PMForum introduces first Article in Spanish Language,"PM in Latin America - the PMI Executive Interview"

During the Global Congress Latin America in November in Santiago, Chile, Gregory Balestrero, CEO of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and Ms. Linda Vella, Vice Chair of the PMI Board of directors, were interviewed by Ana Maria Rodriguez, International Correspondent for PMForum.org. The English version of that interview appeared in the December issue of PM World Today (http://www.pmforum.org/pmwt/December.htm). In the interview, Mr. Balestrero and Ms. Vella discussed their personal views on the status of project management in Latin America.

Thanks to Correspondent Ana Maria Rodriguez (pictured at left) a Spanish language version of that interview is now available. It can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/library/interviews/2006/12.htm. This represents the first article translated into the Spanish language published by www.pmforum.org, making this website one of the few in the world with Spanish versions of project management articles available. Several other articles in Spanish will be posted on the website in coming weeks.

With the formation of its Global Correspondents Network, PMForum.org is now in a position to begin producing both original articles and translations in various languages. This represents a new dimension for PMForum.org, and a new direction. Project management articles in German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and several other languages are expected to be added to the PM Library on pmforum.org in the future.

 

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Castilla-La Mancha Community Announced a Project Management Bidding for Toledo Hospital Construction

It is the biggest budget designated in Spain to Project Management for a Hospital Construction: 4.2 millions of Euros. Castilla La Mancha Community, through “Servicios Hospitalarios Generales S. L.” announced a public bidding to outsource Project Management Services for the construction of the General Hospital of the city of Toledo in Spain.

This project is very significant because it is the biggest budget dedicated to project management services for a hospital construction in Spain so far, and it has been approved by the Public Administration the amount of 4,200,000 €. The contracting part considers, as very important, to use a Project Management Services company for this project, furthermore that company will assume the property representation and all the coordination activities through the different phases, dealing with avoiding cost and time deviations for this particular project.

The execution time for this project is 60 months and its construction has been divided in two phases: the first phase, in bidding period, consists of the major part of the project (most of the complex activities); and the second phase, consists of the construction of a kindergarten and a hotel for the hospital’ patients. This excellent example of project management application in the Construction industry will be a good reference for the other Public administration areas.

According to Wikipedia online, Toledo is a city and municipality located in central Spain, about 70 kilometers south of Madrid. It is the capital of the province of Toledo and of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, due to its extensive cultural and monumental heritage as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire. Many famous people and artists were born or lived in this city, including Garcilaso de la Vega, Alfonso X and El Greco (El Greco’s home pictured at right), and it was the place of important historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. As of 2005, the city has a population of 75,578. Additional information about Toledo can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo%2C_Spain.

For AEDIP (Spanish Project Management Association in the Construction Sector) this news is a crucial event because after many years the Spanish public administration considers the project management discipline as a key project success factor. AEDIP has thirty Spanish consulting firms that provide Project Management Services for the Construction Sector. That association was born in 1994 with the objective of promoting project management knowledge, expansion and use as a management system in this sector. For more information, you can access to www.adip.org.

Reported by PM World Today Correspondent Alfonso Bucero in Madrid, Spain.

 

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Project Management Training Included in Lockheed Martin's Apprenticeship Program for Returning Iraqi War Veterans

Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has launched a new training program with a focus on honorably discharged veterans. Approved by the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council, the apprenticeship program provides a combination of mentoring, on-the-job learning, and classroom instruction in areas such as financial management, project management, and business law. The program will enable veterans to fill positions in Lockheed Martin's Supply Chain Management (SCM) organization.

The program, named the Seamless Transition Apprenticeship Program, will begin with several positions in the Washington DC area and could expand across the company's SCM organization within two years. Successful participants also can earn certifications as SCM Professionals. Lockheed Martin is partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, on early intervention to assist veterans who are transitioning into the workforce.

Lockheed Martin has more than 30,000 employees with prior military service. Veterans possess key knowledge of Department of Defense systems and the required skills to meet the critical needs of Lockheed Martin's customers. The Corporation is committed to working with a variety of groups that share the same commitment to identifying prospective employment for transitioning military personnel.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., USA, Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainability of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion. For additional information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com.

 

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Arras December Newsletter Provides a Look-Back
at Project Management Job Market in the UK

In its just released December newsletter, Arras People has provided a look-back at the Project Management Job Market in the UK during 2006, including some of the changes that have happened. Their last survey results during the summer included the following key findings:

• "A significant shift from permanent to contract/interim employment in project management in the UK"

• "The market is highly competitive, with consequent downward pressures on rates in some sectors, so there are winners and losers."

• "Employers are demanding professional accreditation, and the majority of respondents believe that accreditation will increase their earning power, though many question the validity or benefits of this requirement."

Now they have announced that some of these findings are still validated, especially the competitiveness in rates and the professional accreditation issue still rages on. But there has been a significant move to fixed term contracts vs the daily rate as some organizations reign in their accelerating labour costs. One surprising change in the last six months has been the significant shift from contract to permanent employment in project management in the UK, the exact opposite of the survey results last summer!

Demand for project management and programme management professionals is still strong. There has been an increase in organizations looking for Programme Management Office professionals and more project support people, which means the programme and project managers are getting the support they need to deliver.

There has been an increase in business change - more organizations looking for programme and project managers with experience in this field, not just IT, etc. There have also been more enquiries from people wanting to "get into" project management - project management is becoming increasingly visible in the UK job market and with more visibility comes more demand.

Arras People are UK Specialists in Programme and Project Management Recruitment. The company is 100% focused on providing Programme and Project Management related professionals - interims, contract and permanent recruitment services. For additional information, visit www.arraspeople.co.uk.

 

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PMForum.org PMF Announces Formation of an International Editorial Advisory Council for PM World Today

PMForum.org has announced the formation of a new editorial advisory team for the monthly eJournal PM World Today. To be called the PM World Today International Editorial Advisory Council, the group will include representatives from some of the world’s leading universities that offer graduate programs in project management. Each representative will be a full professor or head of department, and well known in his or her respective country’s project management community.

According to Managing Editor David Pells, “While PM World Today will remain a non-refereed journal for practicing professionals, we wanted to bring in a team of global academic representatives to increase global content and perspective, and to promote higher quality. This team will also provide a direct connection to more students around the world who might benefit from the educational content of our monthly publication.”

The following participants to date who have agreed to participate are:

• Professor Erling S. Andersen (BI Norwegian School of Management, Norway)

• Professor Rajat Baisyat (Indian Institute of Technology, India)

• Professor Christophe Bredillet (ESC Lille, France)

• Professor Sergey Bushuyev (Kiev National University of Construction & Architecture, Ukraine)

• Professor David Cleland (University of Pittsburgh, USA)

• Professor Sebastian Green (University College Cork, Ireland)

• Professor Francis Hartman (University of Calgary, Canada)

• Professor James Joiner (University of Texas at Dallas, USA)

• Professor Viatcheslav Poznyakov (Academy GASiS, Russia)

• Professor Brane Semolic, (University of Maribor, Slovenia)

• Professor Roberto Sbragia (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Representatives from other universities around the world may be added during 2007. Over the next few weeks, each of the above will be introduced to the world of project management with announcements and additional background information.

PM World Today is the monthly eJournal published by PMForum.org. Previously published as an eNewsletter and hosted on www.pmforum.org, PM World Today has grown in content, scope and visibility during 2006. In January 2007, PM World Today was converted into an independent eJournal with its own website, and with mission, policies and participants all more clearly apparent. PM World Today provides PM leaders and professionals with a vehicle for publishing articles and papers, and an opportunity for individuals and organizations to gain more visibility in the world of project management. PM World Today is emailed to thousands of PM professionals and executives each month; subscriptions are free. For more information, visit www.pmworldtoday.net.

 

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