What you need to know about the Resource Management Certified Professional® program - what it covers, how much it costs, and how RM professionals rate it.
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The Resource Management Certified Professional® program from the Resource Management Institute is a globally recognized qualification for resource management pros.
As the world wakes up to the value of the discipline, we’re spotting more people proudly displaying their RMCP® status after their names - on business cards, resumes, and LinkedIn profiles.
If you’re an ambitious resource management professional you might be wondering ‘Is the RMCP® program right for me?’
Maybe you’re:
Whatever your reasons, at just under $2,000 a pop, you’ll be asking: Is the RMI’s Resource Management Certified Professional® program worth it?
We’ve spoken to selected RM professionals and recruiters to see what they have to say about the RMCP® certificate - and gathered intel from the RMI itself - to answer all your questions.
To start with, here's what RMi, the proud creator of the RMCP® program, has to say about it:
‘This first-of-its-kind professional certification program is specifically designed for resource managers, promoting and supporting competency development for resource management (RM) professionals. Certification demonstrates a level of proficiency in RM theory and application, and a commitment to professional development and a career in RM. Additionally, the RMCP® program provides access to valuable thought leadership, best practices, networks, and resources to help RM professionals better manage human capital productivity and utilization.’
The RMCP® certification is a much-needed, globally recognized qualification for resource management professionals. For a relatively small time commitment and financial investment, it helps individuals and businesses elevate their resource management practice.
Individuals who achieve RMCP® certification improve their knowledge, confidence, and professional capabilities. It equips them with an industry-standardized set of tools, methodologies, and language to execute their duties strategically and at a higher level.
Organizations upskilling their staff with the RMCP® can look forward to the improved project and business performance associated with better resource management. Those employing multiple resource management professionals will benefit from a consistent methodology and terminology across their team.
Resource Management is part technical skills and part soft skills and a lot of data. The RMCP® certification does not teach you how to be a resource manager but rather gives you a common language to apply and sets an industry standard for how resource management should be done. It is important to already have an understanding of how to do the role. The certification is the finishing touches on your understanding. - Laura Dean Smith RMCP®, Director of Consulting Operations - Resource Management, Clarivate
The Resource Management Certified Professional® program shares the latest RM theory, methodologies and best practices - strategic resource management activities at play in high-performing organizations.
It doesn’t ‘teach’ you resource management. But it builds on your existing professional experience in the field, to level up your skills and expertise.
The RMCP® develops students’ expertise in Just-In-Time Resourcing (JITR®). This is an enterprise-level approach to resource management - one that aims to put the right people in the right place at the right time for optimal performance.
It helps anyone involved in resource management to forecast supply and demand, and align talent to business needs now and in the future. It covers RM data, as well as process automation tools used to accelerate and improve resource management.
The Just-In-Time Resourcing (JITR®) model and framework has by far been the most useful and orientating tenet of RMCP®. It is something you can return to again and again in order to assess, optimize, and creatively work through challenges in resource management. - Gary Ward RMCP®, Global Director, Resource Management, Guidewire Software
The RMCP® program is specifically designed for anyone who manages and optimizes (human) resources in a business, such as
The program is suitable for people with several years’ experience under their belt, seeking to understand resource management best practices, as well as those with a longer career in resource management, looking to learn the latest techniques in the sector.
Career changers may also be able to use the RMCP® program as a way to move into RM from an adjacent field. However, we recommend checking your eligibility directly with the RMI before applying, as they do require ‘relevant’ professional experience (see below).
Resource Management is my second career. My first career was as a sales manager. The RMCP® program allowed me to build on the elements of my first career that I loved - like supporting people to grow professionally, and keeping employees properly utilized to prevent burnout - and to confidently expand on those responsibilities. - Julie McKelvey RMCP®, Global Resource Manager, Advantive
Which sectors most benefit from having an RMCP-certified expert among their ranks? It’s businesses that benefit most from exceptional resources and their effective management, of course. Resource-heavy businesses that spin knowledge into gold.
Plus, departments serving internal customers in large organizations and enterprises, such as:
If you do decide to sponsor an employee through the program, you’ll be in good company. Some of the corporate adopters of the RMCP® program include:
Talking to people who’ve achieved the qualification, we think so. Resource managers benefit from increased expertise, confidence, and employability, while businesses benefit from better resource management results. Anything that elevates the profession and its processes gets a thumbs up from us.
The most useful aspect for me was learning how to effectively assess and allocate resources in complex, multi-project environments. Before the certification, I was mainly going by instinct and experience, which works up to a point. The RMCP® gave me the tools to make these decisions more systematically, reducing both time and error. - Michel EL Zghayar, RMCP®, Senior Resource Management and Operations Specialist, Tenable
The certification undoubtedly helped my professional development, growth, and career. In fact, I believe it directly contributed to early promotions in this function and provided a renewed focus on strategy, execution, and RM maturity leading to continued advancement. - Gary Ward RMCP®, Global Director, Resource Management, Guidewire Software
Leading to the overarching benefits of better resource management, which include:
While we’re all collectively tightening our belts, there are lots of reasons to invest in RMCP® certification right now. Applying the principles of the RMCP® program in your career or business could pay dividends.
It’s more difficult to recruit and retain top talent thanks to global competition, the growing skills gap (especially digital), and the challenge of managing remote teams.
It’s also harder to secure and deliver profitable projects, thanks to economic conditions, including global recession, inflation, cautious clients, supply chain issues, and more.
Strategic organizations that double down on resource management will weather this storm better than ad-hoc allocators and short-term thinkers - thanks to resource alignment with business goals, higher productivity, lower staff turnover, and more.
It’s also a good time for resource managers to invest in themselves. Recognition of the value of resource management is growing, as is the demand for RM expertise.
Gaining RMCP® status can help you advance your career with confidence, especially keeping pace with resource management tech that is already transforming the discipline, and increasing your professional credibility.
Plus, the combination of people and strategic skills that the RMCP® helps you develop are highly transferable should you find yourself looking for a new role.
The program gave me both the confidence in myself - and recognition from other leaders - that I am a formal professional and keep up with industry standards.
For a Resource Manager, getting your RMCP® certification solidifies you as a true professional in the field, leveling you up from someone who provides staffing support to someone who is a strategic contributor to the business.
I am able to draw clear connections between resource management and a company’s goals, priorities, and objectives, and communicate these connections clearly. - Laura Dean Smith RMCP®, Director of Consulting Operations - Resource Management, Clarivate
There are minimum entry requirements for the RMCP® program. Depending on your highest educational qualification, you’ll need between two and four years of professional experience in a relevant role.
According to the RMI’s program handbook, relevant roles include:
Check the RMI website for the most up-to-date information before you commit to registering, as there is a non-refundable registration fee. If you’re in any doubt about your eligibility for the RMCP® program, you can email rmcp@resourcemanagementinstitute.com
The RMCP® is taught via classroom, virtual, or on-demand learning.
Classroom learning lasts three days and includes instruction, facilitated discussion of case studies, and an online exam at the end of day 3.
Instructor-led virtual learning comprises six online sessions of around 2 hours each. These include tutor-led instruction, facilitated discussion of case studies, and an online exam at the end of the sixth session.
On-demand learning is self-directed study. There are 30+ pre-recorded sessions - each lasting up to 20 minutes - making them easy to fit around your work or personal commitments. Then your final exam.
Once you’ve completed your learning, you’ll be able to access the certification exam online.
The exam has 60 multiple-choice questions, designed to test:
It’ll take you between 90 and 120 minutes to complete, so make sure you have a quiet place where you can work uninterrupted. When you’re finished, you’ll get your results immediately on screen.
Don’t worry if you don’t pass first time. You have three attempts at the exam within the year, with no additional cost for exam re-takes.
At the time of writing (October 2023), RMCP® certification costs just under $2,000, including a $250 non-refundable deposit.
Ultimately you’re paying for improved professional expertise and the right to put RMCP® after your name.
Once you pass the examination, you can refer to yourself as an RMCP® credential holder (so long as you have an active certification status). You also get a natty badge to share on social networks and show off your smarts.
But in terms of what your fee practically includes, you currently get:
Your RMCP® certification will be active for two years. After that, you must re-certify if you want to keep using RMCP® in your credentials.
You can re-certify by taking the certification exam again or by earning 20 Professional CertificationUnits (PCUs). These can include:
The resource managers we spoke to were generally very satisfied with their experience of the RMCP® program, citing higher confidence, better prospects, and more credibility as some of the benefits they experienced.
However, nothing is perfect. The few constructive criticisms we received related to resources and recertification - stating that these were a little limited - with information on reporting highlighted as being a little lacking.
We recommend you read as much as you can before registering - including the non-refundable deposit requirement, wider refund policy, and eligibility criteria. Just to make sure the program is right for you - and you for it - before you invest.
Find out more about the RMCP® program on the Resource Management Institute website.
Julie McKelvey found RMCP® certification invaluable when developing a Resource Management Office (RMO) from scratch. The best practices and case studies shared during the RMCP® program elevated Julie’s ability to take on large-scale transformation projects.
I would recommend the RMCP® exam for anyone building out a Resource Management Office (RMO). Obtaining the certification takes different components of resource management to the next level and allows you to build a solid foundation for your RMO. Without the certification, I am not sure I would have had the knowledge or confidence to execute my plans.
Laura Dean Smith also found the program essential to growing her RMO and creating a common resource management framework for her team of professionals.
RMCP® has been critical in growing my RMO team within my company. I was the first person at my firm to gain the qualification. Today, every resource manager on my team is required to have their RMCP® certification.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are individuals' only and do not represent the view or endorsement of their employer.
The information provided was correct at the time of writing (October 2023) and taken from the RMI's own program handbook (v5). Please check the most up-to-date information on the RMI website before registering.
