PMI® EMEA Congress 2018
The Real Deal on Innovation
INSIDE
PMOs Evolving to Maximize Their Value
Transformation Is Among LIM Topics
R.E.P. Kickoff Meeting Held in Shenzhen
SAGE Publishing to Take Over Project Management Journal®
Foundation's Grants Equip PM Ready Workforce Worldwide
Events Calendar
Chapter Links
Influence PMI's Future With Your Vote:
Choose Your Candidates in the 2019–2021 Board Election
By Matt Schur
Annette Schwinn, PMP, soaked up plenty of useful sessions on buzz-worthy topics like change and innovation at this year's PMI® EMEA Congress in Berlin, Germany. But it wasn't just talk. In one of the event's new immersive sessions, she and her fellow attendees used project management in a quest to save humanity from the edge of extinction. Okay, it was a board game, but she still picked up plenty of practical tips.
“The workshop required us to take an agile approach, which was very interesting for me because I've never worked on an agile team,” said Ms. Schwinn, IT project manager at Deutsche Telekom IT, Darmstadt, Germany. And since her company looks to use agile more often, the board game was good practice—and “a lot of fun.”
How project and program managers can identify, manage and conquer disruption was a common congress theme. Through immersive workshops, behind-the-scenes tours of Berlin's megaprojects, keynote presentations and learning sessions, more than 700 attendees from more than 445 organizations and 73 countries discovered what it takes to deliver transformative change.
The topics and timing were particularly well-suited for Jörg Vanhoefer, PMP, project and program manager at Hamburger Hafen and Logistik, Hamburg, Germany. The company is looking to launch a major digital transformation, and congress offered a way to “step into this universe and get new ideas on how to change our general thinking,” he said.
Surfing the Waves of Change
Opening keynoter Rowan Gibson was blunt about the storm of disruption facing project professionals: Are you going to be “up there riding these waves of change? Or lying on the beach waiting for the tsunami to hit you?”
To survive—and thrive—in this environment, companies must challenge orthodoxies, harness trends, leverage resources and understand customers' needs.
“Innovation must be an all-the-time, everywhere capability,” said Mr. Gibson. “It has to become a new corporate way of life.”
The message that project teams can't just look toward R&D departments for innovation resonated with Kenneth Holley, a graduate student at New York University, New York, New York, USA. “Innovation needs to be looked at holistically across the organization,” he said.
Railway station tour.
Keynote speaker Rowan Gibson
Yet even with all the next-gen tech—robots, automation, deep learning—changing the business landscape, real-life project and program managers have an edge, said closing keynoter Inma Martinez. Their secret power? Machines will never beat humans at discerning right from wrong, the tech pioneer said. “This is where deep learning fails and fails and fails,” she said. “You still want the humans to use their wonderful brain to make that decision.”
It was a reassuring message for Mohamed Al-Ghanboosi, PMP, senior construction manager, Qatari Diar Ras Al Hadd, Muscat, Oman. “She gave me comfort when she said that robots aren't going to conspire against us,” he said. “We need to develop an understanding that it's beneficial to work with machines.”
The Real Thing
Beyond keynotes and sessions, attendees got an up-close view of some of the city's coolest megaprojects. On a visit to the delayed Brandenburg Airport project—now slated for a 2020 completion—attendees learned how the team is managing the effort's intense stakeholder scrutiny. Along with a tour of the site, one of the team's leaders walked attendees through plans for scaling up the airport's capacity to 55 million passengers by 2040.
In another tour, attendees learned about the Hauptbahnhof rail station, which was completed in 2006. Deftly navigating a massive schedule crunch, the project team excavated more than 1.5 million cubic meters (53 million cubic feet) of earth to prepare the site that eventually became Europe's largest train station.
“The [Hauptbahnhof] visit was beneficial to me to see that complexity is everywhere—not just on my project,” says Tamy Baddour, PMP, IT project manager, Bankmed, Beirut, Lebanon. “It's great to know that there's light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long it takes.”
The congress also gave her an opportunity to mix and mingle with her peers. “In my country, we don't have the chance to have such big events to be able to interact with other project professionals,” Ms. Baddour said. “I'm here to meet people and get exposed to new ideas going on in the rest of the world.”
Get ready for more networking and knowledge at next year's congress scheduled for 13–15 May in Dublin, Ireland.
Inside Congress
For behind-the-scenes congress action, check out PMI's Twitter (@PMIevents), Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook feeds. And visit the “Voices on Project Management” blog on ProjectManagement.com to catch up on daily congress recaps by Cyndee Miller.
Volunteers pose for group photo.
Bookstore.
Immersive workshop “Escape From Earth! A Project Management Board Game.”
Provider kiosks and sponsors.
Mark Your Calendars
PMI® EMEA Congress
Dublin, Ireland 13–15 May 2019
Postcards from Berlin
“Three days at congress replaces two to three weeks of work back in the office. The presentations, keynotes and ideas being shared are so inspiring. It ultimately helps me work better and faster.”
—Juergen Flemming, PMP, head of project management, Vinzenz Von Paul Klineken, Stuttgart, Germany
“I've picked up the tools and approaches during sessions and learned from other project managers who have faced similar difficulties. I also learned about how to manage two specific challenges I'm facing around time and cost management.”
—Tamara Sahakian, PMP, financial controller, IdeA Foundation Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
“One of the things I want to do is build networks between the business and technical people, which is a bit of a divide at the moment.”
—Katy Fahey, technical project manager, Freenet Digital, Berlin, Germany
“In one of the most impactful learning sessions, the presenter talked about the combination of waterfall and agile. She illustrated how it's not an either/or approach.”
—Christian Hanns Dietrich, PMP, vice president, global project services, T-Systems International, Frankfurt, Germany
“I have a lot of challenging stakeholders. So I'm looking to gain self-awareness, and better communication and listening skills.”
—Denise Schoeneich, PMP, privacy engineer, Intel, San Francisco, California, USA
Editorial and Advertising Offices
Address manuscripts and other editorial submissions, mailing list rental queries, requests for reprints, bulk copies, submissions, letters to the editor or reprint permission to:
Project Management Institute
Publications Department, 14 Campus Blvd., Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA
Tel: +1 610 356 4600 Fax: +1 610 356 4647
Editorial: [email protected]
Website: PMI.org
Unless otherwise specified, all letters and articles sent to PMI are assumed for publication and become the copyright property of PMI if published.
Vice President, Brand Management
Cindy W. Anderson
[email protected]
Publisher
Donn Greenberg
[email protected]
Editor In Chief
Dan Goldfischer
[email protected]
Publications Production Supervisor
Barbara Walsh
[email protected]
Product Editor
Roberta Storer
[email protected]
Advertising Sales
PMI Today Design and Production
Cetlin Design Group
Publication and Membership
PM Network® (ISSN 1040-8754) and PMI Today® are published monthly by Project Management Institute. PMI Today is a supplement to PM Network. Canadian agreement #40030957. Postmaster: Send address changes to:
PMI Today, 14 Campus Blvd., Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA
Tel: +1 610 356 4600 Fax: +1 610 356 4647
PMI Today's mission, as the official membership news publication of Project Management Institute, is to provide a forum for communication among Institute membership and about volunteerism and policy. All articles in PMI Today are the views of the authors and are not necessarily those of PMI.
PMI is a not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to advancing the state of the art of project management. Membership in PMI is open to all at an annual dues of US$129. For information on PMI programs and membership, to report a change of address or for problems with your subscription, contact PMI at the addresses listed.
Project Management Institute
14 Campus Blvd., Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA
Tel: +1 610 356 4600; Fax: +1 610 482 9971
Email: [email protected]
Website: PMI.org
PMI Asia Pacific Service Centre
Singapore
Tel: +65 6496 5501
Email: [email protected]
PMI Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Service Centre
Dundalk, Ireland
Tel: +353 42 682 5610
Email: [email protected]
PMI India Service Centre
New Delhi, India
Tel.: +91 124 4517140
Email (membership-related queries):
Other Locations
- Beijing, China
- Bengaluru, India
- Brussels, Belgium
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- London, England
- Mumbai, India
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Shanghai, China
- Shenzhen, China
- Sydney, Australia
- Washington, D.C., USA
See PMI.org/AboutUs/Pages/Customer-Care.aspx for contact details.
© 2018 Project Management Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. “PMI,” the PMI logo,” “CAPM,” “PMP,” “PMBOK,” “PM Network,” and “Project Management Institute” are registered marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.
For a comprehensive list of PMI marks, please refer to the PMI List of Marks found on our website at pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Media/PMI_List_of_Marks.ashx or contact the PMI Legal Department.
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.
2018 PMI Board of Directors
Chair
Caterina (Cathy) La Tona, BCS, PMP, PfMP
+1 248 703 9810
[email protected]
Vice Chair
Jennifer Tharp, PMP
+1 415 385 1749
[email protected]
Secretary/Treasurer and Chair, Audit and Performance Oversight Committee
Tony Appleby, MBA, PMP
+1 510 468 9658
[email protected]
Chair, Strategy Oversight Committee
Randall T. (Randy) Black, P.Eng., PMP
+1 587 988 9917
[email protected]
DIRECTORS
Margareth Carneiro, MBA, MSc, PMP
+55 61 8175 3455
[email protected]
J. Davidson Frame, PhD, PMP, PMI Fellow
+1 703 623 0035
[email protected]
Teresa A. (Terri) Knudson, MBA, PMP, PgMP, PfMP
+1 507 259 9568
[email protected]
Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, MBA, PMP
+32 479 80 94 18
[email protected]
Kathleen P. Romero, MBA, PMP, CSM, and SPC
+1 804 677 7674
[email protected]
Tejas Sura, MS, MBA, PMP, PfMP
+91 91672 37828
[email protected]
Roberto Toledo, MBA, PMP
+52 55 5416 7214
[email protected]
Thomas Walenta, Dipl.Math, PMP, PgMP, PMI Fellow
+49 171 3358938
[email protected]
Cecil White, EdD, MBA, PMP
+1 876 507 1248
[email protected]
Al Zeitoun, PhD, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMP
+1 202 215 9809
[email protected]
STAFF EXECUTIVE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mark A. Langley
+1 610 356 4600
[email protected]
from the Board
Tony Appleby, MBA, PMP, Secretary/Treasurer and Chair, Audit and Performance Oversight Committee
PMOs Evolving TO MAXIMIZE Their Value
As a specialist in advancing project management maturity in organizations, I receive a lot—and I really mean a lot—of questions regarding project or program management offices (PMOs) and how to best maximize their value in the organizations they support. So, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the most frequent questions I receive on this truly important topic.
First and easily foremost is the PMO's connection to strategy execution. Many organizations are excellent at formulating strategies that will deliver enhanced benefits to stakeholders and shareholders. These could include expanding into new geographies, establishing new lines of business, disrupting the status quo with an innovative product or developing the next new pioneering technology.
Regretfully, though, too many of these strategic initiatives ultimately fail to deliver their desired results. An Economist Intelligence Unit survey sponsored by PMI showed just 56 percent of strategic initiatives have been successful. Products come to market too late, budgets are exceeded and returns on investment are diminished or lost, or—quite simply—the initiative fails to live up to its original intent.
In my opinion, the primary reason for these failures is that organizations don't realize the importance of organizational processes and structures. These need to both exist and operate excellently to make these strategic dreams a reality. And while PMOs are well equipped to help organizations successfully execute on their strategic initiatives, they are often situated too far down in the organizational hierarchy to be a true strategic enabler.
Raising PMOs in the Matrix
Thankfully, many organizations are realizing this and are bringing the PMO higher up in the organizational matrix. And the name of the PMO is changing, too, to better reflect its elevated purpose. We are now starting to see names like “strategy implementation office,” “corporate performance department” and “business benefits delivery office,” all of which are essentially enhanced enterprise-wide PMOs that focus on benefits realization, strategic alignment of project delivery efforts and resources, and the oversight of organizational project management practices.
Elevating the importance of the PMO in an organization's hierarchy may not always be possible, but there are other ways that a PMO can elevate its value. For example, the PMO should
- ensure that benefits realization is being tracked after a project closes,
- make sure there is executive buy-in and sponsor engagement, and
- continuously help senior leaders understand how the PMO helps the organization achieve its strategic goals.
PMOs that provide these functions help their organizations be significantly more successful in meeting their strategic objectives. The 2017 PMI Pulse of the Profession® survey showed that mature PMOs—those aligned to their organizations' strategies—had 38 percent more projects meet their original goals and business intent and 33 percent fewer projects considered as failures. And in an environment where every investment dollar truly needs to be maximized, mature PMOs are key partners in helping ensure that less money is wasted.
PMOs in Startup Environments
Along these lines, I am also often asked about the potential virtue of PMOs in startup environments. And I always respond that there is an excellent case to be made for them. Even a very small PMO can have a tremendously positive impact on a startup's ability to stay on course with its strategy, especially when that strategy may, out of necessity, change frequently. The PMO helps ensure that the work remains aligned with shifting priorities, that resource use is optimized, that risks are identified and managed, and that progress toward goals is constantly monitored and issues are escalated.
I cannot imagine any organization—corporate, governmental, nonprofit, startup or not—that could not derive significant advantage from having a mechanism, like a PMO, that ensures that projects are delivered in such a way that they achieve their desired outcomes. Many organizations have multiple levels of PMOs, from those that support specific programs to those that serve departments and lines of business, as well as those at the enterprise level. When their efforts are coordinated, their ability to drive value into the organization is multiplied. Moreover, they help to drive a culture that understands and supports project excellence. Companies embracing the power of organizational project management, usually led by formally established PMOs, gain significant competitive advantage in the marketplace while increasing both customer and employee levels of satisfaction.
Project Delivery Approaches
Another question I receive from PMO leaders is about the use of different project delivery approaches. Frequently, the oversight of agile project efforts within historically waterfall or predictive environments has been frustrating PMO directors as they struggle to determine what is best for their organization. Indeed, there are even more approaches to project delivery, such as extreme programming (XP) and integrated product teams, that further complicate the matter. At the end of the day, though, I advocate the rational employment of multiple systems and hybrid approaches. There is very rarely a single methodology that will best serve the needs and interests of any given organization.
The challenge becomes how does the PMO play a supportive role in helping project and product teams determine what is best for the organization when it comes to multiple options for delivery? I come from a waterfall background and I appreciate the value associated with a predictive approach. But I am also an agile enthusiast who recognizes the power of flexibility at both the project and organizational levels. And I acknowledge that there are a wide variety of other viable approaches to helping organizations realize the benefits required to achieve business success.
Not every company or agency has the appetite for multiple delivery approaches. There are a few factors that must be evaluated here. If the organization has an established methodology, what are the “sacred” elements within the organization's culture that are most important? For example, if standardized reporting by the PMO from a waterfall perspective is expected by executives, consideration must be given to training those executives to understand new reporting formats that reflect agile methods. And there is likely a learning curve for those executives in understanding “nontraditional” reporting. Ultimately, though, PMOs should assist in finding approaches that work best for the organization.
And this is where capability considerations enter the equation. While there may be an appetite for alternate or multiple or hybrid methodologies, does the organization have the necessary talent available to support them? If not, the case for building up internal competencies will need to be made. And that should not be too hard to do, as I believe there is ample evidence that organizations that employ varied project delivery approaches based on needed outcomes are much more successful than their peers who rigidly apply a single approach across all project efforts.
Disruptive Technologies
To conclude this discussion, I would like to address another item of note. I have been having a lot of conversations lately with PMO leaders about disruptive technologies. Robotics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, among other cutting-edge innovations, are affecting organizations everywhere.
The PMO plays a role in responding to these issues with organizational risk identification and management, albeit generally more from a business model and operational support perspective than from a strategy development one. The PMO is in a terrific position to help perform sensitivity, or “what-if,” analyses that help inform executives so they can make informed decisions. For example, if the company were to react to a given scenario, a strategic enterprise PMO can assist with evaluating ramifications to the project portfolio; strategic alignment of projects to the new paradigm; and the impacts on budgets, schedules and resource availability.
In a way, it is not too dissimilar to the role that the PMO plays in organizational transformation. Being prepared to actively support change initiatives is a crucial competency of a mature PMO. Being able to support innovation and organizational agility is a hallmark of an advanced PMO capability and one that should be immediately developed if it is not already in place. Disruptive technologies are not a matter of if, but a matter of when. And when is much more likely to be sooner than later.
Because PMOs have deep supportive connections across the enterprise, they are in an excellent position to help raise awareness to senior leaders of trends that are affecting operational efforts, in both positive and negative ways. The PMO director's role here is clear: to continuously solicit insights from project and operational staff and synthesize observations into meaningful information that can be appropriately discussed by the organization's senior leadership teams.
Thankfully, PMI has an absolute wealth of detailed research reports, case studies, guides and other thought leadership items that can assist organizations with improving the value of their PMOs in meaningful and enduring ways that add to the bottom line, increase value and assist with strategic delivery. You can find these at PMI.org, under the “Learning” and “Business & Government” tabs. I leverage these with my clients—at every level, from the C-suite to practitioners—and I am sure that they will provide you with similar insights.
PMI® Leadership Institute Meeting 2018—EMEA
Transformation Is Among LIM Topics
Berlin, Germany was the site of the biggest PMI Leadership Institute Meeting ever held in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region. Attending were 356 volunteers representing 91 chapters and 71 countries.
The purpose of the LIM is to share information, tools and resources that leaders need to provide valuable products and services to their chapter members.
An important topic discussed in Berlin, as it was earlier this year for chapter leaders in Latin America, was the transformation to PMI2.0. Roughly 120 chapter leaders took part in the “Journey to PMI2.0” workshops.
But the most valuable takeaway for many attendees is the sense of family gained from informal networking events such as the two evening networking socials. These balanced out busy days for delegates attending inspiring keynote talks, region meetings and breakout sessions.
Sahar Hashemi
Breakout session tracks covered many areas of importance for PMI chapters and their leaders:
- Academics
- Association Governance
- Financial Management
- Leadership Development
- Marketing and Communications
- Membership
- PMI Tools and Resources
- Professional Development
- Technology
- Volunteer Engagement
There was also a workshop for Leadership Institute Master Class Alumni, as well as a first-time attendee session. The latter allowed new attendees the opportunity to meet senior volunteer leaders and PMI staff who are dedicated to providing the support needed for volunteers to be effective and successful in their roles.
Keynote Speakers
Sahar Hashemi spoke on “Customer Service: Stepping Into the Customer's Shoes.” She was a co-founder of Coffee Republic, the United Kingdom's first U.S.-style coffee bar chain, and helped build it into one of the United Kingdom's most recognized high street brands with revenue of £30 million. Giving up her career as a lawyer in London, she staked everything on a dream—and made Coffee Republic one of the main early players in the “coffee revolution.”
Ms. Hashemi left the day-to-day management of Coffee Republic in 2001 and published a bestselling book Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from Our Kitchen Table, which has been translated into several languages and is the second-highest selling book on entrepreneurship after Sir Richard Branson's book. Her most recent book is Switched On: 10 Habits to Being Highly Effective in Your Job, and Loving It.
Beau Lotto, PhD
Beau Lotto, PhD, presented a talk entitled “Leadership, Creativity & Innovation, Personal Motivation.” He is a globally renowned neuro-scientist as well as founder and CEO of Lab of Misfits Studio, the world's first neuro-design studio. The lab creates unique real-world “experiential-experiments” that place the public at the center of the process of discovery. By spanning social and personal boundaries between people, brands and institutions, the lab's aim is to create, expand and apply their insights into what it is to be a perceiving human.
Dr. Lotto's ideas about the relevance of science to ordinary people have taken him to places where few other scientists have ventured—including into exhibition space inside a London science museum. While at the museum, Lottolab pushed public engagement in science to new levels by involving the public directly in experiments. Mr. Lotto's education program led to the publication of the first-ever, peer-reviewed scientific paper written by schoolchildren.
Dr. Lotto is the author of Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently. He draws on over two decades of pioneering research to explain that our brain hasn't evolved to see the world accurately.
First-Timer Impressions
Rob O'Donohue, PMP, the communications director for the PMI Ireland Chapter and a first-time LIM attendee (“but not his last,” he emphasized), spoke with PMI Today®:
Rob O'Donohue, PMP
What were your overall impressions of the event?
It was a great experience. As the [communications] director for the PMI Ireland Chapter, I was recording audio content for our own podcast so I was networking more than I normally do. That really helped me talk to many attendees. It was such a well-run event and the atmosphere was very inclusive. A bunch of project managers all communicating well; probably what I should have expected!
What were the main takeaways for improving the operations of your PMI chapter?
I believe we have started to embrace social media and plan to do more of this in the coming months.
What value did you gain for your own project management career?
Via the interviews for the podcast, I talked to 25+ chapter presidents and leaders. This has been helpful in growing my network. I am learning and growing as a communications lead all the time, and this will feed into my own project management career as it continues to develop.
Veteran Impressions
This was the fourth LIM for Wolfgang Friesike, PMP, PMI Berlin/Brandenburg Chapter vice president of strategy and execution.
Wolfgang Friesike, PMP
What were your overall impressions of the event?
It was a very impressive and well-organized event with great keynote speakers, good educational and workshop sessions and, most important, a lot of networking with many colleagues from all over the world. For me, it was a great experience again and a pleasure to share ideas and thoughts with others in many enthusiastic discussions.
What were the main takeaways for improving the operations of your PMI chapter?
As a PMI chapter, our main focus is serving our members on a local basis. So generally speaking, we are already in sync with the new global strategy of PMI.
Octoberfest-themed networking social.
Journey to PMI2.0 workshop.
What value did you gain for your own project management career?
- Everything is about change and change will never stop. Be always open and curious to change. Don't fear uncertainty. What's new is interesting.
- Project management and general management will converge. Strong project management skills are an excellent basis for every management career.
Cecilia Svensson, president of the PMI Sweden Chapter, has attended many LIMs.
Cecilia Svensson
What were your overall impressions of the event?
The program was a good mix and [there were] lots of good PMI friends.
What were the main takeaways for improving the operations of your PMI chapter?
The “Playing to Win” workshops where the new target groups were explained as well as the pillars of the new strategy to be implemented, and how we, as PMI, are all part of becoming the future organization that will be agile, customer-centered and strategically focused.
I am bringing home with me inspiration on how to work smarter with [video] clips in social media, how to engage volunteers more easily and how I can be an even better chapter leader.
What value did you gain for your own project management career?
I work mainly in the field of change management and innovation. I bring home shared knowledge and inspiration from my PMI friends who are in the same field as I am.
Influence PMI's Future With Your Vote
Choose Your Candidates in the 2019–2021 Board Election
Annually, PMI's members have a chance to influence the future direction of the Institute by participating in the election of the PMI Board of Directors.
The Board carries out the Institute's purposes and objectives. They are solely responsible and accountable for strategy direction and approval, strategy assurance and for fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities entrusted to them by PMI's membership.
The four directors selected by you, the members, will serve on PMI's Board for a three-year term and govern the Institute. They are “directors at large,” elected to serve the entire membership.
Personalized electronic ballots will be emailed on 16 July. If you do not receive your ballot, please visit MyPMI to verify your preferred email address, and contact [email protected] to request one.
All completed ballots must be received by 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (UTC –4), 27 August.
2018 PMI Nominating Committee
The volunteers on this committee selected the Board candidates profiled on the following pages. Their selection was guided by PMI Rules of the Board 6.0.3.
The 2018 PMI Nominating Committee members are (seated, from left) Ricardo Triana, PMP, chair; Claire Baillargeon, PMP; and Dickinson Agyapong-Bempa, PMP; (standing, from left) Kenn Dolan, PMP; Brajesh Kaimal, PMP.
YOUR PMI BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES
Ramam Atmakuri, MSc, PMP
Ramam Atmakuri's career of over 35 years in manufacturing, IT and nonprofit organizations is characterized by successive roles in global management teams, strategy setting and delivering transformational initiatives. After serving in leadership roles in various multinational companies for 30 years, Mr. Atmakuri's passion for social impact led his move to a nonprofit organization that serves underprivileged communities in its mission to prevent avoidable blindness.
He is currently the executive vice chair at L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), a 32-year-old nonprofit organization. LVPEI served 1.5+ million people last year, treating more than 50 percent at no cost. He is responsible for governance and operations for a massive network of 195 primary, secondary and tertiary eye care centers, largely in rural India. He has forged collaborations with global institutions to develop innovative, scalable and impactful programs for social good.
Earlier, as vice president and head of global delivery centers for Cognizant, Invensys and Baan, he led multi-disciplinary teams across continents, established PMOs, successfully managed mergers and acquisitions, and delivered several multi-million-dollar transformational programs that resulted in business growth.
Mr. Atmakuri has been serving PMI for 18 years in various capacities including founder and president of the PMI Pearl City, Hyderabad Chapter, region mentor, chapter member advisory group member, and currently serves on the Technology Member Advisory Group and the board of PMI India.
Mr. Atmakuri is a recipient of the prestigious PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Award of Excellence, besides other global leadership and industry awards. As a seasoned speaker on PPPM and leadership topics, he has presented at Leadership Institute Meetings, chapter and regional events.
He holds a Master's degree in Applied Statistics, diploma in Operational Research, is a Certified Quality Analyst, and PMP® certification holder since 2005.
Randall T. (Randy) Black, P.Eng., PMP
Randy Black is an experienced project manager, business leader and business owner. As the owner of Edutainer53 Consulting Ltd., a project management training and consulting firm located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Mr. Black continues to contribute to the profession and to bettering organizations through his teaching, writing and consulting.
In his 40-year career, he has worked in a variety of industries including telecommunications, IT consulting, e-learning development and consulting, engineering, project management training and consulting, and PMO management.
Mr. Black has been a volunteer for most of his life. As a young man, he volunteered with the YMCA and with his local church. He has held office in such diverse organizations as his Church Servers Guild (head server), the University of Waterloo Alumni Association (vice president-events; chapter president) and the PMI Northern Alberta Chapter (vice president-education, president, past president). Within his 14 years of PMI volunteering, he has also been a region mentor (Region 1), a member of the Chapter Member Advisory Group, and has served since 2016 on the PMI Board of Directors.
A vibrant and colorful speaker, he has presented at PMI Leadership Institute Meetings, global conferences, regional meetings and chapter meetings as well as international technical conferences on topics such as strategy, leadership, strategic telecommunications operations, process re-engineering, people and personality, and, of course, project management.
A graduate of the University of Waterloo (B. A. Sc.–Civil Engineering), Mr. Black also holds certificates in Engineering Economics (Duke University) and Insights Personal Discovery™ evaluation. Mr. Black holds a Professional Engineering (P.Eng.) designation registered in the Province of Alberta, and has held his PMP® certification since 2004.
Mr. Black is happily married to Lana with three wonderful grown daughters. His interests are wine, travel, hockey, golf, football (of any kind) and physical fitness.
AyoDeji Ishmael, PMP
AyoDeji (Deji) Ishmael has been a Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification holder and a PMI volunteer since 2005, and is a PMI® Leadership Institute Master Class graduate. He currently works with the PMI Educational Foundation, enabling PMI to deliver additional value to communities through social good programs and to access scholarships and grants for enhancing project management capacity through educational opportunities. Previously, as a PMI region mentor, he supported leadership capacity development efforts, helping chapters to navigate the formation process and focusing on governance, leadership development and growth strategies across multiple countries. As a PMI volunteer, he also served as the director of marketing for the PMI United Kingdom Chapter and is a founding member and past president of the PMI Lagos Chapter (now the PMI Nigeria Chapter).
In his professional capacity, Mr. Ishmael is the managing director of Afrissance Limited, a transformation company that works with clients to develop and implement robust strategies through mergers and acquisitions, digital transformation journeys and cultural change. He specializes in enhancing benefits realization and building organizational agility as a competitive advantage for clients. As a member of Afrissance's board of directors, he understands the importance of board oversight responsibilities, including those of diversity, inclusiveness and the perspectives of those in the next generation. His experience with working across multiple sectors in Europe, the Middle East and Africa has made him a globally trusted advisor in the areas of organizational project management and linking strategy to execution.
As a certified management consultant with advanced studies in transformational change and consulting, Mr. Ishmael delivers change management programs, project and program management training, and leadership and strategy courses to a global audience. He has presented at numerous PMI events and congresses as well as other corporate events globally and has published many articles related to these topics.
Beth A. Partleton, PMP, PMI Fellow
Beth Partleton, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, served on the PMI Board of Directors from 2008 to 2013. She was elected vice chair in 2010 and chair in 2011. For six years, she was a member of the PMI Educational Foundation board of directors, serving as chair in 2006. Currently, she is a member of the Certification Governance Council.
Ms. Partleton was the project manager for the 1997 PMI Symposium in Chicago and has spent time on various PMI committees, including two years on the PMI Nominating Committee and one year on the Ethics Appeal Committee. Ms. Partleton was a charter member of the PMI Milwaukee/SE WI Chapter, and served as its first president in 2000. For her dedication to PMI, Ms. Partleton received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in 1998 and the PMI Fellow Award in 2016.
She enjoys public speaking and has spoken at over 40 chapter events and conferences around the world on behalf of PMI.
Ms. Partleton is an experienced consultant in project and portfolio management. Companies benefit from her 30-year career with SAB Miller (formerly Miller Brewing Company), a global brewing company, where she served as senior director of capital and risk management. In that role, she was responsible for portfolio management of capital projects at all Miller breweries in the United States, and for the project management of all projects in the portfolio. During her career with Miller, she also served as head of the project management office, senior project manager, and the functional manager of architectural and civil engineering.
Ms. Partleton holds a Master of Project Management degree from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Master of Architecture from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She is a registered architect and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)®.
LuAnn Piccard, PMP
LuAnn Piccard, PMP, associate professor and chair, Master of Science Project Management Department at University of Alaska Anchorage, is passionate about developing next-generation project management leaders and professionals seeking to enhance and expand career opportunities through professional development and higher education. Students and graduates appreciate and benefit from the depth, relevance and breadth of Ms. Piccard's seasoned executive experience, transforming the learning environment into rigorous, positive, collaborative and applied experience.
In addition to academia, Ms. Piccard has over 20 years in technology-sector project and portfolio management, including 10 years as a senior executive for Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies and Advanced Energy Industries leading complex, profitable, cross-functional businesses serving customers worldwide, traveling extensively and living internationally. Ms. Piccard credits professional success to collaboration with diverse, engaged, customer-centric program and project leaders globally.
Ms. Piccard, proud PMI and PMI Alaska Chapter member, volunteer, and PMP since 2007, currently serves as chair of the PMI Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs Directors, responsible for project management academic program accreditation and quality assurance worldwide.
Inspired by community engagement, Ms. Piccard is well-versed in the balanced strategic and fiduciary responsibilities of board governance partnered with executive and operational leadership, and has served as volunteer director for 11 different nonprofit boards including 10 years as an officer and director for Habitat for Humanity of Anchorage.
Ms. Piccard is distinguished by an ability to articulate an envisioned future, identify stakeholder-centric opportunities made real by engaging and collaborating with people, fostering a bias to action, and crafting foundational, adaptable management processes. Ms. Piccard strives to create a culture of continuous learning that emphasizes agility, innovation and accountability, marked by contagious enthusiasm, passionate belief in people and possibilities, inspiring new ways of thinking, with courage to embrace challenges.
Ms. Piccard holds BS and MS in Engineering/Product Design from Stanford University and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
Galen Townson, EMBA, PMP
Galen Townson, PMP, is a senior leader with over 25 years in strategic execution, complex programs and change initiatives, up to AU$500 million and general manager level, for education, energy, government, finance and for-purpose sectors, working across several continents. He currently leads systems-level culture change for 160 schools to prevent child abuse, help children feel safe, and support well-being, engagement and learning. He is also an advisor for UNOPS project governance and delivery, including missions across South Sudan with U.N. Peacekeeping and in Pakistan for U.N. Women outcomes.
Since 1999, Mr. Townson has served on boards, and finance, governance, audit and risk committees, including for professional associations, community and global sustainability nonprofits. He has completed NFP Board and Company Directors Courses with ongoing director professional development required as a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mr. Townson has 15 project management-related professional certifications including agile project and program, portfolio, benefits and PMO management. He has spoken at international conferences, taught project management and strategic execution to MBA level at a top-100 university, and was a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
Following his Executive MBA and Graduate Certificate in Social Impact (University of Western Australia), he studied sustainability (Curtin University), advanced project management and energy innovation certificates (Stanford University), and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (University of Melbourne).
Joining PMI in 2000, Mr. Townson served in chapter board roles from 2009, as a chapter president in 2012–2014, and since then as a region mentor, supporting and developing leaders, boards and governance for PMI in Australia and New Zealand.
He enjoys being present, exploring, traveling, sailing and learning with his young family. He also has active interests in sustainability, social enterprise, design thinking and systems practice, and coaches and mentors for purpose, well-being and impact.
PMI China News
R.E.P. Kickoff Meeting Held in Shenzhen
A record number of attendees participated in PMI China's annual Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) kickoff meeting. Senior leaders from PMI, PMI China, the Training Center of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), the testing organization Prometric, and 92 representatives from 50 R.E.P.s gathered in Shenzhen.
The meeting featured discussion of the latest project management trends. It introduced new examination processes and security measures, and went over the most important changes in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. The Chinese translation of this standard was introduced at this meeting.
PMI China Managing Director Bob Chen addressed the conference on the trends in the country for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification. He showed specific data that the PMP® has been strongly growing year by year in China.
Group photo.
PMI Network Programs Director Stephen Townsend talked about project management in the disruptive age, basing his remarks on PMI's Pulse of the Profession® research. He noted that:
- The future of value delivery is a spectrum of approaches—predictive, iterative, incremental, agile, hybrid and whatever will come next to change how we work.
- Project professionals will broaden their skills and learn in new ways.
- There has been a growing evaluation from best practices to next practices that encompasses what is likely to come in the next few years.
SAFEA Director Jinfa Wan
SAFEA Director Jinfa Wan talked about achievements and prospects of international cultivation. Sun Li from SAFEA introduced the procedures and the key works of certification examinations. Following that, two representatives from Prometric Asia-Pacific gave a detailed introduction of the examination quality management and services in China.
Sun Li
During the meeting, several excellent R.E.P.s were honored with awards to show appreciation for their valuable contributions in 2017.
Bob Chen
For all participants, the venue was a good opportunity to learn from a content-rich conference, and to build their professional networks. The conference has laid a good foundation for R.E.P. development in China in 2018.
Stephen Townsend
SAGE Publishing to Take Over Project Management Journal®
Starting this month, SAGE Publishing, the fifth-largest journals publisher in the world, has taken over publication of Project Management Journal (PMJ), PMI's peer-reviewed academic publication focusing on management techniques, research, theories and applications. Previously, PMI published PMJ.
SAGE is an international content provider with more than 1,000 journals. Its journals span the humanities, social sciences, technology and medicine. Partnering with SAGE opens up possibilities of PMI collaborating with some of its other journals and bringing project management content to a larger international audience.
Other changes have recently come to Project Management Journal as well. Notably, Drs. Ralf Müller and Gary Klein took the reins as co-editors-in-chief in February 2018. Dr. Müller is a professor of project management at the BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway; while Dr. Klein is Couger Professor of Information Systems at the College of Business and Administration, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
Member Benefit
At the present time, PMJ is open to all in its digital format. Effective 23 July, it will become a member benefit. This simply means PMI members who wish to read the journal digitally will need to log on with their PMI user name and password. They will then be taken directly to PMJ on the SAGE website.
The printed version of Project Management Journal will no longer be available as a member benefit. PMI members wishing to start or continue a PMJ print subscription will need to sign up with SAGE to obtain this subscription at a cost of US$149 per year.
The journal will continue to be a leading resource for academics and others interested in cutting-edge and influential research in project, program and portfolio management.
“We are excited to partner with SAGE, a well-recognized international academic publisher, to deliver the Project Management Journal,” said Heather Ramsey, PMI manager of academic programs. “PMJ will continue to provide the outstanding research and content our members have come to expect in each issue.”
PMI Educational Foundation
Foundation's Grants Equip PM Ready Workforce Worldwide
The PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) awards grants to high-quality nonprofits to deliver project management training that helps meet workforce demands in a globally competitive society. The foundation invests in initiatives that enable unemployed and underemployed populations to acquire the skills necessary to ensure job placement and move toward self-sufficiency. This grantmaking strategy allows PMIEF to play a pivotal role in closing skill gaps across an array of industries as the foundation showcases the indisputable value of project management.
The foundation's PM Ready Workforce grants commenced in 2017 and are already empowering people worldwide with the project management competencies the 21st century necessitates.
PMIEF—114th Partnership Philadelphia Workforce Readiness Initiative
PMIEF awarded US$100,000 to the 114th Partnership in 2017 to integrate project management into its Spark 101, a program that delivers real-world career challenges through both in-person and video formats. Thanks to the grant, the organization is collaborating with Enon Coulter Community Development Corporation to create a new Spark 101 video and accompanying lesson plans. In addition, it will integrate project management into five previously developed Spark 101 videos and training content. The initiative leverages PMIEF's no-cost educational resources, including Careers in Project Management and Project Management Skills for Life®.
The grant-funded video will be an interactive, project management-rich case study that features Bithenergy, an alternative and clean energy company in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The video and related lesson plans will be central to a two-week workforce readiness program expected to reach 100 unemployed and underemployed young adults age 16 to 24 during its pilot.
“PMIEF's generous grant to the 114th Partnership enables us to equip young adults with the project management skills today's employers demand,” says Tiffany Godbout Williams, the organization's vice president of strategic alliances. “The new and enhanced content the grant funds us to develop will support our efforts to strengthen Philadelphia's workforce, even as we explore how best the content can support other communities across the United States.”
Corey Culbreath, PMP, director of energy information services at Bithenergy, records a segment for the video case study.
The PMIEF—CARE USA Initiative for Economic Recovery for Earthquake-Affected Producers and Entrepreneurs in Ecuador
A 2017 grant to CARE USA scales up its previously piloted business and finance training activities in Ecuador and integrates project management into them. The organization is leveraging PMIEF's Project Management Skills for Life for this initiative, which targets women in the cantons of Jama and San Vicente following the country's catastrophic earthquake in 2016. It engages associations of women in design thinking to bring craft and agricultural projects to market while promoting tourism and sustainable economic development.
Although CARE USA expected this grant to reach 500 women representing 15 associations, it is presently reaching some 540 women representing 18 associations due to the strong interest it has generated. Mirian Leonor Vera, the legal representative of a textile production association, explains why: “Participating in the PMIEF and CARE USA training is very important for us because we are learning more and more, like what it means to have sustainable incomes and not lose money.” Victoria Castro Martinez, who represents Asociacion de Produccion Agicola Tabuga, further discusses the impact of PMIEF's US$175,000 grant on women's lives: “It has given us a voice and makes us more productive and proactive,” she says. “We develop the skills and qualities necessary for greater self-confidence. Including women in [Ecuador's] economic reactivation is key since women promote the local economy.”
Mirian Leonor Vera helps lead a women's textile production association in Ecuador.
The governments of Jama and San Vicente aid the associations by offering operational guidance and providing marketing spaces for the sale of goods. Several nongovernmental organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme also helped assess and select the participating associations. CARE USA will eventually identify, fund and monitor the progress of the most feasible income-generating activities. Concurrently, it will market opportunities to investors who can support them, including village savings and loans associations that can advance solidarity-based economics.
Women's Livelihood Enhancement and Advancement Using Project Management
The foundation's most recent PM Ready Workforce grant funds Pratham Education Foundation to build the project management capabilities of unemployed and underemployed women in India age 18 to 30. The US$100,000 initiative delivers an intensive training program to better enable the workforce readiness and job retention of those who reside in the country's rural villages and urban slums, thereby creating a pathway out of poverty. Pratham will develop 50 one-hour, open-source, project management-rich modules in Hindi, Marathi and Telegu to integrate into its existing vocational and career awareness training curricula. It will leverage various PMIEF no-cost educational resources such as Foundational Guide – Project Management for Learning and Project Management Skills for Life for content creation.
Pratham expects to reach 3,000 women, who will participate in training programs at the organization's Healthcare and Beauty & Wellness training centers across the country. It not only expects to place at least 80 percent of them in well-paying, entry-level jobs, but also to help a small contingent launch their own microenterprise like a beauty salon. Furthermore, Pratham will monitor the women's on-the-job experiences and offer ongoing support through its “Women at Work” alumnae cohorts.
Pratham will deliver project management training to young women in India to help them enter the workforce.
“Women's participation in India's workforce has significantly declined over the past decade,” says Medha Uniyal, Pratham's program director. “In a world in which women truly do hold up half the sky, integrating project management fundamentals into our training will better permit us to increase women's recruitment for—and retention of—jobs India's employers wish to fill. It will also help Pratham better ensure women's career advancement and build their entrepreneurial capabilities.”
For more information about PMIEF's no-cost educational resources like those that support these innovative PM Ready Workforce grants, visit pmief.org.
Events Calendar congresses | conferences | seminars | symposiums | e-Learning
PMI Today Deadlines:
SEPTEMBER 2018................................16 JULY
OCTOBER 2018............................ 15 AUGUST
Free listings in the PMI Today® Events Calendar are reserved for activities organized by PMI, its communities and its cooperating organizations. For information on how to purchase a paid advertisement in this calendar, email [email protected]. Please see PMI's online Events Calendar at PMI.org/events/calendar for more events.
SEPTEMBER 2018
9–11 September
PMI Chapters in Africa
2018 PMI Africa Conference
Port Louis, Mauritius. Hundreds of visionaries who manage Africa's projects will meet in September 2018 to build relationships and share ideas on how to harness the power of project management in building projects in one of the world's most diverse, resource-rich emerging markets—Africa! pmiafricaconference.com.
11–12 September
PMI Sacramento Valley Chapter
Agile, Business Driven and Mindful PMO
Gold River, California, USA. Our two-day workshop will take you on a transformation journey where the application of the agile, business-driven and mindful project management office (PMO) core principles will not only help you underpin your PMO with a solid foundation for high-value services, but will also reduce the risk of adverse effects during these turbulent change periods. pmoworkshops.inteligenca.com.
19–21 September
PMI New Zealand Chapter
New Zealand Project Management Conference 2018
Aukland, New Zealand. A three-day conference focuses on the theme “Next Generation—The Evolution of Project Management.” Access master classes, inspiring international and local speakers, workshops and social events. Celebrate project success with the annual New Zealand Project Management Awards. projectmanagementconference.org.nz.
24–27 September
PMI Minnesota Chapter
Professional Development Days 2018
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. This is our chapter's signature four-day conference for all project professionals. In 2018, we are excited to be celebrating 25 years of continuous PDD excellence! We will offer three days of professional courses and a one-day multitrack selection of 25 or more one-hour sessions. pmi-mn.org.
OCTOBER 2018
12–13 October
PMI India/PMI North India Chapter
PMI India National Conference
New Delhi, India. The 2018 Project Management National Conference is the place for you to realize how challenges can turn into opportunities. This mega-gathering, in its tenth year, could not have a better theme than “India in 2022—Leading in a Globally Disruptive Market,” where you can discuss, share, be inspired and gear up for the transformation that we are all part of. pmi.org.in/pmnc18.
NOVEMBER 2018
3–4 November
2018 PMI MENA Conference
Kuwait City, Kuwait (3 November) and Manama, Bahrain (4 November). Many international speakers will share the latest in topics ranging from project excellence to strategic PMOs to business analysis, and much more—a unique learning and networking opportunity. pmimenaconference.org.
12 November
PMI German Chapters/PMI Southern Germany Chapter
PM Summit 2018
Munich, Germany. The PM Summit is one of the biggest project management events in Germany. The theme this year is “The Human Success Factor in Projects.” pm-summit.de.
Interested in having a FREE PMI Today® event listing on this page? Please go to PMI.org/events/calendar and click on the link for submitting events. Your listing will be considered for both the PMI.org online calendar and the PMI Today calendar.
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 July, 12:00 p.m. EST (UTC –4)
First Steps Toward Agility: Incorporating Agile Practices in a Waterfall Environment
The most stressful part of transitioning to agile in a waterfall environment happens at the beginning in the uncertainty of how to get started. This webinar reveals practical, concrete steps you can take to begin incorporating time-tested agile practices that will help your team move the needle. Presented by NK Shrivastava, PMI-RMP, PMI-ACP, PMP.
19 July, 3:00 p.m. EST (UTC –4)
Project HEADWAY: Culture Shapes Everything
Organizations that parachute practices from other organizations—no matter how similar on paper—most typically fail. And the biggest reason is a failure to appreciate and take into consideration organizational culture. Explore the questions to be asked and the approaches to be taken in keeping culture front and center in your project management implementation. Presented by Mark Mullaly, PhD, PMP.
For more information and to register, visit ProjectManagement.com/Webinars.
SeminarsWorld® Events
Leading subject matter experts share their experience and deep knowledge on a variety of topics. Whether you are looking to build your leadership skills, work on soft skills such as communications and collaboration or delve deeper into agile, these events provide unique opportunities to learn and connect with the project management community.
Learn more about SeminarsWorld courses being held in these locations and throughout the world. Use PMI's search tool for project management training matched to your specific needs. Visit learning.PMI.org.
30 July–2 August
Portland, Oregon, USA
6–9 August
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
27–30 August
Washington, D.C., USA
24–27 September
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
2–5 and 9–10 October
Los Angeles, California, USA
12–15 November
Chicago, Illinois, USA
UPCOMING > PMI EVENTS
PMI® Global Conference
Los Angeles, California, USA 6–8 October 2018
PMI.org/global-conference
PMO Symposium® 2018
Washington, D.C., USA 11–14 November 2018
PMI.org/pmo-symposium
PMI Tour Cono Sur 2018
Under the theme “Manage, adapt and reinvent a world through projects,” this year's Tour Cono Sur offers a varied selection of featured speakers and cities where you may strengthen the skills that compose the PMI Talent Triangle®. This will help you remain relevant and competitive, and enhance your ability to achieve success.
We invite you to visit the chapter websites where you will find valuable information, including calls for papers.
| DATE | CITY | CHAPTER | WEBSITE |
| 1 November | Asunción | PMI Asunción, Paraguay Chapter | pmi.org.py |
| 2–3 November | Mendoza | PMI Nuevo Cuyo Argentina Chapter | pminuevocuyo.org |
| 6 November | Rosario | PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina Chapter | pmi.org.ar |
| 7 November | Córdoba | PMI Cordoba, Argentina Potential Chapter | pmicordoba.org |
| 9–10 November | Buenos Aires | PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina Chapter | pmi.org.ar |
| 12 November | Montevideo | PMI Montevideo, Uruguay Chapter | pmi.uy |
| 14–15 November | Santiago | PMI Santiago, Chile Chapter | pmi.cl |
| 15–16 November | Antofagasta | PMI Antofagasta, Chile Potential Chapter | pmiantofagasta.cl |
| 17 November | Trujillo | PMI Cajamarca, Peru Chapter | pmicajamarca.org |
| 20 November | Arequipa | PMI Southern Region, Peru Chapter | pmisurperu.org |
| 21 November | Piura | PMI Cajamarca, Peru Chapter | pmicajamarca.org |
| 22 November | Cajamarca | PMI Cajamarca, Peru Chapter | pmicajamarca.org |
| 23–24 November | Lima | PMI Lima, Peru Chapter | pmi.org.pe |
| 28 November | La Paz | PMI Santa Cruz, Bolivia Chapter | pmisantacruz.org |
| 29 November | Cochabamba | PMI Santa Cruz, Bolivia Chapter | pmisantacruz.org |
| 30 November | Santa Cruz | PMI Santa Cruz, Bolivia Chapter | pmisantacruz.org |
Chapter Links news | people | projects
PMI Manitoba Chapter pmimanitoba.org
Chapter Announces the 2018 Project of the Year
The PMI Manitoba Chapter celebrated its 14th annual Project of the Year Gala, feting the top project in the province based on superior performance of project management methodologies and practices.
A total of 176 guests were treated to a video presentation of the winning project, City of Winnipeg P25 Radio Project, submitted by several City of Winnipeg agencies: Corporate Support Services, Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
PMI Manitoba President Christa Ferreira, PMP; the Honorable Blain Pedersen, provincial minister of growth, enterprise and trade; and City Counselor Brian Mayes were in attendance and assisted with recognizing the nominated projects.
The Project of the Year runner-up title was awarded to the WRHA SIMS Upgrade and Expansion Project, submitted by Manitoba eHealth.
The other nominees consisted of:
- The Aquatic Hall of Fame and Museum of Canada Restoration Project
- 86 West Gate Redevelopment
- 510 Main Street – Council Building Redevelopment Project
- The Manitoba Legislative Building Legislative Chamber Accessibility Upgrades
- Property Registry eRegistration
City of Winnipeg P25 Radio Project team.
Hon. Blain Pedersen
Videos are available for all the award nominees.
The winners of Project of the Year, City of Winnipeg Corporate Support Services, Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, elected to donate their CA$1,000 award to the United Way charitable organization.
PMI Toronto Chapter pmitoronto.ca
Partnership Forges Student Competition
By Mitchell R. Fong, P.Eng., PMP
Toronto, Ontario, Canada is blessed to be surrounded by more than 20 universities or colleges within a two-hour drive. The PMI Toronto Chapter has the fourth-largest number of student members of any PMI chapter globally. The chapter has partnered with schools, supported conferences, and offered networking opportunities and speed mentoring, and its volunteers have acted as program advisors. As a chapter, we are always looking for ways to educate and give back.
One such opportunity came about after chapter members met R. Max Wideman, PMI Fellow, and discussed advocacy, social responsibility and educating young people. Mr. Wideman was the leader of a team that created the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) in 1987. This later became A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
The Wideman Education Foundation (WEF), based out of Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, is dedicated to attracting individuals into the project management profession and helping them develop the organizational and leadership skills they will need to succeed in today's job market. These essential, basic, practical skills include preparation, planning, teamwork, communication and delivering presentations.
WEF has been hosting a student project management competition for several years. The opportunity to host a similar competition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was phenomenal.
Winners with Mr. Wideman (center) and PMI Toronto Chapter board members Marc Blanchette, PMP (left) and Winnie Liem, PMP (third from right).
Ryerson University team, led by Saljoq Khurshid (left).
In March, the PMI Toronto Chapter partnered with WEF to host a provincial project management competition for university and college students. Students formulated project ideas and then took their projects from initiation to close. The theme of the competition was “Project Management: Giving back to the Community.”
Mr. Wideman was in attendance, along with PMI Toronto Chapter board of directors and industry experts who served as judges. We had submissions on world water day, mental health and the winning project, Teachers Without Frontiers (TWF). The TWF project provided technology-based teaching materials to teachers and students in Pakistan. The goal was lowering costs and expanding education to more people by improving accessibility to online teaching materials. Congratulations to the team from the University of Waterloo.
Thanks to MacGregor Communications for donating passes to ProjectWorld*BusinessAnalystWorld to the winning team. Also thanks to Ryerson University, Ted Rogers School of Business, for providing in-kind sponsorship with its beautiful venue and catering.
Ryerson University World Water Day team, led by Anastasia Tzirtziganis (second from left). R. Max Wideman, PMI Fellow, is to her right.
Mr. Wideman's vision is that we reach out to more students year after year, and potentially hold an academic fair for all of the local schools in the area. We are up for that challenge!
Organizing committee: Latif Hassanzay and Natalie Borg.
PMI Mile-Hi Chapter pmimilehi.org
Attendees Gain Value at 20th Annual Symposium
The PMI Mile-Hi Chapter's 20th Annual Symposium held in Denver, Colorado, USA was all about the volunteers and volunteer/attendee benefits, such as expanded opportunities to earn “After-Event PDUs,” and the popular group discount program, which showed record growth.
Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock honored the chapter and the profession by proclaiming 20 April “Project Management Day in Denver.” Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sent an official welcome letter.
For the fourth consecutive year, participation in the group discount program rose, with 56 percent of the 1,602 registrants using the group discount rate, up from 54.9 percent for the 2017 event and 48.8 percent in 2016.
In an effort to offer more time for networking throughout the day, the chapter expanded its “After-Event PDUs” program. This provided attendees opportunities to earn up to 17 professional development units (PDUs) by accessing selected recorded sessions post-symposium. The program was introduced for the 2017 symposium, offering up to 11 PDUs, and was wildly popular with attendees.
Approximately 130 project management practitioners served as volunteers to make PMI Mile-Hi's 20th Annual Symposium, Denver, CO, a huge success.
The symposium was kicked off by Marcus Buckingham, global researcher and creator of “The Strengths Revolution” with a morning keynote on “Start Playing to Your Strengths.” Emcee was Belinda Goodrich, PMP, founder of PM Learning Solutions. Dawnna St Louis, high-performance guru, keynoted the closing session on “Persuasion and Influence.”
Celebrating Volunteers
In keeping with the theme of celebrating volunteers, PMI Mile-Hi Chapter President Jana Axline, MBA, PMP, recognized the 2018 symposium volunteers at a general session, followed by inviting all volunteers from previous symposiums to stand and be acknowledged by a healthy round of applause. For the 2018 event, approximately 130 individuals—a record high—donated their time and talents. “The excellence and generosity of our volunteers is what makes PMI Mile-Hi great,” noted Ms. Axline.
Susan Kober, PMP, 2017 PMI Mile-Hi Chapter Volunteer Leader of the Year, first volunteered for the symposium in 2008. “I asked many of our volunteers why they keep coming back, and like me, they love to contribute and give back to the chapter,” she said. “Connecting with old and new colleagues is a favorite benefit. I always feel good inside when I know that I was able to help provide a great value to our chapter!”
Current symposium volunteer lead, Kathy Weyand, PMP, added, “Being part of this awesome event and getting to know the other volunteers is why I volunteer. The volunteer discount is a great incentive, also.”
Bill Bradley, PMP, concurred, “The volunteer discount helps me attend the symposium. I also enjoy networking and working with the other volunteers.”
Amber Carlson agreed. “I appreciate the registration discount and meeting new people. The symposium is my main ‘go to’ for PDUs, and I found this to be one of the best meetings I have attended. I want to continue to volunteer and gradually get more involved in the process.”
The popular mobile app was back for the second year. Upward of 80 percent of attendees downloaded the app to play the scavenger hunt game, which facilitated networking and competing for prizes from sponsors. In 2017, approximately 50 percent of attendees downloaded the app—an unusually high percentage of participation in both 2017 and 2018.