The PMI^®Project of the Year (POY) Award recognizes the accomplishments of a project and the involved project team for superior performance and execution of exemplary project management.

Criteria 

General Submissions Overview 

Preliminary Level Competition — PMI Chapters 

Preliminary Level Competition — Nominees Outside PMI Chapter Jurisdiction 

Semi-Finalist Level Competition 

Finalist Level Competition 
Download an example of the 2007 winning submission

Criteria

Nominated projects must have:

• • Been completed and accepted as complete by the owner or client prior to nomination
• • Met or exceeded owner or client needs as evidenced by a supporting letter from the owner or client
• • Met or improved upon budget and schedule performance when compared to original budget and schedule goals
• • Applied project management techniques in an original way, including innovative application of practices
• • Advanced the technical aspects and image of the project management profession as demonstrated by effective application of the principles set forth in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide)
• • Utilized special management team actions to overcome the complexity of the project and unusual conditions, issues and barriers

There can be no restrictions on information after the final submission date.

General Submissions Overview

PMI chapters and individual project or organizational representatives may submit projects for preliminary level consideration. There are three levels of competition for the POY Award: Preliminary, Semi-Finalist and Finalist. All submissions for the POY Award should address, in detail, the following 11 categories:

1. General Information and Project Team — Please type or print project name and location, owner/client and project team exactly as you would like it to appear on the award. Also include:

• • Name of owner/client supporting the project team, including mailing addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses
• • Name of the business of the project team/members, including mailing addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses
• • Overview and/or description of the project team, including the roles and responsibilities of the project manager

2. Project Performance

3. Project Integration Management

• • Summary of Project: Provide a general description of the project including the complexity of the project and unusual conditions, issues, and barriers requiring special management team action or performance. Please attach any available drawings and photographs to illustrate the scope of the project.
• • Special Management Methods: Summarize why the management of the project is distinctive, innovative or original in the application of project management techniques. Comment on the application of practices and methods and any marked improvements of methods, lessons learned and/or products during the course of the project. Describe how these methods advance the technical values and image of the profession.
• • Owner’s Satisfaction: Provide written evidence on corporate letterhead that the management of the project exceeded the owner or client’s needs. Evidence should address tangible as well as intangible benefits of the project outcomes, project management best practices or contribution to the organization. Briefly describe how project integration management was considered and implemented and explain how overall project changes were managed and controlled.

4. Project Scope Management

• • Discuss project concept and objectives.
• • Include a scope statement including cost, schedule, performance criteria. and work breakdown structure.
• • Discuss the management plan and control systems.

5. Project Time/Schedule Management

• • Summarize the project schedule, discussing any delays, including legitimate causes such as a change in the scope of service, owner’s requests and market response.
• • Include both the scheduled date and actual date for when the project commenced, when the project was defined, when the client approved the project and when the project was closed out.
• • Inclusion of a copy of the “approved” planned project schedule versus the “actual” planned project schedule is recommended.

6. Project Cost/Resource Management

• • Explain how the project budget was met or improved and include the original budgeted cost for work, products and research versus the actual cost.

7. Project Quality Management

• • Explain the total quality management of the project including philosophy, quality assurance and quality control. (Provide attachment.)

8. Project Human Resource Management

• • Provide a general description of how project members developed into an effective team. Identify the individual(s) who directly affected the project and their roles outside the project team.

9. Project Communications Management

• • Briefly identify the major audiences of the project. Discuss the communication techniques and conditions to communicate the project to them, especially in special or unusual situations. Attach written materials and photographs, if available, showing community information/relationship of the project.

10. Project Risk Management

• • Identify external and internal risks to the project and how the project management and/or team mitigated them.

11. Project Contract/Procurement Management

• • Identify contract procurement and acquisition procedures. Comment on their administration and control methods.

Preliminary Level Competition — PMI Chapters

Chapters should select a POY project manager to coordinate the activities of this program at this level. Preliminary level POY project managers should:

1. 1. Contact the PMI Brand Development Department to identify who is serving as the chapter’s preliminary level POY project manager. The designated project manager will receive all pertinent communications and documents.
2. 2. Coordinate preliminary level recruitment for participants in the POY program. This may include an announcement in your chapter newsletter or a Call for Nominations flier sent to all chapter members and supporting organizations.
3. 3. Select a preliminary level POY panel of reviewers to judge submittals.
4. 4. Collect and distribute preliminary level POY Award nomination packages for review. Your selected reviewers should also receive the Guidelines for Evaluators, which will be sent to the POY chapter project manager via email by the PMI Marketing Department during the week of 30 January 2008.
5. 5. Ensure return of project rating forms from panel reviewers by specified deadlines.
6. 6. Tabulate panel ratings for each project nomination and determine which preliminary level POY submission will be sent to PMI for consideration in the semi-finalist competition.
7. Note: Only one submission may be selected by the chapter to compete at the semi-finalist level.
8. 7. Coordinate announcement and recognition of the selection/nomination with your chapter board.
9. 8. Submit 10 copies of your chapter POY entry in its proper nomination package via postal mail to the PMI Global Operations Center for the semi-finalist competition by 17 March 2008. Submittals shall be in an 8 1/2 x 11” or A4 format. Packages are not to exceed 35 pages, which may include supporting documentation such as a work breakdown structure. Any additional documentation in alternate media formats, such as multimedia, will not be evaluated. Any pages submitted beyond the limit will not be evaluated. In addition to submitting the nomination via postal mail, please also send the electronic version of the nomination package to marketing@pmi.org.
10. 9. Submit “lessons learned” and/or suggestions for improvement to this Professional Awards Program to the attention of Marketing Planner, Brand Development, PMI Global Operations Center.

Preliminary level judges panels should include a minimum of three individuals who have demonstrated project management expertise and a broad spectrum of project management experience. Each reviewer will review no more than five projects. The nominations selected at the preliminary level to advance to the semi-finalist level must be selected by 3 March 2008. Applicants at this level of competition will be notified by the chapter via postal mail.

Preliminary Level Competition — Nominees Outside PMI Chapter Jurisdiction

Nominees outside the jurisdiction of a POY chapter will be judged by an “at-large” panel established by PMI. Please submit 10 copies of your POY entry in its proper nomination package via postal mail to the PMI Global Operations Center by 27 January 2008. Submittals shall be in an 8 1/2 x 11” or A4 format. Packages are not to exceed 35 pages, which may include supporting documentation such as a work breakdown structure. Any additional documentation in alternate media formats, such as multimedia, will not be evaluated. Any pages submitted beyond the limit will not be evaluated. PMI will forward these submissions on to the “at large” evaluators.

Semi-Finalist Level Competition

Preliminary level POY project managers are responsible for submitting 10 copies of completed nomination packets, plus the original, to the PMI Global Operations Center by 17 March 2008. PMI will forward submittals to the appointed semi-final reviewers.

The panel of semi-finalist reviewers will include a minimum of five individuals from around the world who have demonstrated project management expertise. Each reviewer will evaluate no more than five projects.

Three finalists will be selected to move on to the POY finals. These selections will be made by 12 May 2008. Each applicant at this level of competition will be notified of the results via postal mail.

Finalist Level Competition

The PMI Global Operations Center will forward the three POY finalist submittals to the five final competition reviewers on or before 2 June 2008. The final competition reviewers will evaluate the package of each nominated project. The finalist panel will consist individuals from around the world who have demonstrated project management expertise.

The POY Award recipient will be selected after 17 July 2008. Each POY finalist will be sent the results of the final competition via postal mail.

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