ISO Launches Work on International Standard
for Project Management

According to a press release issued on November 27, the International Standards Organization (ISO) has begun the development of ISO 21500, a new international standard on project management.

The British Standards Institute (BSI) recently hosted the inaugural meeting in London of the new project committee, ISO/PC 236, Project management, established to develop ISO 21500. Over 50 delegates from around the world attended to begin work on the international standard, which is intended to provide generic guidance, explaining the core principles and what constitutes good practice in project management.

ISO 21500 will build on existing standards and work at the national level. It is intended to be applicable to organizations of all sizes and sectors and will be designed for relative newcomers to project management, or as an aide-mémoire for more experienced practitioners. So far, delegations of experts selected by the national standards institutes of 20 countries are participating in the work, with another three countries having observer status. ISO/PC 236 includes three working groups, respectively addressing terminology, processes and informative guidance.

The secretariat of ISO/PC 236 is held by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and it is chaired by Dr. Jim Gordon, of the United Kingdom, who commented: “The development of an international standard will be welcomed by many countries and will have broad relevance to projects in many industries and the public sector."

To see the new standard, visit http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=50003. Information about the ISO project management working committee can be found at http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_technical_committee?commid=541073.

The International Standards Organization (ISO) is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, on the basis of one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. ISO is a non-governmental organization: its members are not, as is the case in the United Nations system, delegations of national governments. Nevertheless, ISO occupies a special position between the public and private sectors. This is because, on the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. Therefore, ISO is able to act as a bridging organization in which a consensus can be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society, such as the needs of stakeholder groups like consumers and users. For more information about ISO, visit http://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm.

 

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IACCM increases links with Project Management

Reported by Miles Shepherd in London, UK

The International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) is planning to increase and improve formal links with project management professional groups. Also according to the release, “IACCM's Certified Professionals are aware of the strong emphasis we place on project management methods and awareness. Indeed, many of our members perceive their role as primarily project related. So it is only natural that we have built an increasingly strong relationship with the leading worldwide project management association.”

IACCM is planning to improve relations with the International Project Management Association (IPMA), which has representative bodies in over 40 countries and is the world’s oldest project management organisation. The relationship with IACCM already goes back several years, largely driven by cooperation in the Nordic countries. Now, that linkage is being steadily expanded (in particular through discussions with asapm - www.asapm.org - in the United States).

IACCM is studying ways to allow members to benefit from the conjunction of the IPMA 'Competence Baseline' and the IACCM 'Managed Learning'.

"High levels of cooperation between Project Managers and Commercial or Sourcing staff are frequently critical to business success," commented Tim Cummins, CEO of IACCM. "Therefore the work we are doing to see how we can improve understanding and collaborative engagement between our communities is not just important as Associations, but essential to our members and their employers."

IACCM is at the forefront in promoting increased collaboration both within and between organizations and is delighted to have this developing relationship with another outward-looking Association. IACCM is planning further definition of joint activities and initiatives with the IPMA community.

The International Association for Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM) is a non-profit foundation recognized as the international authority on the role of contracting and Commitment Management in the global networked economy. A leader in research and innovative learning techniques, IACCM works with corporations, public and academic bodies to provide thought-leadership and understanding of 'best practice' contracting and relationship standards. IACCM defines organizational models and skills to ensure integrity, trust and the collaborative trading relationships that are necessary to support the continued development of the global economy. Its membership is drawn from more than 1,600 corporations and public sector organizations in over 90 countries and represents a community of contract and commercial managers, attorneys and supply management executives and professionals. For additional information, visit http://www.iaccm.com/index.php.

 

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APM issues update on new ISO Standard for Project Management

Reported by Miles Shepherd in London, UK

An international standard for project management, ISO 21500, is being developed following a top level meeting in London of 50 delegates from 14 countries. The new standard, which will take over 3 years to complete, is based on British Standard BS-6079, and is aimed at boosting the awareness and professional application of project management and the authority of project managers in all parts of the world, particularly where it is not recognised yet as an important discipline in its own right.

There is a need for an overarching standard which captures the principles to be applied to projects and this will lead to sharing good practice and bring a common approach to terminology. All nations will continue to have their own standards and bodies of knowledge that meet the overarching principles in the standard.

On 1st November, Jim Gordon, APM Fellow and Chair of the ISO/PC 236 committee said: "The development of an international standard will be welcomed by other countries and will have broad relevance to projects in many industries and the public sector, both at home and abroad. The meetings in London will see three working groups discussing the initial phases of the work".

Twenty countries are involved in the development of ISO 21500, with three additional nations designated as observers. The UK experts on the ISO drafting committee include APM members Terry Cooke-Davies, Albert Lester, Geoff Lowe and Stephen Simister. The UK’s mirror committee includes representatives from APM, the Office of Government Commerce, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Health and Safety Executive, the Society of British Aerospace Engineers and the UK Ministry of Defence.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the national body for professional project management in the United Kingdom (UK). 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. With over 15,000 individual and 390 corporate members, APM is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Europe. 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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APM Re-elects Chairman

Reported by Miles Shepherd in London, UK

At their Annual General Meeting at the end of November, members re-elected Mike Nichols to the Board of Trustees. Mr Nichols, a member of APM since 1980, has served on the Board for one year as one of the old Council Members who joined the Board of Trustees on establishment in 2006 to provide continuity of approach and to act as a corporate memory. This election is the first under the new governance system introduced last year.

Formerly a director of British Leyland Cars, Mr Nichols is the chairman and chief executive of The Nichols Group, specialising in large and complex infrastructure projects and major business change initiatives. He has directly managed or advised on numerous mega projects and programmes for the transport, telecommunications, energy and finance sectors in the UK and Far East. He has introduced improved project management to more than a hundred organisations and trained a generation of managers in the programme management. He has also advised on PFI projects, outsourcing, franchising, placement of concessions and the Government's Strategic Defence Review.

Mr Nichols is a proponent of seeking a Royal Charter for APM and is well placed to enlist broad support for this programme across industry. He is a board member of the Major Projects Association, a member of BSI Standards Policy and Strategy Committee, Department for Transport's Governance Panel for Crossrail, chairman of STRATrisk Steering Group and has recently undertaken a strategic review of the Highways Agency's major roads and programme on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. He is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.

Nichols Group is one of the UK’s leading independent management consultancies, advising on and managing large-scale, complex and rapid changes. They operate in both major capital investments and business change programmes. Employing around 100 people, Nichols Group is active in the IT, transport, education, health, finance and government sectors but are probably best known for their extensive rail portfolio.

The Association for Project Management (APM) is the national body for professional project management in the United Kingdom (UK). 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. With over 15,000 individual and 390 corporate members, APM is one of the largest organizations of its kind in Europe. 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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New Dallas Cowboys Stadium Construction Project
to be topic of January PMI Dallas Chapter Meeting

Reported by Matt Piazza in north Texas, USA

The construction of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium will be the topic of a presentation at the PMI Dallas Chapter’s first dinner meeting of the new year on January 10, 2008. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas hotel in Addison, Texas. Now that the Dallas Cowboys hold the NFC East Division Championship in the National Football League in the USA, and the best regular season win-loss record in franchise history, the talk around north Texas is about the Cowboys and their new billion $ stadium.

The presentation will be made by Mark Penny, Project Executive for Manhattan Construction Company, the lead contractor on the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, Texas. Mr. Penny will discuss the construction of the Dallas Cowboys' Arlington stadium, give the background of Manhattan Construction Company, and address the top ten risks faced by the project management team on the Dallas Cowboys new stadium.

Born in London, England, Mark grew up in Houston, Texas. After receiving his degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993, Mark went to work in the commercial construction industry moving from location to location (including internationally) as the work required. Mark worked on a variety of projects including toll roads, prisons, community colleges, major golf resorts, telecommunications facilities, and most recently the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost is in excess of $1 billion, which will make it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. A nearly 300-foot (90 m)-tall arch will span the length of the stadium dome, anchored to the ground at each end. The stadium also will have a retractable roof as previously announced, and doors will allow each end zone to be opened.

The general business community is invited to attend the dinner meeting from 6:30-8:30 pm to learn more about the stadium project, the PMI Dallas Chapter, and the project management profession. Prices begin at $20 for Chapter members who pay in advance through $35 for non-members who pay at the door. Full information, including menu, pricing, and directions, are available at www.pmidallas.org.

The PMI Dallas Chapter is a volunteer-based professional association dedicated to supporting the growth and development of project management practitioners, as well as building awareness of the project management discipline and its critical role in business and organization success. With more than 240,000 members in over 160 countries, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the leading membership association for the project management profession. To find out more about the PMI Dallas Chapter, visit www.pmidallas.org.

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