PMI Sao Paulo Chapter delivers training in social
and environmental projects for NGOs in Brazil
Reported by Alcides Santopietro
The self-proclaimed Social and Environmental Stock Exchange (BVS&A), an initiative coordinated by the Bovespa Institute for Environmental and Social Responsibility, delivered on June 27th and 28th a training course entitled "Introduction to the social and environmental project conception". The Project Management Institute Sao Paulo Chapter (PMI-SP) and the Project Management Institute International Development Specific Interest Group (PMI IDSIG) have partnered for the venture.
The participants were composed of leaders from Brazilian Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who had the chance to learn how to manage projects according to the best practices adopted and promoted by PMI.
The course was delivered by Professor Peter Pfeiffer, a specialist in this topic and author of various books about project management and vice-president for the PMI-IDSIG.
Picture (from left to right): Mr. Peter Pfeiffer (PMI-IDSIG), Mr. Izalco Sardenberg (Bovespa Institute) and Renato Machado (BVS&A and PMI-SP).
"We know that social and environmental projects have specific aspects that demand the use of particular techniques," declares Mr. Joao Gama Neto, PMP, vice-president for PMI-SP and responsible for this project. According to Mr. Neto, "our objective is to understand these needs and promote the proper knowledge among these organizations".
Professor Pfeiffer states that "the accumulated experience in the project management field has been shyly used in the social and environmental fields. This project has united leaders from NGOs coming from all over the country to discuss project management tools and that’s a challenge not only for them but for us too".
This is a pioneer program in the world, inspired from an operational model of a stock exchange. Through the website www.bovespasocial.org.br, people and companies have the opportunity to invest in projects of Brazilian NGOs dedicated to education and to the environment. Since its launch, back in 2003, this initiative has gathered 9,4 millions of Reais (about US$ 5,9 million), which were invested in 73 projects around the country. BVS&A has been considered a model to be followed by other stock exchange offices in the world, according to the United Nations (UN).
With more than 260,000 members in 170 plus countries, the Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI) is the leading membership association for the project management profession and the largest association dedicated to the advancement of project management in the world. As the leading advocate for the profession, PMI is actively engaged in setting professional standards, providing a professional career path for project managers and creating a family of professional credentials: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®), Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Program Management Professional (PgMP)®. Additionally, the Institute provides members with access to the knowledge, skills, educational support and networking opportunities needed to drive business results through project management, program management and portfolio management. PMI is highly regarded for its extensive research program and published studies. PMI was founded in 1969.
For further information: PMI Sao Paulo, Brazil Chapter: http://www.pmisp.org.br . Project Management Institute (PMI®): http://www.pmi.org
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Advanced Project Management Courses
in South Eastern Europe Announced
ALGEBRA is a leading project management (PM) and information technology (IT) educational center in Croatia and the South Eastern European region with more than 15,000 students per year. This year, from 9 - 11 October 2008, a consortium of ALGEBRA, the Croatian Association for Project Management, Primakon and Globtour Event, in association with the International Project Management Association (IPMA), is organizing IPMA Advanced Courses which will take place in South Eastern Europe for the first time. The IPMA Advanced Courses will occur from 9 - 11 October 2008 in Opatija, Croatia.
The bouquets of eight parallel course modules cover a broad spectrum of project and programme management key issues. The courses are revised annually in subject and scope in order to focus on the changing national and international needs of project and programme managers. Small class sizes, highly interactive training utilising active participation, use of case projects from the participants' own organisations - all in relaxed learning environment in beautiful Opatija, the pearl of the Adriatic coast.
The Advanced Courses also address training needed by candidates for IPMA Certification of project managers at Level A and Level B. Every participant can choose one between offered courses and number of participants is limited to 20 participants per course. Each participant receives a certificate of completion.
Former attendees were mostly employees of world leading companies and corporations, project associates and project managers from private and public sector, programme managers, project consultants and project management educators. The courses also provide great opportunities for networking with internationally experienced managers and for gaining important business contacts and sharing of experience.
For detail information about courses, accommodation, conference venue, social events and registration, please visit www.PMeducation.eu or contact drazen.pavlic@algebra.hr.
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APM Launches Education Network Forum
Reported by Bob Owen in Manchester, UK
The Association for Project Management (APM) recently launched its Education Network Forum with a conference at Aston University's Business School, with the aim to bridge the growing skills gap in the rapidly expanding profession.
The Network already represents nearly half of the project management academic community and aims to promote a range of initiatives for researchers and students. The Forum is calling for greater integration between researchers, teachers and practitioners in project management with the intention to fundamentally change the way project management is understood and taught.
"The accelerating pace of change; larger,longer and more business critical projects, greater requirements for governance and more discerning customers are driving the need for improvements in project performance" said APM Chief Executive, Andrew Bragg (pictured right).
The growth of the accidental project manager, who has emerged to fill the void left by this gap is making project success harder to achieve, warned Professor Darren Dalcher of the National Centre of Project Management at Middlesex University and a specialist in the nature of project failure. In Japan, project management focuses on people issues as much as processes, and they have a much better record of project success.
Professor Dalcher (pictured left) believes that closing the gap between theory and practice is likely to have a key bearing on improving performance. Current academic research reveals that appreciating social complexity, reflective practice and focussing on long term benefits highlight the contribution that Universities can make in creating a new paradigm in project management practice.
Dr Naomi Brookes, Director for Project Management Practice at Aston University sees the University taking a lead in bridging what she describes as “the knowing/doing gap”. This is achieved by looking at where and how project management knowledge is created, not only between academia and industry, but within and between different sectors. Dr Brookes has initiated a network of trust in order to drive project improvement within a community that includes leading project management organisations in the region such as Land Rover, West Bromwich Building Society, DLA Piper and Mouchel.
The outreach to the academic community is coming from the practitioner community too; as Jennifer Shaw, Chief of Staff with Transport for London (TfL) outlined. Their PYRAMID programme is a response to the project management challenges in delivering a massive investment programme across all of the capital’s transport networks. All members of their 1,200 strong project management community are professionally qualified graduates but Jennifer highlighted how much emphasis was placed on attracting people with the right behaviours.
"You can train people to use project management tools, but establishing the correct behaviours in a person is much harder.” stated Jennifer. The TfL PYRAMID online assessment tool, aligned with the APM Body of Knowledge 5th edition, allows the organisation to follow a ‘grow your own’ policy in developing project management professionals. With an intake of over 120 graduates a year, the organisation focuses on identifying and developing key behaviours through dedicated long term development plans. As well as gaining practical experience in all parts of the business, graduates are encouraged to join professional bodies such as APM and take professional qualifications. The focus is on developing value-adding graduates who are able to fulfil their career ambitions with TfL.
Don Hazeldine of BAe Sytems agrees that a competitive project management recruitment market is forcing corporate organisations to think creatively about developing the project professionals of the future. BAe Systems is operating in an increasingly high risk, high tech, high cost business where projects are both large scale and have long timescales. Creating a greater throughflow of project professionals into BAe Systems is of ever increasing importance. BAe Systems’ work with Blackpool and the Fylde College helps develop students through a course which leads, not only to an Honours Degree, but has the additional bonus of providing five years of paid practical experience whilst allowing the candidates to graduate without any student debt. Key issues covered in the course include understanding the business, communication, logical and analytical thinking and influencing skills - all key in delivering projects in their sector. The scheme also has significant benefits for the organisation, including early engagement with high calibre candidates and an enhanced local profile for BAE as a prestige employer.
A new paradigm in project management is how Professor Dalcher describes the opportunity of bridging the theory practice gap. It seems that parties on all sides are willing for it to happen and are looking to APM to lead the way in the UK.
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IPMA Announces New Bouquet of Advanced
Project Management Courses
The International Project Management Association (IPMA) has announced a new "bouquet" of seven advanced project and programme management courses to be conducted during 9-11 October 2008 in Croatia and 5-7 March 2009 in Denmark.The course are designed to offer unique opportunities for expanding project and programme management competencies, whether one is seeking more experience or wants to improve method or behavioral skills. The courses are intended for senior project managers, programme managers, project consultants, and project management educators.
Of the seven courses, two focus on handling specific periods or phases in the project lifecycle, three courses sharpen competencies in dealing with selected aspects or instruments, and two deal with the management of corporate portfolios and programmes. The courses will include:
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Effective preparation and start-up of projects - will provide methodologies and sills for effective initiation of projects, including training in facilitation of initiation workshops and team-building – instructors: Morten Fangel, Henk Bellinga and Daniel Baharlia.
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Management auditing of projects and programmes - workshop to provide guidance and skills for project governance audits for effective scanning of the management situation and relationships with project environments - instructors: Martina Huemann, PhD, and Mary McKinlay.
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Managing project risk, uncertainty and value in new ways - one theme will be maximizing the scope of what is considered during initial stages and throughout project execution. Another will be keeping it simple systematically, and introducing complexity only when it is worthwhile to do so - instructors: Chris Chapman and Henk Bellinga.
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Coaching and facilitation as a lever for efficiency in projects - providing training in performing facilitation and coaching processes which promote interaction of participants in project meetings and workshops - instructors: Merle Runge and Brigitte Schaden.
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Leadership in project crises situations - to provide instruments and processes for crises prevention, provision and resolution, with focus on leadership behavior aspects – instructors: Hansjörg Zahradnik and Andreas Starzer.
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Programme management to innovate effectively - teaching participants how to evelop competencies needed to manage programmes, in addition to what is needed to manage major projects - instructors: Gerrit Koch and Andrew Richards.
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Managing the corporate project portfolios - will teach participants how to develop and implement a portfolio management system that includes a needed single project model as well as models and methods for prioritizing projects, estimation of resources and measuring of business benefits - instructors: Matti Haukka and Gerard Geurtjens
According to Morten Fangel (pictured right), Chairman of the IPMA Course Committee, "The bouquet of parallel course modules covers a broad spectrum of project and programme management key issues. This means that maximum benefit is gained over the years by attending more of the offered courses. Consequently, the course fee is reduced for those who have previously attended an IPMA advanced course."
Helene Harild (pictured left) Coordinator of the IPMA Advanced Courses, adds, "Over 900 international participants have attended our courses during the past ten years. Each participant receives a certificate of completion, which can be used by candidates for IPMA Certification at Project Manager Levels B and A."
The full bouquet of advanced courses will be held at the Grand Hotel 4 Opatijska Cvijeta in Opatija, Croatia during 9-11 October 2008, and will be administered by Mr. Dražen Pavlić or the Croatian Association for Project Management.The advanced courses will be held at the Pharmakon Conference Centre in Hilleroed, Copenhagen, Denmark during 5-7 March 2009, and will be administered by Ms. Helene Harild. For more information, visit www.ipmacourse.com or contact committee@ipmacourse.com.
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. Additional information is available at www.ipma.ch.
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APIC Announces Foundation Scholarships to Study
Complex Project Management in Australia
Asia Pacific International College (APIC) has announced that it is offering two Foundation scholarships, valued at AUD$ 20,000 each, to qualified individuals to study the application of complexity theory to the field of management, particularly within the areas of Project and Program Management.
According to the APIC announcement, "Despite being a relatively new development in the field of management, the application of complexity sciences in management has the greatest potential for improving project and program outcomes, by treating projects and programs as complex systems in their own right. APIC believes in rewarding academic talent and inspiring a paradigm shift in management education and professional performance. The APIC Foundation scholarships demonstrate our commitment to nurturing the development of project, program and organisation leaders."
The scholarships will be offered to two candidates (Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents only) interested in pursuing the MBA (Project and Program Management). Applications close on Friday, 29 August 2008. Asia Pacific International College is an equal opportunity institution. APIC reserves the right not to proceed with the above scholarships on academic, financial or other grounds.
APIC is at the forefront of the field of complex project management and has developed unique and innovative courseware, diagnostic tools and systems that support the application of complexity theory to management of projects and programs. APIC’s Graduate MBA (Project and Program Management) embraces all dimensions of management of complex systems and programs.
For more information on how to apply, visit http://www.apicollege.edu.au/content/view/112/131/. For more detailed enquiries, please call +61 2 8920 9688, or email scholarships@apicollege.edu.au
Formed in 2004 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Asia Pacific International College (APIC) is a new concept College. By charter a non-profit higher education institution for transformative education, APIC aims to be a major global provider of competency-based tertiary education, professional development and corporate training in business, management, technology, arts, tourism and languages. APIC delivers educational benefits to the relevant communities globally, facilitated by the Internet. APIC's major objective is to promote borderless learning and professional development with an international student mix and an equally global delivery resource base. With a special emphasis on project management, APIC is a response to the growing needs of individuals and organizations for performance enhancement in the face of uncertainty, complexity and chaos in the world. For additional information, visit http://www.apicollege.edu.au /.
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