Volume X - Issue V - May 2008
PM Education News
New MSc in Major Programme Management begins recruiting Reported by Miles Shepherd in London The first degree programme to be offered by the BT Centre for Major Programme Management at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford has begun recruiting students for the inaugural programme. The new MSc in Major Programme Management will be offered, beginning in October 2008.
Janet Smart, Director of the BT Centre, said: ‘Major programmes are distinguished from major projects both in scale and in that they achieve transformation. This may be a nation’s IT infrastructure, its transport or any number of significant initiatives. Many of the things that we citizens feel strongly about – such as the digital economy, carbon rationing or new energy infrastructures – will require a major programme to transform the way we live and manage our resources. In the media, we frequently hear of major programmes which are late, over budget or not fit for purpose, and of the serious consequences of such failure.’ ‘We don’t have second chances with many of these programmes, so it is essential that we urgently develop and disseminate best-practice in major programme management. One of the ways we are doing that at Oxford is through the new MSc programme and I am delighted that the course is ready to be launched and we can begin welcoming applicants to join it.’ ‘This is a completely innovative and exciting course. It is the first such programme in the world to be delivered by a leading business school and we believe it meets a pressing and significant need among practitioners. Major programme management is a rapidly emerging and increasingly professional discipline, but one which lacks formal development opportunities for its practitioners. This new programme will address this and will help shape best practice, and build much needed networks in the specialism.’ The MSc is a part-time modular masters-level degree programme, designed to allow programme managers to join the course without significant interruption to their working lives. The MSc consists of ten, week-long residential modules delivered over a two-year period, with periods of private study between modules. Dr Smart explains: ‘As you would expect from Oxford, the programme is very intellectually rigorous but in designing it, we were also keen to ensure its practical relevance. We spoke to a number of representatives from major programme management internationally, to ensure that the shape of the course, its delivery and its content were all aligned with the industry’s requirements’.
Visiting speakers representing practice in a wide range of sectors will contribute to the teaching of the programme. Oxford will also draw on its unparalleled pool of influential alumni involved in this field as speakers and advisors. Because major programme management is an evolving discipline, the curriculum for the MSc will be informed by current research. The Centre’s research activity will feed directly into the teaching on the new MSc programme, enabling participants to benefit from the latest understanding of best practice in the area and more broadly within business studies. Professor Colin Mayer, Dean of Saïd Business School said: ‘It is wonderful to see the work of the BT Centre beginning and that this innovative and much-needed programme is now recruiting. We are greatly looking forward to welcoming the first group of programme managers to the programme. Dr Patrick O'Connell, Co-Director of the BT Centre and Managing Director of BT Major Programmes Group said: 'This will become a flagship course for those looking to acquire the skills and methodologies to successfully initiate and deliver major programmes. There is global recognition that major programmes will be increasingly predominant in diverse sectors and the future leaders of these programmes will require the innovative and interdisciplinary approach fostered by the MSc. The involvement of senior major programme practitioners and the varied experience of other participants will also ensure that co-production of ideas and knowledge sharing will be integral to the experience of the course.’
The MSc in Major Programme Management is made up of eight core courses which help participants develop a critical and reflexive approach to their professional work:
Two electives chosen from the Oxford MBA, EMBA or MSc in Financial Economics will help participants develop their individual skills and specialisations. Finally, participants will complete a 10,000-word dissertation. A range of innovative and stimulating teaching methods will be used to encourage the students to contribute to discussion, such as mini-projects, extended reports, role-playing, site visits and panel discussions. The BT Centre for Major Programme Management is the world’s first research centre for major programme management. It will carry out a programme of leading-edge and multi-disciplinary research, drawing together the expertise within the Saïd Business School and the broader University of Oxford (within departments such as engineering, computer science and law) and eminent practitioners from the global business community. The Centre will consolidate knowledge around this emerging and dynamic field, which has considerable significance economically and often politically, and will foster a practical approach to the effective management of large scale programmes. The BT Centre will create a community of knowledge and will provide a resource for practitioners to locate the latest thinking on specialist topics. As well as carrying out research in this field, the Centre will also develop a ground-breaking teaching programme. Established in 1996 the Saïd Business School is one of Europe’s youngest and most entrepreneurial business schools with a reputation for innovative business education. An integral part of Oxford University, the School embodies the academic rigour and forward thinking that has made Oxford a world leader in education. The School already has an established reputation for research in a wide range of areas, including finance and accounting, organisational analysis, international management, strategy and operations management. The school is dedicated to developing a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs and conducting research not only into the nature of business, but the connections between business and the wider world. In the Financial Times ranking of MBA programmes (Jan 08), Saïd is ranked 19th in the world. This achievement follows the School’s success in HM Treasury’s 2005 ranking of the top 50 MBA programmes in the world, where it finished number one out of all the UK business schools. The University of Oxford also ranked top for business studies in The Times report published in August 2007. For more information, see www.sbs.ox.ac.uk. Source: Said Business School press release, dated April 1, 2008. EMI to undertake the 2nd round project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation training of 2007-2008 Reported by Getachew Teklemariam in Addis Ababa The Ethiopian Management Institute (EMI) which is playing a key role in the success of the national capacity building programme of the country will hold its second round 18 days of training on project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the year 2007-2008 during June 2-20, 2008.
According to the information kit, the last date for registration is May 16, 2008. The institute has also announced that, for the smooth management of the programme, compliance to the programme rules and regulations is mandatory. Further, it affirms that, since there is a limited place for the course, registering before the last date of registration is advantageous. It is found out that the course will include fundamental principles of project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, besides the tailor made case studies, which will be included in it. Experienced instructors, with enormous on-ground knowledge in the field, will deliver the course. In order to ease the registration process, the relevant institutions shall:
Ethiopian Management Institute is a public institute which provides training, consultancy, and research services to clients from the public, private, and NGO sector. It was created by merging the Public Administration Institute and the National Productivity Center to enhance the management development capability in the country. More on the programme could be found on www.emi.edu.et New Centre of Excellence for Project Managers established Reported by Miles Shepherd in London The UK's first centre of excellence for Project Management Practice has been unveiled at Aston Business School in Birmingham, UK. According to Aston Business School news, the £200,000 scheme will bridge the gap between academics and businesses by focusing on the importance of project management to innovation.
Businesses across the West Midlands should benefit from the innovative Centre for Project Management Practice. The project was funded with a £100,000 Business Engagement grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Aston Business School’s collaborators – more than a dozen regional, national and international organisations. The centre is headed up by academics who have all been project managers across a range of business sectors in the past. Centre Director Dr Naomi Brookes, who previously worked in the aerospace industry, said the centre would create some fantastic links between project management knowledge and its practice in industry. “Project management is a very crucial skill which is required to effectively undertake any form of business innovation,” she said. “Businesses are finally understanding the importance of project management and at Aston we have a wide range of project management research and expertise available.” The centre offers a novel opportunity for project managers to ‘swap’ with project managers in other organisations. The Centre will offer free seminar programmes to help project managers understand the range of research available to them, and to help researchers tailor their research to practitioners’ needs. The first few companies to apply will get a free impact assessment to show how implementing best practice solutions would work in their organisation. There is also the potential for further funding if it proves a successful scheme in its first year. David Turner, from West Bromwich Building Society, said the scheme would be perfect for bringing together different industries. “Some larger companies have their own centres for excellence, but where there are fewer project managers in an organisation, this new centre is ideal,” he said. Online Project Management Seminars Available from PMI Reported by Quang Ton in Houston Based on the reality that busy schedules make it challenging to schedule professional development, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) has announced several online project management seminars. Those include the following:
eSeminarsWorld features a collaborative online learning environment where participants can interact with expert instructors and students from around the world. Lessons can be completed at a time of day convenient to the participant - at home, on the road or in the office. 8 seminars that run throughout the year are available, and participants can earn up to 35 PDUs. Project Management Methods & Mechanics (PMMM) This seminar provides an easy way to learn about the PMBOK® Guide or how to prepare for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) examination? The Project Management Methods & Mechanics course brings the PMBOK® Guide—Third Edition to life with a 10-module online class. Participants receive a certificate and 14 PDUs upon completion. Visit PMI online for course descriptions and registration information.
New project management competence team introduced Reported by Renate Prantner in Vienna In the past 4 years the University of Applied Sciences (UAS) BFI Vienna has started a project management quality initiative in one of its most successful degree courses “European Economics and Business Management” led by Thomas Wala, PhD. Within this initiative the content and didactic methods of the courses “Project Management Basics” have been harmonised within this program. Since then only certified top PM experts have been teaching PM basics following common course materials, exam questions and quality criteria. Additional value has been developed for the students of the “European Economics and Business Management” program by organising annual project exhibitions; a Best Paper Award was established and students with the best project handbook were nominated. In addition the UAS supports and coordinates project management certifications for students. Following the trend the UAS BFI Vienna has introduced a project management competence team in January 2008, consisting of Mitra Arami, Klaus Brixler and Renate Prantner.
Photo: Project Management Competence Team at the UAS BFI Vienna - April 2008 The competence team will further enhance the project management competence of the university in education and research activities. Funded by the city of Vienna the courses covering project management basics will now be harmonised for all 6 study programs at the UAS and the lecturers of these courses will be further trained and certified according to IPMA standards. As of now the competence team will perform high-quality research in the following fields: project-oriented companies, the female project manager, as well as Diversity and Change Management in a project management context. The research results will be the basis for the newly developed master study programme “Project Management and Organisation”, which will officially start at the UAS in autumn 2009. The competence team is especially interested in cooperation and contacts with the international PM Community, project-oriented companies, universities, education and research institutions, PM associations, PM networks etc. The University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna offers project management in all of its courses and puts a major focus on it in the degree course “Project Management and Information Technology”. For more information about the project management competence team, please contact us at kpm@fh-vie.ac.at. Lean & Agile Project Management: Workshop An important workshop has been announced by the Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment at the University of Salford in Manchester, England. According to the flyer received by PMForum, "research has shown that lean and agile project management has yielded significant benefits, particularly within the information systems industry over the last five to ten years. However, take up has not been universal and there are significant barriers to change in certain sectors - for instance, in construction." This workshop will seek to address some of those issues and will also illustrate some of the successes achieved to date. The breakout sessions will provide opportunities for exploring the opportunities for change in your own industry.
Organiser and Chair for the day will be Bob Owen (pictured), Senior Research Fellow in the Salford Centre for Research and Innovation with a great interest in lean and agile project management. Bob also has Committee roles with the UK’s leading Association for Project Management – the APM are co-hosts for the event. Keynote speaker will be the incredibly successful Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Sir Howard Bernstein who will, on past performance, be very open to questioning on his approach to strategic change within our dynamic city. Will Lichtig, Shareholder and Special Counsel for McDonough Holland & Allen (CA), will also speak on his development of a new collaborative relational contracting model (Integrated Forms of Agreement) which facilitates distributed project leadership and decision making, while preserving rights for the owner to direct the process and redress failures of the team. His work is making real change and he has been recognised by Engineering News Record as one of the top newsmakers of 2007. Speaker to be confirmed: Laing O’Rourke (UK) have made determined strides towards intelligent and lean production and project management; integrating their supply chain and using strategic procurement in order to reduce waste and improve value delivery. Speaker to be confirmed: Supply Chain 21 (UK) is designed as a change management programme to maintain and increase the competitiveness of one of the UK's last remaining oases of manufacturing success – the consolidation of a supply chain improvement programme is seen as critical to the long-term future of the industry. Relationships and partnerships are seen as vital to this effort. Nick Nickolaison, CIO and Director of Strategic Planning at Headwaters, Inc. (UT) will illustrate his talk with a case study to show that it is possible to improve project quality – without changing project scope – while decreasing both project time and cost. The Purpose Alignment Model can be used to improve the multitude of project decisions which occur. Nick has focused on improving organizational and IT agility, process simplification and the passionate application of lean concepts, and is a very popular speaker. Hal Macomber (MA) started his Reforming Project Management blog six years ago and it is now one of the ‘must read’ blogs on the subjects of lean and agile project management, and much more. Hal is a partner in Lean Project Consulting, Inc. From the work of Flores, Goldratt, and Ohno/Shingo, Hal is setting out to bring about a transformation in how projects are led and delivered. The bulk of today's improving efforts are spent on doing a better job applying the same old techniques – in conjunction with the Lean Construction Institute, Hal has set out to change that.
Eric Dean founded and is Chief Executive of Panaloc (UK), a seamless manufacturing company at the very leading edge of lean manufacture and construction. This leading edge includes sustainability and a drive towards zero waste, the re-use of the dormant ship canal for supply and delivery, and remote off-site manufacture. Eric is achieving things in construction that others merely talk about. Participants will also have an opportunity to tour the Panaloc factory at the end of the day, though numbers will be limited, so reservation is essential. Further details are available at: http://scri1.scri.salford.ac.uk/iglc2008/industryDay Free International Expert Project Management Seminar The ZPM International Expert Seminar (ZPM Ex-Se) will be held on 4 June 2008, as part of the traditional ZPM Project Management Annual Forum, scheduled for 4-6 June 2008 in Terme Radenci, Slovenia. The ZPM Expert Symposium is an event for industrial researchers and experts to come together, collaborate, discuss and create strategies with industry representatives from different countries inside and outside the Central European Region. The seminar is FREE to all!
The main focus of the ZPM Ex-Se 2008 will be “SMEs Production Networks & Open Sourced Software”. The agenda will include:
Announced participants so far include: Dr. Brane Semolic (P&TMI, TCS, Slovenia), Ali Imtiaz (FIR, Germany), Jannicke Baalsrud Hauge (BIBA, Germany), Margherita Forcolin (INSIEL, Italy), Ivan Popov (IT Partners, Bulgaria), Mitja Jermol (IJS, Slovenia), Anton Zlicar (TCS, Slovenia), Drago Trebeznik (Quintelligence, Slovenia), Tone Sagadin (TCS, Slovenia).
The ZPM IAF will be a half-day event (14:00 – 18:00) and will be relevant for SMEs with project-based production, production management experts, organizational experts, IT experts, business consultants and as well as managers and end-users. ZPM Ex-Se venue: Terme Radenci, HOTEL RADIN, Slovenia, http://www.terme-radenci.si/
Co-organizers of the ZPM Ex-Se 2008 include the Project and Technology Management Institute (P&TMI), University of Maribor, Faculty of Logistics, Mariborska c.2, 3000 Celje; Toolmakers Cluster of Slovenia (TCS), Kidričeva 25, 3000 Celje; and the Tool East Consortia. EU IST Project Tool East (No. IST-FP6-027802), http://www.tooleast.org/. The event is supported by the Project Management Association of Slovenia (ZPM), International Project Management Association (IPMA) the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC). The Chairman for the ZPM Ex-Se is Dr. Brane Semolic, Head of Project & Technology Management Institute, President of the ZPM Experts Council, IPMA Research Management Board Chairman, brane.semoli@siol.net
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