PMI® Global Conference 2019
By Tessa D’Agosta
Hanadi Alsheikh was working as the head of the project management office (PMO) at the Saudi Stock Exchange for a decade before she was elevated to the role of chief strategy officer three years ago. Feeling a bit removed from the day-to-day action, she decided it was time to get back in touch with her roots. So she traveled from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend this year’s PMI® Global Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
“I still oversee the PMO, but my role has gotten bigger, and my focus has shifted more to strategy,” said Ms. Alsheikh. “I wanted to refresh my knowledge and see what’s happening in the project management world again.”
Ms. Alsheikh was one of more than 3,700 project and program professionals from across the globe who descended upon PMI’s hometown to learn and connect. The event was also a celebration of PMI’s 50th anniversary, an opportunity to not just reflect on the past—but to launch boldly into a future that looks particularly well-suited to project managers.
The Project Economy is upon us, Bob Safian declared in a keynote.
“Projectization is moving through the economy,” the former editor of Fast Company told attendees. “I hear it talked about in the halls of power in companies around the world.”
Forget titles—the future of work will be defined by tasks, he said. Technology is dismantling existing organizational structures, and younger workers are looking at their careers as a series of projects.
That sentiment was echoed in a special fireside chat with PMI President and CEO Sunil Prashara covering technology and the future of work. “People will work on a project or task, deliver value and move on,” said Tech Mahindra’s Vikram Nair. “And it’s people skills like empathy and communication that will elevate project professionals in this new world,” said Stanford University’s Behnam Tabrizi, who went so far as to rebrand them as “power skills.”
Regardless of age or title, The Project Economy is going to require a new mindset, Mr. Safian said. “The old rules of business don’t apply anymore. We must all possess a willingness and ability to adapt to the constant changes coming our way.”
Give and Take
Diversity, in all its forms, was another clear theme at conference. In his opening keynote, organizational psychologist Adam Grant presented his theory of personality types: four mash-ups between givers and takers, and agreeable and disagreeable people. It’s the disagreeable givers, he said, who you want on your project team.
“Disagreeable givers can’t wait to fight for a new idea, and they’ll be more credible advocates,” Mr. Grant said. “They’ll run through walls for you because they cherish the uphill battle.”
Still, project leaders must understand the nuances of all types of team members—a message that resonated with Yannick Arekion, PMI-ACP. As his IT projects have grown in size and scale, his teams have become more globally and culturally diverse.
“It's hard—you can't change people,” said Mr. Arekion, enterprise architect, Commonwealth Treasury, Canberra, Australia. “But you need to be able to understand who you're dealing with and have the necessary tools to engage with them.”
Damien Perez, PMP, called Mr. Grant’s assessment of team dynamics an “eye-opener.”
“He was being nice about it, but a taker can be draining,” said Mr. Perez, middle school educator, Ascend Leadership Academy, Spring Lake, North Carolina, USA.
As a PMIEF chapter liaison and board member for the PMI North Carolina Chapter, he sees value in being able “to identify not just who can add value, but who’s taking away that value.”
First-time attendee Olive Bume Ada Ngole saw diversity through a different lens: gender.
“There are challenges that I've been going through in my country, and I thought that it was just about my job or my company,” said Ms. Bume Ngole, senior business analyst, Eneo, Douala, Cameroon. “But today, after the presentations I attended, I can tell you it’s a global problem: women in leadership and especially in project management.”
Ms. Bume Ngole, who is also president of the PMI Cameroon Chapter, came away from conference feeling empowered. “Something that women need to understand is that we have the control. Don’t give the opportunity for somebody to make you feel insecure. We have to start with our heads up.”
And Then Some
Throughout the conference, the PMI Exhibit Hall was home to interactive events, a wellness zone, Projectified™ podcast recordings and plenty of opportunities to network.
On the final day, attendees took in a full slate of Ted Talks specially curated for project managers around the theme of possibility. Jess Kutch explained how to build an empowered workforce; Janet Stovall held businesses accountable for cultivating inclusion; Anna Piperal discussed the promise of e-government; Sandeep Jauhar spoke about the parallels of the emotional and biological heart; and OluTimehin Adegbeye argued that the future of cities must include existing voices—and received a standing ovation.
And on its 50th anniversary, PMI closed things with a bang, unveiling its list of the 50 most influential projects of the past 50 years as well as 14 lists of top 10 projects by sector and geographic regions. Attendees were invited to a reception where they had the chance to mingle with several of the companies that made the cut, from IBM and WeChat to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Feeling left out? PMI Global Conference 2020, slated for 17-19 October in Seattle, Washington, USA, will be here before you know it.
IN THIS ISSUE
2019: A Year of Pivoting
Board of Director Elections for 2021–2023
PMIEF Honors 2019 Award Recipients
Chapter Award Winners
Learn How Business Requirements Contribute to a Project’s Business Value and The Project Risk Management Experience in the Middle East
Events Calendar
Chapter Links
Available online for PMI members only at PMI.org
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PMI GLOBAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
PMI and members of the influential Global Executive Council believe that project, program and portfolio management deliver a strategic advantage that helps organizations do more with less. The elite organizations selected for participation in the Council are well positioned to have the most direct influence on the direction and future of the project management profession.
To learn more, please visit PMI.org/Business-Solutions/PMI-Global-Executive-Council.aspx.
2019 PMI Board of Directors
Chair
Randall T. (Randy) Black, P.Eng., PMP
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Chair, Audit Committee
Teresa A. (Terri) Knudson, MBA, PMP, PgMP, PfMP
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Chair, Strategy Oversight Committee
Roberto Toledo, MBA, PMP
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Chair, Compensation Committee
J. Davidson Frame, PhD, PMP, PMI Fellow
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DIRECTORS
Tony Appleby, MBA, PMP
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Margareth Carneiro, MBA, MSc, PMP
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Caterina (Cathy) La Tona, BCS, PMP, PfMP, Immediate Past Chair
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Beth Partleton, PMP, PMI Fellow
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LuAnn Piccard, PMP
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Anca Slusanschi
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Tejas Sura, MS, MBA, PMP, PfMP
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Jennifer Tharp, PMP
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Galen Townson, EMBA, MAPP, PMI-ACP, PMP, CDA
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Thomas Walenta, Dipl.Math, PMP, PgMP, PMI Fellow
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STAFF EXECUTIVE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sunil Prashara
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FROM THE BOARD
Randall T. (Randy) Black, P. Eng., PMP, Chair, 2019 PMI Board of Directors
2019: A Year of Pivoting
It has been another year of constant and profound change within PMI. At the start of 2019 we opened our Board of Directors meetings knowing what PMI “was.” We also knew that by the end of 2019 PMI would be very different. How right we were.
In 2019:
♦ We looked to the past to honor our founders and those who established the firm foundation upon which we all stand. Our 50th anniversary celebrations, held around the world, were a time of reflection, anticipation and celebration. And, oh, how we celebrated! To all those who made the PMI of today possible, a humble thanks.
♦ PMI welcomed a new president and CEO into the family. Sunil Prashara has begun a significant change in the culture of PMI and has initiated a true globalization of the organization in a way that we all know is timely and right. His open communications and forthright and familiar style have resonated with us all. I know that we all look forward to many more changes from Sunil and PMI in 2020 and beyond.
♦ We began a new age of social citizenship for PMI through volunteer support of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Many thanks to PMI staff for guiding this initiative. This is something we can all be proud of and can build upon for the future.
♦ PMI acquired two significant organizations in the agile space. The addition of Disciplined Agile and FLEX to our portfolio of project-supporting frameworks is a significant advance for PMI in the agile space. We look forward to the full integration of these acquisitions into our certification program to support all members in leading their portfolios, programs and projects.
♦ Under the guidance of our staff, we launched a fresh, vibrant and youthful brand that truly changes the market presence of PMI. Not only is this new brand more colorful and dynamic, but the symbolism reflects a bold and purposeful PMI for the future.
2019 PMI Board of Directors
All of these changes have occurred while the organization continues its transformation from PMI 1.0 to a new, dynamic, online version of PMI, affectionately known as PMI 2.0. In 2020 we look forward to seeing even more tangible benefits for all members, chapters, academic partners, training partners and certification holders around the world from our transformation.
All in all, it has been a busy year for the Board of Directors and PMI staff. They have been agile, supportive and purposeful in their work in support of us all. A simple thanks is never enough, but thank you to all for your leadership, support and the outcomes produced. While we end 2019 in celebration, we also reflect upon the challenges that we will face as we start 2020.
We are proud to welcome our newest Board member, Anca Slusanschi from New Zealand. And, sadly, we must say a fond farewell and thank you to two departing Board members: Thomas Walenta of Germany and Dr. Margareth Carneiro of Brazil. Our thanks to both for their many contributions to PMI, the profession, and the strategic direction they helped to set as members of our Board of Directors.
From the perspective of our profession, we all face continuous adversity from technical disruption and a challenging global economy. Now, more than ever, there is demand for the efficiency and effectiveness that the practice of project management presents to industry. We must each redouble our efforts to gain new skills, to practice them as we have said we will practice them, and to produce the outcomes and value that our organizations must have to stay profitable and relevant.
We also face an increasing need to be socially conscious. Whether it is through driving sustainability in our projects, ensuring that projects are socially viable or through our individual volunteer support of a social agenda, being a part of the global social fabric is becoming more and more important for all of us.
And so, we now pass the baton to the 2020 PMI Board of Directors. We all wish our new Chair Tony Appleby and our 2020 Executive Committee of Galen Townson, Tejas Sura, Caterina La Tona, Sunil Prashara and William Scarborough the very best in their leadership of the Board and the Institute. I know that their “20/20” will help ensure the continued growth of PMI, its leadership and the evolution of this profession throughout 2020.
The very best to you and yours for a healthy and prosperous 2020 from my wife, Lana; my daughters, Erin (husband, Ryan, and daughter, Shelby), Lauren and Heather (husband, Matthew); and myself.
The Next 50
As PMI celebrated its 50th anniversary, Global Conference attendees weighed in on what trends and technologies they think will define the next 50 years:
“Adaptability will go a long way in an ever-changing world of project management. There is no cookie-cutter method, no one-size-fits-all. Managing teams means learning to be flexible when working with people with various personalities and cultural backgrounds. As companies evolve to keep pace with change, those who cannot adjust to new processes and be flexible to change will have a difficult time.”
— Idalia Reyna, PMP, senior project manager, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
“In The Project Economy, the soft skills, the emotional intelligence, the ability to adapt is what will take us to the next level. Ironically, with artificial intelligence on the rise, perhaps the most impactful project will be the one that develops effective EI from AI.”
— Olimpia Saenz, PMP, senior project manager, GO2 Partners, Overland Park, Kansas, USA
What’s More
Check out PMI’s conference coverage on Twitter (@PMIevents) and Instagram (@PMI.org). And turn to the Voices on Project Management blog on ProjectManagement.com for conference recaps by Cyndee Miller and listen to Projectified™ for special episodes recorded at conference.
Board of Director Elections for 2021–2023
In 2020, PMI members will elect four individuals to serve on the PMI Board of Directors for a term spanning 2021–2023. One of these directors could be you.
Why serve on the PMI Board?
A seat on the PMI Board is a prestigious opportunity to participate in the future of our organization. You’ll contribute fresh ideas and diverse experience. You’ll be involved in strategic planning, policy, and management oversight. You’ll lead a very strong organization by example and through decision making.
What’s in it for you?
The three-year terms of PMI Board service are an invaluable opportunity to:
♦ Collaborate with a global network of peers
♦ Sharpen your skills in diplomacy, persuasion and meeting management at the highest level
♦ Dive deep into PMI’s mission—and help shape the future of our organization
Commitments and expectations
In the words of PMI Founder and PMI Fellow James Snyder, PMI Board membership takes a “tremendous amount of time and a tremendous amount of effort. You need to step up to the responsibilities.” Are you ready?
Each term is three years. The minimum annual time commitment includes virtual meetings throughout the year plus travel to, preparation for and participation in:
♦ Three in-person Board meetings, each approximately 2-3 days in length
♦ 2-6 days for in-person Board standing committee or task team meetings, plus time needed for travel and meeting preparation
♦ Directors will also need to dedicate an additional 8 days, plus travel and preparation, for required professional development to be completed during their first year of their first term.
“The Board of Directors is really responsible for the future direction of PMI.”
—Beth Partleton, PMP, Past Chair, PMI Board of Directors
“When a person makes a commitment to PMI, it’s not just that term of so many years. They’re making a true lifetime commitment to an organization that’s going to help them in their careers, and it’s actually going to change the way they do business.”
—James R. Snyder, PMI Founder and PMI Fellow
Eligibility and evaluation criteria
Potential candidates must be PMI members in good standing for two consecutive years. Ideally, they should possess:
♦ At least 10 years of experience as a project, program or portfolio manager
♦ At least five years of professional global experience—e.g., with multinational organizations or NGOs with global reach, in a different country than where they were born; or with different cultures and teams from different countries
♦ At least five years of executive leadership experience
♦ At least five years of senior management experience—e.g., managing teams, establishing performance targets, having budgetary responsibilities and responsibilities for day-to-day activities
♦ Knowledge of PMI’s strategy, governance structure, programs, products and services
♦ Strategic planning experience—e.g., work in a strategic function, contribution to strategies or policies ensuring an organization met its goals, and/or professional development focused on strategic planning
♦ Board/governance experience
♦ Financial literacy
For example: Good understanding of key financial concepts (balance sheet, profit and loss, forecasts, etc.) and financial reports, or experience in tying financial statements to programs and strategy for a comprehensive view.
Submit your application by 29 February 2020.
Visit PMI.org/nominations to download the following:
♦ A Candidate Acknowledgment form
♦ An Initial Nomination Evaluation form
♦ An approved template for your curriculum vitae
Submit completed, signed forms to [email protected] no later than 5 p.m. EST on 29 February 2020.
Process and timetable
♦ 31 March 2020: PMI notifies the nominees selected for interviews
♦ 24–25 April 2020: PMI conducts nominee interviews via WebEx
♦ 22 June 2020: PMI members receive election information
♦ 3 August 2020: Deadline for submitting electronic ballots (5 p.m. EST)
♦ October 2020: PMI announces election results at PMI’s Global Conference
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Interested? Please read the Call for Nominations, Bylaws and Election Activity Rules carefully and in their entirety at pmi.org/about/leadership-governance/board-of-directors/nominations-and-election/call-for-nominations-for-open-positions
Educational Foundation 
PMIEF Honors 2019 Award Recipients
The PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF), PMI’s philanthropic arm and a nonprofit charitable organization, recognizes the advancement of project management through its awards program. Student and professional award recipients are recognized for their contributions to the project management profession through scholarly research and practical application of project management skills, both inside and outside the workplace. This year, PMIEF is proud to honor the following recipients for achievements in their profession and their continued support of the project management field. Congratulations to all of the 2019 awardees!
2019 PMIEF Award Winners
Award: The Kerzner Award for Excellence in Project Management
Recipient: Tom Kasel, Principal Software Engineer in the Aerospace Industry
About the Awardee: Mr. Kasel holds the PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® and Project Management Professional (PMP)® certifications and is a certified ScrumMaster®. His past roles include principal systems engineer, software development team lead and program/project manager at the Honeywell Corp. and the Boeing Company. Mr. Kasel holds a B.A. in computer systems and production management and an M.S. in project management; he is currently a doctoral candidate pursuing his Ph.D. in business administration.
His background in program and project management, particularly program management best practices, is diverse—spanning business operations management, information technology software/hardware systems engineering, quality systems deployment and analysis. Tom has also worked in industries ranging from the aerospace and automotive industries, to retail and commercial markets, including time with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Kerzner Award is sponsored by the International Institute for Learning, Inc. to recognize a project manager who most emulates the professional dedication and excellence of Dr. Harold Kerzner, M.S., MBA, Ph.D. This year we choose Tom Kasel for all he has brought to the field with his determination and professionalism.
Award: The Donald S. Barrie Award
Recipient: Angele Ndedi Edimo, MSPM, PMP
About the Awardee: Angele is a graduate of The University of Alaska Anchorage and is an active member of the PMI Alaska Chapter. She currently works as a project manager for Bergaila.
The award presented to Ms. Ndedi Edimo is for the exemplary work in her paper titled “Risk Management in Business Analysis.” The paper is a study emphasizing risk management activity in business analysis work, which is paramount to successful project management activities. She provides a comprehensive synopsis for conducting risk management activities while defining business needs, eliciting requirements, assessing solutions and managing stakeholders.
Each year, the Barrie Award goes to a paper that presents a pragmatic approach to project management issues affecting engineering and construction, while advancing A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Through her paper, this year’s awardee is offering the industry a tremendous opportunity for advancement in the areas of both business analysis and risk management.
Award: The James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year Award—Asia Pacific Region
Recipient: Hentrick Eveluck
About the Awardee: Mr. Eveluck currently resides in Barrigada, Guam. He is a program manager and lead grant writer for the Guam Power Authority. He holds master’s degrees in business administration and public administration from the University of Guam.
This research paper award recognizes excellence in the student development of original concepts in project management. Papers are selected based upon the research and creative effort that are best directed toward advancing the concepts, tools and techniques of managing project-oriented tasks. The award is named for James Snyder, one of PMI’s founders. Mr. Everluck’s paper titled “Enhancing Reduction in Dependence on Off-Island Fuel and Cost of Electricity Project: Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Development Pilot Project,” has also been presented for consideration by the Guam Power Authority to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs.
In this paper, advanced research has been combined with Mr. Everluck’s own creativity, forward-thinking and ingenuity to use project management as the platform for offering this energy-based efficiency solution. This paper is truly representative of the ideals of the award.
Award: The James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year Award—North America Region
Recipient: Adrien Vives
About the Awardee: Mr. Vives obtained his M.S. degree in international business from Skema Business School. After his first project management class, he became fascinated by this discipline and decided to get more involved by volunteering in his local PMI chapter in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is now working in Paris, actively contributing to the development of the sense of touch in the next generation of human machine interfaces.
Mr. Vives is receiving this award for his paper titled “The Development Process to Acquire the Core Competencies of a Successful Project Manager.” In this paper, he examines project manager competencies to determine which skills have the highest impact on project success and how those skills can be acquired. In this context, he also focuses on agile approaches to project management and the skills important to increasing success in agile projects.
As the award is named for a founder of PMI, James Snyder, it is quite fitting that it focuses on the people behind project management and the qualities required for success in the field. Since this research paper award recognizes not only the research, but also the creative efforts toward advancing the concepts, tools and techniques of managing project-oriented tasks, it is very fitting to highlight the people who perform those tasks.
This year the Community Advancement Through Project Management Award is recognizing two categories for pro bono contributions that transferred project management knowledge and best practices to nonprofit organizations, allowing them to increase their capacities to provide vital services.
Individual Project Manager Recipient: Michael O'Connor, MSPM, MSTM, MBA, Ph.D.
Nonprofit Partner: The Sanneh Foundation
This award acknowledges Michael’s project management work with The Sanneh Foundation over the last four years to increase the organization’s IT capacity. He developed and led five staff teams in the application of project management tools. His guidance and facilitation provided measurable improvements to The Sanneh Foundation, from providing Wi-Fi support, to creating apps that help better serve the foundation and community in need.
The Sanneh Foundation’s mission is to empower youth by supporting and promoting educational attainment through in-school and after-school support; improve lives by providing programs that strengthen physical health and social and emotional development; and unite communities by advancing diversity, equity and community well-being.
PMI Chapter: The PMI Alaska Chapter
Nonprofit Partner: Camp Fire Alaska
The PMI Alaska Chapter realized that, with their ambitious missions and limited resources, Alaskan nonprofit organizations and their staff members are ideal candidates to learn project management basics through the PMIEF Project Management for Social Good® Program. Josiane Ballin, along with volunteer Melody Khounsavath, created and executed a series of hands-on training workshops, serving 40 nonprofit agencies in Anchorage and Juneau, including Campfire Alaska.
For over 100 years, Camp Fire Alaska has provided a safe learning environment for kids to discover the best in themselves and others. The chapter started by training the staff, helping them develop project management skills to improve programs and better work with the kids they serve. The PMI Alaska Chapter believes in wide-ranging programs that pass knowledge from staff to kids. This project was the perfect example of the PMI Alaska Chapter’s mission of empowerment now, for future success.
For more information on how you can apply for awards through PMIEF, please visit pmief.org/scholarships.
Chapter Award Winners
PMI Budapest, Hungarian Chapter
PMI would like to congratulate this year’s Chapter of the Year award winners. Choosing the winners was not an easy decision, as we have seen incredible amounts of growth and opportunity across the globe. Our chapters bring to life PMI’s values and passion for project management and produce tangible and lasting effects on their local communities. It is a joy to support each and every one of our chapters, and we are truly proud of all of the submissions we received. It has been uplifting to read about how different chapters are advancing the project management profession and providing value to our membership.
In the first category, for chapters with 25 to 300 members, the PMI Budapest, Hungarian Chapter was announced the winner at the PMI® Leadership Institute Meeting–North America. In their own words, this is why the PMI Budapest, Hungarian Chapter felt they should win this award:
Sixteen years ago, the cradle of our chapter was HP Hungary Ltd. That was the time when our founding members recognized the need for a local community where project management practitioners could network, meet and learn from each other. The first meetings were followed by entertainment and establishment of the PMI Budapest, Hungarian Chapter on 14 November 2003. In the last 15 years or so, we have worked hard to prove to our local project management community that PMI is not only the largest not-for-profit project management organization, but that it is also the best of its kind. We started several programs, including the Project Manager of the Year Award, the Project Management Final Thesis Award, a monthly project management tea meeting, the Project Management Roundtable Conference, the Art of Projects Conference, participation in translations of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and the Agile Practice Guide, a project management pedagogy program based on PMIEF material and much more.
We are the most successful and largest international project management community in Hungary. We have grown from 160 chapter members to over 300 members in the last 18 months. Our chapter member retention rate is very high, at 79.21%. The number of PMI certification holders in Hungary increased significantly between 2018 and 2019. There are now 230 PMI certification holders in our chapter. We became the largest international project management community in Hungary in 2019. Our quarterly “Pulse Member Satisfaction Survey” proves that we are on the right track. Our chapter president was the VP of operations between 2012 and 2015; he became the PMI region mentor in Eastern Europe between 2015 and 2018, and he has been leading the chapter for 18 months now. He has attended all PMI EMEA and North America Leadership Institute Meetings and Region 8 meetings in the last four years and brought everything he learned abroad back home.
Our Art of Projects Conference is the largest English-speaking conference in Central Europe, with over 200 participants. Every year we organize over 20 different events in Hungary. The PMI Budapest, Hungarian Chapter events meet the highest standards all the time. We signed the ECC initiative and started an ECC cooperation with the PMI Central Italy Chapter, the PMI Southern Germany Chapter and the PMI Ukraine Chapter. Every month, on average, there are over 150 webinar attendees; in one year, over 3,000 participants attend our events. We started a cooperation with the PMI Austria Chapter, the PMI Czech Republic Chapter and the PMI Slovakia Chapter and together we organized the Light-Up 360 international event in Vienna, Austria, this year on 6 September 2019.
We have over 15 years of legacy and serve our chapter members and the larger project management community in Hungary. But this didn’t all happen by accident. Back in 2018, we started a brand new chapter in our history. After long hours of discussions, meetings and debates we decided that we should lower the chapter membership fee from US$50 to US$25. We also decided that we would increase the number of our chapter members by at least 100%. We reached this ambitious goal within 18 months. Our local chapter goals and mission are in line with PMI goals and we are fully committed to the project management profession.
PMI Parana Chapter
In the second category, chapters with 301 to 1,500 members competed for the Chapter of the Year Award. In the end, it was the PMI Parana Chapter who took home the title. In their own words, this is why the PMI Parana Chapter felt they deserved to be named “Chapter of the Year:”
First of all, to the PMI Parana Chapter an award means officially recognizing all the work, dedication and time of our volunteers who are devoted to the chapter. We at the PMI Parana Chapter have project management in our veins. In our strategy to grow project management impact and relevance, we have embraced PMI’s core values. We believe in (and demonstrate) high levels of professionalism, commitment and volunteerism. We also believe in alignment: We were one of the first chapters in Latin America to adhere, communicate and reinforce the new strategy of PMI 2.0 to become an organization that understands the needs to adapt to and accelerate the continuous changes in the market. According to Michael LeBoeuf, a satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all and we couldn’t agree more. With that in mind, and following the new guidance to focus on individuals, we have been transforming ourselves to achieve better results, becoming more lean and agile.
We are now approximately 400 members, located in three major areas of the state (the capital and two branches that reach about 20 cities and are continuously expanding). From this total, there are about 140 volunteers who work hard and with passion to expand our knowledge and abilities. We believe that this is the way we will help people navigate and be part of the huge transformation that the world needs in order to be a better place; preparing people to be professionals of the future for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In order to be able to make a direct impact on individual lives, the PMI Parana Chapter has transformed the project management office mindset to be more agile. We have restructured our methodology, aiming to be a gear within the transformation so we can work in a very integrated way to deliver value to members and the community through our projects. By injecting culture and bringing rhythm to actions we are able to reach out to the associate members and people with the potential to be members. We then demonstrate the value of being associates and how it can help them to be more successful.
Our 2018 project portfolio has delivered value to more than 4,800 people through social media (the PMI Parana Chapter website, Facebook, LinkedIn and WhatsApp), a bimonthly newsletter filled with content, annual reports, congresses and seminars, lectures for non-project managers at educational institutions, “Happy Case” events, study groups for the PMP® and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certifications, new certificate recognitions, promotion of project management job positions, mentoring programs, job vacancies disclosures, “Ask the Specialist” forum, PMIEF social impact projects for NGOs and many others. Also, all our activities are 100% transparent to members, because we have implemented the Transparency Portal, where we publish all information and documentation about the results, which are carefully reviewed by the Consulting Board with zero discrepancies.
In addition to all of this, we have proven our ability to deliver value on a national scale, hosting the largest Brazilian national congress in history, even though we are a smaller chapter compared with others. We are all 100% focused and invested in our volunteers to make sure we are ready to accomplish the best results, deliver more value, change perceptions, be agile, have a strategic focus and be customer-centered!
PMI Bangalore India Chapter
In our largest category, with over 1,501 members, the PMI Bangalore India Chapter was awarded Chapter of the Year. In their own words, here is why they believe they deserved to win:
The PMI Bangalore India Chapter has delivered some exceptional performance in the year 2018, which makes us deserving of the Chapter of the Year Award. We have consistently focused and worked on the core values of PMI in a multipronged approach, and because of this, members see “value of association” with the chapter. The prominent achievements as a chapter and our contributions to members and the project management profession are summarized as follows:
Member Retention | Member Service
In 2018, we led the pack and surpassed the goals set for ourselves for first-year member retention in the Asia Pacific Region through a well-planned and sustained effort in this direction. The chapter channelizes all efforts to deliver value to the individual, who remains the focal point of the chapter’s strategic plans. The consistent effort to motivate the individual to stay connected with the chapter through the value proposition of learning, sharing and networking has been successful. Key metrics in the discussion:
♦ Events: 50 events in 2018—4 events per month
♦ Member Coverage: 1,500 members attended chapter events, covering 50% of the membership base
♦ Member Value: Member services to the value of US$45 and discounts of US$50 against chapter fees of US$12
Best Practices | ISO Standards
The chapter subjected itself to a surveillance audit in November 2018 and was recertified under the new ISO 9001:2015 standards. The adoption of the ISO standards has helped the chapter streamline many of its operations. The manuals created as part of this exercise bring clarity to volunteers on the policies, guidelines, procedural requirements and their roles and responsibilities when they engage with the chapter. These manuals have enabled the leadership team to focus on strategic plans without being overburdened with operational issues.
Volunteer | PDU Opportunity
The chapter has engaged nearly 8% of members in volunteering activities and generated opportunities to earn over 5,000 PDUs in the year 2018. Many of our volunteers have been invited to be part of other chapter communities and help them in their programs. By virtue of our experience and maturity attained over the years, the chapter has always responded positively to the requests from other chapters in the region and has collaborated with them.
Global Celebration of Service
The chapter has actively engaged with NGOs and contributed in their capacity-building exercises by customizing PMI practices and principles to their specific environment and enabling performance improvement.
Global Footprint
The chapter leaders were invited to share best practices at the PMI Leadership Institute Meeting 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA, and we have contributed to enriching the PMI community globally. In addition, the PMI Bangalore India Chapter and the leadership team have proactively shared best practices and have supported other chapters by sharing our learning at various forums.
Therefore, we can proudly claim that the performance of the chapter in the year 2018 merits recognition with the award.
While these chapters were the final winners, we would like to recognize and thank all of our chapters for their hard work and commitment over the past year. Our chapters are the driving force behind empowering people to turn ideas into reality. As we look forward to the next 50 years, we are excited to see how our chapters will pave the way for project management in their local communities.
PMI CHINA NEWS
Learn How Business Requirements Contribute to a Project’s Business Value and The Project Risk Management Experience in the Middle East
PMI recently released its updated PMP® Examination Content Outline, which emphasizes more business analysis than before. Actually, this big change follows the trend of project management development and the new requirement for project management practitioners. With the rapid growth of the social economy, organizations demand talented professionals who not only possess project management technical skills, but also understand an organization’s strategic investment value; they should also know the business background of a project to ensure successful project delivery with expected outcomes achieved, thereby driving the organization to realize its strategic goals.
Under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a growing number of Chinese enterprises embrace cross-country businesses. How do you manage risks and ensure project success in such complex global and cross-cultural environments? Clearly, business analysis is a key factor. To take a deep dive into this topic, PMI China brought together project management practitioners in a half-day workshop in Shanghai, with two speakers discussing How Business Requirements Contribute to a Project’s Business Value and The Project Risk Management Experience in the Middle East, respectively.
Ms. Gu Li, the first speaker, has ten years of experience in project management and has been engaged in the translation of PMI’s global standards, including Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, Requirements Management: A Practice Guide and others. She shared with the audience the business model innovation and business need changes, which are essentially derived from the changes in social needs. The change of business needs brings about the appearance of business opportunities or problems, followed by various solutions. Once the solution is authorized by the organization, it becomes what we have come to know as a project. Finally, she spoke about the impact a greater focus on business analysis will have.
The second speaker was Mr. Zhong Weiqiang, PMP, who works at a large state-owned company in charge of long-term international business, with ten years of experience working in the Middle East. He has visited about 20 countries and regions for project study and has accumulated vast intercultural risk management experience.
By combining theoretical sharing and a case study, Mr. Zhong introduced the risks in international engineering and overseas investment from the perspectives of macroenvironment, contract and human factors, which were conducive to enlightening project managers' risk foresight. His sharing also provides practical guidance for cross-country project management; for example, the insight of “to let the right person do the right thing in the right way,” “to do preliminary research (including in-depth cultural research) and post-project evaluation (to insure inheritance and transmission by learning from projects),” and “to strengthen enterprise soft power in the way of law, contract and compliance awareness.”
Events Calendar
CONGRESSES | CONFERENCES | SEMINARS | SYMPOSIUMS | E-LEARNING
PMI In-Person Events
Take part in PMI in-person events where you can participate in top-notch learning and have access to product and services solutions, PDUs and networking. Wherever you practice project management, our in-person events are an invaluable resource to hear from high-energy presenters and build a powerful global network.
Attending a PMI in-person event is a valuable asset to your career. Make sure to sign up today.
PMI members receive significant discounts on registration for most events.
Global Conference 2020
Seattle, Washington, USA 17–19 October 2020
Registration opens February 2020!
PMI® Global Conference is our flagship event attracting thousands of project management practitioners for three days of top-notch learning, networking and celebrations. At this year’s event, we are pleased to announce the first-ever TED@PMI where you’ll hear talks from your colleagues in project management.
EMEA Congress 2020
Prague, Czechia 14–16 June 2020
Every year, PMI® EMEA Congress brings together hundreds of project management practitioners from around the world for three days of cutting-edge education, global perspectives, knowledge sharing and networking. You’ll leave with skills you can apply straightaway to solve your challenges and develop your career.
Live Webinars From ProjectManagement.com
As a valued member of the ProjectManagement.com community, you can access webinars that provide insight from the industry's most respected voices on the most relevant and important topics today—and earn PDUs.
9 DECEMBER 2019, 12:00 PM EST (UTC-5)
Project Manager at the Improv
Get ready to apply improvisation techniques as a project professional. Regardless of your role: project manager, change manager, scrum master, product owner, business analyst, program manager or subject matter expert, you will benefit from using Applied Improv as a means of establishing healthy communication within your teams. This is not improv in the sense of comedians at a nightclub in Los Angeles. This improv is the sense of getting ideas to solve unknowns and define abstract ideas in concrete deliverables. You know, the stuff we do every day. We often host workshops, requirement elicitation sessions, lessons learned meetings, iteration retrospectives and project kickoffs. This presentation will help you bring life to those meetings. Applied Improv is a way of approaching a conversation that helps facilitate a growth mindset, generative thinking and building a team whose members feel included and heard. Using the principles of Applied Improv, you will learn how to energize your meetings, workshops and requirements elicitation sessions. You will find new ways to interact with your stakeholders to create a growth mindset, increase participation, discuss feedback and suggest improvements. Just as improv implies creative thinking, Applied Improv has defined practices to encourage generative thinking.
12 DECEMBER 2019, 9:00 AM EST (UTC-5)
The Agile Enterprise: Friends and Foes—What Are Agile Coaches and When Do We Need Them?
The agile coach is a relatively new role; it is not very well defined and often overrated. From the first concept of “coach” introduced in Extreme Programming (XP), which was more of a system architect to the scrum master in the service of the team and the organization, the role morphed in many organizations to a pure consulting role. Most modern agile frameworks are created as empirical approaches based on a very simple principle: fail fast, learn faster. What is the role of an agile coach in an agile transformation? What skills and experiences are required to add value to the process? These questions, among others, will be addressed in this webinar.
For more information and to register, visit ProjectManagement.com/Webinars.
Chapter Links
NEWS | PEOPLE | PROJECTS
PMI UAE Chapters pmiuae.org
How the PMI UAE Chapter Achieves Success on Social Media
The PMI UAE Chapter is just five years old, but has an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. In order to achieve success, the PMI UAE Chapter has adopted the “try and learn” mindset, which enables continuous improvements to be made to their social media strategy. This ensures that chapter members are both satisfied and engaged, which we can be confident in because board and chapter members provide feedback regularly through direct interactions on social media or at chapter events. Additionally, a workshop is held in November to gather member feedback and prepare the member benefit plan for the following year, which includes the social media plan. One of the outcomes of a recent workshop was the creation of four LinkedIn industry groups, created to help people network and share experiences within these specific industry domains:
♦ Business and management consultancy group
♦ Construction group
♦ IT and telecommunications group
♦ Oil and energy group
What is the team composition?
Tight collaborative teamwork is required to maintain the chapter’s social media presence. The team is composed of:
♦ Director of Marketing—Aalap Ghosh
♦ Digital Marketing Manager—Lateef Mohammed
♦ Graphic Designer—Nawaf Al Karnous, from Bahrain, part of the PMI UAE Chapter’s Bahrain Volunteer Community (based remotely)
♦ Social Media Coordinators—Joelle Bejjani and Arti Sood
In order to accommodate upcoming projects, the team expanded with the addition of two new members in September 2019: Yasmina Khelifi and Piyush Shah. The management team also realized they needed a dedicated graphic designer team member to develop eye-catching visuals, which increased engagement on social media.
How does the team operate?
The PMI UAE Chapter chose to have a centralized team in order to maintain harmony and consistency in all communication delivered. The team implemented the following policies:
♦ Guidelines for publications with templates are well defined.
♦ Requests from other teams are sent to the digital marketing manager for planning and implementation. The social media coordinator shares a draft of the content, i.e., graphics and texts for review and feedback. A final version is agreed on and published on all social media platforms.
♦ A social media scheduling and marketing platform (Hootsuite) is used to automate posts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
By keeping the team organized, involved and centrally located, the PMI UAE Chapter was able to achieve a strong sense of belonging, increased creativity, constructive feedback and a feeling of pride among team members.
The team also takes part in in-person events regularly, building up an internal network that helps gain efficiency and nurtures the content portfolio.
What do you publish?
The content is really diverse and organized as follows:
♦ Chapter information about project management:
♦ Monthly newsletter with Chapter President Laila Faridoon’s quotes
♦ Volunteer quotes: Volunteers get an opportunity to post individual quotes with their pictures. Posts are done weekly. This has been a massive success in maintaining high volunteer engagement.
♦ Monday thoughts: Some articles from the Harvard Business Review or Forbes are shared based on members’ interests.
♦ Chapter events:
♦ Webinar or in-person event announcements in a defined theme
♦ Event reminders and speaker biographies
♦ Live and post-event coverage
♦ PMI information:
♦ Let’s grow together: We post about PMI’s 50-year history and/or ethics once every two weeks.
♦ PMI.org content, such as podcasts or PM Network®
♦ Local cultural or religious events
♦ We also post to recognize board members or volunteers for individual achievements outside PMI chapter activities, e.g., nomination, diploma, publications and participation in PMI EMEA Congress.
What KPIs do you define?
A clear digital marketing strategy is defined through monthly KPIs, using analytics tools provided in social media:
♦ Number of followers per social media platform
♦ Number of “likes,” clicks, shares or comments per social media platform
♦ Engagement is calculated for each social media channel and is published to the entire team. Engagement is also calculated as a total number.
♦ The Start, Stop, Continue retrospective technique is used by the team for each social media project, which enhances engagement on a continuous basis.
Engagement with members is done through various forms of content, frequent publications, active listening and KPI monitoring.
Beyond numbers, the main outcomes of our continuous efforts are:
♦ Using social media to connect with our members in a back-and-forth dialogue
♦ Building up visual stories, emotional memories and sharing sources of joy and feelings. From the outset, we aim to develop “human” social media, made up of smiling faces and shared moments
♦ Enhancing membership growth and retention
♦ Fostering intellectual growth and collaborative creativity and innovation
♦ Promoting the PMI brand
By sharing the life of our chapter, we would like to have a positive impact on project management in the UAE and around the world.
Visit the PMI UAE Chapter’s social networks for more ideas:
♦ linkedin.com/company/pmi-united-arab-emirates-chapter/
Best Practices and Tips
If you are thinking about developing a strong social media presence, keep these tips in mind:
♦ Focus on quality, not quantity.
♦ Build up a team with graphical and collaborative skills: the right number of people, diversity and experiences are the key assets of constant creativity.
♦ Develop appealing visuals: choose free tools available in application stores.
♦ Write some guidelines and post templates.
♦ Build up a strong internal network that helps to gain efficiency.
♦ Define a diverse content portfolio: a clear recognition of the medium that is best for each message is required for effective use.
♦ Have a concrete social calendar where you list the type of content to be posted on specific days of the week—stick to it and use events and other announcements as needed.
♦ Choose a tool to automate and schedule posts—10 a.m. and 4 p.m. posts (local UAE time) attract the highest engagement in the region.
♦ Define KPIs and monitor them monthly.
PMI Africa Chapters pmiafricaconference.com
The PMI Africa Chapter Leadership Meeting
On 7 and 8 September 2019, over 48 leaders across the chapters in PMI Region 16 met for a one-and-half day leadership meeting to network; share lessons learned and best practices; showcase various initiatives by chapters; and strategize on collaborative approaches to further increase the awareness of project management, PMI and PMI chapters and their continued growth at the chapter level throughout Africa.
Some of the topics covered included updates on PMI’s transformation and rebranding, educational sessions on the role of PMIEF within chapters, ethical decision making within chapter boards, chapter updates and statistical reviews of chapter performance, as well as highlighted sessions from the PMI Kenya Chapter on “Initiatives on Membership Growth and Retention,” the PMI Nigeria Chapter on “Building a Cordial Relationship Between PMI Chapters and R.E.P.s: The Practical Experience of Resourceful Collaborations,” and the PMI South Africa Chapter on the “South Africa PMIEF Program” and a video on its chapter summit.
In the same spirit of collaboration, all the PMI Africa Chapter leaders also spent two hours at the Mabinti Centre supporting the production of merchandise for real customer orders in alignment with PMI's celebration of service pledge and its commitment toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Mabinti Centre is a holistic care program for women and girls recovering from fistula surgery and a component of the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT).
In appreciation of the work that the chapter leaders do as volunteers and for their chapters and PMI, all chapter leaders were given certificates of appreciation during the leadership meeting. They also had a fun networking experience and evening out! It is part of what we do.
The PMI Africa Project Management Conference
Following the PMI Africa Leadership Meeting came the PMI Africa Conference, a two-and-half day conference from 8–10 September, themed “Growth Made Possible by Project Managers.”
The PMI Africa Conference brings together hundreds of project, program and portfolio managers from around the world, providing two-and-half days of unparalleled professional development and networking. It enhances personal skill sets, empowering leaders to drive strategic organizational objectives through the advocacy and advancement of the profession. Innovative keynotes challenge the status quo, industry experts deliver actionable solutions, and peer-driven content offers real-world insight into today’s evolving project and business challenges.
The PMI Africa Conference, a collaboration of all the PMI Africa chapters, was hosted this year by the PMI Tanzania Chapter, and was supported by all the PMI Africa chapters. This conference represented the fourth successful conference of its kind. The conference was attended by over 300 people from diverse sectors and from over 20 countries both within and outside of Africa.
The conference opened with a blast of color, cultural music, drums and entertainment, followed by opening remarks from the PMI Africa region mentor and the president of the PMI Tanzania Chapter. Then there was an inspiring welcome address from PMI President and CEO, Sunil Prashara, along with the introduction of Otema Yirenkyi, vice president of global engagement, who is also responsible for the PMI Africa region. The conference also included an insightful keynote address by Tejas Sura, PMP, PfMP, PMI Board member, on the “The Value of Project Management”—PMI’s 2019 Pulse of the Profession® report. These presentations were then followed by motivational and stimulating TED Talks, curated for PMI by TED and presented by five TED speakers.
The day closed with a networking social event, which was packed with 50th anniversary messages, food, cultural vibes, entertainment and dancing.
Chapter leaders
Day 2 included 10 speakers across two breakout sessions covering engaging and technical topics, including:
♦ Your Secret Power—The Key To Driving Better Project Performance
♦ Back to the Future—A Business Case for Sustainable Project Management in Africa
♦ Project Management in Africa: Ancient Indigenous Practice to Deeply Rooted Modern National Competence
♦ Servant Leadership—Creating a Circle of Safety for Your Project Team
♦ Project Management in Football—A Case of Obama Cup
♦ Program Management as Key Success Factor to Development Initiatives
♦ The African Project Manager of the Next Decade
♦ The Use of Project Management in Overcoming Ethical, Social, Financial and Technical Barriers in Africa
♦ Strategically Navigating Project-Program Risks for Successful Delivery
♦ Project Culture and Its Influence in Project Success in Multicultural Environments
The day closed with a gala dinner not yet seen before, with colorful and radiant traditional costumes worn by most to the event, a variety of foods, cultural music, drums, contortionists, dancers, entertainment, a DJ, singing, line dancing, synchronizations and a vibrant crowd of people letting loose and having fun.
Day 3, the final day of the conference, included three dynamic keynote sessions on “The Value of Lean Thinking—How to Inspire Change and Growth Through Leadership and How to Generate a Culture of Accountability;” “The Role of Public Infrastructure Developers in Financial Sustainability of Project Supply Chain and Economic Growth in Africa;” and “Scratching the Surface: Platforms, Impact and Innovation—Strategic Lessons for Project Management.”
There were also closing words from the PMI Africa region mentor, the president of the PMI Tanzania Chapter, the PMIEF community engagement committee member for Africa, the president of the PMI Nigeria Chapter and the president and CEO of PMI. And, yes, you guessed correctly: The next PMI Africa Conference was announced and will be hosted by the PMI Nigeria Chapter and held in Lagos, Nigeria in September 2020. The day concluded as it opened with cultural music, drums and entertainment.
In summary, by 2050 Africa will represent about one quarter of the world’s population, which brings increasing demands. Some of those demands will be on the environment and availability of infrastructure, services, technology and education. Project management will play an increasing role in making this happen.
In conclusion, and in the words of Sunil Prashara, president and CEO of PMI: “The Africa 2019 PMI Conference represents one team, one voice and one dance—awesome fantastic content, TED talks, thought leadership, best practices, lessons learned, culture, networking, food, more food and a lot more. I am proud to see chapters coming together with universal tasks that make a difference to the future of project management in Africa—not just in a single country, but the whole continent. Again: Awesome! Go for it team Africa. I am with you all the way!”
The 14 Africa chapters are the PMI Angola Chapter, the PMI Botswana Chapter, the PMI Cameroon Chapter, the PMI Ivory Coast Chapter, the PMI Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Chapter, the PMI Ghana Chapter, the PMI Kenya Chapter, the PMI Mauritius Chapter, the PMI Nigeria Chapter, the PMI Senegal Chapter, the PMI South Africa Chapter, the PMI Tanzania Chapter, the PMI Uganda Chapter and the PMI Zimbabwe Chapter.