Welcome to the asapm June-July 2009 email Newsletter!

This is an Opt-in Newsletter from asapm, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. Produced in the even-numbered months: February, April, June, and so on; subscribe information is on our asapm.org website. Unsubscribe information is below. Enjoy!

In This Issue
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1. PrezSez: Project Lessons through Chess
2. 2009 IPMA World Congress To Refresh Registered Participants For an Entire Year!
3. Certification News: Program Manager Standard Nears the Light of Day
4. Closing the Gap Between PM Training and PM Performance, an article by Stacy Goff
5. 2009 Resource Planning Summit Update, June 29-30, Chicago IL
6. An Important Survey For You to Take
7. Young Crew and Young Project Manager Updates
8. The Art of Productive Laziness, an article by Peter Taylor
9. asapm Updates, Reminders and News

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1. PrezSez: Project Lessons through Chess
A game, such as chess, can teach one some basic lessons that can be used in managing projects. An overall strategy is needed in both games and projects to ensure that the progress is directly related to the end result desired. Sticking to the fundamental practices is perhaps the most promising path to achieve the desired end product. Risky moves and actions that violate foundation concepts will most often give poor results and rework or repositioning.

Chess, like projects, has many unique and varied solutions. One should not attempt them all – just the solutions that work best in the environment present and under the conditions dictated by circumstances. Thinking through planned actions before implementation is perhaps the most valuable lesson learned from chess that needs to be applied to managing projects.

This is the Summary of asapm President Lew Ireland's latest PrezSez: Click to see the whole article on the asapm website.

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2. 2009 IPMA World Congress To Refresh Registered Participants For an Entire Year!
We thought that headline would grab your attention! The organizers of the June 15-17 IPMA World Congress, in Helsinki, Finland, are taking a hint from our friend and asapm member Les Squires, who says, "why waste something as important as a World Congress on just a few days, when you can enjoy it for an entire year?" Here is how it works: IPMA World Congress attendees have access, both during the Congress, and for a year afterwards, to video recordings of each session. The way the organizers position it: Refresh Innovation: 7 Streams for the price of 1!

This way, those of us who are struggling with selecting from the wide range of concurrent streams or tracks can pick the most-immediately-urgent ones to Refresh Ourselves with the other sessions. We can do so either at the Congress site, using the Refreshingly Fast Wireless free connections, or for the entire year following the Congress. Of course, in addition to the videos, the actual presentation slides will be downloadable, too. And, the crowds and events will also be on video; now you can prove to your boss (or your spouse) that you really did attend the 2009 IPMA World Congress.

Based on current registrations, it looks like the June 15-17 Congress will beat registration expectations, and will be one of the largest yet for IPMA. But, there is still room for you (assuming you can get a cheaper-than-we-did last-minute fare). See the Helsinki Congress Video Trailer; if you have not yet viewed it! Or, see the eProgram of events; or, register now for the IPMA Helsinki World Congress! See you in Helsinki!

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3. Certification News: Program Manager Standard Nears the Light of Day
 Bill Duncan, Certification Chair, recently returned from a short trip to Cranfield University outside London where he participated in a three day working session to help develop a performance based competence standard for Program Managers. The working session was sponsored by the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) and hosted by Cranfield’s renowned International Centre for Programme Management.

The GAPPS standard will be used by asapm as part of our IPMA Level A assessment process. There are already over a dozen individuals waiting in line to apply for Level A once the program details have been worked out and we have developed the necessary logistical support systems.

The current working draft consists of five required units and two optional units. The required units address topics such as providing leadership to the program and its component projects as well as “crafting” the program. This title of this latter unit recognizes the fact that program management is still more art than science, and that most program managers operate in an environment of massive uncertainty. The optional units include managing organizational change and facilitating contracts and agreements. Duncan noted that “most” program managers will probably have to satisfy the optional units.

Duncan commented that the iterative nature of standards development is “incredibly rewarding intellectually and an enormous amount of fun.” He also noted that the occasionally heated exchanges are not for the “faint of heart.” The next GAPPS working session is scheduled for October 23-25 at the University of Maryland main campus. Anyone interested in attending should contact Bill.

In other Certification News, we announce asapm's Top-notch Assessor Recruitment Program (aTARP).
The Certification Board has decided to offer FREE certifications to a limited number of experienced project managers in order to make it easier to offer timely assessments to candidates throughout the USA. This way we can offer individual assessments more-or-less "on demand." The rationale for this decision includes the need for trained, competent professional assessors, plus the ever-increasing cost of travel.

Following are the rules for the program:

Here are the metro areas that are eligible for this unique PM Certification Opportunity:

NorthEast:
Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington-Baltimore, Pittsburgh/Cleveland, Columbus/ Cincinnati, Detroit.
SouthEast:
Atlanta, Charlotte (including Raleigh and Research Triangle), North Florida (Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville), South Florida (Miami).
Central:
Chicago-Milwaukee, Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul), St. Louis, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio.
West:
Seattle, Sacramento, San Francisco-San Jose, Los Angeles (Orange County, Long Beach, Riverside), Phoenix, San Diego, Denver/Colorado Springs.

If you have questions, want to make a referral, or want to apply for the program yourself, contact Bill Duncan, Certification Chair.

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4. Closing the Gap Between PM Training and PM Performance, by Stacy Goff
Enterprises and Government agencies have spent hundreds of millions of $USD over the last 20 years in Project Management training—just in the USA. Such a stimulus package! What do we have to show from this “investment”? Too many people find it difficult to answer this question, because they cannot show improved PM Performance; nor can they even show the improved competences they hoped for. In fact, based on discussions with Executives, the perception is that programs and projects are significantly much-less successful today than they were 20 years ago. What return on investment is that?

This article explores a secret all Managers can use to Close the Gap between PM Training and PM Performance, improve PM Learning and Development methods, increase stakeholder PM Competence, improve PM Performance, and establish the success measures needed to prove you have done so. The secret: Base PM Learning on a Performance-Competence Baseline, rather than a Knowledge guide. .

This is from the introduction to Stacy's latest article. Click to download the pdf version of the article.

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5. 2009 Resource Planning Summit Update, June 29-30, Chicago IL
One of the best PM-related Conferences of the last several years was Dick Rutledge's 2006 Delivering Project Excellence, in Scottsdale. And now, as he says, he's "back in the saddle again", so asapm is helping sponsor and promote his latest event. For insights into why we are so excited about Dick's newest Conference, Resource Planning Summit, see our breathless Trip Report about Dick's earlier conference that we attended.

Background: Much of our audience has been around PM for years, so you may remember the Project Leadership Conferences, sponsored by ABT in the 1990s. That series quickly became the gold standard in Project Management-related conferences. The result: others, such as professional associations, soon emulated the style and some of the substance of the conferences. Dick Rutledge, originator of the Project Leadership Conference and the Delivering Project Excellence series, is now presenting the 2009 Resource Planning Summit, June 29-30, in Chicago, IL.

asapm will have a table at the 2009 Resource Planning Summit, giving our members and friends to the opportunity to meet with our Leadership team. asapm President Lew Ireland will be among those appearing. Come see us!

The 2009 Resource Planning Summit targets a range of participants from Executives and Resource Managers (across the enterprise, not just IT) to Portfolio Managers, to Project and Program Managers--clearly a more-advanced audience than we typically see in PM-related conferences. And, to help you see what's in it for you, see this information from the from the 2009 Resource Planning Summit website:

Lew Ireland and John Colville to Represent asapm
asapm President Lew Ireland will be representing us at this stellar conference; make sure you stop by our booth and say hi! This will be one of Lew's last actions as President, because he completes his second term as President at the end of June. Our bylaws limit officers to two terms, so he is now polishing his next career as "booth babe".

Also representing asapm is John Colville, of Proportion, a Chicago-based PM Training and Consulting company. John's company is one of asapm's Competence Enablers, and has provided training for more asapm members than any other company. Many of those members have also earned IPMA Level-D certification, the foundation for our Performance Competence-Based certification program. To find out more, go directly to the 2009 Resource Planning Summit website. See You At the Summit!

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6. An Important Survey For You to Take

We posted this in our last newsletter, but did not get enough responses; please take this survey! Kam Jugdev, PhD, PMP, Centre for Innovative Management - Athabasca University, is gathering confidential and anonymous survey data with Dr. Joyce Fortune, Dr. Diana White, and Dr. Derek Walker. She would like to try the viral survey approach (perhaps that is the wrong approach, given the Swine Flu that is going around!). To support that effort, would you please complete the survey using the link below, and then forward the link to as many of your friends and colleagues in project management as possible? Hopefully they in turn, will do the same. The results will be available to asapm when published. Thanks!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228ZYWSGQ7U

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7. Young Crew and Young Project Manager Updates

YC-USA Press Release and News
Young Crew USA released an announcement of the election of its 2009 Executive Board of Directors, naming three project professionals to leadership positions in the organization. Congratulations to President Jhaymee S. Wilson, Vice President – Communications and Marketing Sloane Whiteley, and Vice President – Membership and Outreach Leah Bussert. For the complete Press Release, click here.

We are also continually looking for passionate individuals to join the asapm Young Crew Core Team. You do not need to take on a leadership position to become part of our core team. We're looking to have a full solidified core team by the end of May. So if people are looking to become cofounders of the asapm Young Crew, this would be a great time to get involved.

And now, asapm Young Crew is on Twitter! You can find us at www.twitter.com/asapmyoungcrew.  Feel free to follow us as we will be providing updates about the Young Crew implementation via Twitter.  We also plan to have a Facebook Fan Page up soon.

An Update on Transitions 2009, June 27, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
The Project Management Students Association (PMSA) at The George Washington University is hosting Transitions 2009, a one day conference that will explore projects, project management, and change within our environment on June 27, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum where students and project practitioners can share best practices and lessons learned in a self-directed learning environment. This inaugural event will include software demonstrations, panel discussions, and a resume building workshop to help understand and develop your personal brand as a project manager.

The Transitions 2009 agenda is as follows:

Location:
       The George Washington University School of Business
       2201 G Street, NW
       Washington, D.C.
       Duquès Hall, Room 651

Early Bird tickets are $10 (for the first 50; offer expires 12 June). Click here to register!

Update for Young Crew Workshop at Helsinki World Congress
YC Workshop in Helsinki 12-14th of June 2009 is coming! And there are still some seats left – don’t miss the best event of the summer! We have top speakers from various countries, organizations and fields. This time, we’re introducing a few of them briefly. Pekka Pere from the Project Management Association Finland will speak about “Can We Refresh Mother Earth?”. Besides, we are going to have cases from the next Finnish nuclear plant project and Microsoft. Moreover, our latest speaker update is Director Sirkku Salo from Nokia IT’s Project Management Competence Center.

The evening programme is also going to be enjoyable and refreshing. You would’t miss the hottest event of this summer to freshen up your work, mind, surroundings – and yourself, would you? If your willingness to get refreshed and new ideas about Project Managing isn’t limited, you can pass on straight to the 23rd IPMA World Congress on 15th-17th of June. The Congress venues are located in the beautiful and fresh Helsinki as well, so this is your chance to continue enjoying the pure nature and to boost your way of thinking.

The speakers of the World Congress will be even more experienced leading project managers from companies, universities and associations around the world. Listen, learn, tell, experience and network, as well as enjoy the atmosphere that unites projects and the possibilities of the future! The Young Crew Workshop is going to be held at Helsinki Fair Center from June 12th - 14th, 2009. The World Congress follows it at the same venue from June 15th to 17th.

Go to:  www.refresh09.com to register, review the programme, other information. See you in Helsinki!

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8. The Art of Productive Laziness, a Special Feature article by Peter Taylor
By advocating being a 'lazy' project manager, I do not intend that we should all do absolutely nothing. I am not saying we should all sit around drinking coffee, reading a good book and engaging in idle gossip whilst watching the project hours go by and the non-delivered project milestones disappear over the horizon. That would obviously be plain stupid and would result in an extremely short career in project management, in fact probably a very short career full stop!

Lazy does not mean Stupid. No I really mean that we should all adopt a more focused approach to project management and to exercise our efforts where it really matters, rather than rushing around like busy, busy bees involving ourselves in unimportant, non-critical activities that others can better address, or indeed that do not need addressing at all in some cases.

Despite his title of 'The Lazy Project Manager’, Peter Taylor is in fact a dynamic and commercially astute professional who has achieved notable success in project management, program management and the professional development of project managers. He has done so latterly as Head of Projects at a global supplier of performance system solutions, and currently as Director of a PMO at Siemens PLM Software, a global supplier of product lifecycle management solutions. He is an accomplished communicator and leader; always adopting a proactive and business-focused approach.

He is also the author of ‘The Lazy Project Manager’ book (Infinite Ideas 2009) – for more information, see: www.thelazyprojectmanager.com. You can also subscribe to a series of free podcasts on iTunes (The Lazy Project Manager).

Click here to read Peter's Special Feature article, The Art of Productive Laziness, on the asapm website.

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9. asapm Updates, Reminders and News

asapm Elections
asapm voting members received a reminder this week that the 2009 asapm Elections are this month, with three offices opening, President, Director of Education, and Director of Standards. This is your last chance to add your name as a nominee for this election If you are interested in running for one of the asapm offices, wish to nominate someone to do so (with their permission), or have questions, Contact Vice President Richard Richard Toledo.

asapm Supports Business Development Competencies Research Project
As part of our affiliation with the International Business Development Council, asapm is supporting a research project to establish the roles and competences of those who are responsible for Business Development and all the other program and project-related actions "to the left of the proposal. We are also looking for Sponsors, who will help fund the project. The information below is from the Research Plan:

Project Goal
Identify and validate practice areas key to business development success. Develop appropriate roles and corresponding competencies that support these practices across the business development continuum.

The Business Need
The disciplines of business development (strategic planning, marketing, competitive intelligence, sales, capture planning, proposal management, contract management, project management, etc.) provide significant value to organizations that follow properly designed and managed processes. Within the various disciplines significant research and practice has been done to identify processes and build management support. However since the various practitioners often have disparate backgrounds and experience, it is important to take a holistic view of the entire continuum.

“Competencies aligned with business strategies lead to enhanced business performance. Similarly, at a more indirect level, competencies provide direction to individuals who might need to adjust their competence through training and development. When these activities lead to improved performance, the organization experiences better results.”

This research will validate the appropriate practice areas, inventory and expand supporting processes and key practices, identify the proper roles along with the competencies for these roles. Both individual and organizational competencies will be examined.

If you would like more information about this project, are interested in participating in it, or becoming a Sponsor of this project contact us.

A Global Song, Courtesy of Matt Piazza
And now, to wrap this issue of the asapm newsletter, we offer the ultimate example of virtual collaboration. As Matt says, "This is awesome for sure!!!!"

"This is a link to one of the best pieces of sound engineering work I think I have ever seen.  It is a composite audio/video of song whereby additional tracks were laid in by different singers and musicians from different places around the world.  The finished product is tremendous!"

"The song itself is that classic standard "Stand By Me" originally released in 1955 by The Staple Singers and released again in 1961 by the Drifters. This composite version is a real toe tapper. So turn up the speaker volume and Click Here." So, here's a challenge: how many different venues are covered, and how did they so-seamlessly patch the segments together? Truly a work of musical art!

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asapm is the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. We are a non-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. Please see the asapm.org website for subscribe information. Thanks!

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Stacy Goff, IPMA-D
asapm Member Services