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Imagination visits Dubai for PMI

Reported by Mounir Ajam in Dubai

Representatives from Imagination, the publishing partner of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) on PM Network (a monthly magazine about project management), were in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 5 to 9 July to interview executives about the status of Project Management in Dubai, the UAE, and the Region.

The interviews will be filmed and included on a DVD that will be distributed at the Forbes CEO Conference that is planned for Singapore in September of this year. PMI is a principal sponsor for the conference.

We were able to assist Imagination in organizing 5 interviews with executives that represent a spectrum of industries. These executives believe in promoting project management and many of them have either adopted professional project management processes or are currently implementing a PM system in their organization.

The participating executives included the Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village, the Director of the Outsourcing Zone, the CEO of Arab Media Group, the Regional VP for ARAMEX International, and the Director of Projects and Assets Management for the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Three Keynote Speakers Set for 1st UTD Project Management Symposium in Texas - Discounts & Prizes Announced for Attendees

Three keynote speakers have now been announced for the upcoming 1st UTD Project Management Symposium, scheduled for 6 August 2007 in Plano, Texas. The Symposium is being co-sponsored by the Dallas Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and PMForum, Inc.

According to Jim Joiner, director of UTD’s graduate program in project management, “we have three outstanding keynote speakers for this, our first major conference. Dr. Alain Bensoussan is now a professor at UTD after a long successful career in European Aerospace. As a specialist in risk management, his talk should be very interesting for project managers. In addition, we will have leaders from both PMI and IPMA speaking, one of the few times in the world where this will happen. It should be very interesting!”

Alain Bensoussan, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor at UTD and former Chair of the European Space Agency, will be the first keynote speaker on 6 August. Dr. Bensoussan is the Director of the International Center for Decision and Risk Ananlysis (ICDRiA) and has an extensive research background in stochastic control, probability and stochastic processes. Alain Bensoussan is also Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris Dauphine. He graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in 1962, and obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Paris in 1969. Dr. Bensoussan is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, the French Academy of Technology, of the Academia Europae, and the International Academy of Astronautics. He is an IEEE Fellow, and has received the Von Humboldt award as well as the NASA public service medal.

Karen Tate, PMP, Director-at-Large and member of the Board of Directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), will deliver the second keynote address at the 1st UTD Project Management Symposium on August 6, 2007, in Plano, Texas. Karen’s presentation will be on the topic of “Project Management as a Strategic Competency”. Karen is also President of The Griffen Tate Group, an Ohio-based project management consulting firm that provides consulting, training, facilitation and course development to both the private and public sectors, small and large organizations. Ms. Tate has been working with projects and project teams for more than 20 years.

Closing keynote speaker will be Mr. Adesh Jain, M. Eng, CPP, MPD, Managing Director of the Centre for Excellence in Project Management Ltd. (India), President of PM Guru, Inc. (USA), and Honorary President of Project Management Associates (PMA - India). Mr. Jain is the immediate past president and current Chair of the Council of Delegates of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Adesh’s career includes 40 years of project management-oriented work, including projects and positions in US and Indian industry. He has been conferred with 7 major awards in India, including a Fellowship and the 'Gem of India' award, and the Distinguished Contribution Award from PMI® in 1997. Adesh is President of PMA, India since 1993, Vice President of IPMA from 1999 – 2004, and IPMA President during 2005. He is currently IPMA Chair through 2008

Door Prizes Announced

The Symposium Team has also announced that all attendees will be eligible to win the following door prizes: project management books, dinners, vendor gifts and more. All attendees will also receive an automatic 10% discount off the price of attending next year’s 2nd UTD Project Management Symposium.

Vendor Exhibition Planned

Suppliers of project management services, software and technology are invited to participate in the Project Management Vendor Exhibition and Showcase also being held in conjunction with the 1st UTD Project Management Symposium. The Vendor Exhibition area will include booth and table space for exhibits in a traditional setting, in two main room in the convention center. Coffee breaks and lunch will take place in the Vendor Exhibition Area. Vendor participation information can be found at http://som.utdallas.edu/project/project-symp.htm..

Time & Place to be

The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium will be held on Monday 6 August 2007, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., at the Plano Convention Center, 2000 East Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas, USA. Free parking is available. The 1 day symposium will feature speeches, professional presentations and discussions in the following tracks:

Track 1 – Program & Portfolio Management
Track 2 – Project Management: Critical Organization Success Factor
Track 3 – Software Development & Agile Project Management
Track 4 – PM for Product Development, including small projects
Track 5 – The Role of Project Management in Corporate Governance
Track 6 – Project Management in the Global Economy

Other Conference Features will include an Opening Ceremony with Keynote Speakers, vendor exhibition, book signings, breaks and lunch in the vendors’ exhibition area, and a closing keynote speech. Attendance fees are $150 for PMI Dallas Chapter members and UTD students until July 15, 2007. After July 15, full price of $200 per person will be charged. Registration is online prior to the event, or in person on the day of the symposium with checks. Conference registration and information can be found at
or contact

Both the PMI Dallas Chapter and the UTD’s executive education program in the school of management are registered education providers with PMI, so attendees can receive up to five Professional Development Units (PDUs) for PMP recertification.

The conference is being sponsored by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management’s Executive Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), (http://som.utdallas.edu/project/). Co-sponsors include the PMI Dallas Chapter ()
and PMForum, Inc. (www.pmforum.org).

15th Global Project Management Symposium in New Delhi, India Announced for November 2007

Executives, program managers, project managers and project management professionals around the world are invited to New Delhi, India for the 2007 Global Project Management Symposium sponsored by Project Management Associates (PMA) and the Center for Excellence in Project Management (CEPM). With theme “Business by Projects”, the conference will be held during 12-14 November 2007 at the Hotel Ashok in New Delhi, India. This will be the 15th annual global project management symposium held in India.

Some of the anticipated topics include:

• Measuring performance against national project excellence award models
• IPMA 4 Level Certification (4LC) – the key to PM profession
• NTPC – an example of project excellence
• Attributes of complex project management
• Handling Complexities in managing hydro projects
• Making L&T a global brand, lessons learned
• History of project management in Japan
• New directions in managing projects in CPSEs
• thinking – changing the way projects are managed
• Certificate in Project Management (CIPM), creating a common PM vocabulary
• Managing complexities in R&D projects
• Project management in Chinese construction industry
• Creativity, innovation and programme management
• Measuring organizations PM maturity level
• Challenges in managing large infrastructure projects
• Emotions and rationality in managing projects

According to the conference brochure,, those who should attend include people from all disciplines such as Agriculture, Construction, Finance, Engineering, HRD, Infrastructure, IT, Manufacturing, Marketing, Planning, Projects, R&D, Operations, Software, Services, NGO’s, etc. who wish to make their companies locally & globally competitive. Others who should be interested are top management with a vision; managers ready to take on new challenges; executives who are part of high performing teams; decision makers from state/central governments & organizations with funding from multi/bilateral agencies; strategic thinkers and managers from companies with a global presence; and project managers / team members of hard core, manufacturing and soft projects.

The conference is being supported by the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the International Construction Project Management Association (ICPMA) and the International Construction Project Management Union (ICPMU). The event will be supported by PMGURUONLINE.com. For more information, visit: http://www.pma-india.org/images/GS2007.pdf.

Inaugural Meeting of IPMA's new Project Management Mediterranean Network (MEDNET) to be in Lisbon

Executives, professionals and project management leaders are invited to participate in a meeting organised on the theme “Developing PM competences in the Mediterranean Region”, to be held during September 13th - 14th, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

The venue will be the Lisbon Marriott Hotel, Avenida dos Combatentes, Lisbon. There is no registration fee, but participants are expected to cover their own travel and subsistence costs. The meeting will be chaired by Mr. Gilles Caupin, former IPMA president and chair, who has been appointed secretary general of the MEDNET initiative.

The agenda for the meeting in Lisbon will include: project management needs identification, development proposals, Mediterranean University network, professional associations contribution, Rome 2008 congress. This meeting should be particularly relevant for people from all economic sectors, governments and universities who are interested in the development of project management in the Mediterranean Region with the resulting networking and business opportunities. All inquiries should be directed to Gilles Caupin, IPMA Mediterranean Network Secretary General, at .

IPMA previously announced the formation of a Mediterranean Network (MEDNET) dedicated to project management and focused on issues relevant to the Mediterranean Basin. MEDNET was officially created in March 2007 at the initiative of PM Associations in Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey. (see breaking news article on www.pmforum.org on July 7, 2007).

MEDNET’s primary objective is to contribute to the development of the project management profession in the Mediterranean Basin through exchanges of experiences and information, creation of national associations and certification bodies, regional conferences, networking and business contacts facilitation.

Founded in 1967 and registered in Switzerland, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is the world’s oldest project management professional organization. IPMA is an international network of national PM societies that serve the specific development needs of each country in its national language. IPMA provides an umbrella organization to represent them at the international level. IPMA offers a highly acclaimed 4 Level PM Certification Programme that has been embraced by organizations worldwide, and annually presents project management awards to teams that achieve great feats in project management. IPMA maintains its continuous presence in the global PM arena through regular International Symposia, Expert Seminars and its Annual World Congress. The president of IPMA for 2007-2008 is Mr. Veikko Valila. Additional information is available at www.ipma.ch.

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Next GAPPS Working Session on Global Project Management Standards Set of 1-3 September in Australia

The next working session of the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) will be held during 1-3 September 2007 in Queensland, Australia. To be hosted by Bond University Mirvac School of Sustainable Development, the GAPPS working session will be held in conjunction with the PMOZ Conference of 28 – 31 August 2007.

Executives of project oriented organizations and project management professionals who have an interest in contributing to global project management standards are invited to participate in this important three day workshop.

The location of the GAPPS Working Session No 12 will be the Central Teaching Building – Level 2 seminar rooms 20, 21 and 22, Bond University, Gold Coast, Robina, QLD, Australia. Attendees requiring letters of invitation from the host organisation to obtain a Visa to Australia should contact the GAPPS Secretariat immediately. Existing and new GAPPS members are welcome to participate, with early registration encouraged. Inquiries or confirmation of participation should be directed to the project Secretariat: .

The Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) is an independent collaborative not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fostering mutual recognition for project and program management standards and qualifications. The organization was formed in response to the need for global portability of project management qualifications, certifications and development programs.

The GAPPS project manager standards provide a framework for assessment and development of project management skills. They also support the Millennium Development goals proposed by the United Nations addressing an identified applied skill shortage in many nations. The GAPPS standards can be adopted by organisations for the assessment, development and certification of their project managers, in their entirety or customised to support existing project management cultures, processes, tools and models. Benefits of GAPPS include its independence from proprietary project management methodologies and models, and that it can complement existing structures. All the works produced by GAPPS are developed on a volunteer basis, are publicly available for use by public and private sector organisations, and can be downloaded from the GAPPS website at www.globalpmstandards.org. To become involved, to join the next working session, or for more information, contact .

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AACE Rolls Out "Soft Launch" of the Certified Portfolio,
Program and Project Manager (C3PM) Credential

A report from the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) International’s Annual Symposium, Nashville, TN, USA

Reported by Paul Giammalvo

AACE, at their 51st Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN on July 15-18, 2007, has rolled out the Certified Portfolio, Program and Project Manager (C3PM) credential

This COMPETENCY based credential is modeled much along the lines of the North American Professional Engineer licensing process, and is based on AACE’s “Total Cost Management Framework” https://www.aacei.org/bookstore/cgi-bin/shop.cgi?CustomerID=511239862&page=4060-20.htm

The C3PM has been designed to appeal to career path portfolio (asset), program (operations) and project managers, who are involved in or responsible for the capital budgeting process, primarily from the owners perspective.

Some of the more important features of this credential-

1. It requires at minimum, a 4 year degree in any field related to asset, operations or project management to enter the program (experience cannot be substituted in lieu of a 4 year degree)
2. It requires a MINIMUM of 3 years DOCUMENTED work experience, validated through a logbook and signed off using 360 degree evaluations;
3. In addition to a 4 year degree, it requires the equivalent of a Masters degree in additional educational requirements beyond the 4 year degree within not less than three, nor more than 8 years;
4. It requires that each applicant identify one or more mentors and create a career path development plan which is signed off and becomes part of the application process. (AACE is specifically trying to meet the career path needs of the professional asset, operations or project manager and not “accidental” project managers)
5. Credit (recognition) is given for those who already hold Masters and/or PhD’s in the field.

The C3PM credential is in the process of being ISO certified and is in the process of becoming GAPPS compliant. www.globalpmstandards.org

For those who hold the PMP, PRINCE2 or other certifications, credit is also given for those credentials, PROVIDED the person holds a 4 year degree prior to obtaining the credential or earns a 4 year degree subsequent to applying for the C3PM program.

In developing this credential, efforts were made to ensure that it reflected the needs of the global practitioner. The co-chairs of the C3PM development committee, Steve Warhoe and Paul Giammalvo, proactively solicited input from India, China, Middle East, Europe, Africa and not only North America.

C3PM development team-
Back Row- Co Chair, Steve Warhoe, PE, CCE,
Middle Row- Clive Francis, CCE, PSP, Black and Veatch; Patrick Haggerty, National Science Foundation; Catherine Cagan-Brown, MScPM; Co Chair, Paul Giammalvo, PMP, CCE, MScPM; Richard Selg, Parsons.
Front Row- Ms. Suryani, President Director, PT Mitratata Citragraha; Ms. Hani, standing in for Ms. Eli Dwiyani, PMP, World Bank

C3PM Development Team Members Missing from this photo are:
Bill Van Wagenen; Carol Lehel; Prof. Christophe Bredillet; Claudia Lopez; Catherine Miller, Jeffrey Borowicz; Dylan Wan, Deborah Lee Clark; Eli Dwiyani, Greg Sillak, J. H. Zhang; Hreinn Thormar; Jim Zack; John Hollmann; Mohammed Mageed; Agung Primaranu; Arnold Hill, U.S. Govt; Robert McCoy; Robert Marshall; Don Snowden; Charlie Bolyard

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