Before attempting to define what project management means, it is important to mention that the Project Management Institute (PMI) already has a concise definition of what project management is.  In its well known standard, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK),” PMI defines project management as “The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. While most agree with PMI’s definition, sometimes I feel it puts too much focus on project management as a science and less focus on it as a practical tool to improve projects performance.    

To me, Project Management is simply: Leading projects to a successful conclusion by leading, planning, organizing, and controlling the project stakeholders, resources and the project environment. 

As with the actual application of project management, there are so many elements to be taken into consideration when talking about project management, and they need to be addressed in a timely fashion to ensure project success.  A closer examination of these elements might shed better light on what project management is really about. 

Leading is a key element, because Project management requires leaders who can influence others to act in ways that will improve chances of project success.  This might sound as a simple undertaking, but it isn’t.  Influencing others is difficult because people are different.  Each individual and even business entities have their own interests, values, concerns and background that are unique and require special attention and focus on the part of the leader, i.e. project manager, to successfully influence them. 

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About the Author: Ammar Mango Author Ammar W. Mango, PMP, CSSBB, is an International Correspondent for PMForum in Jordan. He is also principal consultant for Method Corporation, a project management consulting, product and services company based in Amman, Jordan. With over seventeen years of global experience in Project Management & Leadership consulting and training, he is considered an international expert on the subjects and enjoys a superb reputation as an inspirational trainer and consultant. Mr. Mango has provided his services in the United States and the Middle East to global organizations like Visteon Systems (USA), Ford Motor (USA), Detroit Edison (USA), Fermi II Nuclear Plant (USA), Qatar Petroleum (Qatar), Saudi Telecom Company (KSA), Al Fotaim Group (UAE) and many others. Mr. Mango is a published author and columnist on organizational leadership and project management. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Jordan University and a Master's Degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He has been certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI) since 1991, and as a Six Sigma Black Belt by the American Society for Quality. He served as Vice President, Education, PMI Great Lakes Chapter in 1993, and is the founder and currently active member of the PMI Jordanian Chapter. He has been a guest speaker at a number of international Project Management seminars and symposiums around the world. Information about Method Corporation can be found at www.methodcorp.com. Ammar can be contacted at amango@methodcorp.com.

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Performance Based Payments (PBPs)
If it walks, talks, and quacks like EVM…it must be EVM

By Quentin W. Fleming and Joel M. Koppelman Primavera Systems, Inc.

In October 1995, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR subpart 32.10) was revised to
create a new category of payments to suppliers on fixed-price contracts. They were called Performance-Based Payments (PBPs). The intent was to move away from potentially high-risk payments based simply on the incurrence of seller costs, to payments based on the physical completion of authorized work. This was a most positive move in the opinion of the authors. To be successful, it required a close working relationship between the buyers and sellers, the technical project managers, and the contracting community to fully define a performance measurement plan.

The concept of performance based payments is in fact a simple form of earned value management (EVM). But interestingly, nowhere in the FAR clause or any of the government’s supporting guidance documents is the term “earned value” ever mentioned. But if it walks, and talks and quacks like earned value, and it most certainly does, it must be a form of earned value management.

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Fleming and Koppelman are the co-authors of “Earned Value Project Management”, originally published in 1996 by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Their Third Edition of this book was released in the fall of 2005. Over 80,000 copies of the book have been sold by PMI worldwide.

 

About the Authors: Quentin W. Fleming Author Quentin W. Fleming Is a management consultant specializing in earned value. He has been a consultant to the senior staff at Primavera Systems, Inc. since 1993. His personal website is http://www.QuentinF.com   Joel M. Koppelman Author Is the cofounder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Primavera Systems, Inc. His corporate website is http://www.Primavera.com

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What does the future hold for Project Management? Update…

By Paul Giammalvo

On 8 January, Gartner released a set of projections that I found extremely interesting, as at least a few of them will or at least SHOULD, affect or impact the future of project management. http://www.insidegartner.com/download/Gartner_Top_Predicts_2008andBeyond_GoingGreen.pdf

Going Green-

Gartner’s first prediction revolved around the concept that IT is “going green”.  Having been indirectly involved with the early discussions in creating and updating the 1992 and 1996 PMBOK Guide, and having come from a background in construction, I have always lamented the fact that “Safety, Health and the Environment”, which is ever present in construction project management, had to be suppressed or buried in the other knowledge areas, in order to satisfy the IT people.  Given the problems we had with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Health); the radiation from CRT’s (Health and Safety) and the problems disposing of CD’s, used computers and peripheral equipment, (Safety, Health and Environment) perhaps now, as IT is maturing, would be a good time to consider adding a new “knowledge area” on safety, health and the environment to the various Bodies of Knowledge?

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About the Author: Paul Giammalvo Author Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, PMP, CCE, MScPM, is Senior Technical Advisor to PT Mitratata Citragraha www.getpmcertified.com , Adjunct Professor of Project/Program Management, Lille Graduate School of Management, Paris, FRANCE. www.esc-lille.com, and is a curriculum development specialist in Asset and Project Management for the University of Western Australia, www.blendedlearning.ecm.uwa.edu.au . For over 14 years, he has been providing Project Management training and consulting throughout SE Asia, Middle East and Europe. He is active in the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International, (AACE), www.aacei.org and the Construction Management Association of America, (CMAA), www.cmaanet.org. More recently, he has been elected to the Board of Directors, Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards, (GAPPS) www.global-mstandards.org. Paul is based in Jakarta, Indonesia and can be reached at pauldg@indo.net.id.

 

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