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Volume X - Issue XII - December 2008

Viewpoints

PM World Today™ Viewpoints articles reflect the personal opinions of the authors and not that of PM Forum™ and PM World Today™. Publication does not constitute endorsement by either PM Forum™ or PM World Today™. We strive only to provide a non-biased platform for the exchange of constructive and diverse ideas, opinions, perspectives, and thought-provoking articles about matters affecting the world of project management. PM World Today™ also does not endorse nor allow abusive, inaccurate or unprofessional content. PM Forum and PM World Today™ encourage and support high standards of ethical and professional conduct at all times. Contact information for each author is normally included with each article (when provided) so that if you have a differing opinion or a shared interest you may dialogue directly with the author.

 

The Challenge Ahead

By Bob Prieto, Senior VP, Fluor

The challenge facing the United States today is very much about what is the future it desires as a nation and what is the level of economic competitiveness that future requires. We must set an expectation of the quality of life we wish for ourselves and our children that is affordable and sustainable within the context of the economic competitiveness we will achieve. This future must provide us, as a nation, with the ability to respond to new challenges, man-made and natural. It must be built upon the hopes and dreams of our children, who must have the knowledge and tools to improve the world within which we live. It must be a future which inspires us and has a strong foundation.

Today one of the elements of the foundation that our future as a leader requires, is in crisis. The nation’s infrastructure is crumbling!

Read complete paper in English

 

About the Author:

Robert Prieto
Author

Robert Prieto is a Senior Vice President for Fluor, responsible for strategy in support of the firm’s Industrial & Infrastructure Group and its key clients.  He focuses on the development and delivery of large, complex projects worldwide. Prior to joining Fluor, Bob served as chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc.  He is a member of the executive committee of the National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a member of the board of directors of the Business Council on International Understanding, a member of the board of the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation, and co-founder and member of the board of the Disaster Resource Network. He currently serves on the National Research Council’s committee framing the challenges on Critical Infrastructure Systems. Until 2006 he served as one of three U.S. presidential appointees to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and served as chairman of the Engineering and Construction Governors of The World Economic Forum and co-chair of the infrastructure task force formed after September 11th by the New York City Chamber of Commerce.  He is also a member of the board of trustees of Polytechnic University of New York.

 

Top of Page

Managing People - The Difficult Side
of Project Management in Ethiopia

By Getachew Tekelmariam Alemu

You may have a well developed project charter, readily available financial resources, easy going project sponsor, understanding customer, weak competents, huge market access, but if you don’t have an effective and efficient project team, the delivery of your product on time, within budget, and on quality will only be an idea on paper.

Human beings are not like machines; you cannot programme and re-programme them as per your wish for them to deliver what you need them to. Rather, they have their own biological, psychological, economic, social and cultural charterstics making each of them unique in their own way. Hence, some sort of re-shaping, re-structuring, re-orienting, re-minding of project team members will be required from the project manger so that team members can work together for the successful achievement of the project. Nay, this is easier talked than done.

Read complete paper in English

 

About the Author:

Getachew Teklemariam Alemu

Getachew Teklemariam Alemu

Author
International Correspondent - Ethiopia

Getachew Teklemariam Alemu is an International Correspondent for PMForum and PM World Today based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Mr. Alemu is also an Infrastructure Projects Expert in the Development Projects Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, government of Ethiopia.  Getachew is responsible for monitoring, appraising and reporting on public sector infrastructure projects financed by the Ethiopian government and bilateral/multilateral donor agencies.  He has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection from Mekelle University in Ethiopia.  More information about Getachew Teklemariam can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5.  Getachew can be contacted at getdem2006@yahoo.com.

Impressions of the 22nd IPMA World Congress -
Project Management to Run!

By Renate Prantner

From the 9th - 11th November 2008 the 22nd IPMA World Congress “Project Management to Run“ attracted more than 700 project management interested people to spend at least 2,5 days in a magnificent surrounding in order to share project management excellence and international expertise. Rome, Italy has done its best in order to offer a beautiful scenery for this yearly congress (besides lovely 20 degrees and sunshine almost the whole week) and invited project management experts, practitioners and upcoming young professionals to this annual IPMA highlight.

In 7 days the events ranged from the official Young Crew Workshop (6th – 8th November 2008), to a nation to nation forum, assessor workshops, the official opening of the congress to two days (10th – 11th November 2008) densely packed keynotes, poster and oral presentations, panels etc.

Read complete paper in English

 

About the Author:

Renate Prantner

Renate Prantner
International Correspondent Austria
Based in Vienna

Renate Prantner is an International Correspondent for PMForum and PM World Today in Vienna, Austria. She is also a consultant and responsible for marketing issues at PARDIS Management Consultancy, an Austrian project management consultancy specializing in project, process and diversity management. Before that she was a research fellow for project management at the competence team for project management at the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna and at the PROJEKTMANAGEMENT GROUP at the University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna. She participated in various research projects and programmes such as research programme project orientation [international], project orientation [austria II] and “PM CAT“.  From 2007 until the middle of 2008 she also coordinated the international network PMUni, an international network of universities to promote professional education and research in project and process management. Ms. Prantner has a Masters Degree in International Business Administration from the University of Economics and Business Administration, Vienna, where she is currently writing her doctoral thesis on the subject of “Change Management – Project and Process Orientation”. Renate can be contacted at Renate.Prantner@pardis.eu .

Additional information about Renate Prantner can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/blogs/news/2007/09/renate-prantner-appointed-international.html

 

 

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