Volume IX - Issue IX - September 2007
PM Profession News
PMI Launches New Website
 Who We Are - Includes: Overview and Mission, Advocating the Profession, Contact Us, Professional Awards and Newsroom. This is where one can find everything related to the global PMI organization, including information about advocating the profession, the Board of Directors, contact information, award recipients and news. Career Development - Includes: Career Headquarters, Certification & Credentials, Training & Events, Registered Education Providers, Academic Degree Accreditation and Individual Career Framework. These pages describe tools and resources to advance one’s career, find or post a job, plan for credential exams, locate a learning event, explore degree accreditation and examine an individual career path. Get Involved - Includes: Membership, Communities, Volunteer, Leadership Institute and Surveys. These pages provide ways to join PMI or renew membership, search for volunteer opportunities, gain leadership skills and take a survey. Also included are mechanisms to enroll in one of PMI’s 250 local chapters and collaborate with other members in various virtual communities. Resources - Includes: Virtual Library, Research, Publications and Standards. Access is provided to the catalog of PMI-published literature and the electronic repository of PMI conference and periodical literature. Members have access to current and past published research, with ideas offered for future research projects. Members also gain no-cost access to all PMI journals and periodicals, featuring career advice, best practices, project profiles, articles written by subject matter experts, cutting-edge research and more. Members can also browse the new library of PMI global standards. Business Solutions - Includes: Organizational Maturity, Business & Government Relation and Organizational Career Framework. The new PMI.org now also provides a tool for organizations to understand and adopt project management standards. Learn more about the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®) as well as business and government partnerships. Also explore project management career ladders— to help create career paths for employees within organizations. Marketplace - The new Marketplace is intended to be a central project management e-commerce destination. Expanding from the previous PMIBookstore.org catalog, the Marketplace is filled with resources and tools for the profession. PMI members receive discounts on all products in the Marketplace. According to the website, the new PMI.org represents a culmination of extensive assessments of practitioner needs and a commitment to serving the global project management community. With 240,000+ members in over 150 countries, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the world’s largest and best known project management professional society. PMI is actively engaged in advocacy for the PM profession, setting standards, conducting research and providing access to a wide variety of information and resources. PMI also promotes career and professional development and offers certification, networking and community involvement opportunities. PMI was founded in the USA in 1969, but is now a global organization with members, chapters and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.pmi.org. 1st UTD Project Management Symposium Opens in Texas The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium opened in Plano, Texas with attendance exceeding 200, seven PM vendors, keynote speeches and 12 morning presentations. Alain Bensoussan, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and former Chair of the European Space Agency, was the opening keynote speaker. Dr. Bensoussan’s speech focused on “The Challenges of Uncertainty” and included anecdotes, lessons learned and strategic advice based on his many years of experience in the European aerospace industry and academic research.
 Dr. Bensoussan is the Director of the International Center for Decision and Risk Analysis (ICDRiA) at UTD and has an extensive research background in stochastic control, probability and stochastic processes. Alain Bensoussan is also Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris Dauphine. He graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in 1962, and obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Paris in 1969. Dr. Bensoussan is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, the French Academy of Technology, of the Academia Europae, and the International Academy of Astronautics. He is an IEEE Fellow, and has received the Von Humboldt award as well as the NASA public service medal.
The second keynote speech was by Karen Tate, PMP, Director-at-Large and member of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). Karen is also Founder and President of The Griffen Tate Group, an Ohio-based project management consulting firm that provides consulting, training, facilitation and course development. Karen’s presentation was on the topic of “Project Management as a Strategic Competency”. A PMI member since 1991, she has been a frequent speaker and presenter at PMI chapter meetings, conferences and SeminarsWorld® programs around the world. She attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and has a BS in finance and an MBA from Xavier Univerity in Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen has also been a frequent contributor of articles and was a former columnist for PM Network®, served as a PMI Project of the Year judge, and was a member of the PMI Education Member Advisory Group. She has been chair of the External Relations and Volunteer Involvement Committee (ERVI) of the PMI Board of Directors since 2005.
 David Pells, PM Forum; Jim Joiner, UTD; Dwaraka Iyengar, PMI Dallas According to Jim Joiner, conference chair and director of UTD’s graduate program in project management, “we are very pleased with the turnout today. The opening speeches by Professor Bensoussan and Karen Tate were excellent. Now if the rest of the day goes so well, we will have a successful first conference this year.” Other speakers on Monday morning included Russell Martinelli, Garrett Haggerty, Thomas Shubnell, Harry Rever, Mark Kozak-Holland, Roy Pool, Curt Raschke, Rene’ Le Bel, A Matt Piazza, Terry Brunenn, Bhavin Shukla, Sue Friedman, Lothar Katz and Ram Garg. Copies of their papers and presentations will be available on the UTD conference website. The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium was held on Monday 6 August 2007, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., at the Plano Convention Center, 2000 East Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas, USA. The 1 day symposium featured speeches, professional presentations and discussions in the following tracks: Track 1 – Program & Portfolio Management The conference is being sponsored by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management’s Executive Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), (http://som.utdallas.edu/project). Co-sponsors include the PMI Dallas Chapter (www.pmidallas.org) and PMForum, Inc. (www.pmforum.org). A 2nd UTD Project Management Symposium is now being planned for August 4 and 5th, 2008, which is expected to be approximately twice as large as this year’s event. Copies of presentations and papers will soon be posted and available at:
PMI Rejects Chapter Application in UAE - Reported by Mounir Ajam in Dubai During July 2007, a letter from the Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) in Dubai was sent to the Project Management Institute (PMI®) to offer collaboration in promoting professional project management in the UAE via a PMI® chapter, to be established in Dubai. The significance of that offer was that DKV has a mandate from the government of Dubai to establish professional associations, like a PMI® Chapter, in the Emirate of Dubai. The DKV letter came as a result of the high interest in the local community for a professional association for promoting project management. Dubai and the UAE are experiencing growth that is probably un-matched in recent history. For example, it was recently announced that the Burj Dubai, which is still under construction, took over as the world’s tallest building. Some reports put up to 25% of the world’s tower cranes in Dubai. All industries in Dubai are starting to embrace project management, hence the need for a dedicated association to lead the promotion of this dynamic and emerging profession. A recent survey was closed in Dubai, which contributed to the letter from DKV, clearly showing that 95% of the respondents from the UAE wanted an independent chapter of PMI in the UAE. It included 731 respondents from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and 399 of them were from the UAE. Even when the full population of the respondents (from all GCC countries) is considered, 82% supported a UAE chapter of PMI®.
This was the second survey on this subject, the first one being completed in February of 2006 (more than a year ago) with similar results. Both surveys were shared with PMI Global Operation Center (GOC). PMI® Response: for the 2006 Survey PMI® acknowledged the survey and told PMI leaders in UAE that they must work with the regional chapter of PMI. PMI leaders in Dubai, however, want to separate from the regional chapter which does not agree, with the position that PMI organizers (in the UAE) “are not mature enough”. To the recent survey and DKV letter, the firm 2007 response from PMI GOC stated “I am writing to you today to inform you that PMI has chosen not to pursue the formation of a new chapter in the UAE. Further development of the market and business opportunities in the Middle East would need to become part of an overall regional strategy for PMI which would need to take into account many factors, including environmental and project management assessments.” It is worth noting that if the UAE had a PMI chapter, it would be among the top 20% in size among all PMI chapters; there are currently more than 1100 active members of PMI in UAE. In regard to certified individuals, per PMI data as of February 2007, there are more than 800 certified PMPs and CAPMs in the UAE. Professional leaders in UAE do not understand what would be required for the UAE to be mature enough? Or for the market to developed enough? PMI members in the UAE (95% of them) said they wanted a local chapter to serve the UAE project management community. PM professionals of the UAE have waited 20 months for a PMI chapter. Even with two overwhelming surveys and letters from various UAE organizations to PMI endorsing a chapter, the answer was still NO. Now the professionals of the UAE are planning to proceed with an independent professional association for project management. In that case, the association might target the whole region and all industries, and be open to all international PM frameworks and methodologies. Volunteers have already held an initial meeting for that purpose and a first major event is scheduled for 1 September 2007. More news on these developments will be provided soon. Karen Tate, PMI Director, Delivers Strategic Message to Reported by David Pells and Nelson Soucek in Plano, TX, USA
Karen Tate, PMP, Director-at-Large and member of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), delivered the second keynote address at the 1st UTD Project Management Symposium today in Plano, Texas. Karen’s presentation was on the topic of “Project Management as a Strategic Competency”. According to Karen, “Companies are turning to project management to obtain quicker benefits from their projects. The three powerful strategies involved are standards, competencies and maturity”. Representing the PMI board of directors, Karen described some of PMI’s leadership activities and products that directly support the growing strategic importance of project management. According to Karen, “PMI’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge was the 11th best selling business book on Amazon.com in June. The PMBOK Guide has now been published in 10 languages and is widely distributed worldwide”. “As of the end of June”, Karen added, “there were 237,000 persons worldwide with PMP certification. The PMP is in the top 10 most demanded certifications in the market.” Karen also described how world class leaders are embracing project management and PMI in global organizations, including Siemens, Huawei, IBM and NASA. She discussed some of the steps taken by those organizations to raise the level of performance on their projects, including policy direction, risk management and governance strategies.  Karen Tate, MBA, PMP, is Founder and President of The Griffen Tate Group, an Ohio-based project management consulting firm that provides consulting, training, facilitation and course development to both the private and public sectors, small and large organizations. Ms. Tate has been working with projects and project teams for more than 20 years. Her areas of expertise include Project Management, Training and Consulting, Team and Executive Level Meeting Facilitation, Technical Creativity & Innovation, Reengineering and Total Quality Management. She has extensive experience with technical, engineering, high tech, and software development organizations. Karen has managed programs and projects of all types and sizes, in a variety of industries, and has presented, consulted and trained with organizations throughout North America, Europe, South Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Her corporate experience included positions where she was an engineer, project manager, and consultant for both internal and external customers. Karen is the co-author of The Project Management Memory Jogger, A Pocket Guide for Project Teams, Getting Started in Project Management, A Step By Step Approach to Risk Assessment, and Triz: An Approach to Systematic Innovation. A PMI member since 1991, she has been a frequent speaker and presenter at PMI chapter meetings, conferences and SeminarsWorld® programs around the world. She attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and has a BS in finance and an MBA from Xavier Univerity in Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen has also been a frequent contributor of articles and was a former columnist for PM Network®, served as a PMI Project of the Year judge, and was a member of the PMI Education Member Advisory Group. She has been chair of the External Relations and Volunteer Involvement Committee (ERVI) of the PMI Board of Directors since 2005. A copy of Karen’s presentation is available on http://som.utdallas.edu/project/. The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium is being held today at the Plano Convention Center, 2000 East Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas, USA. The 1 day symposium features speeches, professional presentations and discussions in the following tracks: Track 1 – Program & Portfolio Management The conference is being sponsored by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management’s Executive Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), (http://som.utdallas.edu/project/); along with the PMI Dallas Chapter (http://www.pmidallas.org/index.phtml); and PMForum, Inc. (www.pmforum.org). A 2nd UTD Project Management Symposium has now been scheduled for August 2008 and is expected to be twice as large as this first year’s event.
1st UTD Project Management Symposium Declared a Success!
 The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium held on 6 August 2007 in Plano, Texas was declared a resounding success by conference organizers. The Symposium was the first in a series of annual project management conferences planned by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management’s Executive Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). The 2007 symposium, which was co-sponsored by the Dallas Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and PMForum, Inc., was intended as a pilot to determine whether a major conventional project management conference could be supported in North Texas.
According to James Joiner, conference chair and director of UTD’s graduate program in project management, “We set out to hold the first real project management conference in the Dallas area since the PMI’91 Symposium 16 years ago. We organized a team and set the infrastructure and systems in place to make this an annual event. We just needed to prove that there is a demand and real need for this type of event. Based on the attendance, high quality of presentations and positive feedback, with only limited local marketing, we’re pretty happy.”  The conference team included staff from UTD’s graduate program in project management and volunteers from the Dallas PMI chapter. The UTD representatives managed the registration process, coordinated and monitored the daily activities, provided gifts to speakers and presenters, and ran the event. The Dallas PMI chapter provided volunteers to coordinate and administer the six professional tracks where 24 papers presentations occurred over the day. PMForum provided assistance with keynote speakers, general coordination, and live promotion – three breaking news articles were published on www.pmforum.org from the event, with several more following its conclusion. All three organizations also had tables for information in the vendor area.
The PMI Dallas Chapter was represented by Dwaraka Iyengar, current chapter president, John Baley, immediate past president and current Regional Mentor for PMI, and a number of volunteers. “We are happy that this symposium was so successful,” declared Dwaraka. “We are also pleased to be on this team with UTD and PMForum, and hope to continue the partnership in the future. I think that this can be one of the premier events in the PM community in Texas; it’s very good for both the PM profession and local companies.” David Pells, PMForum’s president and managing editor, agreed, “UTD is the leading university in the Dallas area. It is an honor and a privilege to work with them on this important conference. Since we have access to some of the world’s leading figures in project management, and because we can publicize the event on a global basis, we think we have something to offer. We can also publish some of the results on both our news website and in the monthly eJournal PM World Today, so teaming up with UTD and the Dallas PMI Chapter should be really powerful!” The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium was held on Monday 6 August 2007, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., at the Plano Centre in Plano, Texas, USA. The 1 day symposium included keynote speeches in the morning by Alain Bensoussan, PhD, Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the International Center for Decision and Risk Analysis (ICDRiA) at UTD and former Chair of the European Space Agency, and Karen Tate, Director-at-Large and member of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). Adesh Jain, current chair of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), delivered the closing keynote speech on Monday afternoon. During the middle of the day, the Symposium featured 24 professional presentations and discussions in the following tracks: Track 1 – Program & Portfolio Management Copies of presentations and papers can be found on the symposium website, at http://som.utdallas.edu/project/project-symp.htm. Other conference features included a vendor exhibition, book signings, coffee breaks for networking, and lunch in the vendors’ exhibition area.  David Pells of PM Forum with Jim Joiner of UTD and Dwaraka Iyengar, PMI Dallas Chapter President, conference sponsorsDuring the closing ceremony, UTD’s Joiner announced, “We now want to inform you that the 2nd UTD Project Management Symposium is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, August 4th and 5th, 2008. Everyone attending this year will receive a 10% discount on next year’s admission. If you bring five others, they will also receive a 10% discount. We expect this annual conference to be the biggest PM event in north Texas by this time next year!” The August 6th PM Symposium was sponsored by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management’s Executive Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), (http://som.utdallas.edu/project/); along with the PMI Dallas Chapter (http://www.pmidallas.org/index.phtml); and PMForum, Inc. (www.pmforum.org).
ELOT, the Greek ISO member, to Develop a Reported by Theofanis Giotis in Athens Greek standard in Project Management! On Friday 10th of August 2007, Mr. Christos Folias from the Greek Ministry of Economics signed an agreement with Mr. Simferis, CEO of ELOT (the Greek ISO member) for the development of the Greek Project Management Standard.
 Mr. Christos Folias Under this agreement, ELOT will develop the Greek Project Management Standard in the next 18 months. The Greek Government, Ministry of Finance, is demanding that all organizations in Greece dealing with projects funded through Community Support Framework (CSF 2007-2012), must be accredited with this new Greek Project Management Standard by 1st of January 2009. Until the 1st of Jan. 2009, companies can overpass this requirement and can be certified with ISO 9000.  The Hellenic Organization for Standardization (ELOT) is the National Organization of Greece that: Elaborates the Hellenic National Standards; Maintains a central point for testing of materials; Assesses Management systems (Accredited by Sincert & ESYD) and Certifies products and services (Accredited by ESYD); and Provides Public or on Site Training and Technical Information. The offices and laboratories of ELOT are located in Athens and Thessaloniki. Based in Athens, ELOT represents Greece in several European and International Organizations, and is also a member of the IQNET. This article was based on information from the following sources: http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=114,id=12938984
asapm Certifies First Level C Project Managers in USA According to the latest newsletter from the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (asapm), the organization has certified its first Level C Project Managers on June 23, 2007. asapm’s first Level B, Senior Project Managers, were certified during 2006. Levels are determined by the project management complexity of the projects managed. Some basic guidance on assessing the management complexity of projects can be found on the asapm website.
 The PMCert Board has authorized deep discounts to help kick-start the program. These discounts will only be available through the end of 2007. The next round of interviews is planned for late October. Stage 2 applications for previously accepted candidates are due October 1. For new candidates, stage 1 applications are due September 15 and the Stage 2 applications are due October 15. asapm is planning to interview candidates in both Dallas and Boston. The exact dates will be determined based on the number of applications received, and the locations may be changed to minimize candidate travel. asapm is also planning to offer a Level D Exam in Chicago on October 11, and in Boston on Monday, October 29 as part of the Project Summit Conference. In house exams are also available at reduced rates. For more information, contact info@pmcert.org. With much of the scoring based on open-ended essay questions, this examination provides a high degree of assurance that the successful candidate is truly knowledgeable about the discipline of project management. The USA-NCB (USA's National Competence Baseline) for development and assessment of competent project managers has been updated to better align with IPMA's ICB release 3.0. For more information about assessing PM Competence or to download the official release of the USA-NCB, visit www.pmcert.org. Visit the asapm website for tools and insights into developing PM Competence. The American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (asapm) is the USA Member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the global federation of over 40 national project management societies. Information about asapm can be found at www.asapm.org.
Biggest Project Management Event in New Orleans The Project Management Institute – Greater New Orleans Chapter (PMI-GNO) is partnering with LavaCon to co-host a Professional Development Summit (PDS) in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA during October 27–30, 2007. This will be the biggest project management event in “The Big Easy” which shows the strength of the city and its ability to support tourism and conventions since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and region in 2005. It represents a huge milestone for the PM profession in New Orleans.  What’s Different about this PDS? According to the conference brochure:
 The Project Management Summit will be held October 27-30 at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel (pictured) in the French Quarter in New Orleans. The Chapter is partnering with the LavaCon(R) Conference to co-produce the Professional Development Summit. LavaCon is a conference for advanced technical communication professionals-senior technical writers, documentation managers and other professionals interested in learning how to deploy and manage technical communication projects. The Summit will present proven best practices in the fields of technical communication and project management, as well as innovative techniques for meeting the challenges that project managers face in today's workday world. This year’s event will include national and international speakers, professional leaders and project management experts. Help rebuild New Orleans; attend this conference! For those in the southern USA, it should not be missed. With more than 240,000 members in more than 160 countries, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the world’s leading membership association for the project management profession. The PMI Greater New Orleans chapter serves members in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with project management programs and educational events. The President of the PMI GNO Chapter for 2007 is Ana Boudreaux, PMP. For more information on the PMI Greater New Orleans chapter, visit www.gnopmi.com. For more information about the October Professional Development Summit in New Orleans, visit http://www.gnopmi.com/PDD2007/PDD%202007%20Index.html.
Project Management Congress - November 2007 in Greece Reported by Theofanis Giotis in Athens The no. 1 Project Management Congress in Greece (29/11/2007):
“Achieving Project Management Excellence using Best Practices”  The PMI Greece Chapter has announced a major project management conference in Athens during November 2007. PMI Greece is co-organizing with Boussias Communications the biggest Project Management Congress in Greece for the 2nd year. The congress will be held in Athens, Greece on the 29th of November 2007. The main speaker for the congress will be Harold Kerzner (Ph.D., MS, Engineering and MBA). Dr. Harold Kerzner is Senior Executive Director with International Institute for Learning, Inc. and Professor of Systems Management at Baldwin-Wallace College.  Harold Kerzner is an expert in the areas of project management, total quality management, and strategic planning. Dr. Kerzner is the author of the best-selling textbooks: Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, now in its ninth edition, In Search of Excellence in Project Management, Applied Project Management and Strategic Planning for Project Management Using a Project Management Maturity Model. Based in Athens, the PMI Greece Chapter is a component of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), the world’s largest project management professional association, with over 240,000 members in 100+ countries around the world. For more information about PMI, visit visit http://www.pmi.org. For more information or to register for this major event in Greece, visit http://www.pmi-greece.org/ or contact this correspondent at Theofanis.Giotis@ITEC.edu.
Major Project Management Event in Dubai on 1 September 2007  Dubai City – United Arab Emirates 1 September 2007 is a date not to miss in Dubai. It is when executives and global project management leaders will share their expertise with the community in the UAE in a complimentary event that is open to all. The significance of this event is that there will be an important announcement to make about the establishment of a professional association for the advocacy of professional project management in the country and region beyond. More on this association will be covered in future articles. For the 1 September event, SUKAD FZ-LLC, a leading project management training and consultancy company that is based in Dubai but operating across the Middle East, and Dubai Knowledge Village, the only free zone in the world dedicated to professional development, education, and training, have partnered to bring the community in the UAE a half day seminar on project management that is open and complimentary to all. DKV will host the event and help in the logistical support and SUKAD FZ-LLC and its partners will provide the speakers. The speakers at this event will be the Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village Dr. Ayoub Kazim, the CEO of SUKAD FZ-LLC (and the author of this article) Mr. Mounir Ajam, Mr. Alexander Matthey, Managing Director of 3PM Experts of Switzerland, and Mr. Theofanis Giotis, co-founder and CEO of ITEC of Greece. The significance of this event:
 Dubai Knowledge Village - Site of the project management meeting on During the event an open discussion about the new association will take place as an opportunity for community members to share their ideas, thoughts, and recommendations for the new association. For more information about this event or to register, visit http://kv.ae/PM/.
The Business of Projects - First apm National Conference Reported by Miles Shepherd in London  The 2007 apm National Project Management Conference - APM’s 2007 National Conference is being planned as an interactive opportunity for project management professionals and decision makers across the public and private sectors to discuss and debate key subjects on the national project management agenda. The conference will be structured around five topics representing key issues on the current project management agenda. The topics graduate from tactical elements of delivering business benefits through projects, through strategic issues of governance and the project management skills gap, to national issues of mega projects such as the Olympics and the global issue of sustainability. Presentations by some of the UK's leading thinkers in project management will be featured, in the following subject areas:
More details about these topics can be found at www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp. For an opportunity to join the debate, and to take part in developing the national and international project management agenda by attending and participating in this important conference, complete the application form at www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp. Discounts for groups of 4 or more.  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 APM 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. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk.
5 PMI Chapters in California Join for Major Events - PM Maturity Forum & NorCal 2007 Fall Symposium in September The five Northern California (NorCal) chapters of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) are collaborating on two key events in September 2007 to provide participants with a current understanding of the challenges and capabilities in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management. The two events include a Maturity Forum for senior management, hosted by the PMI Silicon Valley Chapter, and the PMI NorCal 2007 Fall Symposium. The 5 NorCal Chapters (Monterrey Bay Chapter, Sacramento Valley Chapter, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, Silicon Valley Chapter, and Wine Country Chapter) have gone out of their way to bring top names in Project Portfolio Management to these events.  Friday Sep 14th - The Maturity Forum 2007 - The Forum is intended to help senior management better recognize the symptoms and challenges in their organizations and then approach the challenges with leading practices and tools that align projects with business objectives.
Monday Sep 17th - PMI NorCal 2007 Fall Symposium – Under the banner of “New Horizons in Project, Program and Portfolio Management - Creating an Environment for Successful Projects”, this major event is aimed at “Identifying and applying Project Management Best Practices, Methodologies, and Trends that Enable Organizations to Succeed in a Global Economy”.
For more information or to register for either event, visit http://www.pmisv.org/ or http://www.pmi-sfbac.org/.
Indian Project Management Forum Formally Meet Reported by Raju Rao in Chennai Freedom from scope creep, schedule & cost overruns, resource management issues - are these the topics Project Managers (PMs) usually discuss when they get together? On 15th August 2007, India’s 60th Independence Day, a group of 11 PMs got together at Chennai to discuss much more than the usual PM issues. Meeting under the aegis of the Indian Project Management Forum (IPMF), they discussed many topics unique to Project Management in India, and exchanged ideas on various interesting and fun projects that could be taken up by the IPMF. The meeting started with introductions by the PMs from a variety of industries including IT, Construction, Pharmaceuticals, etc. At the meeting, several interesting suggestions were made for projects that could be taken up by the Forum. Among others, these included:
 Volunteers at the Inaugural meeting of IPMF - 15th Aug 2007About IPMF The Indian Project Management Forum has been formed as a not-for-profit organization to work on India specific topics and issues in project management . Anyone interested in Project Management with an India focus is welcome to join the organization, including members of existing project management and related organizations like PMI, AACE , IPMA, etc. The objective is to focus on India specific activities not currently addressed, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel by trying to duplicate efforts of other organizations. At present, the organization consists of an informal group of volunteers. Current projects taken up are a) Coordination for Speaker Exchange program between Washington DC Chapter and Team India of PMI b) Best project of the year award Members of associations or clubs related to project management are welcome to participate in this forum. At present the IPMF activity has been started with a blog at http://www.indianpmf.blogspot.com. For more information on the IPMF, please visit the IPMF Blog at or send a mail rao.raju@gmail.com. Based on reports by Karthik Ramamurthy, PMP of Indian Project Management Forum
New Project Management Association of Canada Launches Officially incorporated in January 2007, the Project Management Association of Canada / Association de Management de Project du Canada (PMAC-AMPC) has become visible with a new website and a major membership drive. The association has also announced plans to become the Canadian national member association of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the global federation of over 40 national PM associations around the world.
 According to the introduction on their new website, “in a world where project management is becoming a vital force for innovation and organizational behaviour, it is incumbent upon those within the profession to maintain a community in which diversity, creativity and open-mindedness are its hallmarks. PMAC-AMPC members believe that Canada represents these ideals and is, as a result, ideally positioned to serve a new assembly of project managers as it faces unique new challenges in the coming years.” “Canada is unique in its ability to serve both a national people and an international stage. It has obligations to both and, unlike many, the capacity to deliver to both. PMAC-AMPC has the same unique challenge and sees itself being able to reach it from the beginning.” Also according to the website, the rationale for PMAC-AMPC is to:
 Until the end of 2007, membership in PMAC-AMPC is being offered at a reduced rate as part of a special membership drive incentive. Until Dec. 31, 2007 a one year membership is available for only $20. After that time, the membership rate will shoot up to a higher regular rate. The Project Management Association of Canada/Association de Management de Project du Canada (PMAC-AMPC) is a non-profit professional body established in 2007 to represent project managers and the project management profession in Canada. The organization plans to conduct activities and publish documents in dual languages, English and French, as is customary in Canadian industry and society. PMAC-AMPC has established a cooperative relationship with the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (asapm) in the United States and plans to become the Canadian national member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), based in Switzerland. For more information visit http://www.pmac-ampc.ca/ or send an email to info@pmac-ampc.ca.
Project Management "Issues of National Importance" Reported by Miles Shepherd in London The main topics have been announced for the 2007 apm national Project Management Conference - The Business of Projects – to be held at The Brewery conference centre in London during 30-31 October 2007. The first such event for the association in its long history, the 2007 conference will focus on project management “issues of national importance” in the UK. APM’s 2007 National Conference is being planned as an interactive opportunity for project management professionals and decision makers across the public and private sectors to discuss and debate key subjects on the national project management agenda. The five topics representing key issues on the current PM agenda include: The business of projects - Across both public and private sectors the project management debate is shifting; delivery to time, cost and quality specifications against a defined process is no longer a measure of success. Success is defined in the delivery of lasting economic, social and environmental benefits on an organizational, national and global scale. Efficient delivery, innovation and speed to market are driving organisations to consider project management as the key driver to competitive advantage. The business of projects looks at how project management is changing to meet this challenge. Governance - The link between operational project managers and the board can define project success and failure and deliver competitive advantage. Better project sponsorship and board level understanding of project management are needed to sustain organizational performance. Does the project manager need an obligatory place on the board? Is the title chief project officer a requirement for all organisations? How can a governance structure be built to ensure that project success means strategic success? The project management skills gap - The global challenges of change require a community of intelligent, reflective project managers. Global economies and technology mean that the difference between winning and losing business is at the click of a mouse. Project managers are at the centre of this delivery of product, infrastructure and service; does the UK have the right kind of project manager to compete globally and in sufficient numbers?  Learning from mega projects: The Olympic milestone - In 2012 the UK will host its first Olympic Games since 1948. It was won on an agenda of a lasting legacy that will benefit all society. The Games is a no-fail milestone in the maturing of the discipline of project management. The challenge is to deliver the largest peace-time project the country has ever seen on the 27th July 2012, and then ensure that the benefits promised are realized. What can be learnt from mega-projects like the Olympics? Project management in a sustainable society - The environmental debate has matured, and is now a real concern for business as well as environmentalists. Society has a challenge to shift to low carbon based economy. If customers don’t demand environmental responsibility, legislation will. Many established economic norms and structures will need to change if organisations are to survive; project managers will be expected to grasp this concept and deliver those changes. For an opportunity to join the debate, and to take part in developing the national and international project management agenda in the UK, complete the application form at www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp. Discounts for groups of 4 or more.
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 APM 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. Additional information can be found at www.apm.org.uk.
PMI New Orleans to Host Webinar competition for The Greater New Orleans (GNO) Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) has announced a competition for ideas for risk identification and mitigation for a strategic US seaport at the Gulf of Mexico. The competition will be outlined in a Webinar sponsored by the chapter on September 18, 2007.  Operations in the Gulf of Mexico supply one third of America’s domestic energy. Port Fourchon is critical to US national security, supporting 50% of oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The PMI-GNO chapter will award participants with checks for the best three ideas in the amounts of $100, $50 and $25. Port Fourchon Executive Director Ted Falgout will decide the winning entries. The webinar is scheduled to be held from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. During the webinar, Mr. Falgout will present an overview of the port and answer questions. At the conclusion of the webinar, participants may email ideas fro the director to consider. Award decisions by the Port Director will be final. PMI-GNO chapter officers, directors and contractors are not eligible to participate. After registering and before the webinar, registrants will receive an email with instructions for connecting. Cost to participate is $15, with participants receiving one PDU. To register, visit www.gnopmi.com or contact Scott Stafford at staffordscott5@gmail.com. Over 250 companies utilize Port Fourchon as a base of operation. The port is a multimodal switching center with air, sea, inland barge, and vehicle access. The Port plays a strategic role in furnishing this country with 15-18% of its entire oil supply. The Port is land base for the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, which handles 13-15% of the nation’s foreign oil and is connected to 50% of U.S. refining capacity. See www.portfourchon.com.  With over 240,000 members in more than 160 countries, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the world’s leading membership association for the project management profession. The PMI Greater New Orleans chapter serves members in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with project management programs and educational events. For more information, visit www.gnopmi.com.
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