asapm logoWelcome to the asapm February 2011 Newsletter!

This February 2011 edition of our Opt-in Newsletter is from asapm, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. We are IPMA-USA, the USA member association of the International Project Management Association. Enjoy!

In This Issue
1. Change Agents: President's Message, by Stacy Goff
2. Certification Report: REACH For the Stars! By William Duncan
3. Another Article Double-Play By Hamilton, Hodgkinson, & Byatt!
4. Announcing Two Important Surveys on Project Success
5. aPRO Takes Off! Reported by Project Manager Tim Jaques
6. asapm Board Member Nominations Open
7. asapm Volunteer Opportunities
8. IPMA News, Courtesy of Your Two Memberships in One!
9. Double Dose of Goff's Recorded Presentations
10. IPMA Family and asapm Members Only Sites Update

1. Change Agents: President's Blog, by Stacy Goff
Our Change Agents blog embraces the change that the practice of Project Management brings to the USA, and to Society. We post below the teaser from this month's blog posting; click the bold linked heading to see the whole posting.

The First 10% of a Project: 90% of Success, part 3
In the first two parts of this series, we discussed the timing and actions of the first portion of any successful project. We made assertions about a number of useful actions, that some people might find to be overwhelming. Is it really necessary to do “all that stuff?” Could some be skipped? Certainly, you could skip much of that, and “hero” your way through every project. Many organizations still operate that way, even after 25+ years of smarter approaches. Yet, there are exceptions, counterpoints and illustrations of the assertions we made in the first two parts of this subject.

Agile PM
Agile PM is thought to be a “new thing,” and is often proclaimed to be an alternative to BDUF, Big Definition Up Front mentality suggested by the first two articles in this series. Despite the claims of newcomers, Agile PM began, not in the mid-1990s, but in the early 1980s. Of course, we were early advocates of Ken Schwaber’s Scrum in the early 90s, and Kent Beck’s work with Extreme Programming later. But way before those advancements, there were two camps in Information Technology projects that were in favor of leaner PM methods:

  1. Development-oriented talent, who did not understand the importance of the fuzzy front end of a project, including estimating, funding, staffing, requirements definition and design alternatives. Often, the resistance to these actions was fierce, because they obviously didn't generate code, and thus, only delayed getting to the good part of the project. Indeed, many of the “new agile methods” of the early and mid-1990s repeated this theme. I recall heated disagreement about the need to understand the existing situation, the flow of data, and the business processes, because “any adept developer can respond to those discoveries.”

  2. Many savvy and experienced project managers of the early 1980s resisted using the in-vogue massive methodologies that were designed for 35,000 hour, multi-year projects. Why? These 1970s artifacts would crush the emerging 3,500 hour, done in six months efforts that became the norm in the 1980s. Thus, they intelligently selected the PM actions that did the most good in achieving business results, while imposing the least overhead.

    This ability became an essential competence for performing project managers. While not going to such extremes as “the code represents the dynamic requirements and documentation”, they moved away from the process-driven and forms burdened approaches they encountered. ... More

The First 10% of a Project: 90% of Success, part 4
If you have not reviewed parts 1-3, we suggest that you go do that before continuing here. Some following this series are a bit incredulous. One week or less, huh? What a pipe-dream! Some teams spend an entire week and get 10% that much information, much less the needed levels of management commitment. We mentioned our Rapid Initial Planning processes. Many organizations perform this type of quick-start approach today, so our method is no longer anything new. The RIP (as we called it, although some thought that meant Rest In Peace…), is a way seek the prerequisites that smart project managers assure for every project.

Case Application: Product Data Management System
In the early 1990s, one of the few remaining US-based military shipbuilding companies had a mandate: Update to an end-to-end PDM (Product Data Management) System within several years, or lose their ability to bid on new warfighter systems. A PDM supports the entire process, from concept, through Design Engineering, to Construction, Sea Trials and Validation, Delivery, and importantly, Parts Inventory Management for the life of the resulting product; in this case, a warship. One could say that this was an Information Technology project, because IT was involved. We felt it was a business survival strategy, because the future of the entire business was at stake. Besides, while their shipyards were vast, their IT staff numbered fewer than 20 people ... More

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2. Certification Report: REACH For the Stars! by William Duncan
Out of Work? asapm is now offering deeply discounted certification credentials to qualified project managers who have been out of work a minimum of 4 months. The program is called "Resume Enhancement After Career Hiatus" (REACH) and is open to all US residents. Applicants will follow the normal two-stage application process, and will be assessed against the same stringent performance criteria by two assessors. Nothing is different ... except the price. REACH prices for IPMA Levels A, B, and C are less than half the regular individual prices, and include a full year's membership in asapm. REACH pricing can be found on the standard asapm Certification Pricing page. Applicants should simply complete the standard application form and include "REACH" in the name field.

Program Manager Credential Extended. IPMA's Level A credential is limited to program managers managing complex programs. According to Werner Schmer, head of IPMA's program, fewer than 8% of all programs count as "complex." As a result, asapm is following in the footsteps of other IPMA Member Associations such as The Netherlands and offering a program manager credential at Level B as well. Level B programs will still need to meet minimum requirements for management complexity, but the minimum will be considerably lower than those for Level A. Application forms and the Level B Program Manager pages will be available by the end of February.

Pricing Update. All of asapm's certifications now include a year's asapm membership! Non-members will be renewed automatically, and current members will have their membership term extended by a full year. The Certification Board approved this change as part of a restructuring intended to bring our pricing more into line with that of other IPMA Member Associations. This approach has the added benefit of simplifying the process for both applicants and asapm.

Validation Assessment. asapm's certification offices were visited over the MLK holiday weekend by two Validators from IPMA as part of IPMA's quality assurance program. Although the Validators did make several recommendations for improvements in our administrative operations, they approved the results of our assessment practices as meeting IPMA's global standards ... not that we were surprised!

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3. Another Article Double-Play By Hamilton, Hodgkinson, & Byatt

A. The Trouble with Continuous Multi-tasking, and How to Avoid It
Picture the following scenario: you have gone into a “quiet room” such as your office or den to write a long-term program or project plan that you have been meaning to get to for several weeks. The plan requires your full concentration, and it has taken you say three-plus weeks to get to because of short-term issues and urgent requests from others that have continually taken priority.

‘Today’ is the first day you managed to budget or decided to set aside time to work on it. You are fifteen minutes into your task, but you find yourself struggling to concentrate on it. Your mind wanders. Then you see an email come into the Inbox on your computer and also your mobile device, which you have put on the desk in full view – both flash at you with the new message alert. Without thinking twice, you open the email, digest its contents and click Reply. Upon finishing your response, you check something loosely related to it that you were working on last week…and in the space of twenty minutes you are disconnected mentally from writing the plan you set yourself the task of completing today… does this scenario seem all too familiar?

Take a moment to consider how much of your time at work you spend responding to ad-hoc tasks while having multiple tasks in progress at once, and compare this to the time you spend on what you consider to be your most important tasks. Does the balance of what you do, match up with how you want it to be?

B. Learning Lessons – Before You Begin, as You Progress, and When You Have Finished
Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time.

This statement can be applied to the way in which we approach projects. If we do not take the time to learn from the previous experiences of both ourselves and others, capture what we learn as we go, and sum it up when we finish, how can we expect to assimilate and pass on the lessons we all learn?

This article does not cover in detail the processes involved in effectively learning lessons. A large amount of material and advice from specialists already exists on the subject; rather, we put forward just a few “pointers to consider” for your latest project – whether it is getting ready to start or already underway.

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4. Announcing Two Important Surveys on Project Success
We in asapm strongly support Academic surveys that align with our cause of advancing the practice of project management, and we encourage you, if you are qualified (they are both focused on IT), to respond to both of the surveys below. They are especially important, because they relate to a theme we have highlighted over the last year: Project Success. And, they go beyond the tired "triple constraint" indicators, and deal with aspects of true business success. Thank you for participating in these surveys!

A. IT Project Managers Needed for a Research Study Examining Beliefs and Opinions about Success Factors for IT Projects
What is this study about? This study examines the wide range of factors suspected to be critical for IT project success. The purpose of this research is to investigate project manager views and opinions about the relative importance of these factors in contributing to a successful IT project. In effect, it is an examination of how research findings align with the practical experiences and knowledge of practicing project managers. This research is part of a doctoral dissertation for Walden University. Thank you! Michael J. Doherty.

Who should participate? Project managers with experience leading or working on IT projects.

Why should I participate? Obviously, your participation will help in exploring how your professional experiences actually fit with the research findings. Secondly,and perhaps more importantly from a personal perspective, you will gain experience with a unique data collection and analysis technique called Q-methodology. Q-methodology represents a powerful tool for identifying statistically significant clusters of concern from “subjective” opinion. It could represent a new tool for project managers to use in practice and I am willing to help interested PM learn more about this technique and even assist in developing a pilot test for your own use.

Where do I access the survey? You can access the survey at http://www.michaeljdoherty.com. (Follow the Consent Form link).

How do I participate? Participation involves an online data collection activity using Q-methodology. All responses are completely anonymous. Data collection takes about 30 minutes. However, I believe you will be intrigued about how Q-method data collection works and begin to see how this might be of use in your own professional practice. For more information: Visit the website at http://www.michaeljdoherty.com or email me.

B. More Than a Survey; a Compilation of Researched PM Success Factors of the Last 25 Years!
We need the benefit of your expertise in our assessment of what factors are critical to achieving IT project success. If you would allow us to introduce ourselves, we are PM researchers/writers interested in expanding the IT PM knowledge base with the insights of practical, real world experience. Our digital questionnaire attempts to address the variety of definitions of success used over the last 25 years.

Because we’ve included all previous attempts to measure IT project success in this questionnaire, it’s not a quick, handful of items. However, you may actually find it fascinating to see the myriad factors that scholars have associated with IT project success. More importantly, your insights will help to refine the definition of success. Your expertise can help to shape the future application of best practice within project management.

Access the survey online by clicking the link below or by cutting and pasting it into your browser. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LN3XWCC. We would appreciate a response by February 28, 2011. Your answers to these questions are important and your specific answers will be kept confidential. Results will be compiled in aggregate for creating the report findings. If you would like to receive a summary, just include your e-mail address in the last comment box on the questionnaire. Please know that we appreciate your time and your insights.

If you’re curious about our recent research and publications in the area of IT project management, check out our articles in IJoPM (October 2010) and PMJ (February 2011). We were also recently invited to contribute chapters on IT hiring and project duration for two books of collected works on project management and managing IT resources. If you have any questions please call (918) 444-2907 or e-mail stevensd@nsuok.edu. Thank you for your participation!
-- Dr. Deborah H. Stevenson and Dr. JoAnn Starkweather; Information Systems and Technology; Northeastern State University

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5. aPRO Takes Off! Reported by Project Manager Tim Jaques
The asapm Performance Rated Organization (aPRO) program team will conduct their first training event for Recognized Assessors March 10-11 in Atlanta Georgia. In conjunction with TenStep, asapm will be training nearly 20 individuals. Those who pass the course will become Recognized Assessors for aPRO. asapm will be scheduling two more trainings in 2011, one on each coast of the US. The aPRO Standard has two purposes:

aPRO Recognized Assessors (RA) deliver the aPRO assessment to customers. Recognized Assessors become part of asapm’s family of distinctive performance-oriented services for organizations, projects and individuals. aPRO RAs gain the following advantages:

For more information, see the aPRO contact list, or see the aPRO section of the asapm website.

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6. asapm Board Member Nominations Open
asapm's volunteer teams have completed some pretty stellar offerings in the last several years, finishing our Performance-Competence based PM Certification suite, our aPRO asapm Performance Rated Organization standard, and adding many articles, webinars and blog postings to our website. And in 2011 we are increasing our efforts even more. Of course we are all volunteers, so one objective is to get all asapm members involved in one or more of our Project Teams that work. Another way to get engaged is to take a big step forward, and run for office in the asapm Board of Directors.

The asapm Board positions that are up for election in 2011 are Secretary-Treasurer, Director of Marketing, and Director of Member Services. Click the links for those roles to see the responsibilities of each position. Each year, approximately one-third of the asapm offices open for nominations. We are also soliciting volunteers to serve on the 2011 asapm Elections Committee, working with asapm Vice President Trevor Nelson. For more information, or to find out about nominating yourself or someone else (with their permission), please contact Trevor.

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7. asapm Volunteer Opportunities
As a volunteer-driven organization, asapm depends on volunteers to advance the practice of project management. So far, we must be doing a great job, because other professional organizations are following our lead in each of our areas of innovation. We need more people to help with a wide range of exciting new ventures. Here is a list of areas where members can volunteer, learn new things, and help advance the practice of project and program management, for yourself, your organization, nation, and society.

Project Success Effort Underway
asapm Standards has embarked on an ambitious program to define the dimensions of project success. "Projects are getting so large and so complex that a more sophisticated approach is needed to define the parameters of success," says Tim Jaques. This program will define different characteristics of project and organizational success, and attempt to capture the results in a pragmatic tool and a new standard. The team hopes to be able to present their results at an IPMA event. Here is your Volunteer Opportunity: Any member with an interest in exploring project success should contact Tim at Standards.

Exciting Opportunity: Host a Webinar Series!
asapm is looking for a dynamic, self-starter who can take the reins of the Performance Excellence podcast/webinar series. The 2011 successor of last year's Dialogue Webinar Series, this monthly series combines monthly video podcasts with occasional live webinars. Tools and support will be provided. This is a wonderful opportunity for the right individual to connect with a wide range of leading experts across the project management field. As host, you will engage these experts in topical discussions while providing value back to our membership. If interested, contact Director of Member Services Brent Hansen.

Program Teams For asapm Boards
Each asapm Board Member has a program team, to help deliver the wide range of services asapm provides. The team members of each program area gain experience (we claim PDUs for our roles), and serving on an asapm program team is a great way to prepare to run for an asapm Board Member position. Right now, we have openings for several of our teams, for current asapm members, as follows:

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8. IPMA News, Courtesy of Our Two Memberships in One!

Research Management Board Produces Q4-2010 Newsletter
Prof Rajat K. Baisys produced a great Research Management Board (RMB) newsletter, covering the IPMA Research news of 4th Quarter, 2010. Among the topics covered are his Editor's brief, with the Istanbul World Congress report, an article by RMB Chair Dr. Brane Semolic, Why we need New Business Model and Organizational Change, the 2010 IPMA Research Awards, covered by Martina Huemann, and an article, Innovativeness and Innovation Success, by Alexander Kock. Finally, the Newsletter introduces the IPMA Research Awards 2011: Moving Research Forward. See the RMB Newsletter at the asapm website.

2nd Call for Papers for 25th IPMA World Congress in Australia
The Second Call for Papers for the 25th IPMA World Congress in Brisbane, Australia next year has been announced. The 25th IPMA World Congress on Project Management, with the theme "Project Management - Delivering the Promise", will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia during 9-12 October 2011. For information, visit www.ipma2011.com.au.

The 25th IPMA World Congress team invites abstracts and proposals from authors and experts around the world. Seven main Congress themes are offered, with each to have its own stream during the event. Project and programme management leaders worldwide are encouraged to participate actively in the Congress by submitting an abstract for either a peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed paper, on one of the following topics:

1 Social and corporate responsibility, incorporating The Environment, Sustainability, Community Engagement and Ethics - Examining the potential and experiences of PM to assist social objectives.

2 Practitioners and the occupation, incorporating Competencies, Professional Development, Recognition and Reward and Empowerment - What PMs do, how we do it. How we are seen by other professions, our relationships to industry.

3 Clients and stakeholders, incorporating Benefits realisation, identification and expectations, Return on investment, Risk Reduction, Quality Delivery - Insights into forming, maintaining and improving relationships with clients and stakeholders..

4 Practices and methods incorporating, Benchmarking, Best Practice Governance, Best Practice Methodologies, Tools and Techniques - What are the techniques, practices and tools that can be employed to achieve success?

5 The Future incorporating Academic Research, General Research, Trends, Possibilities - Academic, both student, postgraduate and industry focused on understanding current and future issues for the discipline. What major opportunities exist in the future and where can we make significant improvements.

6 The Australian Experience incorporating Case studies and practical experience - Reports from the front line from implementations inside Australia, including public, national, local and personal experiences with the use of low, high, complex, advanced or complicated management to deliver projects.

7 The International Experience incorporate Case studies and practical experience - Reports from the front line from implementations outside and inside Australia, including public, national, local and personal experiences with the use of low, high, complex, advanced or complicated management to deliver projects.

Timeline for acceptance of abstracts and papers is:

Mark your calendar for the above dates, and for the Congress event, October 9-12, 2011. The 25th IPMA World Congress is being organized by the Australian Institute of Project Management, the Australian member association of IPMA. The Chairman for the 25th IPMA World Congress is AIPM leader David Hudson, who has a full team organized and prepared to deliver an outstanding event in Brisbane. Visit http://www.ipma2011.com.au/.

9. Double Dose of Goff's Recorded Presentations
Four Opportunities to Improve Project Portfolio Performance
This recorded webinar is an expansion of Goff's presentation at the 24th IPMA World Congress, in Istanbul, Turkey. Most organizations today are looking for opportunities to “slim down.” That includes all aspects of their organization, including operations, capital investments, and projects. Often, projects are the easiest items to delete or delay. More effective organizations, on the other hand, step back from the budget-cutting, and take a hard look at the value chain provided by their most-effective project initiatives.

asapm, IPMA-USA, has developed and offers a suite of opportunities for organizations that are ready to improve the results of their portfolios. Alone or in combination, each opportunity has the potential to lower costs, reduce project challenges, increase success, and improve performance. For each opportunity, guidelines, tools and support information are available on the asapm website, as referenced in this webinar session. The Four Opportunities we cite will directly help the performance of all projects and programs in your PM portfolio:

1. Turn PM Training into Learning
2. Assure Stakeholder Competence
3. Focus on the Managers in the Middle
4. Assess and Improve Organizational PM Performance

In this session, we cite the shocking range of improvements most project-engaged organizations can achieve from each of these initiatives, and from combining them into your quest for improved PM Performance and competitive advantage. The recorded presentation for this last event of the 2010 Dialogue series is available until April 2011; the slides are also available.

Everything I Know About Project Time Management, I learned in Sports Car Racing!
When we first published this topic as an article at the asapm Members Only site over two years ago, we received more comments in a week than we had all year to date. And then, it was translated, and appeared in Russian and Italian in widely circulated publications. So, when it was time to do a repeat performance to support a major Conference for an IPMA Member Association in the Middle East, this was a logical topic to turn from an article into a presentation.

And what fun we had with it! Just as we did last year, we prerecorded it, and sent it off to be played at 2AM our time. The presentation was 20 minutes long, and we understand it was very well received. Now, you can see if you agree! See "Everything I Know..." we are making it openly available until April 2011; it will remain also available at the asapm Members Only site. If you didn't already see it, you can also also see the original article.

10. IPMA Family and asapm Members Only Sites Update
asapm members are also members of IPMA. We created an asapm Members Only site, with PM-related goodies several years ago, and it was so popular that we built a separate one for all Member Associations of IPMA. Last July, we merged the two sites. This gives you the opportunity to collaborate with beginning and advanced PM practitioners from over 50 member nations all over the world. So far, however, only a quarter of our members have crossed over to the new site. So, we urge you to "come aboard" the IPMA Family! Here are some tips:

  1. Go to the asapm Members Only Sign Up instruction page, and follow the instructions there.
  2. When you sign up the first time, be sure to mention that you are an asapm member. It may take a while for our Admins to approve you.
  3. Upload a photo, so we recognize you at the next World Congress. From My Page, see the Settings link near top right. The best photos are 200x200 pixels; taller ones may cut the top of your head (ouch!).
  4. Join the asapm: IPMA-USA Group. This is a public group, with discussions and interesting links. See the list of groups at the right on most pages. On a the page of a group you wish to join, click the + Join xxx button at the top right of the page.
  5. Join the asapm Members Only Group. This one requires approval, and only current asapm members are allowed access to all the goodies.
  6. Then, explore the Main (home) page of the site, explore the Discussions, wee the photos and videos, and collaborate with the IPMA Family!

Why You Might Care
One reason for this reminder is that there are some new things, together with all the others at the links on the asapm Members Only site:

2011 IPMA Journal Subscriptions Now Available
Also available from the asapm Members Only site is the 2011 subscription to the International Journal of Project Management. IJoPM is IPMA's juried journal for International Project and Program Managers. The annual subscription is in paper magazine format; we have not yet been able to arrange a way to get it electronically.

The 2011 IJoPM is available to current (not expired) asapm members at the significantly discounted price of US$72. This is an important benefit for current members, because the publisher's non-member price fluctuates with currency exchange rates. For example, last week, the price was $298.

For More Information: For more IJoPM information, including steps for paying by credit card or check, and links to the publisher's site, so you can preview articles and issues, go to the Members Only site. Questions or problems? Contact Stacy. Thank you!

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asapm, IPMA-USA, 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 Performance Competence in Project and Program Management. asapm is a registered trademark of the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. See our past newsletters at our website.

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