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John Wiley & Sons publishers in the USA have announced the publication and availability of Program Management for Improved Business Results, a new textbook and management reference by authors Russ Martinelli, Dragan Milosevic and James Waddell. The book contains sections (collections of chapters) that establish the business context of programs and projects, discuss program management planning and execution processes, present program management metrics and tools, review roles and responsibilities of program managers, provide guidelines for organizing for program management, and contemporary examples from industry.

According to Hans Thamhain, PhD and Professor at Bentley College in Massachusetts, “Program Management for Improved Business Results is a great book that provides a refreshing and comprehensive look at how to succeed in enterprise program management.”

According to the Wiley promotional flyer (click here), the book describes how business leaders can gain competitive advantage by:

• Making program management part of their business model;

• Managing increased product and process complexity;

• Aligning execution activities to business strategy;

• Mitigating business risk to maximize ROI; and

• Accelerating time-to-money performance.

The authors include:

Russ Martinelli, manager of program management methodologies at Intel Corporation and a recognized expert in the field of program management. He is also chairman of Intel’s Global Program Management Community of Practice, an adjunct professor at the University of Phoenix, and the co-founder of the Program Management Academy (www.programmanagementacademy.com).

Dragan Z. Milosevic, PhD, PMP, professor of engineering and technology management at Portland State University in Oregon, USA. He is also a consultant with RapidInnovation, LLC, an executive consulting company, and has conducted seminars for the Project Management Institute (PMI®). He has worked in this field for a wide range of companies including Intel, HP, Boeing and DaimlerChrysler.

James M. Waddell, former director of program management for Tektronix and currently an independent consultant in program management and mergers & acquisitions (M&A). he has held a wide spectrum of management positions, has been a speaker at numerous conferences in the USA, and is the co-founder of the Program Management Academy (www.programmanagementacademy.com)..

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Wideman PM Website Updates Announced for May

The Project Management Institute (PMI®) has announced that it will introduce a new global standard, the Practice Standard for Scheduling, at the PMI Global Congress 2007 - EMEA taking place during 14–16 May 2007 in Budapest, Hungary. The congress in Budapest will be PMI’s primary project management educational and networking event in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) this year.

According to PMI’s website, practice standards are guides to the use of specific concepts identified in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Third Edition. They address and detail a project management process, set of processes, tool or technique that is generally recognized as good practice in the execution of projects.

According to the PMI information, the Practice Standard for Scheduling is intended to transform the Project Time Management Knowledge Area of the PMBOK® Guide into an actionable and objective methodology that project managers can apply to their project schedules. While designed for someone who has experience in scheduling, the standard is not industry-specific, and provides information that is good practice for most projects most of the time. The new practice standard is for someone who has experience in scheduling and is more detailed than scheduling software regarding the nuts and bolts of scheduling.

The standard is designed to provide a way for schedulers to determine if their own schedules are adequate or need further refinement. The new Practice Standard for Scheduling was developed by a team of PMI volunteers under project manager Douglas D. Clark and deputy project manager Harold “Mike” Mosely, Jr., P.E., PMP. For additional information or to purchase the new practice standard, visit: http://www.pmibookstore.org/PMIBookStore/productDetails.aspx?itemID=868&varID=1.

With 220,000+ 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.