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FPD Requirements at a Glance

Certification and Equivalency Guidelines

The PMCDP's Certification and Equivalency Guidelines document provides information on the developmental, experiential, training, and mentoring activities required for the different levels of certification in accordance with DOE Order 361.1C, Acquisition Career Management Program (Chapter V). Not all of the competencies for each level of certification require prior experience. For example, some competencies can be satisfied through the successful completion of specific PMCDP training courses, and others through prior certifications such as the Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). The PMCDP Curriculum Map   Link details the different training and elective options at each certification level. The table below lists the PMCDP’s base training and experience requirements for each level of FPD certification.

Certification Requirements

Certification Level

 TPC Responsibility Level Core Training Courses (CLPs) Elective Training Courses (CLPs) Experience (Years)
Level I

$5 - $50M
  1. Project Management Essentials (70)
  2. PM Systems and Practices in DOE (60)
  3. Earned Value Management Systems (21)
  4. Contracting Officer Representative online course (DAU-CLC222) (32)
  5. Project Risk Analysis and Management (25)
  6. Managing Contract Changes (28)
  7. Planning for Safety in Project Management (25)
  8. Acquisition Management for Technical Personnel (32)

(Choose one)

  1. LEED for New Construction and Existing Buildings (18)
  2. Capital Planning for DOE 413.3B Capital Asset Projects (14)
  3. Performance-Based Management Contracting (21)
  1. One year of experience as a project engineer or integrated project team member.
  2. Three years of experience in project management-related roles.
  3. One year of experience in project management within the last five years.
Level II

$50 - $100M
  1. Advanced Concepts in Project Management (50)
  2. Project Management Simulation (35)
  3. Leadership Through Effective Communication (21)
  4. Cost and Schedule Estimation and Analysis (35)
  5. Scope Management/Baseline Development (21)

(Choose two)

  1. Value Management (21)
  2. Federal Budgeting Process in DOE(28)
  3. Enviromental Laws and Regulations(21)
  4. Real Property Asset Management(21)
  1. Two years of experience as a Level I FPD or equivalent.
  2. One year experience as a supervisor/team leader.
  3. One year of post CD-3 project experience.
  4. Two years of expereince in project management within the last five years.
Level III

$100 - $400M
  1. Program Management and Portfolio Analysis (35)
  2. Advanced Risk Management (25)
  3. Executive Communications (21)
  4. Advanced EVMS (21)

(Choose one from each group)

Technical:

  1. Project Execution and Readiness Reviews (21)
  2. Systems Engineering (21)
  3. Strategic Planning (21)

Communication:

  1. Labor Management Relations (21)
  2. Negotiation Strategies/Techniques(21)
  3. Facilitating Conflict Resoltuion (21)
  1. Six months mentorship by a certified Level III or IV FPD.
  2. Two years of experience as a Level II FPD or equivalent.
  3. One year experience serving as a COR.
  4. Two years of post CD-3 project experience.
Level IV

> $400M
  1. A course from the PMCDP curriculum not previously taken, not taken within the last three years, or not taken since the course underwent a major revision.
  2. A developmental course of the candidate's choosing. This course does not have to be part of the PMCDP curriculum.
 N/A
  1. Two years experience as a Level III FPD or equivalent.
  2. Eight years (minimum) of project management experience serving as an FPD or equivalent.
  3. Three years of post CD-3 project experience; one year of post CD-3 experience on a Level III or higher project.
  4. One year of program management experience, with 90 days at DOE HQ.
  5. Participate in three project peer reviews of another FPD's project(s).
  6. Lead a project peer review of another FPD's project.