Lecture Question 1- This topic does not fit into the "standard curriculum". I am bringing it up as a "public service" message related to the project management profession (that is, something that will enhance your professional career if you choose to get more involved in Project Management). Many professions now have certifications, which corroborate an individual's claim that they "know their stuff". I have become involved with Project Management Institute (PMI), and attained their Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification (I will not tell you why until the end of this discussion assignment). Take a look at the web site for PMI, and any other organizations that you know of/can find that offer some kind of Project Management certification (you can off course reference NJIT's PM Certification program). Discuss the value of a certification for project management, and why you think it may or may not (it's OK to take this view) be worthwhile. Consider and discuss from 3 points of view: >Your own (as a project manager and someone who wants to advance in their profession) > Your organizations (which uses projects to get things done) > The client organizations that would use your organization to get things done using projects. This is not just an opinion pole - I would like to see the references to the sources of your opinions (whether they are from PMI, or some other certification source). Here's another spin on the question of the value of these certifications.... Think about the client looking for someone to lead a project when the stakes are high, the $$ are huge, and legal repercussions are possible. Why would this client want someone certified? Keep your initial posting to a paragraph or 2 (this is an investigation and discussion assignment, not a writing assignment), but make sure your reply addresses the 3 points of view.