Lessons Learned from a
Turnaround Project in Argentina
By Ana Maria Rodriguez
During the last 12 months I have been part of a team in charge of the planning and scheduling of a major turnaround project for a major paper mill plant in Argentina. After more than 10 months of preparing ourselves for the shutdown of the plant, the expected moment arrived last January 4th: We embraced the shutdown of the plant’s recovery boiler, following all that was planned, and expecting to achieve the best possible results after the 35 planned days of work
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Ana Maria Rodriguez
PM World Today Correspondent
Ms. Ana Maria Rodriguez is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org, based in Rosario, Argentina. Ms. Rodriguez manages CDS Project, a division of NETCDS, a leading IT, project and business services company in Argentina, and is an adjunct professor of project management at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario. She is actively engaged in teaching and promoting project management best practices in Argentina. Ms. Rodriguez is also an active member of PMI in Argentina. Additional information about Ms. Rodriguez can be found at www.pmforum.org/pm forum team
Ms. Rodriguez can be contacted at
arodriguez@netcds.com.ar
More information can be found about NETCDS at
www.netcds.com.ar
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Sydney, Australia Monthly Report
By Robert Posener
After the Christmas break, the various Sydney-based project management organisations have now got back into full ahead mode.
The Sydney chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) has held 2 breakfast meetings and 1 evening meeting. The breakfast meetings have been on Programme Management and Portfolio Management respectively. Upcoming PMI Sydney Chapter Meeting on Wednesday 18 April 2007 will include a 10th Anniversary celebration. Entitled “the keys to the future”, speakers at the meeting will include Greg Morris, Former Chapter President, Sandeep Mathur, Current Chapter President, and Gordon Bartlett, Immediate Past President & PMI Region 10 Mentor.
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Robert Posener
PM World Today Correspondent
Mr. Robert Posener is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Posener is also founder and Managing Director of PMComplete Pty Ltd, a project management professional services company in Australia. For the last 30 years, Robert has managed projects for computer hardware, software and technology companies in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Hong Kong and USA. Rob can be reached at robert.posener@pmcomplete.com.au. More information about Robert Posener can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm forum team/index.htm#Posener.
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Insecurity and Power Outages
are Significant Drawbacks,
but Niger Delta Development
Master Plan Offers Hope for
Projects & PM in Nigeria
By O. Chima Okereke, PhD
This month’s report reviews two major issues affecting projects and project management in Nigeria; insecurity and electrical power. These two issues broadly affect projects in the engineering, construction, energy and other sectors involving capital investments. They also significantly affect foreign investment projects in the oil & gas sector. At the same time, the government has announced the Niger Delta Development Master Plan, which offers hope for progress in this important region of the country.
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O. Chima Okereke, PhD
PM World Today Correspondent
Dr. O. Chima Okereke, Ph.D. is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Dr. Okereke is also Managing Director of Total Technology Consultants, Ltd., based in the UK. A registered engineer in Nigeria, Dr. Okereke has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Lagos, and a Ph.D. and MBA from the University of Bradford. Chima is also sponsor and president of the potential chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) in Port Harcourt.
Additional information about Dr. Okereke can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5.
Chima can be contacted at OkerekeOC@aol.com.
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High Demand for Project Management
in Greece!
By Theofanis Giotis
Greek Standard in Project Management
As time passes in Greece, more and more people are interested in Project Management. Last week, the Greek Government (Ministry of Finance), with a non-paper document announced the intention of the Government to create a Greek Standard for Project Management. Also, in this document, the Greek Ministry of Finance demands that all organizations in Greece dealing with projects funded through Community Support Framework (CSF 2007-2012), must be accredited on this new Greek Project Management Standard by 1st of Jan. 2009.
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Theofanis Giotis
PM World Today Correspondent
Mr. Theofanis C. Giotis, MSc, MCT, PMP is an International Correspondent for PMForum.org in Greece. Mr. Giotis is also CEO of ITEC Total Solutions SA, an Information Technology Solutions company, and managing director for ITEC Training Services SA, anIT, Project Management and Management Training company. Mr. Giotis has an MS degree inOperations Research from the University of Lancaster (UK) and a BA in Economics from the University of Athens, Greece. Theofanis has 20 years’ experience in Management, Finance, IT, Security and PM. He is a co-founder & steering committee representative of the PMI® Greece Chapter and a member of the Greek Computer Society, Greek Operations Research Society, Hellenic Management Association, and several other Greek and international professional organizations. Additional information about Theofanis Giotis can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5. Theofanis lives in Athens and can be contacted at Theofanis.Giotis@ITEC.edu or Theofanis.Giotis@PMI-GREECE.org.
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French PM Events in April 2007
By Thibaut Goupil
On 5th April, "Project management maturity level of companies" will be the theme of a conference organized by the PMI® South of France chapter, Provence branch.
From 16th to 19th April ISPE Paris conference will include a 2 day session about “Project management - facing today’s challenges” on 18-19th April at Hilton hotel, Paris. ISPE, a pharmaceutical engineering association, aims at focusing on pharmaceutical industry specific attributes of professional project management. This session is supported by ISPE Project Management Community of Practice (PM COP) and lead by Trish Melton, MIME solutions Ltd., and Andrew Ingleby, Astra Zeneca.
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Thibaut Goupil
PM World Today Correspondent
Mr. Thibaut Goupil is an International Correspondent for PMForum.org in France. Based in Evreux, one hour from Paris, he is currently also a project management consultant for KAPPA International Consulting Engineers, based in Paris, providing consulting services for a major pharmaceutical company in France. Thibaut has a degree Mechanical and Production Engineering (DUT GMP) from Toulon University in France, and is concurrently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Business Engineering from EUROMED Toulon (formerly ESCT) and a Masters Degree in Project and Programme Management from ESC Lille, with both diplomas expected in 2007. He is a member of Paris Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and the Association of Project Management (APM) in the UK. Mr. Goupil is a certified CAPM, and AFITEP/IPMA level D. Additional information about Mr. Goupil can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5. Thibaut Goupil can be contacted at tgoupil@gmail.com.
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A National Website and
a
National Congress:
Signs of Team Work
By Alcides Santopietro, PMP
The largest and most populous country in South America is becoming more united. It might be too pretentious to say that it is solely caused by the Project Management practitioners, after all, this unity movement can be seen under various different points of view, but let’s take a look at what Project Management has to do with that.
With thirteen Project Management Institute chapters spread from North to South, it is possible to witness a recent initiative to work together for a common purpose that benefit the whole community of professionals dealing with Project Management in the country. Certainly there are numerous successful projects which can be attributed to the effort of a conjunction of PMI Chapters. However, they may never have showed this level of team-work as we can see currently.
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Alcides Santopietro, PMP
PM World Today Correspondent
Mr. Alcides Santopietro is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in São Paulo, Brazil. Mr. Santopietro is also founder and managing partner for Proage, a project management consulting and training company based in São Paulo.
An Industrial Engineer and PMP, with post-graduate diplomas in Marketing and Project Management, Alcides is an active volunteer leader in the PM profession. Additional information about Mr. Santopietro can be found at www.pmforum.org/pm forum team/index.htm#Santopietro. Mr. Santopietro can be contacted at alcides.santopietro@gmail.com.
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Project Scheduling Tools
and Their Public Perception
A report on the current status of the most used software
for project scheduling in Romania
By
Florin Gheorghiu, PMP
An old sports saying states that only number one counts and the rest is to vanish and be forgotten with the time. If one would apply this to the battle for the top position when discussing the dedicated software used for project scheduling in Romania, then it would retain two names on the battlefield: Microsoft and Primavera.
It is hard to state how much from the market each one shares, but one thing is true: there is nothing left after these two. In other words the scheduling techniques are almost entirely based on these two applications and third place is not awarded to anyone.
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Florin Gheorghiu
PM World Today Correspondent
Mr. Florin Gheorghiu, PMP, is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in Bucharest, Romania. Mr. Gheorghiu is also a professional project manager for UTI Group, a holding company engaged in the field of large public buildings, rehabilitation projects and complex security systems. Florin has experience working on large power plant projects financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), and for Parsons Power (Gilbert Commonwealth), Lahmeyer International and Pennsylvania Power & Light (PP&L) as a project Consultant. Florin is a graduate of the Technical University of Bucharest in Power Engineering and the National School for Political Studies and Administration in Management. Additional information about Mr. Gheorghiu can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/blogs/press/2006/11/pmforumorg-announces-addition-of.html Mr. Gheorghiu can be contacted at fgheorghiu2001@yahoo.com.
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UK Project Management Scene
By Miles Shepherd
There are many organisations with an interest in project management in UK. Best known is the Association for Project Management, at more than 15,000 strong, it is by far the biggest. Next comes the British Computer Society (BCS) with probably 8,000 participants in their Specific Interest Group on Project Management and it this group that is the focus this month.
BCS has run a specialist group on project management for around 20 years so they are not new kids on the block. They publish books on project management, but with a twist. Their line is that projects concerning IT are more about business than technology although clearly that too is important. They take the point made by Paul Coby, CIO of British Airways. Coby stated at BCS Elite Spring Workshop that in 1996 BA was the most profitable airline, in 2000 it was 21st on the list and by 2005 it was back on top. His rationale is that BA lost control of the cost of projects because there was no adequate measurement in place. Coby believes there are no IT projects, just business projects; that IT departments bring technological advice to the table to help a business improve and that IT does matter. That BA has reversed the situation is evident in many of the recently completed and highly successful initiatives such as e-ticketing and self service check ins. It will be interesting to see how this transfers to Heathrow’s Terminal 5 which is due to open in less than a year and relies on IT for much of its innovative baggage handling and routing.
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Miles Shepherd
PM World Today International Correspondent
Based in London, UK
Mr. Miles Shepherd is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org based near London, England, UK. Miles has over 30 years experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, rail and business projects for the EU. Past Chairman of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Additional information about Mr. Shepherd can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm forum team. Miles Shepherd can be reached at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uk.
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Developments Affecting Projects &
Project Management in Peru
By Jose Machicao
The IADB approves loan for Innovation Program in Peru.
The Inter American Development Bank (IADB) has approved this month a loan for science, technology and innovation for Peru. This loan includes US$25 million and its objective is to help the Peruvian State to promote innovation and reinforce the contribution of science and technology to the national development. Even when this has filled with joy all those who believe in the importance of science and technology for the country, some voices as that from the Dean of the Engineering Faculty of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, warns (acknowledging the positive step), how little is this step compared with other countries who have already institutionalized all these programs and loans. I think this is a unique opportunity for project and program managers in Peru to go for a sound commitment seeking the best management for this program
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Jose Machicao
PM World Today Correspondent
Jose Machicao, PMP, is an International Correspondent for PMForum.org in Lima, Peru. Mr. Machicao is also an Organizational Project Management consultant, working in the public and private sectors in Peru. Mr. Machicao has a Masters Degree in Energy from the University of Cardiff, Wales, UK, and a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. He is a member of the Colegio de Ingenieros (Peruvian Association of Professional Engineers), the World Energy Council, the Association of Energy Engineers, and the Project Management Institute (PMI®). He is currently Education Director for the PMI GovSIG®. Additional information about Jose Machicao can be seen at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5. Jose Machicao can be contacted at jcmachicao@gmail.com, and http://blog.pucp.edu.pe/jcmachicao.
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Project Management in Spain
By Alfonso Bucero
Project Management versus Engineering by Ignacio Moro
Talking about the differences between Project Management and Engineering, I would like to be focused on the disciplines, because we frequently find project managers who are Engineers – this is my particular case – and also we find some project management companies who are offering project management services and engineering services as well.
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Alfonso Bucero
PM World Today Correspondent
Mr. Alfonso Bucero, PMP, is an International Correspondent for PMForum.org in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Bucero is also founder and Managing Partner of BUCERO PM Consulting. He previously managed the office in Spain for the International Institute for Learning (IIL) for two years, and was a Senior Project Manager at Hewlett-Packard Spain (Madrid Office) for thirteen years. Alfonso is an active member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), of the ALI (Asociación de Licenciados, Ingenieros y Doctores en Informática), and of the Spanish Project Management Association, AEIPRO (afíliate member asociación of the International Project Management Association, IPMA). Alfonso was the founder, sponsor and President of the PMI Barcelona, Spain Chapter until April 2005, and he is an IPMA Assessor. He belongs to the LIAG (Leadership Institute Advisory Group) of PMI. Alfonso has a Computer Science Engineering degree from Universidad Politécnica in Madrid, and is now studying for his Ph.D. in “Project Management”. He has 28 years of practical experience and has managed and consulted on projects in different countries throughout Europe. Mr. Bucero can be contacted at alfonso.bucero@abucero.com.
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