Ist AACEI Certified Earned Value Professional (EVP) from India

Reported by Raju Rao in Chennai

PMI Director Beth Partleton to Describe PMI's Strategic Plan at ProMAC 2008 Conference in Alaska in September

Beth Partleton, member of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI), will deliver a presentation on PMI's strategic plan at the ProMAC 2008 International Project Management Conference Anchorage in September. The ProMAC 2008 Project Management Conference, "Project Management Leading Managerial Revolutions", will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska during September 15-18, 2008.

Beth Partleton from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, is a Director-at-Large on the board of directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI). She is also completing her sixth year on the PMI Educational Foundation Board of Directors, which she chaired in 2006. Active in PMI since 1991, she was a founder and charter member of the Milwaukee/Southeast Wisconsin (USA) Chapter and served as president in 2000. She served three years on the board of directors for the Manufacturing Specific Interest Group (SIG). She was the project manager for the 1997 Symposium in Chicago, and has worked on various PMI committees over the years, including the PMI Nominating Committee and the Ethics Appeal Committee. Ms. Partleton received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in 1998.

Ms. Partleton is also Director of Strategic Projects for Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, responsible for executing several key strategic initiatives. During her career with Miller, she also has served as a senior project manager and as the functional manager of architectural and civil engineering. She has also served on non-profit boards, including four years with the Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee. She holds a Master of Project Management degree from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Master of Architecture from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Ms. Partleton is a registered architect in the State of Wisconsin and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP^®) since 1991

According to her abstract, this is the future PMI envisions -- and is working to achieve: "Worldwide, organizations will embrace, value, and utilize project management and attribute their success to it." Beth's presentation, entitled "PMI's Strategic Plan," will describe the different aspects of PMI's carefully considered strategic plan, including the: Core values that inform all of PMI's programs, products, and services; Future anticipated for the near term, mid term, and long term planning horizons; and Scenario planning to keep PMI prepared for a variety of eventualities. From this presentation, attendees will learn how the operational programs in PMI's strategic plan are designed to make the envisioned goal a reality. Learn how PMI is planning to enhance adoption and maturity metrics - and how you might be part
of it.

The ProMAC 2008 conference will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences to revolutionize today’s project management knowledge and techniques for the future. Special plenary sessions featuring top executives and government officials will be held to exchange their practices and plans. Numerous paper presentations and workshops will also be held. This conference follows previous successful ProMAC conferences in Singapore, Japan, and Australia. For details, visit http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/promac/.

The ProMAC 2008 conference host and lead sponsor is the Masters of Science program in Project Management (MSPM) at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Other sponsors include the PMI Anchorage Alaska Chapter, the Society of Project Management (Japan), Asia Pacific International College (Australia), Alaska Communications Systems (ACS), Alaska Airlines, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company , ASRC Energy Systems, British Petroleum (BP), ConocoPhillips, CH2MHill, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Hawk Consultants LLC, NANA Development Corporation, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The general conference co-chairs are Dr. Jang Ra, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA (Chair); Prof. Ali Jaafari, Asia Pacific International College, Australia; Dr. Osamu Ohno, Society of Project Management, Japan; and Prof. Khim Teck Yeo, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The Project Manager is Danny Elmore, University of Alaska Anchorage. For more information, visit http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/promac/.

ASU Professor Dean Kashiwagi Receives Fulbright Award to Help Establish Project Management Program at University of Botswana

Dean T. Kashiwagi, Professor at the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, Arizona, USA, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and conduct research at University of Botswana in Africa during the 2008-2009 academic year. The award was announced earlier this year by the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Professor Kashiwagi is now in Botswana helping the University of Botswana develop an interdisciplinary project management graduate program, exposing them to a futuristic project management model and a leading-edge graduate education/research model. He is also helping create an ASU-Africa link in engineering and management.

Dean T. Kashiwagi (pictured) is a professor at Arizona State University's Del E Webb School of Construction and also the Director of the Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG). PBSRG is the worldwide leader in improving facility/project performance and efficiency. Kashiwagi has developed a "hands off" approach to managing contractors or vendors in any industry.

His concept is contrary to traditional price-driven procurement. The technology has been tested over 500 times totaling $1.135 Billion ($683M in construction projects and $451 in non-construction projects) with a 98% success rate since 1994. He work is now being tested in the Netherlands. Kashiwagi has integrated these concepts into a Facility-Project Asset Graduate Program at ASU. His presentations are highly sought out by highly recognized international organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Congress and the recent 4^th SCPM IPMA/MedNet Conference in Chios, Greece where he was a keynote speaker.

Kashiwagi is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the rest of the world.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since its inception, the Fulbright Program has exchanged approximately 273,500 people - 102,900 Americans who have studied, taught or researched abroad and 170,600 students, scholars and teachers from other countries who have engaged in similar activities in the United States. The Program operates in over 150 countries worldwide.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Fulbright recipients are among over 30,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. For more than forty years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has supported programs that seek to promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit http://exchanges.state.gov.

Mary McKinlay to Deliver Keynote Speech at 22nd IPMA World Congress in Rome in November

The project management team for the 22^nd IPMA World Congress on Project Management - ROMA 2008 Project Management to Run - has announced that Mary McKinlay will deliver a keynote speech at the November congress. Mary McKinlay is a Vice President of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and Managing Director of Mary McKinlay Projects Ltd., UK. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Project Management at ESC Lille in France. The title for Mary's speech is "Where is project management running to...?".

Mary McKinlay has been involved in project management for over 28 years as practitioner, researcher and trainer. Following a degree in Systems Engineering, she started her career working on the Tornado aircraft project and subsequently has worked on many large programmes, from civil aircraft to submarines. A further dimension was added by work on research programmes involving collaboration between industry and academics. Mary is a regular contributor to conferences in UK and overseas and presents on a wide range of PM topics.

Mary served on the Council of the Association for Project Management (APM, UK) from 2001 until 2006. She was an APM delegate to the International Project Management Association until her election as Vice President last year. Having trained in the use of the Project Excellence Model, she has acted as an assessor for the IPMA Awards in 2004 and Lead Assessor in 2005 and 2006. Mary also delivers Assessor Training for the Awards. For the past five years she has been a Judge for the APM, UK Project Awards. Mary is an active member of IoD Kent and a Governor of the University of Greenwich. She is also a member of the PM Ambassadors™ Speakers Bureau and speaks at PM events worldwide. (http://www.pmforum.org/ambassadors/ambassadors.htm#McKinlay)

According to her abstract, "The face of Project Management is changing. The application of project management techniques is being seen in a wider context than ever before. It is recognised that the tools and techniques form just a part of the skills required to manage projects successfully. Indeed Project Management and it’s related disciplines, Programme and Portfolio Management, are out of the starting gate and are running throughout the World, not just in the traditional fields of Engineering and Construction. Project Management has been declared to be a “Life Skill” by a British Prime Minister. Research on the Project Oriented Nation is looking at PM Education as one of the characteristics. Project Management now has serious Higher Education Courses in it’s own right instead of being simply regarded as an optional module to add on to another discipline. There is a lively debate about whether or not Project Management is a profession on the one hand and in the UK the Association for Project Management (APM) is seeking to become a Royal Chartered Institution. Where is it all going and how can we go with it and play a full part in the development of our world."

The IPMA 22^nd World Congress on Project Management will be held in Rome, Italy during 9-11 November 2008. According to the "ROMA 2008 - Project Management to Run" project team, with keynote speeches and 12 streams of presentations over three days, as many as 200 presentations on important project management topics can be anticipated.

The congress is expected to attract leading project management authorities and over 1,000 participants from the 45+ countries represented by IPMA membership. The Roma 2008 World Congress will be one of the largest project management events in the world this year. The 22nd IPMA World Congress and Exhibition will be held at the Palazzo dei Congressi near the heart of downtown Rome. For registration, schedule and other information, visit the conference website at www.ipmaroma2008.it.

The local hosts for the ROMA 2008 World Congress are the Italian Project Management Academy and the Italian National Association of Industrial Plant Engineering (ANIMP). The President of ANIMP is Fabrizio Di Amato; the President of the Italian PM Academy is Roberto Mori; the Congress Chairman is Luigi Iperti; and the Project Manager for IPMA 2008 is PierMarco Romagnoli.

Founded in 1967 and registered in Switzerland, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is is an international federation of more than 40 national PM societies in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Local societies serve each country in its national language. IPMA provides an umbrella organization at the international level. IPMA's internationally acclaimed 4 Level PM Certification Programme continues to grow worldwide. The IPMA annually presents awards to teams that achieve great feats in project management. IPMA maintains its continuous presence in the global PM arena through regular International Symposia, Expert Seminars and its Annual World Congress. The president of IPMA for 2008 is Veikko Valila. Additional information is available at www.ipma.ch.

Watermark CEO Elizabeth Larson to Keynote Day Two
of PMI Honolulu Chapter + LavaCon Professional
Development Summit 2008

The PMI Honolulu Chapter and LavaCon have announced keynote speakers for the 2008 Professional Development Summit being sponsored by the PMI Honolulu Chapter in partnership with LavaCon^® during 6-8 November 2008. The conference, which will present proven best practices in the fields of project management and technical communications, will be held at the Marriott Honolulu Waikiki hotel, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Keynote speaker on Friday (Day 2), November 7, 2008 will be Elizabeth Larson (pictured at left), CEO of Watermark Learning, a Minneapolis-based project management and business analysis training and consulting firm. Elizabeth Larson is Co-Principal of Watermark Learning and has over 25 years of experience in business, project management, requirements analysis, business analysis and leadership. She has presented numerous workshops, seminars, and training classes since 1996 to almost 5,000 participants on 3 different continents.

Elizabeth's speaking history includes Project World, various chapters of PMI, PACT (Professional Association of Computer Trainers), Minnesota Government Symposium and UK Project Management Symposium in Bristol, England. She is also a program presenter for the Project Management Institute's SeminarsWorld, in which she has presented on business process management in Sydney (Australia), Toronto, Denver and other US location.

Elizabeth has authored and co-authored industry articles that have been published worldwide, including "Critical Success Factors for All Projects"; “How to Create a Clear Project Plan"; “Achieve project success with sponsorship and clear vision"; “Managing Small Projects"; "Use Cases: What Every Project Manager Should Know"; "To manage projects, 'use cases' help set scope & achieve goals" & "Demystifying Requirements Through Use Cases." She has been published and/or quoted in leading national and international trade publications such as CIO; Darwin Magazine; ComputerWorld; Computer Weekly; Control Engineering; Project Management World Today; Certification Magazine; Data Center Management, Canadian Consulting Engineer, Software Test & Performance and Projects & Profits Magazine.

The PMI Honolulu Chapter + LavaCon Professional Development Summit 2008 is for professionals who want continuing education on how to manage projects, the latest management and communication tools and technology, and “soft skills” in areas such as leadership, conflict management, contract and workplace negotiation skills, etc. Choose from over 40 sessions and workshops on technical communication and project management! Participants may earn up to 24 Professional Development Units (PDUs) for attending – a major event in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. For more information, visit http://www.pmi-honoluluchapter.org/PDD_PDS/2008/PDSWelcome.htm.

The Project Management Institute (PMI^®) is the world’s largest professional organization for project management professionals. Founded in 1997, the PMI^® Honolulu Chapter is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of project management practices and standards worldwide and the development of the project management profession. More information about the chapter can be found at http://www.pmi-honoluluchapter.org. For more information about the conference, contact the PDS'08 committee at pdshi@pmi-honoluluchapter.org

LavaCon^® is a conference for technical communication professionals—senior technical writers, documentations managers and other professionals interested in learning how to deploy and manage technical communication projects. More information about previous LavaCon conferences can be found at www.lavacon.org.

Nigel Smith, CEO of UK's OGC, added to keynote roster for APM's October National Project Management Conference in London

Reported by Miles Shepherd in London, UK

The Association for Project Management (APM) has announced that Nigel Smith, CEO of the UK's Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has been added to the roster of keynote speakers for their October 2008 Project Management Conference, "Success Through Projects." The APM's national conference will be held at the historic Brewery Conference Centre in London during 29-30 October 2008.

Nigel Smith is Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) of the Government of the United Kingdom (UK). He is responsible for leading the drive for improved value for money from spending on goods and services with a strong focus on collaboration, lifecycle cost, delivery of major projects and effectiveness and efficient use of Government’s property estate.

As head of profession for Procurement and for Program and Project Management (PPM), he is responsible for increasing capability and skills. He also sits on the UK government’s Treasury Board.

Nigel has over thirty year private sector experience leading major national and global companies, including; Invensys Rail Systems, where as President he was responsible for strategic direction and business performance; Charter Group, where he was Chief Operating Officer and then Chief Executive; and GEC Marconi Electronics, where as Managing Director, he was responsible for all Marconi’s civil products businesses.

In his three years leading the team at Invensys Rail, the business established UK market leadership, next generation technology leadership, signalling unit cost reduction of 30%, and doubled its export revenue with new markets in the Far East, South America and the Middle East.

Success Through Projects!

Programme and project managers from around the world are invited to participate in the APM October Conference, to help develop the national and international project management agendas through presentations, panel discussions and debate. For details about the conference visit www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp or contact conference@apm.org.uk.

Exhibition opportunities are also available. Those interested in exhibiting at the APM Project Management Conference 2008, or sponsoring an activity or award, can download the exhibitors pack on the conference website at http://www.apm.org.uk/exhibitors.asp, or contact Jo Asher on jo@impact-now.co.uk.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the UK’s national body for professional project management. With over 16,500 individual and 500 corporate members throughout the UK and abroad, APM is one of the largest organisations of its kind in Europe. The organisation develops and promotes project management across all sectors of industry and beyond. APM's published mission is: "To develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit." APM is the UK member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). With headquarters in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, APM has twelve regional branches throughout the UK and one in Hong Kong. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk.

A Girl's Guide to Project Management wins IT Blog Award

Reported by Miles Shepherd in London, UK

Elizabeth Harrin's blog "A Girl's Guide to Project Management" (www.pm4girls.co.uk) has won the title of best project management blog in the Computer Weekly IT Blog Awards.

"I'm thrilled, especially when you look at the competition," says Harrin (pictured at right). "I'm really pleased that so many people enjoy what I write and find it useful."

A Girl's Guide to Project Management is an irreverent take on project management, looking at tools and techniques, useful books and also industry events and news. September sees Harrin focus on project management software. She also tries to expunge some of the myths around project management and write down-to-earth, practical advice.

"There is a huge number of women working in project management," Harrin adds, "but we are not a visible population. If you go to conferences, you'll see a handful of women scattered in the audience and very few on the podium. I set up my blog partly to address that balance."

Elizabeth Harrin, BA (Hons), MA, MBCS is an author and project manager living and working in London. She has nearly a decade of experience in projects. Elizabeth has led a variety of IT and process improvement projects including e-commerce and communications developments. She is also experienced in managing business change, having spent eight years working in financial services (including two based in Paris, France). She is the author of Project Management in the Real World (BCS Books).

Elizabeth can be contacted at elizabeth@elizabeth-harrin.com; her blog can be found at www.pm4girls.co.uk.

Linda Vella will lecture at PMDay in Buenos Aires

Reported by Ana María Rodríguez in Argentina

Linda Vella, Director-at-Large and former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI) has been confirmed as a speaker at PMDay, an educational seminar organized by IAAP Global. The event will be hold on October 1st at Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ms. Vella will lecture on the Value of Project Management, the results from the research conducted by Janice Thomas and Mark Mullaly at the University of Athabasca in Canada, supported and directed by PMI. The research results were presented at the PMI Research Congress on Poland, last month of July. Results strongly demonstrate the value that Project Management adds to organizations applying it systematically. Ms. Vella´s presentation is a great opportunity for professionals in Argentina to learn about this research.

PMDay is organized by IAAP, a Registered Education Provider (REP) of PMI. The event includes conferences on actual trends on Project Management: Cultural change on multi-cultural projects, starting a PMO, Probabilistic analysis of project risks, Risk management: a practical example, Best practices on Portafolio management, and a synthesis of PM trends, achievements and challenges for PM on Latin America. Assisting PMPs will get 6PDUs for the total event.

For more information visit http://www.iaapglobal.com/pmday/index.html

IPMA Elects First Female President! Brigitte Schaden of Austria
to assume IPMA Presidency

Reported by Miles Shepherd

The International Project Management Association (IPMA) has elected Brigitte Schaden as President for the term beginning in January 2009. Schaden is currently serving as Vice President for Certification and is President of PM Austria. She becomes IPMA's first female President.

President Elect Schaden is best known for her extensive work on Certification. She was the Project Sponsor for the recent revision of the International Competence Baseline, IPMA’s world standard on multilevel certification. She also was responsible to overseeing the subsequent revision to the International Competence Regulations Guidelines. She has held a variety of significant posts in PM Austria, from 'Controller' to Chief Executive and currently President.

Her international experience includes 4 years as a member of the Certification and Validation Management Board (CVMB) which handles all aspects of IPMA’s certification programme. She was the Project Manager for the Global Company certification programme that piloted IPMA's approach to providing certification for Companies operating across multiple IPMA Member Associations.

Brigitte is currently working with Siemens to develop a similar programme for worldwide certification of Siemens staff.

PM Forum will publish an interview with President-Elect Schaden next month.

Founded in 1967 and registered in Switzerland, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is an international federation of more than 45 national PM societies in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Local societies serve each country in its national language. IPMA provides an umbrella organization at the international level. Additional information is available at www.ipma.ch.

Chief Executive of NRA, Fred Barry, Awarded IPMA Level A Project Manager Certification in Ireland

Reported by Ed Naughton in Dublin

The Institute of Project Management has announced that Fred Barry, CEO of the National Roads Authority (NRA) has joined the elite band of only three people in Ireland to acquire the coveted IPMA Level A project manager certification status. The IPMA four level certification system operates in 43 countries and has some 100,000 certified professionals of which less than 200 have acquired Level-A status.

According to Mr. Barry (pictured at right), "project management provides hard value saving wasted euro and effort and mitigating the risk of wasting euro. Improved project management increases the confidence in the market as we deliver on projects, and provides a platform on which we can build for the future."

"Ownership of project management helps enable success at the personal, organizational and national levels," he added. "Acquiring IPMA Level A certification not only gives formal recognition to the experience I have gained during my career, it also demonstrates a visible commitment to my belief that project management delivers value."

Fred Barry is a chartered engineer, and qualified barrister whose projects career is primarily in the Engineering and Construction sector, and extends over 36 years with experience at every level. He is currently CEO of the National Roads Authority (NRA) - an independent statutory body established by the Irish Government in 1994, whose primary function is 'to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads'.

The NRA has overall responsibility for planning and supervision of construction and maintenance works on these roads. Transport 21 is a capital investment framework under the National Development Plan through which the transport system in Ireland is being developed, over the period 2006 to 2015. Some €18.4 billion is being invested in the national roads programme under the stewardship of the NRA.

Prior to joining the NRA he was Managing Director, U.K. and Ireland of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. - an international technical professional services company, with particular strength in project management. Here he had executive responsibility for a number of € billion projects, including a complete biotechnology manufacturing complex, and very large semiconductor facilities.

He has served on multiple joint venture boards, conducted several acquisition due diligences and integrations, and established new operations and offices. He is also a director of the National Development Finance Agency, which is the state agency responsible for procurement of PPP projects for the Depts. of Justice, Health and Education and is joint Chairman of Management Committee for a €1 billion project in Northern Ireland, partially funded by Republic’s government.