The Project Management Education at Top-Tier Consultancies Is the Only Program That Covers All Competency Domains Comprehensively

Exhibit 1 summarizes the main features of the three forms of project management education and training considered here.

To evaluate the content of project management training and professional development programs, it is necessary to establish a framework that delineates the ideal skills to be imparted. To this end, the three domains of competence and eight subject areas delineated by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (2014) have been employed (see Exhibit 2). The foundation is established by the “Values and Behavior” category, encompassing the sub-categories “Ethics and Professionalism” and “Personal (Self-)Development.” For project-related responsibilities, “Technical and Methodological Skills and Knowledge” are essential, including a “Functional or Industry Specialization” and competencies in “Project Management.” “Personal Interaction and Communication” is based on certain values (e.g., a view of humanity), while certain behaviors and the associated methods (e.g., conversation/questioning techniques) are used for them. “Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills” are also based on values (e.g., avoiding manipulation of data) and require certain behaviors (e.g., going through a problem-solving process) that involve the use of various methods (e.g., statistical procedures) and tools (e.g., spreadsheet software). Therefore, these two last-mentioned subject areas are shown in Exhibit 2 across all fields of expertise. Successful project managers must understand the relevant “Business Specifics” of the client company and the consultancy for which they work. Within the competence field of “Business Specifics,” the topic area of “Consulting Business Insight” is more relevant for management consultants than for project managers per se.

As illustrated in Exhibit 3, the core learning content of mandatory trainings at top-tier consultancies* encompasses five subject areas shown in the framework underlying Exhibit 2. By working on consulting projects, one gains “Client Business Insight.” Since the assignments and industries can change from project to project, and a new project is due approximately every three months (McKinsey & Company n.d.), one can gain insight into several different businesses, especially at the beginning of one’s consulting career. At the lower career stages, one gains a basic understanding of the consulting business, i.e., “Consulting Business Insight.” However, at these levels you will generally only be involved in the preparation of proposal documents, and internal management tasks are the responsibility of senior colleagues, especially partners. Therefore, an understanding of the business of consulting only becomes relevant as you gain more experience. Regarding “Ethics and Professionalism,” once a year the entire McKinsey & Company spends a day cultivating the company’s values (Lietke 2018; McKinsey & Company 2022). In addition, more experienced colleagues teach them onboarding and continuously on the job. McKinsey & Company (2022, p. 36) also promotes a culture of development and continuous learning, which is congruent with the domain of “Continuous Learning and Development;” at McKinsey & Company, continuous learning means:

“Every role at McKinsey has a core learning journey, built around our skills taxonomy, that is designed to balance leadership skills, capabilities for client service, technology acumen, and risk management awareness. Core programming may be:

universal, such as our One Firm Onboarding curriculum for new colleagues
hybrid, such as our Business Essentials learning module designed for client-facing colleagues with diverse educational and professional backgrounds
self-directed, for example, a modular Digital and Analytics Tech Week created to empower colleagues from any background to level up in those skills
customizable, such as content tailored for specific regions, interest or practice areas, role transitions, or affinity groups

We have created more than 2,500 learning offerings and provide access to tens of thousands more from external content providers. Colleagues have access to elective and on-demand learning, as well as certifications and credentialing, to broaden skills, deepen expertise, and personalize their own development. In 2021, we introduced a new learner experience platform, providing a one-stop shop that provides colleagues with easy access to all of our learning content.”

In addition, on-the-job feedback is provided on a regular basis. This ensures continuous learning and development. The training and further education provided by the top-tier management consulting firms covers all pertinent competency domains and their subject matter areas.

Colorado State University (CSU Global) offers a Master in Project Management program** that includes the domain of “Functional or Industry Specialization.” This is addressed through the required courses “Effective Organizations: Theory and Practice” and “Operations Management,” as well as through the specialization courses. The required courses “Project Management” and “Project Metrics, Monitoring, and Control,” along with the elective courses “Project Management Office (PMO)” and “Agile Project Management,” primarily cover the domain of “Project Management.” The elective course in “Business Analysis” aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the businesses under consideration. The “Capstone” course, which is mandatory, focuses on the application of project management skills and, as such, on linking the subject areas of “Engagement Management” and the domain of “Continuous Learning and Development.” The latter subject area is about deepening the knowledge acquired.

The Master in Project Management program is primarily focused on the domain of “Technical and Methodological Skills and Knowledge”. Additionally, the competence fields of “Continuous Learning and Development” and “Business Specifics” are covered, at least through an elective course. For the remaining domains and subject areas, there are no courses with a corresponding focus. They are touched on only marginally in the other courses. The large number of seminar papers to be written also serves to practice writing (scientific) texts and, thus, to a certain extent, written communication.

The training for certification as a PMI-PMP^® focuses primarily on the subject area of “Engagement Management.” Select content on team management and leadership is assigned to the topic of “Personal Interaction and Communication.” The topic of “Training and Development of Team Members” also intersects with “Continuous Learning and Development” (see Exhibit 4; shaded areas indicate topics that concern aspects of or interfaces between two different subject areas). The other domains and subject areas from Exhibit 2 are not addressed.

A thorough examination of the contents of the PMBOK^® Guide (seventh edition, Project Management Institute 2021) reveals no substantial alterations to the content coverage. The PMBOK^® Guide provides generic descriptions and definitions of numerous aspects and concepts of project management within the aforementioned topics, functioning as a reference book. However, it does not offer specific application advice. Preparing and visualizing data and information for communication purposes in the form of diagrams serves as an example for illustration. The contents contained in the PMBOK^® Guide (Project Management Institute 2021) are a list in which 23 different diagram types from A (Affinity Diagram) to V (Velocity Chart) are briefly described in a very general way, e.g.,

“Scatter diagram. This graph shows the relationship between two variables.” (p. 189)
“Use case. This artifact describes and explores how a user interacts with a system to achieve a specific goal” (p. 190).
For more information on the use case, please refer to p. 195 of the PMBOK^® Guide, where it is indicated that it can be used in the “Planning” and “Delivery” service domains. However, it should be noted that the PMBOK^® Guide does not offer additional insights regarding this use case.

Of the 23 types of diagrams, only three are shown as generic examples in the PMBOK^® Guide. The PMBOK^® Guide is too limited in scope to serve as a suitable textbook for project management.

Project management training programs vary in their focus. CSU Global emphasizes technical skills, top consulting firms prioritize continuous learning and hands-on experience, and PMI-PMP^® certification centers on engagement management. The project management education at top-tier consultancies is the only program that covers all competency domains comprehensively. A combination of education, practical experience, and ongoing development is essential for well-rounded project management expertise and hence must be addressed.

* The contents are presented in blog post no. 15, entitled “The MBA in Project Management Programs Provide Comprehensive and Relevant Content and Establish a Certain Practical Focus.”

** Please refer to blog post no. 14, titled “Top-Tier Consultants Undergo a Comprehensive
Training Program for In-Depth Project Management and Problem-Solving Education.”

References

Fuchs & Consorten Unternehmensberatung (n.d.) Kursplan für 4 Tage PMP^®-Vorbereitungskurs [Schedule for a 4-day PMP^® preparation course]. Accessed March 22, 2023, https://ifp-duesseldorf.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IfP-Stundenplan-PMP-4-Tage.pdf.

International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (2014) The CMC Certification Scheme Manual (CMC001): Appendix 1—Certified Management Consultant (CMC) Competence Framework (CMC002). Accessed April 26, 2022, https://www.cmc-global.org/sites/default/files/public/CMC/appendix_1_-_specimen_cmc_competence_framework_cmc002.pdf.

Lietke B (2018) Values day and a mini honeymoon. Blog, McKinsey & Company, Chicago. Accessed May 17, 2023, https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/meet-our-people/mckinsey-women-blog/values-day-and-a-mini-honeymoon.

McKinsey & Company (n.d.) Dein Einstieg als Consultant [Getting started as a consultant]. Accessed March 15 and May 17, 2023, https://karriere.mckinsey.de/karriere/einstieg/dein-einstieg-als-consultant.

McKinsey & Company (2022) 2021 ESG report: Accelerating sustainable and inclusive growth. Report, McKinsey & Company, New York, NY.

Project Management Institute (PMI) (2021) The Standard for Project Management and a Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) (Project Management Institute, Newton Square, PA).