chain management).

Response by SGT David T. made Jul 26 at 2016 7:44 AM

2016-07-26T07:44:03-04:00

Neither are required, but neither will hurt you either. As a PM of course I will gravitate towards the PMP certification. It all really depends on what you want to do. If you want to be a Project Manager, then go for the PMP. If you want to do something with process improvement then LSS might be a better option. Or the final option, do them both.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Jul 26 at 2016 9:58 AM

2016-07-26T09:58:20-04:00

Yes

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jul 26 at 2016 12:05 PM

2016-07-26T12:05:35-04:00

I was both a PMP and Army Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Black Belt; also, LSS Program Manager at Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. I retired in 2013.

As a manager in both private and public sector, I'll say experience and accomplishment in areas directly related to the job opening were more important than certifications. Some project or program management jobs require a PMP or Program Management Professional (PrMP from PMI) certification.

The PMP is internationally recognized and PMI has set a national standard for project management and project management certification. Getting your PMP requires project management education, project management experience, and passing the PMP exam. Your military experience may fulfill all or part of the PM experience requirement. Some Army training may satisfy some or all of the PM education requirement. Please go to PMI.org and review the requirements. The PMP exam is difficult, but no more so than a graduate course in a scientific or technical field. Several companies offer guaranteed-pass PMP exam prep courses. They cost around $5K. Local PMI Chapters offer exam prep seminars. They are taught by local PMPs and cost about $500 to $1,000. A few government jobs may require a "project management certification," but most won't. However, my PMP helped me get the LSS program manager job with SDDC.

The LSS world is less well structured. There's no national standard for LSS certifications (green belt, black belt, master black belt). Each of the Services and OSD set different requirements for their certifications. These requirements differ from the LSS certifications from educational institutions and corporations. The best practice, in my opinion, is requiring both LSS training and completion of real-world hands-on LSS projects yielding hard savings. The length of the training, number of completed projects, and amount of verified savings varies among organizations granting the certification. If you achieved Army LSS Black Belt certification, it would be most valuable when applying for Army Civilian jobs, but less valuable when applying elsewhere. If you have a certification, you'll need to clearly tell what you did to get it and the results of your projects.

For GS program management job, completion of Defense Acquisition University program management training is important. DAU also certifies DoD employees as Program Managers requiring training and experience in acquisition.

If view of what I've said, I recommend you get the PMP because it is more widely recognized and valuable in both the public and private sector.

Response by CDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2016 6:36 PM

2016-07-26T18:36:55-04:00

When I'm looking at resumes for hiring in my group for my civilian job, I'm looking more at experience then the credentials. Having said that, I'd view a PMP as more desirable than a LSS. (Just my perspective.)

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2016 8:54 PM

2016-07-26T20:54:32-04:00

The people I’ve worked with and spoken to prefer the PMP as it demonstrates experience and knowledge to plan, execute, monitor and closeout almost any type of project. The PMI methodology is geared to medium sized projects and not all applies to smaller projects, and may not be enough in itself for a billion dollar mega-project. If I remember correctly LSS is more narrowly focused and is geared towards improving process efficiency and serves as a good compliment to the PMP as LSS type of projects are looked at as specific type of project and as a good compliment to the PMP.

Also to maintain the PMP you need to meet the continuing certification requirements showing that you are maintaining your knowledge and skills. Some organizations that issue the LSS certification do not require any continuing education.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2016 10:44 AM

2016-07-27T10:44:11-04:00

With either of them and as discussed in some of the comments, they're both starting or initial certifications. From what I've seen in the civilian market and now in gov't contracting, PMP is very desirable and is more wide ranged. Manufacturing is catching on, but very very slowly. LSS is definitely more for manufacturing, so if that's what you're looking for, go get it. I'd say getting both would be a good idea if for no other reason than to start "translating" how you think and operate in the military to how civilians think and talk. They will definitely give you a leg up initially in the application / interview process.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 23 at 2016 10:39 PM

2016-08-23T22:39:06-04:00

Vets2PM. They do a great job. I think its a great certification to get interview and position. Lean Six sigma. I might host a free online for I know people who make 80k and had minimal experience, but learned the basics. They then were mentored and developed, but still have a way to go....