TOPIC: Contacting past client prior to audit

Hi,

My question is regarding eligibility to apply for PMP exam and audit details:

Among my recent experience I have 2 years of PM employed by IT company (current) and 2 years of working as self-employed consultant for foreign company (past).

If audited - what information my previous client, which was working with me being self-employed private entrepreneur, should be ready to provide? They were generally not aware of any internal procedures and processes which I was following during implementation, but were only providing tasks and receiving result after some time. Internally, I was managing small group of engineers, providing them with tasks, planning workload, clarifying requirements, etc., - well doing all sorts of stuff from all 5 process groups, but I am pretty sure my client was not aware of what I was doing or how the job was done and by whom exactly, they were just receiving result after all. Should I try to contact him and explain that I am applying for PMP exam and that they may contact you so please be aware of how the job was done?

Please advice!

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Thanks!
Ivan

Hi Ivan,
I would recommend that you share the same information that you will submit in your PMP application with your previous client. you can have a call or something with him clarifying the information and guiding him through the activities you were doing during the project. you should also let him know that his approval on the same information might be required if you are audited.

Good Luck !

Thanks Ahmed!

My another concern is that the client is located far in foreign country. Now how exactly all this paper based audit process should go? Is it me who sends all the documents for filling and signing to customer, and then he sign them and send back to me in closed envelope? Or does he send anything directly to PMI? And what if those docs are lost along the way?

...frankly speaking all that audit process freaks me out a bit...

Hi Ivan.
please don't freak out, I personally got audited and it went very smooth.

I highly recommend that you read the PMI FAQs about the audit it will clear all your confusions and will let you much more relaxed about the process. you can find the FAQs Here

Regarding your concern, you should fill in all forms and send to client for signing. the client will send you the signed forms back which you will send to the PMI.

I just would like to let you know that you can have any colleague from the project do the approval if he is more reachable that the client, there is no obligation that the client must approve.

Good Luck

Hi Ivan,

I totally agree with Ahmed. I was audited as well and it did go very smoothly. Best of luck to you!

Thanks again Ahmed, very valuable link and comment!

So is it correct to assume that I can ask my colleague/subordinate from that time to be my contact for PMI audit and state him as my contact, not client?

In the application itself "Contact Relationship" field has only Project Sponsor OR Manager/Director OR Client OR Primary Stakeholder options, and I don't know what to choose, could you please advice?

Hi Ivan

Yes it is correct that you can ask a colleague from that time to verify and approve your experience. in the contact relationship use the most appropriate one, in case of colleague or subordinate i think "primary stakeholder" would be a valid choice.

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From the PMI FAQ, here is the questions that confirms this:

16. A supervising manager is no longer at the company. How can this project be verified?

The supervising manager can still verify although they are not at the company. If this option is not feasible, a colleague from the project can verify, or a current manager or supervisor, who has intimate knowledge of the project, can verify.