The Asia Pacific region is made up of an array of cultures—from stalwart capitalist Japan to up-and-comers like China and India to the free market economy of Singapore. And then there is Australia.
Arguably one of the most Westernized of all the Asia Pacific nations, Australia will play host to the PMI Global Congress 2008—Asia Pacific in Sydney.
This rich diversity of cultures makes projects interesting. And congress attendees will have plenty of opportunities through networking and sessions to learn all about the region's cultural interplay.
“Geographical separation and ethnic understanding are issues that are crucial to deal with for successful project management in this region,” says Brenda Treasure, PMP, owner of Melbourne, Australia-based BHE Services pty Ltd., and a member of this year's Congress Project Action Team (CoPAT). “You can learn a lot about that from speaker experiences and involvement in working sessions. The majority of project managers in Asia Pacific deal with virtual groups and many cultures. This is always a challenge. However, we have learned to develop this extraordinary skill.”
WHERE AND WHEN
Event: PMI Global Congress 2008—Asia Pacific
Location: Hilton Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Date: 3–5 March 2008
WANT ATTEND?
Advanced registration ends 15 February. After that, you must register onsite.
For more information, go to http://congresses.pmi.org/AsiaPacific2008.
The congress also provides a way for project managers to connect with “tier-one international presenters and participants,” says Ian Wolfe, PMP, a CoPAT member, president-elect of the PMI Sydney Chapter, and senior project manager at telecommunications company Optus in Sydney. He says the event is not only an opportunity to tap into the region's best practices, but also the “world's best practices and emerging trends in project management, program management and portfolio management.”
And while there are particular pieces of wisdom to be gleaned from within the Asia Pacific experience, the congress appeals to a wide range of attendees, says Robert Paul Mittelsdorf, PMP, who runs Singapore-based project management consulting firm Mittelsdorf Consultants.
“I don't think the issues facing project managers in the Asia-Pacific region are any different than those faced by project managers in, say, Europe, the Middle East, Africa or the Americas,” says Mr. Mittelsdorf, who works throughout Australia, Asia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Europe. “In a nutshell, it is continuing pressure to deliver more value.”
SOMETHING NEW
More than 60 sessions will be offered at this year's congress, including four double sessions, as well as networking events. Headlining the event will be keynote speaker Robyn Meredith, who is senior editor, Asia, for Forbes, working out of Hong Kong, and the author of The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us [W. W. Norton, 2007].
Congress-goers will also serve as the test audience for PMI's debut Research Track. The track will include several research paper presentations listed on the next page.
Other new features include discussions about PMI's latest credential, the Program Management Professional (PgMPSM), and about the newly released Construction Extension to the PMBOK® Guide Third Edition.
Of course, that means congress-goers can stock up on professional development units to maintain their PMI credentials.
Along with all the sessions, attendees can visit the exhibit hall and check out the latest tools from vendors or head to the PMI Bookstore.
And as with any congress, there will also be time to do some networking in between sessions and at the receptions, including the Taste of Australia event. There, attendees can mix and mingle with peers—and perhaps experience that cultural diversity for themselves. PM
Presentation schedule as of press time. Visit PMI.org for the latest information on congress presentations and speakers.
PRESENTING THE PRESENTATIONS
Advanced Project Management Skills
Recent Advances in Project Prediction Techniques
Collaboration: Key to Meeting Challenges of Scaling-up the Organizational Competency Building
The Application of Critical Chain and Portfolio Project Management at the Gas Pipeline Construction of Urucu/Manaus (Petrobras)
Customer Value Creation in Outsourced IT/Software Development Projects
Communications
Importance of Effective Communications
Intercultural Communication in Global Business
Personal Strength Development—Building Relationships
Communication Works for Those Who Work at It
Communications for Recovering Troubled Projects
Consulting Skills
Creating Lasting Change: Tools and Skills for Effective Consulting
So You Want to Become an Independent Consultant …
Contracts—From the Vendor and the Buyer Points of View
General Business Skills
Getting Your Projects Aligned to Strategic Goals
The Intersection of Project Success and Project Leadership
Successfully Implementing a Portfolio Management System in a Medium/Large Corporation
Change That Endures
What the Rubik's Cube Taught Me About Project Management
Building a Project Budget
Industry-Focused Topics
ICT Program Risk Management: Asian High-Profile Mega-Project Success Stories
The Integration of Risk Standard AS/NZS 4360 with PMBOK® Guide Chapter 11 in the Management of Complex Risk
Project Management Methodology for Post Disaster Reconstruction Training
Terms and Conditions to Winning a Contract with Government Projects
Assessing Project Risk Management Maturity in a Large Energy Company
Industry-Specific Issues
Project Management in the Non-Profit Organizations
New Project Management Trends
Constraints to Avoid Negative Outcomes
Outsourcing Project Management Services—An Emerging Opportunity
A Project Business Management Methodology Model: Provides the Power of Enterprise-Wide Project Management
What is Project Portfolio Management and What Can It Do for My Business?
Infusing Innovation Into the Organizational DNA
Scope Management for Adults—A 12-Step Program for ICT Projects
Closing the Gap Between Executives and Execution Using PROM—Proactive and Robust Objectives Management
Value Improving Practices: What Are They and Why They Are Used to Improve Project Effectiveness
Project Management for the Growth of Small and Medium Companies
360 Degree RISK Management Model
Professional Development
On Becoming a C-Level Executive and Developing Breakthrough Strategies
Project Success Constants and How They May be Applied in the Aid/Emergency Project Environment
Losing Your Religion
Project Management Foundation Skills
Why Less Is More—The Backpacker's Approach to Project Management
Quality in Project Management—A Practical Look at Chapter 8 of the PMBOK®
Risk Analysis & Management: A Vital Key to Effective Project Management
Context of Project Management—Where Passion ‘Lives'
Project Management Issues
PMP Performance Problems: Local, Regional or Global?
Applying Lessons Learned
Relationship Between Project Governance and Project Performance
Validation-Success Key in Lump Sum Projects
Ethical Project Management
Application of PMI Portfolio Management Standard in the Public Sector
Models of Learning and Knowledge Sharing in Project Based Organizations
Beyond PM Certifications: The Broken Thread
Project Management Tools
The Benefits of Project Management Maturity Assessments—An Analysis of OPM3 Case Studies from Australia & New Zealand
Research Track
Project Management as Knowledge Work
Re-engineering Project and Program Management to deliver Government Services
IT Project Portfolio Governance: The Emerging Operation Manager
Significance of Technology Management and Project Management Aligned with Portfolio Management in a Project-Based Organization
Synchronization of Technology Management and Project Management Aligned with Portfolio Management Is Vital for any Project-Based Organization's Sustainability, and to Build a Strong Customer Base
Sales/Marketing Skills
Selling with Emotional Intelligence
Teaming
Virtual Teams—Managing Project Teams Across the Globe
The Hunting Territory: Optimizing Project Outcomes and Enabling the Project Based Organization