asapm logo Welcome to the asapm August 2009 Newsletter!

This is an Opt-in Newsletter from asapm, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. Normally produced in the even-numbered months, we are moving to monthly editions, when we have enough items. Enjoy!

In This Issue
1. Change Agents: President's Message, by Stacy Goff
2. asapm Election Results: Goff, Jaques and Parolia Take Office
3. Article: 10 Ways to SINK a Project, by André Augusto Choma
4. Certification: Unique Opportunity for Experienced Senior PMs!
5. PMAC, IPMA-Canada, Offers Webinars for asapm Members
6. Article: The PMO -- A Three Year Journey, by Peter Taylor
7. Call For Papers, IPMA Expert Seminar 2010
8. asapm 2009 Member Survey Highlights
9. Leanthia Lewis' Roma World Congress Paper Gets Press
10. Helsinki Report, Linked In, Website Search, We Blog

1. Change Agents: President's Message, by Stacy Goff
Outgoing asapm President Lew Ireland entertained and informed us in almost every newsletter since our inaugural issue with his PrezSez insights. The changing of the guard to new President Stacy Goff is an opportunity to start new traditions. We have recently completed a series of efforts including reviews of current projects, our market audience and their needs, a progress check on our advanced PM Certification program, and member feedback from our recent Member Survey. They all suggest that Managing Change will continue to be our greatest challenge. Appropriate, because PM is the discipline of managed change for the better.

As part of managing change, we have instituted Change Agents, an unofficial blog-based dialogue (click the link). Intended to include Guest writers as well as asapm Board members, the Change Agents blog is part of a series of initiatives that will increase the frequency of asapm's interaction with our members and friends. Another action will be to increase the frequency of this newsletter.

In the first three posts, asapm Builds Change Agents, The Elephant in the Room, and Understanding the Competence Difference, we establish the tone and framework for this discussion. Later posts will include wide-ranging commentary; and here we ask your help. Many of us have started other blogs, and then gotten too busy with other priorities. Soon a year had gone by, with no new posts. So we want your contributions, too! If you have something to say, and can express it in a relatively even-handed way (no flames here), please Contact Us!

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2. asapm Election Results: Goff, Jaques and Parolia Take Office
asapm has announced the election results for President and two new members of the 2009‐2010 Board of Directors. Elected to office are Mr. Stacy Goff, IPMA‐D, as President, Tim Jaques, IPMA ‐D, as Director of Standards, and Dr. Neeraj Parolia as Director of Education. Retiring from office, but remaining active in asapm’s mission are former President Dr. Lew Ireland and Director of Education Dr. Gary Klein. Thanks Lew and Gary! See the full Press Elections Release.

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3. Article: 10 Ways to SINK a Project, by André Augusto Choma
Many projects face problems for multiple reasons: problems of scope, insufficient planning and bad risk assessment are frequent nightmares in any project manager’s life. The root causes of these problems are diverse, but some difficulties are common to many projects, and, for this reason, should get more attention from the project manager and his/her team. However, when fighting against these most frequent project enemies, the project manager will reinforce his/her capacity for risk response planning and increase his/her chances for success.

This paper presents ten situations that can bring project failure, with the objective of alerting project managers to some key risks that are frequently ignored during project planning and execution. In a humorous manner, I’ll approach the common causes of these problems, not with the purpose of proving that only these 10 situations should command all the project manager’s attention, but to highlight that risk prevention IS the project manager’s greatest responsibility and IS the decisive factor of success. I will, as well, offer suggested courses of action that can be taken by the project manager to face each and every one of these 10 risk situations and in this way keep the project “floating”... see the full article.

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4. Certification: Unique Opportunity for Experienced Senior PMs!
--A Message from William Duncan, asapm Certification Chair
I'd like to invite you to participate in asapm's PROject Managers Open To Excellence (PROMOTE) program, or to recommend others whom you think might be qualified and interested.

asapm will certify qualified individuals across the USA in order to create "advanced certification hubs" in major metropolitan areas. This will allow us to offer certification assessments more-or-less "on demand" and without the need for expensive travel to support a face-to-face interview.

Update, 11 January 2010; sorry, this special program is now closed. If you have any questions about asapm's advanced PM certifications, please feel free to contact Duncan.

Next GAPPS Session is in the USA
Duncan also reminds us that there will be a GAPPS working session in College Park, Md, October 23-25. GAPPS is the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards; the group is completing a Performance Competence standard for the role of Program Manager. Interested asapm members can participate at a cost of $700. Anyone interested should contact Duncan for details.

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5. PMAC, IPMA-Canada, Offers Webinars for asapm Members
We posted this in July, but that didn't allow much lead time for asapm members to plan for the first webinar, so, here it is, again for the next one, coming September 10!

The Project Management Association of Canada (PMAC)/IPMA-Canada, is setting up a slew of low-cost webinars and teleseminars as educational opportunities that generate revenues for their association and also create a member benefit (members get a significant discount on the events and can still earn <gasp> PDUs towards their recertification at the same time).

PMAC is extending the PMAC member discount to asapm members. They offer us the same member discount that they offer to their own members to these events. Thanks PMAC!

The next event is September 10, 2009 - Project Lessons from The Great Escape by Mark Kozak Holland - $9.95 members, $19.95 non-members. See event details and registration at http://www.mmpubs.com/catalog/10-september-2009-pmac-project-lessons-from-the-great-escape-p-311.html.

For asapm members to get the member discount, see the posting in the asapm Members Only area, with the link to the sign-up, and the special discount coupon code, for your use when making your online purchase.

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6. Article: The PMO -- A Three Year Journey, by Peter Taylor
Too valuable to lose (and not too expensive to keep). As organizations try to deal with the economic downturn, they’re taking a hard look at the ROI of just about every endeavor—including the project management office (PMO).

At Siemens Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software, we believe our PMO for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region still continues to bring value both to the organization and our customers. Our PMO, to give an indication of scale, oversees 100 project managers, and two hundred projects with a revenue flow of $350m per year.

But what’s the general view of PMOs? Well, an ESI International survey of 60 U.K. executives conducted last November found that many PMOs were being challenged on a number of fronts, including:
• The PMO was often seen as an extension of administrative support, rather than a professional body with value-add skills.
• Budget cuts necessitated cost justification, a difficulty for the usually non-revenue producing PMO.
• The PMO size and organizational setup were viewed as counter to the time constraints under which project managers operate.
• There was a lack of understanding of the business benefits of the PMO, especially among executive management.

Even in these challenging times, the PMO within Siemens PLM Software is deemed “fit for purpose.” I believe it’s because we have evolved to be seen as supportive of the organization as a whole and not grown to a size that outweighs our business benefit. We are too valuable to lose and but equally important we are not too expensive to keep... See the full article.

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7. Call For Papers, IPMA Expert Seminar 2010
IPMA has issued the Call For Papers for the February 18-19, 2010 International Expert Seminar to be held in Zurich, Switzerland. The abstracts, with your choice of topic streams, are due October 19, 2009, and Early Bird Registration (with discounted fees) ends December 7th, 2009. Additional information, the four streams, and registration is on the Expert Seminar website.

The topic, Survival and Sustainability as Challenges for Projects, is timely and important. If you are a contributor to the advancement of Program and Project Management, you should consider participating. Additional information, taken from the promotional brochure, includes: This IPMA International Expert Seminar will make a contribution to understanding the survival and sustainability of projects, as well as the role of the investor, in a changing project context. Sustainability does not help if the organization does not survive. An organization is not likely to survive, if it does not invest in projects that lead to good short and long term results. Experts from various sectors of the economy and university departments as well as different cultural and religious backgrounds will discuss the topic and develop solutions based on various case studies, research results and theories.

The seminar is aimed at anyone who deals with the effect of agile, short range management and has responsibility and management for the long term project effects. The seminar is addressed to experienced project, program and portfolio managers, line managers, trainers and scientists who wish to be up to date and competent in project management.

The IPMA International Expert Seminar 2010 will be a fruitful combination of plenary sessions and breakout stream workshops. While the plenary sessions aim to lay a common understanding of the subject, the streams aim to exchange experience and to jointly develop new ideas on the subject. In plenary sessions, the main format will be paper presentations while the streams will be more interactive with short presentations and team work.

Hosted by the Swiss Project Management Association, the Swiss Member Affiliate of IPMA, the Expert Seminar Series is the must-attend exchange for all PM practitioners who wish to help forge the future of our practice. We encourage your participation!

Report On the 2009 Expert Seminar
Two asapm members, William Duncan and Stacy Goff, participated in the IPMA 2009 Expert Seminar; we can heartily encourage your participation in 2010. To add visibilility and interest in the USA, Dr. Hans Knopfel Expert Seminar Chair, has given us permission to publish Goff's paper, Improving PM Performance in the Classroom & Beyond, on the asapm website.

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8. asapm 2009 Member Survey Highlights
asapm conducted a Member Survey in July, to help in planning our next years' initiaives. We received a great number of responses (25%) from North American members, and a good response from our International members. More of the results will be posted in our Members Only area, but here we post some of the most interesting ones:

We also received many useful comments in the open-ended-question sections of the survey, and will post key insights in the Members Only Area. Our thanks to all who participated!

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9. Leanthia Lewis' Roma World Congress Paper Gets Press
asapm member Ms. Leanthia Lewis, from the island nation of Dominica, prepared a paper, Risk Management For Development Projects in The Public Sector, for the Rome 2008 IPMA World Congress. The presentation was well-received by a full and overflowing room. And, that was the end of it. Or so we thought. Then at the Helsinki Congress, IPMA EXBO VP Alex Tovb (from Russia) handed us the latest IPMA-Russia quarterly magazine. Leanthia's article was in it, in Russian! Her only complaint: no photo of her.

Now we have posted Leanthia's paper on the asapm website, together with her presentation, in pdf format. And the presentation includes her photo. But the story is still not complete: This week (August 2), Leanthia was on her Nation's evening news about her Russian publication, and the postings of the paper and presentation on our website. And the Prime Minister of Dominica, who helped fund her travel, called her to congratulate her on the way she expressed herself, and the way she brought out the importance of Risk Management. End of story? We shall see!

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10. Helsinki Report, Linked In, Website Search, We Blog

Helsinki Report: 2009 IPMA World Congress Wrap-up
The World Congress in Helsinki was a perfect event, in a perfect time of year. Before we get too carried away with the venue and hosts, we will first direct you to PM Forum, where their Finland Correspondent Jouko Vaskimo has done a magnificent job of capturing the essence of the event. (the linked page is the summary, with Jouko's background and photo; click on the Read Complete Regional Report link to see Jouko's whole report).

Speaking of Jouko, he was the perfect host, arranging weather for our Saturday arrival in the low-80's. He kept saying, "this is not what Finland is like in June!" Making sure we, our Keynote speakers, and David Pells and his wife were well-entertained, and well-taken care of, you could not ask for more! Thanks Jouko!

The Congress itself, in addition to items mentioned in Jouko's report, had a number of interesting innovations. Each presentation has a video recording; most of them have been posted on the Congress website (except for those with difficulties). A series of participant interviews, capturing their on-the-spot reactions and insights, is still awaiting posting. As usual for an IPMA Congress, the richness of interaction between familiar and new members of the IPMA Family transcends all other PM-related events. The next IPMA World Congress is November 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey. See you there!

asapm Is Now Linked In; Are You?
Thanks to the inspiration of Brent Hansen, and the ensuing efforts of Thomas Keenan (perhaps the most Linked In of all asapm members), we now have a Group on LinkedIn. At LinkedIn.com, search Groups for asapm; if you are already a Linked In member, request to join. Otherwise you need to sign up for LinkedIn first. While asapm has a collaborative networking presence in our Members Only area, our LinkedIn Group is our public-facing discussion group. Of course, NewGrange.org is our official List Serve, still continuing to provide great discussions by a wide range of project and program experts.

asapm Site Search Now Available
The asapm site has become so richly filled with articles and news that even we sometimes have trouble finding things. So, we have implemented a custom Google Search of the asapm website, plus the sites of asapm's Competence Enablers—PM providers who Understand the Competence Difference!™ The search box is on the lower right corner of our asapm.org home page. Thanks Google!

We Blog
Although it may appear so, we don't really have dueling blogs at the asapm website. On the lower left of our home page is a link to William Duncan's Blog on Certifications. His recent series includes the 5 W's of Certification: Who, What, When, Where and Why. And on the bottom right of our home page is a link to Stacy Goff's Blog on Change Agents (mentioned in the first item of this newsletter). We encourage your comments, and editorial contributions!

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asapm is the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. We are a not-for-profit organization, staffed with volunteers who are dedicated to improving the practice of competent Project Management. asapm is a registered trademark of the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management.

For subscribe information, see the Join asapm link at the bottom of every page on the asapm.org website.