Project Plus Ltd has established an office in the financial heart of London, marking a dramatic expansion from its New Zealand base.
The new office will initially serve the whole of the UK. According to the company’s announcement on Thursday, 1 November, this new presence is intended to provide a value adding portfolio, programme and project management service to the UK marketplace.

Mr. Chris Seabury has been appointed as the UK General Manager. Well known in UK professional circles, Mr. Seabury brings significant expertise and experience to Project Plus. Previously he has held a number of senior executive positions with the Association for Project Management (APM) and the International Project Management Association (IPMA).

Project Plus assists organisations at all levels to gain efficiency and faster realisation of business benefits by having a complete service delivered from a single source. Already the UK office is active in the delivery of services to such clients as the BBC.

According to Iain Fraser, Project Plus' group managing director (pictured), "This is a very exciting component of our global growth strategy that will position Project Plus as a premier source of all things project. The UK office is a natural progression that the market has already responded towards. We have significant demand from our clients, including those in the UK and elsewhere, for our ‘one-stop-shop’ range of services.”

Project Plus is a globally active New Zealand head-quartered organisation that specialises in the provision and delivery of complete project-based management services across the public, private and corporate sectors. For more information about Project Plus or the UK office contact iain.fraser@projectplusgroup.com or visit www.projectplusgroup.com.

The survey examined the perceptions of project management leaders and professionals on emerging needs, trends and expectations impacting educational providers. The survey also gathered information regarding the relevance of project management skills in today’s marketplace and explored corporate and organizational expectations affecting project management.

Among the findings:

• PMP® certification is becoming increasingly important or required for key positions and employees, largely due to the need to manage complex projects in a global marketplace, according to 76 percent of respondents.

• Having an advance degree or graduate certificate in project management is the most critical to an organization’s success in developing effective project managers, according to 50 percent of respondents; followed by corporate educational programs at 32 percent.

• Flexible scheduling and program reputation are the most important requirements to students choosing a project management learning and development solution.

• More than half of the respondents attend seminars, meetings and network to stay current in the project management industry, while 40 percent read articles online or in print.

"Taking the pulse of today’s project management leaders is part of our ongoing commitment to the PM profession and helps ensure that our curriculum remains responsive to today’s PM leaders and professionals," said David Overbye, PMP, Dean of Curriculum, Keller Graduate School of Management.

For more than 30 years, DeVry University’s Keller School of Management has delivered relevant, practical graduate education to thousands of students, helping them transform their skills and succeed in their careers. As one of the largest graduate management schools in the U.S., Keller offers seven master’s degree programs in management, as well as a variety of graduate certificate programs. Keller implements a career-oriented approach with a curriculum that is highly responsive to industry trends and taught by working professionals. Convenience and flexibility are emphasized with classes offered across a nationwide network of convenient locations, online or a combination of both. DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA). Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation. DeVry University is based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, USA. For more information, visit http://www.keller.edu..

In addition to Mr. Pells, initial participants on the PMForum Advisory team include Wayne Abba, widely recognized global authority on earned value management (EVM) in both industry and government; Russ Archibald, PMI Fellow, APM (UK) Fellow, and a Global Advisor for PMForum with nearly 50 years of experience in a wide range of projects and industries and widely recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on modern project management; and Miles Shepherd, past president and chair of both the Association of Project Management (APM) in the UK and the International Project Management Association (IPMA), APM Fellow [Honorary], and also a leading and widely recognized figure in the global PM community. Mr. Shepherd is also an advisor and correspondent for PMForum in the UK.

The advisory, governance, and oversight services offered by PMForum are distinctly different from the usual services provided by consultants and trainers in the field of program and project management. These services enable a diversified team of senior advisors to evaluate – independently – the project management governing policies, strategic approaches, operational practices, and information systems that are in use or under development within complex organizations. This is accomplished through relatively short-term, intensive team meetings with cognizant executives and managers plus document reviews within the benefiting organizations. The resulting findings and recommendations, when accepted, are then implemented by others.

Established in 1995, www.pmforum.org was the world’s first website devoted to professional project management and continues to be one of the world’s most popular sources of project management news and information. PMForum, Inc. is a company formed to operate and administer the www.pmforum.org website. PMForum also produces the monthly online PM World Today eJournal where articles, case studies, papers and viewpoints by leading PM authorities from around the world can be found; free subscriptions are available at www.pmworldtoday.net,

The APM Project Management Awards reward and celebrate project management successes and reflect the invaluable contribution project management and project managers make in all sections of society.

Individual winners received an exclusive trophy (pictured) by British designer Nigel Cripps presented at the Awards dinner, a winner’s certificate, use of a winner’s logo, featured in unprecedented publicity throughout the year, featured as a case study on the APM Awards website and in the APM Awards brochure. Runners-up receive a certificate, use of a finalists’ logo, featured in all awards publicity, announced as a finalist at the awards dinner, featured on the APM awards website and the APM awards brochure. Winners and Runners-up also appear in the Project magazine awards special.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the national body for professional project management in the United Kingdom (UK). With over 15,000 individual and 390 corporate members, APM is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Europe. The organization develops and promotes project management across all sectors of industry and beyond. APM's mission is: "To develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit." At the heart of the association is the APM Body of Knowledge containing fifty-two knowledge areas required to manage any successful project. APM promotes the use of the APM Body of Knowledge through qualifications, accredited training, research, publications and events. 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. For 2007 the APM chair is Mike Nichols and the president is Dr. Martin Barnes. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk

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For the past 14 years the APM Project Management Awards have been rewarding and celebrating project management successes, from the Eden Project to record breaking round the world voyages. The awards reflect the invaluable contribution project management and project managers make in all sections of society. Individual winners received an exclusive trophy (pictured) by British designer Nigel Cripps presented at the Awards dinner, a winner’s certificate, use of a winner’s logo, featured in unprecedented publicity throughout the year, featured as a case study on the APM Awards website and in the APM Awards brochure. Runners-up receive a certificate, use of a finalists’ logo, featured in all awards publicity, announced as a finalist at the awards dinner, featured on the APM awards website.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the national body for professional project management in the United Kingdom (UK). With over 15,000 individual and 390 corporate members, APM is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Europe. The organization develops and promotes project management across all sectors of industry and beyond. APM's mission is: "To develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit." At the heart of the association is the APM Body of Knowledge containing fifty-two knowledge areas required to manage any successful project. APM promotes the use of the APM Body of Knowledge through qualifications, accredited training, research, publications and events. 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. For 2007 the APM chair is Mike Nichols and the president is Dr. Martin Barnes. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk

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Individual winners received an exclusive trophy (pictured) by British designer Nigel Cripps presented at the Awards dinner, a winner’s certificate, use of a winner’s logo, featured in unprecedented publicity throughout the year, featured as a case study on the APM Awards website and in the APM Awards brochure. Runners-up receive a certificate, use of a finalists’ logo, featured in all awards publicity, announced as a finalist at the awards dinner, featured on the APM awards website.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the national body for professional project management in the United Kingdom (UK). With over 15,000 individual and 390 corporate members, APM is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Europe. The organization develops and promotes project management across all sectors of industry and beyond. APM's mission is: "To develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit." At the heart of the association is the APM Body of Knowledge containing fifty-two knowledge areas required to manage any successful project. APM promotes the use of the APM Body of Knowledge through qualifications, accredited training, research, publications and events. 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. For 2007 the APM chair is Mike Nichols and the president is Dr. Martin Barnes. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk

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• Time dimension in project management

• Project management in the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East

• Project management for large infrastructures and industrial plants

• Project management in public sectors and projects financed by international institutions

• Project management in main public events

• Project management in new fields

• New trends in project management

• Management by projects in industry

• Project portfolio and business process management

• Project management in history

• Soft skills: education and certification benefits

• Complex project managers

The ROMA 2008 World Congress will be conducted during 9-11 November 2008 at the Palazzo dei Congressi, located in the heart of the Rome business center. Participants from more than 50 countries are expected. The sponsoring organizations are the Italian National Association of Industrial Plant Engineering (ANIMP), the Italian Project Management Academy, and the IPMA. The Chair of the 22nd IPMA World Congress project manager is Mr. Luigi Iperti; the Project Manager of IPMA 2008 is Mr. Vittorio Cariati. For more information about the ROMA 2008 World Congress, including call for papers and invitation to sponsors, visit www.ipmaroma2008.it.

As a PMForum media partner, the ROMA 2008 World Congress will receive banner ad promotion on PMForum web pages; listing in PMForum’s online Events Calendar, pre-event news coverage of announcements and developments, live breaking news coverage directly from location during the event, and post-event reporting. Examples of PMForum partnering efforts and media coverage can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/events/partner_program.htm.

Founded in 1965 and registered in Switzerland, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is the world’s oldest project management professional organization. IPMA is an international federation of more than 40 national PM societies in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Local societies serve the specific development needs of each country in its national language. IPMA provides an umbrella organization to represent them at the international level. IPMA’s internationally acclaimed 4 Level Project Management Certification Programme continues to grow worldwide. The IPMA annually presents project management 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 2007-2008 is Veikko Valila. Additional information is available at www.ipma.ch.

CPM Consulting, a project management and construction claims consulting firm based in Colorado, has established a new alliance structure offering services of elite professionals from small to mega size projects optimizing both time and cost in the best interest of the client. Now, CPM is also joining alliance members both nationally and internationally. These members are presently located in several states in the U.S., Romania, and Argentina with possibilities of additional members in future countries all around the world.

CPM’s expertise focuses in 4 services areas: Project/Program Management, Construction Claims, Training, and Information Systems. CPM Consulting alliance members include professional engineers, project and program managers, claims experts, construction managers, scheduling and productivity experts, quality assurance professionals, certified cost engineers, and academic professors.

As explained by CPM President, Dr. Anamaria Popescu, “under this alliance structure we are able to offer a multitude of project services, providing "one stop shopping" for our clients. Instead of having to hire different consultants for different services climbing the learning curve every time, the client can benefit from having one firm accomplish all of their project management and claims needs.”

Some that have joined the Alliance structure include Ana Maria Rodriguez, Dr. John Borcherding, Dr. Calin Popescu, Jeff Ottesen, Dr. Augustin Purnus, and Dr. Achilles Sarris. For more detailed information about CPM Consulting, visit www.cpmconsulting.net.

World Project Management week, organized and hosted by EventCorp, wpmweek@eventcorp.com.au is the only meeting for portfolio, asset, program, operations and project managers that is UNAFFILIATED with any specific organization. Because of this independence, the WPM event attracts some of the on-the-edge thinkers- those who do not subscribe to any single methodology, body of knowledge or affiliation, but are willing and eager to explore many different approaches.

As this event tends to attract those at the periphery, and ample evidence supports the conclusion that most breakthroughs happen outside the mainstream, (at the edge of chaos), many of the papers presented push the envelope of “outside the box” thinking. By encouraging cross fertilization of ideas and philosophies, especially pertaining to the integrative roles and responsibilities between portfolio/asset managers, program or operations managers and project managers, the outcomes from WPM Week stand as important indicators of pending changes and future directions project management may likely take.

Some of the highlights of this event: