Volume IX - Issue X - October 2007
PM Industry News
Journyx announces 2007 Excellence in Project Accounting Philosophy Essay Scholarship, Launches 2008 Contest Journyx, the Web-based time tracking and project accounting solution provider based in Austin, Texas has announced the winner of its 2007 Project Accounting Philosophy Essay scholarship contest and the launch of the 2008 contest. The scholarship is open to full-time graduate and undergraduate college students at any university in the United States. The winning essayist receives $500 USD toward college tuition and fees. For 2007, the winner was Rocco Costa, a student at Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. A copy of his winning essay can be found at www.pmforum.org. “Tracking the time spent on products and activities throughout the workday has many applications, most importantly as a cost-saving instrument for business,” says Costa. “If a person can measure productivity within a given period, they not only know how their time is spent, but also whether it is the best "value" for the company. Both businesses and employees gain from this since workers can establish if they are functioning efficiently, and businesses can determine their deadlines, profits and costs on an hourly, daily, and even yearly basis.” Interested students should contribute an essay of 1,000 words or less on one of the following two topics:
Complete rules and details, including how the essays will be scored, where to send the entries, etc. can be found at www.scholarship.journyx.com. The scholarship program will run until June 1, 2008. Journyx provides Web-based time-tracking and project accounting solutions that guide customers to per-person, per-project profitability. Customers include American Airlines, Bayer, AC Nielsen, L'Oreal and Symantec. For more information, go to www.journyx.com/company/about.html.
Be Heard, Share Ideas and Support the Troops! With over 136 Federal projects now on the OMB Watch List for 2007, it is clear that government project managers face myriad challenges keeping projects on budget, on schedule, and within scope. To further examine the current state of program management in Federal contracting, a series of management focus groups are being organized to discuss current challenges and successes in program management.  O’Keeffe & Company and Primavera invite U.S. Federal Civilian, Department of Defense, and Systems Integrator project managers to participate in a series of focus group meetings in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The meetings should provide a valuable opportunity to share best practices and learn from peers. The Focus Group sessions are being organized by O'Keeffe & Company and Primavera who are focused on supporting soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. A $20 donation to the Leadership VA Alumni Association Service Member Support - a group dedicated to providing support to soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families – will be made for each participant. Why not participate, share ideas, and support a good cause? In order to maximize interaction and relevance, separate groups for Department of Defense, Federal Civilian, and systems integrator managers are being organized, as follows:
To register or for more information, please visit: http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey.zgi?p=WEB226UR4B7T75, or contact Jackie Nastri at (703) 883-9000 x148 or jnastri@okco.com.
Consolidation in the EVM Marketplace as SM&A Acquires Performance Management Associates SM&A, Inc., a leading provider of business strategy and proposal development and program management services, announced on Monday, September 17, 2007 that it has acquired privately held Performance Management Associates, Inc. (PMA). PMA, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, is a leading provider of Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) implementation, analysis and training for enterprise project management solutions. According to Cathy McCarthy, CEO of SM&A. "PMA is widely viewed as the 'best of breed' in EVMS, an important project management technique that incorporates cost, scheduling and technical performance measurements to provide an outlook on how a project is progressing and to point out potential issues. The addition of the EVMS product strengthens and diversifies our Program Services business and will help SM&A to build stronger client relationships, by providing a range of value-added services that closely support our clients' needs." Under the terms of the definitive agreement, SM&A will acquire all of the stock of PMA in a cash and common shares transaction. The transaction is expected to have a neutral impact on SM&A's 2007 outlook and be accretive to 2008. Founded in 1988, PMA has a team of nearly 20 professionals and generated approximately $5.5 million in revenue in 2006. Its client base includes governmental agencies as well as Fortune 500 and other companies in the telecommunications, health care, public utility, transportation and financial services industries. Jim Wrisley, the President of PMA, will remain with the Company serving in the position of President of PMA, a division of SM&A. SM&A is the world's foremost management consulting firm providing leadership and mentoring solutions to PLAN for business capture, WIN competitive procurements and profitably PERFORM on the projects and programs won. Our proven processes, people and tools have delivered significant top-line and bottom-line growth across markets, products and services. From the largest aerospace and defense contractors, through the major software providers, to healthcare and financial/audit service providers, SM&A is the partner many companies turn to WHEN THEY MUST WIN. For information, visit http://www.smawins.com/.
As NASA Turns 50, NASA Administrator Defines NASA Administrator Michael Griffin described the new Space Economy at a lecture honoring the agency's 50th anniversary on Monday, September 17, also describing the critical role that space exploration plays in the global economy. The "space economy" was estimated at about $180 billion in 2005, according to a report by the Space Foundation released in 2006.
 "NASA opens new frontiers and creates new opportunities, and because of that [NASA] is a critical driver of innovation," Griffin said. "We don't just create new jobs, we create entirely new markets and possibilities for economic growth that didn't previously exist. This is the emerging space economy, an economy that is transforming our lives here on Earth in ways that are not yet fully understood or appreciated. It is not an economy in space -- not yet. But space activities create products and markets that provide benefits right here on Earth, benefits that have arisen from our efforts to explore, understand, and utilize this new medium." Since NASA's birth almost a half-century ago, military and political competition in space largely has faded away. The focus of space exploration today is in the economic arena. Rising living standards and technological advancement around the world mean greater competition from places that were never competitors before. "If technological innovation drives competitiveness and growth, what drives innovation?" Griffin said. "There are many factors, but the exploration and exploitation of the space frontier is one of them. NASA is uniquely positioned to drive the space economy with technological innovation. Griffin cited a number of examples where the space economy yields tangible benefits for people here on Earth. "We see the transformative effects of the space economy all around us," Griffin said. "We see the space economy in the lives saved when advanced breast cancer screening catches tumors in time for treatment, or when a heart defibrillator restores the proper rhythm of a patient's heart. We see it when GPS, the Global Positioning System developed by the Air Force for military applications, helps guide a traveler to his or her destination. We see it when weather satellites warn us of coming hurricanes, or when satellites provide information critical to understanding our environment and the effects of climate change. Technologies developed for exploring space are being used to increase crop yields and to search for good fishing regions at sea." Griffin's lecture followed a luncheon Monday at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, the first in a series that will honor NASA's 50th birthday. For the complete text of Griffin's speech, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/189537main_mg_space_economy_20070917.pdf
 Created in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is America’s focal point for research, development and exploration of outer space. In 2005, the US President and Congress committed the United States to exploring the solar system and beyond: completing assembly of the International Space Station, flying the new Crew Exploration Vehicle no later than 2014, returning astronauts to the moon by the end of the next decade, and sending human missions to Mars and beyond. For nearly 50 years, NASA has been leading the world in the development and usage of advanced program and project management. Additional information about NASA can be found at www.nasa.gov. Editor’s note: We at PMForum and PM World Today salute NASA for 50 years of innovation, including the development and usage of advanced program and project management. We believe the exploration of space will lead to a more positive future for human beings, and that the space economy is being built on a foundation of successful projects and project management. We wish NASA and other space agencies around the world success with their complex and important programs and projects.
Tradeshow Added to November Suppliers of project management products and services are invited to exhibit at the 7th Annual PMI OVOC Symposium to be held November 6th, 7th & 8th, 2007 at the Hampton Inn, Ottawa. The two themes for this years symposium are: Audit & Accountability and Project Management Best Practices.  This year the chapter has introduced a 2-day tradeshow to complement symposium speakers and seminars. The tradeshow will run during the day on November 6th & 7th and is complimentary to participants and the public. This Symposium this year is anticipated to draw over 1000 participants, so this is being presented to vendors as an excellent opportunity to display to an interested and motivated audience! Exhibition space has been priced significantly less than with similar tradeshows, with booths starting at just $300. In addition to the tradeshow, vendors will have the opportunity to demonstrate their products and services at a Vendor Presentation area during the 2-day tradeshow. Times and dates will be on a first-come, first-served basis only and will run for 30-minutes each. Only 1 timeslot will be available per tradeshow participant. For more information or to register, contact tradeshow@pmiovoc.org. Additional information about the Symposium can be found at www.pmiovoc.org. The Ottawa Valley Outaouais Chapter (OVOC) is a chartered Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI). Founded in 1984 and chartered by PMI in 1985, the PMI OVOC chapter has enjoyed a substantial growth, led by extremely competent and committed volunteers. At the end of September 2005 membership was 1608, with 1034 members having obtained their PMP Certification. The PMI OVOC Chapter is a non-profit, professional organization dedicated to promoting the knowledge and professional application of project management to organizations and individuals in the Ottawa Valley/Outaouais region.
PMForum Establishes Strategic Alliance with PROJEKTMANAGEMENT GROUP in Vienna PMForum has established a Strategic Alliance with the PROJEKTMANAGEMENT GROUP (PMG), a university department at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration based in Vienna, Austria. PMForum’s Strategic Alliance Program has been positioned as a “globalization opportunity” for local and regional project management organizations, to provide them with access to more of the world of professional project management. This is the first alliance established by PMForum in central Europe.  Under terms of the alliance, PMForum will provide to PMG:
In turn, PMG will (a) forward the monthly PM World Today to its associates, employees and students; (b) list PMForum as an alliance partner on the PMG website; and (c) provide a local correspondent for PMForum in Vienna (this role to be filled by Renate Prantner, who was named an International Correspondent for PMForum on September 19, 2007).
According to Professor Roland Gareis, director of PMG, “This is an opportunity to provide our colleagues and students with access to more information about project management activities outside of Austria. PMForum has a strong reputation as an online resource for project management, and their PM World Today eJournal is a great source of global project management news and information. This alliance will also bring more attention to our research and teaching efforts here.” The PROJEKTMANAGEMENT GROUP (PMG) has been a department of the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration since 1994, providing high quality education and research services related to process and project management. The PMG offers a special subject “Project management” for masters and bachelor students at the University and cooperates both in education and research with an international network of project-oriented enterprises and universities. Moreover the PMG contributes to the acceptance of the job profile “Project Manager” in Austria. The systemic-constructive research approach applied by the PMG and developed by Professor Roland Gareis is internationally accepted. The main research fields of the PMG for the next few years include: (sectorial) project management, project-oriented company, project-oriented society, family of mature models. Additional information about PMG can be found at http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/pmg.  The Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (WU Wien) or Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration is the largest University focusing on business and economics in Europe and one of the largest universities in Austria. Formerly known as the Imperial Export Academy, the university was established in October 1898 with the aim of imparting knowledge to businessmen engaged in foreign trade. Immediately following World War I, the Academy became a public World Trade University (Hochschule für Welthandel), offering a three-year degree program. The University was renamed again in 1975, this time to Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration).
Recent reforms, new degree programs with more flexible structures and revised course regulations will make education at WU Wien even more up to date and geared towards the needs of today’s business world. WU Wien has now grown to 20,000 students and more than 1,000 full-time and adjunct faculty and staff members. The University’s close cooperation with the business world affords it an especially practical relevance, which is one of the reasons why the Financial Times ranked the university among Europe's Top 50 Business Schools. Additional information about VU can be on the website at http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/english. Established in 1995, www.pmforum.org was the world’s first website devoted to professional project management. It continues to be one of the world’s most popular sources of project management news and information. PMForum 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, papers, reports and viewpoints by leading PM authorities from around the world can be found; free subscriptions are available at www.pmworldtoday.net. For information about PMForum’s strategic alliance program, contact editor@pmforum.org.
Invitation to Exhibitors & Sponsors for 15th Global Project Management Symposium in New Delhi, India in November 2007  Project management companies are invited to participate as exhibitors or sponsors for the upcoming 15th Global Project Management Symposium in New Delhi, India in November 2007. Organized and sponsored by Project Management Associates (PMA) and the Center for Excellence in Project Management (CEPM), the conference will have the theme “Business by Projects.” The conference, expected to be the biggest project management event in India this year, will be held during 12-14 November 2007 at the Hotel Ashok in New Delhi. This will be the 15th annual global project management symposium sponsored by PMA since its founding in 1993. The following opportunities are being offered to project management product and service companies:
Interested companies should contact pma1@vsnl.com or info@pma-india.org. Attendees are expected to include professionals and executives from such industries as Agriculture, Construction, Finance, Engineering, HRD, Infrastructure, IT, Manufacturing, Marketing, Planning, Projects, R&D, Operations, Software, Services, NGO’s, etc. Executives who wish to make their companies locally & globally competitive will participate, along with officials from Indian central government organizations. The conference is being supported by the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the International Construction Project Management Association (ICPMA) and the International Construction Project Management Union (ICPMU). The event will also be supported by PMGURUONLINE.com. For more information, visit: http://www.pma-india.org/images/GS2007.pdf. In view of the importance of project management as a discipline, the Government of India’s major ministries such as Ministry of Power and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation are also supporting this historic Global Symposium 2007.
 Project Management Associates (PMA) is a non-profit registered professional body of projects and business managers with the aim of strengthening project management in India. It came into existence in 1993 and since then has made tremendous strides in creating massive awareness amongst CEO's, practicing managers and academia in India regarding the importance of balancing time, cost and scope with quality built-in and meeting the diversified expectations of various stakeholders. In 1993, PMA was started with it's President, Adesh Jain's missionary zeal and commitment to see India at the top of the world map in managing projects & change. PMA continues this vision to promote professional project management in India. For more information, visit http://www.pma-india.org/index.htm.
Report from the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) Working Session 12, Bond University, Australia Reported by Paul Giammalvo in Jakarta Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia was the host for the Global Alliance of Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) Working Session 12 during September 1-3, 2007. Working Session 12 was focused on further development of Program Management Standards as well as a large scale mapping exercise focusing on GAPPS as compared against the ICB, AACE and other competency standards in Project, Program and Portfolio Management. At this Working Session, reaffirmation was given to the fact that practitioners and the users of program management services do not share a single view of what a program is. Generally speaking, research has established there are 4 “views” or definitions of program:
Within these 4 categories, we find that the boundaries are fuzzy and porous, and that many programs fall into more than one category. To complicate the development of competency standards, the perspective often changes the category a program may fall into. From the owner’s perspective, a program may very well fall under category 3, a strategic program, while from the contractor’s perspective it may well be a very large project, or category 1. This Working Session also recognized that while many of the competencies associated with Project Management remained the same or similar for Program Managers, the granularity or reduced focus on tactical and more on strategic issues became clear, which are reflected in the range statements rather than the competencies themselves. Working Session 12 also saw the start of the mapping exercise for IPMA’s competency based standards, the ICB v3 as well as the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineers Certified Portfolio, Program and Project Manager (C3PM) credential, among others, which will assist with the Endorsed Provider process. For those reading this for the first time, GAPPS, which is an all voluntary, not-for-profit organization, has positioned themselves as the “Linux of Project and Program Management”. Membership in GAPPS is for organizations only (no individual members) and the volunteers create standards which are placed in the “public domain” under a form of GNU or “copyleft” licensing, meaning anyone is free to adopt, adapt, change or modify them to meet your own needs. More importantly, it enables those organizations which have their own internal or proprietary project/program management methodologies to BENCHMARK these programs against an INDEPENDENT standard, not aligned with any specific body of knowledge or methodology. The schedule for upcoming GAPPS Working Sessions is as follows: Working Session 13 – Tokyo, Japan – 12-14 March 2008 Those organizations who have their own proprietary methodology or are using a proprietary body of knowledge are cordially invited to join and see how your approach compares against an independent minimum or threshold standard of competencies. Attendees at GAPPS Working Session 12 in Australia  From Left to Right Back Row: Paul Giammalvo, Bernhard Ho, Mary McKinley, Roy Sargent, Zoe Whitaker, Alicia Aitken, Ed Hoffman, Yip Kim Seng, Jane Carnegie, Rhonda Levert,, Bill Duncan, Front Row: Ian Morris, Lynn Crawford, Brigitte Schaden, Lesley Bentley, Lesley Rider, Alan Stretton, Missing from this photo: Callum McKinnon, Joe Iliescu, Sabina Cerimagic.
Microsoft Office Project Conference 2007 Set for October in Seattle Reported by Marc Zocher in Seattle, WA, USA
The 4th annual Microsoft Office Project Conference is being held October 28 – 31, 2007 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle, Washington, USA. This is one of two Microsoft Office Project Conferences scheduled for 2007; the second will be held in Madrid, Spain in early December. According to Microsoft, these conferences aim to help individuals and organizations develop a better understanding of the end-to end capabilities of the Microsoft 2007 family of products and further advance their Project Management Potential. Participants will have opportunities to:
Attendees can learn how organizations are obtaining business value out of Microsoft’s Enterprise Project Management Solution. Best practices and approaches will be presented by various project management experts, including requirements for Project Management, organizational project maturity, business process mapping, resource management, time sheets, reporting, and project collaboration. Technical details and information on how to adopt, deploy, configure and customize Microsoft Office Project and the Microsoft Office EPM Solution will be presented. Highlights of the Microsoft Office Project Conference 2007 in Seattle will include:
For more information or to register, visit http://www.msprojectconference.com.
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