From PMI to IPMA, the top project management organizations in the U.S. and around the world are keeping busy with their own projects and initiatives. Here are some news items to keep you up to speed with what’s happening in the industry’s professional associations and educational institutions.
Project Management Institute
PMI has a great resource page that features a collection of PM news and articles. Last month, they highlighted the changes that many universities are making in their MBA programs. Now, rather than just focusing on finance, analysis, and accounting topics, coursework is being expanded to include more “hands on” knowledge. PMs are recognized as having highly desirable skills including leadership and strategic thinking – characteristics that not every numbers guru with an MBA can boast. Locations like UC Davis are putting students out in the field to solve real life business problems as part of their required PM course. This gives students a chance to prove themselves before they even launch their full time careers.
Internationals Project Management Association
IPMA has announced the establishment of the International Centre for Complex Project Management contest. The research prize is awarded for innovation in emerging areas of complex PM. The ICCPM is accepting nominations of research papers through May 1st. The winner will receive AUD$10,000. This should be a yearly event, so start working on a paper for next year’s contest if you feel like you have the chops to compete for this prestigious award!
American Society for the Advancement of Project Management
This U.S. chapter of IPMA just released a report in February on “Understanding FAC-P/PM and Competency”. Compiling the research took over a year (no word on whether that was the anticipated schedule for completion) and now it’s available free of charge. ASAPM came to a number of conclusions based on its findings. Their recommendations for federal projects include aligning methodology with each industry, improving measurement of results, and stressing actual competency rather than just training. We’ll definitely take a closer look at this report in a future blog post, so stay tuned.
Association for Project Management
The APM is a UK based organization for PMs. This association works with major industries by offering corporate accreditation for relevant processes. Notable participants in this program include Seimens, Shell, and Rolls Royce. Accreditation focuses on the current processes in place at a corporation, areas that may require further development, and the five dimensions of professionalism. A company must support its PMs in acquiring knowledge, experience, and ethics that demonstrate breadth, depth, achievement, commitment, and accountability. So far, the U.S. has focused on accrediting and certifying PMs rather than corporations. It will be interesting to see if this trend catches on over here.
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