The Monthly Column written by Michelle LaBrosse, which is originally distributed through Cheetah’s The Know How Network and also included in PM World Today (PMWT) will now be available in Spanish in future issues of PMWT, thanks to the contribution of Mr. Roberto Toledo, MBA, PMP. Mr. Toledo is Manager of Alpha Consultoria and representative for Cheetah for Latin America.
Ms. Michelle LaBrosse is founder and Chief Cheetah of Cheetah Learning. An international expert on accelerated learning and Project Management, she has grown Cheetah Learning into a market leader for Project Management training and professional development. Distributed to hundreds of newsletters and media outlets around the world, the Know How Network brings the promise, purpose and passion of Project Management to people everywhere.
According to Mr. Toledo, “the amount of Project Management material available in Spanish is still limited today, although the population of Spanish-speaking project managers is growing fast. At Alpha Consultoria we give a great value to the availability of material in Spanish because we know how useful it is for project managers in the region.”
Both English and Spanish versions of Michelle’s latest article, “Top Five Ways to Keep Project Passion Alive”, are included in the September edition of PMWT, at http://www.pmworldtoday.net/tips/2008/sep.htm#7.
Translated versions of two of Ms. LaBrosse’s previous articles, “Business in a Knapsack - Can you run your projects when you’re on the run?” (June issue of PMWT) and “Declare your independence from Chaos!” (August issue of PMWT) can now be found in the PMForum library at www.pmforum.org/library/tips/2008/PDFs/6-08-LaBrosse-Tips-Spanish.pdff and www.pmforum.org/library/tips/2008/PDFs/7-08-LaBrosse-Tips-Spanish.pdf.
Alpha Consultoría (a PMI Registered Education Provider) is a Mexican company with presence in various Latin American countries. Founded in 1997, it has designed services and solutions specially focused in the development of skills and knowledge that increase Projects performance. Visit http://www.alpha-consultoria.com/index.php to learn more about their services.
Cheetah PM is the fastest way to learn about Project Management and to get your PMP. You can also get your career in gear with CheetahWare, free Project Management tools from Cheetah Learning. Visit www.cheetahlearning.com to learn more.
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Strategic Thinking - New book by Bill Birnbaum Provides Guidance for Tough Economic Times
When times get tough, the tough get focused! Business strategy consultant Bill Birnbaum recommends that companies go through a process of identifying their key success factors.
According to Birnbaum, "Recessions leave no room for wasted expenses and diverse organizational effort. In time of economic downturn, all energies must be applied to those few activities which matter most. To survive and thrive in difficult times you have to zero in on what matters most."
That's the advice of Bill Birnbaum, veteran business strategy consultant and author of the book, Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle. The book captures lessons learned during 25 years helping management teams develop their business strategy. The anecdotal stories offer important lessons and also an enjoyable read.
"Whether you are a startup or are struggling to survive in the face of economic challenges, you and your management team must identify and focus on the few key factors which produce reliable success. Those key factors must be specific to your industry, your market, and your organization."
Birnbaum has developed a process specifically to help businesses narrow their focus and channel their energies on those factors which matter most, and thus produce maximum success. "It's never too late to refocus on key activities. You can start the process anytime," he said. "Though during an economic downturn, focus is most critical."
Birnbaum claims that, "Most organizations try to focus on 'everything.' They need to stop trying to take on the whole world and zero in on just two or three key activities."
How do you select the right activities? Challenge your management team to come up with a short answer - supported by hard data - to the following question: "For our organization to be successful, at which specific activities must we be especially good?"
As simple as it sounds, Birnbaum says that most companies struggle with this. "It's a process that is all-too-often easier said than done," he says. "Narrowing their list to just two or three key activities requires a serious, in-depth discussion among the management team, plus analysis of data – hard performance data."
Bill Birnbaum is certified as a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) by the Institute of Management Consultants. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from California State University at Fullerton. For 20 years he was the editor of the Business Strategies Newsletter and taught strategy courses for The American Management Association. He is the President of Birnbaum Associates, a management consulting firm located in Sisters, Oregon.
According to Dave Dutton, Executive Vice President of Centerpointe Research, "Birnbaum speaks directly to what a leader does: direct, mobilize, and implement. The simple diagrams combined with storied examples provide clear direction. Any manager searching for strategic focus and looking to execute will find this book invaluable."
"Each company is different," says Birnbaum. "It's a process of self discovery. Do this process right and it will pay dividends for a very long time. What you learn about yourself and your organization can be profound."
Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle, By Bill Birnbaum (List $16.95 (Third Printing October 2008); ISBN 978-1-932-632-132; 214 pages 6 in by 9 in. trade soft cover; published by Douglas Mountain Publishing) is available from bookstores and on-line booksellers. For more information visit www.BirnbaumAssociates.com
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New book on Work Breakdown Structures by Haugan
published in USA by Management Concepts
Management Concepts, the US-based consulting, publishing and training organization, has announced the publication of Work Breakdown Structures for Projects, Programs, and Enterprises, a new book by Gregory T. Haugan, PhD. According to the announcement, Mr. Haugan offers and expanded understanding of the WBS concept and illustrates its principles and applications for planning programs as well as its use as an organizing framework at the enterprise level.
The book is intended to provide an aid for using the WBS for planning and managing all functional areas of project management. Specifically, the book will show readers how to
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Tailor WBSs to an organization’s unique requirements;
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Develop and use several types of WBS;
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Use WBS software for competitive advantage;
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Apply the “100 percent rule” when developing a WBS for a project or program;
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Establish a WBS for a major construction project using templates;
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Understand portfolio management; and
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Establish an enterprise-standard WBS
Gregory T. Haugan, PhD, PMP, has been a vice president with GLH, Incorporated for the past 19 years, specializing in project management consulting and training. He has more than 40 years of experience as a private sector consultant and a government sector official in the planning, scheduling, management and operation of projects of all sizes, and in the development and implementation of project management and information systems. Dr. Haugan received his PhD from American University, his MBA from St. Louis University, and his BSME from the Illinois Institute of Technology in the United States.
Management Concepts, Inc., is an integrated training, consulting and publishing company dedicated to the mind at work – from entry level to executive leaders. Work Breakdown Structures for Project, Programs, and Enterprises, 2008, 382 pages, softcover, is available at bookstores or directly from Management Concepts at www.managementconcepts.com.
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SOVNET PM Journal NO3 2008 published in Moscow -
Contents & Abstracts
Reported by Alexander Tovb in Moscow
The latest edition of the Project Management Journal published by the Russian Project Management Association (SOVNET) NO3 2008 has been published in Moscow, Russia. This latest edition again contains important articles and papers by some of the leading project management experts in Russia, and contributions from leading authors outside of Russia.
This edition contains the following featured papers:
Project and programme management: genetic approach – by Igbal Babaev
The main reason of problems in PM is non-compliance between class or character of project and the level of technological environment. The projects get their structure according to their scope and environment. This structure possesses some inherited attributes. At present there are no effective tools for management of projects and programmes in dynamically changing environment. Methods and model of innovative PM technologies based on their genetic attributes are suggested in the paper.
Knowledge management of large-scale project in higher education, by Olga Ilyina
The paper discusses how the methods of large-scale projects are used when higher educational institutions amalgamate to improve higher education sphere totally. The author pays special attention to knowledge management system of the project.
Stage-gated process for project definition of capital projects, by Andrew F. Griffith, and Mary Ellen Yarossi
The initial phase of any project involves defining the scope and planning the approach before starting the execution phase. For large capital projects, the investment of time and money in this definition phase can be significant and is a major factor in determining success. To improve this process, companies around the world have implemented a formal stage-gated process for the definition phase of their capital projects. A stage-gated process involves breaking the definition phase down into separate stages with specific objectives and deliverables for each stage. The stage-gated approach helps with shaping and selecting the best investment opportunities and also helps in eliminating projects that are no longer viable. In addition, the stage-gated approach results in projects that are more competitive and more predictable. This paper presents the details of a three-step, stage-gated process for project definition. It explains the objectives and lists the deliverables required for each stage. The paper also discusses the objectives and practical considerations for the gate reviews between each stage. Finally, the paper summarizes factors that lead to successful implementation of a stage-gated process.
Project cost management using aggregative criteria, by Vladimir Dorozhkin
Legislative changes, that came into force in Russian Federation on January 1, 2007, broke the principles of procurement, competition and optimization of three main conditions for tenders in construction. Project management and cost management are becoming ineffective if we use documentation that had been worked out earlier. The alternative formation of pricing estimates using the system of aggregative criteria and relationships between stakeholders on the base of organization procedures and tenders is suggested in the paper.
Visualization of project key success factors. Will draw and apply!, by Gulnara Sharaborova
This article is designed to develop a framework on the basis of the books that mapped up key success factors. Framework can be used in practice as a check-list that enable the Project Manager to verify the availability of common success factors; as a list which can be added with new factors from their own practice and track the project through each phase of the project life cycle. For testing the framework applicability the author provides a Project Case Study from her own practice.
The review of Project Portfolio Management Applications worldwide: present state and perspectives of development 2007–2008, by Elena Karlinskaya
The paper describes the main characteristics of today’s PPM market, trends and development perspectives. Leading PPM applications are presented. The paper aims to help professionals who work in PPM sphere to orientate themselves in a broad variety of data concerning PPM Applications for corporate PPM information systems. The review based on the analysis of the reports of analytical companies such as: Gartner Group, Forrester Research, Butler Group and authors results in development and implementation of her own Opus Magnum Enterprise Management (OMEM) solution for PPM based on IPM RPM and Oracle RDBM tools.
PM World Today Book Review
Charles Rockson (pictured right) presents a brief review of the PMI’s Construction Extension to the PMBOK Guide 3rd Edition. The book describes processes and principles acceptable in the construction industry for the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing of projects successfully. It provides opportunity for the construction industry professionals to easily reference processes and principles that are recognized as industry good practices with reference to the well known PMBOK® Guide. Source: PM World Today, 2008, Vol. X, No. 6
The SOVNET Project Management Journal is published in Russian, with English summaries, by Grebennikov publishing house (http://www.grebennikov.ru/). For more information, contact SOVNET at http://www.sovnet.ru/english/index.htm.
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Earned Value Management Professional Exam Study Guide Available in USA
Management Technologies in the USA has announced the availability of their Earned Value Professional (EVP) Exam Study guide for earned value management (EVM) professionals who are planning on taking the EVP certification exam. The EVP is a new certification that recognizes the depth and breadth of one’s understanding of EVM, and related topics of cost estimating, scheduling, and project management. There are currently over 160 EVP certified earned value management practitioners. Earned value management skills and experience are becoming a key discriminator among individuals and organizations seeking work on government contracts.
According to company president Ray Stratton (pictured right), PMP, EVP, "Too often we were unable to offer our EVPrep™ two day workshop at a time and place convenient to individuals. This workbook provides EVP candidates a resource to help them pass the exam on their first try."
A BearingPoint employee, one of the first users of the Study Guide, wrote, "Yesterday I received notification that I passed the EVP certification. Thanks again for your help in prepping me for the exam. I found the exam somewhat tricky and definitely long. The practice material was helpful in my recognition of the types of questions asked, particularly for section four. I would have been lost on that section had I not spent the week prior studying for it based on the practice review materials."
The Earned Value Professional (EVP) Exam Study Guide contains over 230 questions covering all four sections of the EVP certification seven hour exam. Sample questions, answers, and ordering information can be found at http://www.mgmt-technologies.com/EVPguide.html.
The EVPrep™ workshop is a two-day workshop to help prepare candidates for the seven hour Earned Value Professional (EVP) exam. The exam is administered by The Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEI)
www.aacei.org.
Management Technologies was founded in 1992 to improve project management effectiveness through applying earned value management. Services include on-site training, earned value management system (EVMS) process engineering, ANSI-748 compliance reviews, and project planning services. Management Technologies is an AACEI Approved Education Provider (AEP) and a Project Management Institute (PMI) Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.®). For more information, visit http://www.mgmt-technologies.com/. More information about the EVPrep™ workshop can be found athttp://www.mgmt-technologies.com/evpoutline.html. The next workshop will be November 15-16 in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
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Wideman PM Website updates announced for October 2008
Max Wideman has announced the latest updates to his popular project management website. According to the email from Max this month, here are the items that Max discusses or has added to his website this month.
Max’s Guests, co-authors Bob McMurray and Steve Chamberlin, emphasize Prioritization and Scheduling Based on Value for projects in a portfolio. And his Guest, Ron Leduc provides a valuable but fictitious economic development case study: Wellington County Recreational Complex.
In Musings Max recounts Peter Halas's amusing body-management allegory to explain Corporate Governance and Project Teamwork in IT projects and how they can quickly get out of control.
Are you in charge of a project portfolio management office? Do you really know what reports are required by whom?.
If you are looking for answers, guidelines or templates, check out Max’s Issacons - "Issues and Considerations" that are presented in bullet form for quick and easy reference by project managers.
Three new Issacons have been added this month to fill important gaps in our understanding of project portfolio management:
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1004c7 - Ongoing PPM Reporting - Pt A: What reports are needed by the different management stakeholders;
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1004c8 - Ongoing PPM Reporting - Pt B: What reports are needed by the PPMO in the PPM system; and
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1004c9 - Project Portfolio Management: Managing Strategic Risk.
Have you seen Max’s book A Management Framework for Project, Program and Portfolio Integration? For information or to order a copy, visit http://www.maxwideman.com/papers/framework_book/intro.htm. Do you have a project management question? Find the answer at: http://www.maxwideman.com.
Max Wideman is one of the world’s best-known project management authorities. An engineer and professional project manager, his experience includes systems, social and environmental projects, as well as design and engineering projects. He is a Fellow of the Project Management Institute, of which he is past president and chairman and for which he led the development of the 1987 version of the Project Management Body of Knowledge. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering. His personal web site at http://www.maxwideman.com is a source of superior project management knowledge and information. It is free to the public. Max Wideman is also a global advisor to PMForum and PM World Today; additional information about Max can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/advisors.htm.
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