To earn the CIO Project Management qualification, the following requirements must be met:

All Federal Project Management candidates must complete the IT Project Management Profile.  For contractor Project Managers, reference the Contractor Process page.

Level 1

For qualification at IT Level 1 the candidate must have successfully completed the following coursework: Project Management Essentials (001022) Module 1 or equivalent (certified PM from the Project Management Institute), Contract Officer's Rep. (001028) or COTR (000058), Earned Value Management Systems (001026), and have three (3) years of project management experience. The PM assigned to a Level 1 major IT investment is expected to have as part of the project team people knowledgeable in the bureau or business area specific skills and knowledge. 

Level 2

For qualification at IT Level 2 the candidate must have the IT Level 1 Qualification and successfully completed the following coursework:  Advanced Concepts in Project Management (001023), Project Risk Management (001033), and have five (5) years of project management experience.  The PM assigned to a Level 2 major IT investment is expected to have as part of the project team people knowledgeable in the agency-specific skills and knowledge.  

Level 3

For qualification at IT Level 3 the candidate must have the IT Level 2 Qualification and successfully completed the following coursework:  Project Management Simulation (001029), Federal Budget Process (000288), and have seven (7) years of project management experience with at least two of those years having been of theory or practical application at the IT PM Level 2 qualification or above.  The PM assigned to a Level 3 major IT investment is expected to have as part of the project team people knowledgeable in the agency-specific skills and knowledge.  

Exhibit 53 Non-Major System Level

For qualification as an Exhibit 53 Non-Major System Level IT PM the candidate must have: training that provides an understanding of PM and IT-PM competencies listed in the OPM 2210 Series IT Project Manager Guidance (pages 6,7); training that provides fundamental PM knowledge, skills and abilities that include an understanding of principles, practices and terminology; training that provides Primary IT PM skills; COR/COTR training; and one (1) year of project management experience.  Program Offices are required to track the status of the Exhibit 53 Project Manager and report it on the Exhibit 53 submission.

IT Project Management Qualification Extension and Course Exemptions Guidelines

IT Project Management (PM) Qualification Extensions:

In order to meet Office of Management and Budget requirements for ensuring that key IT investments are managed by “qualified” project managers, all IT PMs as identified on Budget Exhibit 300s must, at a minimum, be Level 1 qualified. Major IT investments that are not managed by qualified Project Managers are at risk for loss of funding.

While it is anticipated that an IT PM candidate will progress through the IT PM qualification requirements within the expected time frame as outlined in the following, it is understood that schedules and competing work priorities may conflict. In the event that any required course work will not be completed within the expected time frame due to these conflicts, the candidate must develop a plan and commitment for achieving IT PM qualification at the appropriate level. (Extensions of up to two years may be granted to those IT PMs requiring qualification at Levels 2 and 3 due to significant conflicts in meeting the qualification deadline. The IT PM’s Executive must approve the extension and forward the request for extension with the Quarterly Control Review Template to the OCIO as part of the project’s risk mitigation plan. Failure to meet the expectations without an approved extension may result in a project being placed on the “watch list” and be monitored by the OCIO on a quarterly basis.

Time-Frame Expectations:

Level 1

It is expected that a candidate will achieve Level 1 IT Project Management (PM) qualification prior to or within one year of being assigned to a Level 1 IT project. In the event that a candidate has not achieved Level 1 qualification prior to their assignment, a plan of action and progress towards achieving qualification should be planned and documented as part of the Quarterly Control Review Process.  

Level 2

It is expected that a candidate will achieve Level 2 IT PM qualification prior to or within two years of being assigned to a Level 2 IT project. In the event that a candidate has not achieved Level 2 qualification prior to their assignment or does not have the necessary PM experience for meeting Level 2 qualification, a plan of action and progress towards achieving qualification should be planned and documented with the Quarterly Control Review Process.

Level 3

It is expected that a candidate will achieve Level 3 IT PM qualification prior to or within two years of being assigned to a Level 3 IT project. In the event that a candidate has not achieved Level 3 qualification prior to their assignment or does not have the necessary PM experience for meeting Level 3 qualification, a plan of action and progress towards achieving qualification should be planned and documented with the Quarterly Control Review Process.

Exhibit 53 Non-Major System Level

It is expected that a candidate will achieve Exhibit 53 Non-Major System Level Project Management (PM) qualification prior to or within one year of being assigned to a Non-Major Exhibit 53 project. In the event that a candidate has not achieved the qualification prior to their assignment, a plan of action and progress towards achieving qualification should be planned and documented as part of the Project Review Process.  

IT PM Qualification Course Exemptions:  

Review IT PM Training Courses and Alternatives page for current course information and additional course exemptions.

Level 1

To exempt from the Project Management Essentials (PME) course, the candidate must be a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) or satisfy the OCIO Project Management Assessment with a score of at least 70 percent. If a candidate does not meet the minimum score but has significant project management experience, a supervisor may write a letter endorsing the individual’s project management experience and exempting the individual from the PME course.

Earned Value Management Courses offered from an accredited university or training provider such as the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) may provide an exemption to the Earned Value course required for Level 1 Qualification. To determine if prior course work meets requirements for exemption, the course work should be submitted with the Project Management Profile.

Level 2

IT Risk Management Courses offered from an accredited university or training provider such as the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) may provide an exemption to the IT Risk Management course required for Level 2 Qualification. To determine if prior course work meets requirements for exemption, the course work should be submitted with the Project Management Profile.

Exhibit 53 Non-Major System Level

Program Offices are required to track the status of the Exhibit 53 Project Manager and report it on the Exhibit 53 submission.

Procedures for Program Office verification of Qualification by Exemption:

To meet the OMB requirement, for those Federal Project Managers who may meet the qualifications for an appropriate level, but have not taken the DOE specified course work, the IT Executive shall send a memo to the IT Project Management Qualification point of contact stating that the Project Manager is qualified at the appropriate level for managing the Exhibit 300 project and reference the PM's profile in the memo, indicating the training or experience that meets the requirements.