Project managers dealing in electronic security face a lot of challenges, especially those related to convergence and enterprise IT integration.
Integrators are very aware of these risks, as they are usually responsible for managing large enterprise projects. As a security practitioner, you need to find ways to demonstrate your expertise in managing security projects. For this very reason, the Security Industry Association (SIA) developed the Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) certification.
CSPM tests your knowledge in security along with the complexities of managing diverse projects to better help integrators properly implement design, estimation, build and management within a wide range of regulatory specifications. When it comes to the issues of life and safety, you want to make sure project managers understand ways to mitigate risk while knowing how to be a professional problem solver for clients.
This year, SIA has revamped its security project training certification program to help integrators plan and deliver security projects effectively and successfully.
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SIA established a structure and committee to govern CSPM certification development. The association completed a top-to-bottom analysis of the program to ensure all certification policies and practices comply with ANSI standards for the development of professional certifications. This meant building an impenetrable firewall between all certification and education activities. SIA’s strict adherence to the ANSI standards will enable it to eventually gain ANSI accreditation of this program.
The SIA Certification Scheme Committee established a new exam blueprint and requirements for sitting for the exam. Candidates must now have 6,000 hours of project management experience and 3,000 of those hours (or about 1.5 years) must be in direct security-project management.
At this spring’s ISC West, SIA delivered a new CSPM exam for the first time. As of press time, SIA planned to offer the CSPM exam as a computer-based test, available throughout the United States and Canada.
Additionally, the SIA Security Project Management Training Seminar gives security project managers resources to execute projects efficiently and mitigate the risks for your clients and company.
In this course, PMs:
- Examine techniques for “surprise free” implementation and managing activities within proper timeframes.
- Identify areas that maximize the reward to your company while reducing the risk.
- Review aspects of the new SIA Security Project Management Common Body of Knowledge and the six domains of the new CSPM exam.
Note the training seminar is not a CSPM review course. Review of the CSPM domains is intended to help you identify strengths and weaknesses for future self-directed study efforts.
SIA revamped this instructor-led training seminar to more effectively hone in on the unique elements of managing security projects. It’s now shorter, more affordable and more accessible. One more training for this year is scheduled on Oct. 1-3 in Atlanta to coincide with ASIS International 2014.
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SIA partnered with ASIS this summer to launch a learning management system, my Global Portal for Security (myGPS). Integrators can explore myGPS online at siaonline.csod.com.
The biggest education initiative together from SIA and ASIS, myGPS will feature all of courses and resources developed by the two organizations. SIA will develop several hours of online security-specific project management courses available through myGPS.
The first course, an introduction to security project management, was made available recently, and SIA will roll out the other courses later this year; myGPS also launched with access to 31 online courses in general project management principles and practices.
Access to security project management tools and education has never been easier — now’s the time for integrators to distinguish themselves.
