Welcome to the asapm November 2009 Newsletter! Welcome to the asapm November 2009 Newsletter!
This is an Opt-in Newsletter from asapm, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. We are the USA member association of IPMA, the International Project Management Association. Enjoy!
In This Issue
1. Change Agents: President's Message, by Stacy Goff
2. Article: The Value Of Lessons Learned; The Art Of Good Project Closure, by Peter Taylor
3. Certification Update From Duncan: His Team Has Been Very Busy!
4. NASA Knowledge Forum Convenes Experts to Discuss KM Strategies and Effectiveness
5. Article: Build Your Project Using FDD, by Pavan Kumar Gorakavi
6. News: Goff Speaks at Major PM Conferences in the USA and Middle East
7. Article: Cutting Costs with a Scalpel, Not a Chainsaw, by Curt Finch
8. News: Two Young Crew Press Releases; Jhaymee Lauded, New Logo Completed
9. Still More asapm-Related News:
Brent Hansen Representing asapm at PMO Symposium;
Your Participation Requested in a New Product Development Research Study
International Tongue Twister Day
Do-Ray-Mi ... in a Belgium Train Station
1. Change Agents: President's Message, 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 teasers from each of this month's blogs; click a bolded heading to see the whole entry.
Building the Future of PM (PM 2025)
October 12, 2009, marked the introduction of a new book, Project Management Circa 2025, published by Project Management Institute. Dr. David Cleland (author with Dr. Lew Ireland of some of the most useful books in the discipline) worked with Dr. Bopaya Bidanda to recruit Chapter authors and to edit this major achievement.
The book harnesses some great visionary thinking from a variety of practice leaders about the future of PM from different perspectives. The implications may be troubling for some, as knowledge becomes a commodity and experience is easily replaced with a “Wisdom Tooth” implant. The implications for practitioners, our organizations, Executives, and society, are most-important take-aways.
Chapter 9, Visions for the PM Software Industry, presents a variety of trajectory and discontinuity scenarios that include how your interpersonal skills will continue to be your greatest strength, and the importance of keeping your technical skills current. The chapter also predicts that PM Competence, and PM Performance will be your greatest strengths for the next 40 years ...
Evaluating Role and Rigor in PM Certifications
We have seen a wide range of opinions, analyses, and presentations that fail to clearly show the differences between the Project Management certifications in the USA. In addition, certifications from asapm and IPMA (International Project Management Association) are particularly misunderstood, because they address explicit roles and competence-oriented factors that other PM certifications do not. The purpose of this post is to clear up misunderstandings about the asapm/IPMA PM Certifications, and to clarify how they differ from all other PM certifications that are available in the USA.
When we speak of Role, we are discussing the primary Role of the certification candidate. Entry-level PM certifications use knowledge-based exams about project management, and do not depend on PM Role. Advanced certifications use interviews to assess performance competence in a targeted Role. Some people fill multiple roles; in that case, the Role is the one selected as the basis for certification. This is only important in the case of Advanced (higher-Rigor) certifications ...
Implications of Role and Rigor in PM Certifications
We have received some interesting reactions to our posting, Evaluating Role and Rigor in PM Certifications. Some assert that we place the IPMA-D certification too low on the Rigor scale. Others are concerned about whether the average reader can decipher which “Other PM Certifications” are reflected by that basketball on the chart. Still others are shocked, shocked, SHOCKED, that their project management credential might be labeled an Entry-level certification, or that they are not really certified Project Managers, but instead, certified in project management.
Let us be the first to point out that this confusion is not the certifying organization’s doing. That organization clearly and consistently points out that their well-developed and well-marketed credential is a certification in project management. All it takes is a read of the current Credential Handbook to see that the experience prerequisite is 3-5 years of leading and directing project tasks. This can be accomplished by completing individual assignments in a series of projects. Interestingly, the Role Delineation Study eligibility requirements have gradually increased over the last several years, towards higher levels of responsibility: “Lead and direct cross-functional teams…”; however, the vast majority of current certificants have been certified under looser, earlier requirements ...
The Work To the Left of Proposal
What is the Work to the Left of Proposal? The answer depends on your role, your program or project, and your perspective. For example, although many programs involve proposals, many projects do not. In engagements that involve proposals, the majority of success often depends on the work that occurs before the Proposal is ever signed. What is that work, who performs it, and why is it so essential to both Proposal and engagement success?
We begin by clarifying the actions that occur early in a successful engagement that does not involve contracts. Next, we explore the more-complex engagements that do involve contracts. Note that the complexity of multiple organizations in contracts is a key distinction between two Advanced Performance-Competence-based certifications, certified Project Manager (asapm’s IPMA-C) and certified Senior Project Manager (asapm’s IPMA-B) ...
Create Your Own Post
We welcome your blog postings and comments on our blogs, 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. Article: The Value Of Lessons Learned; The Art Of Good Project Closure, by Peter Taylor
Welcome back to the world of ‘Productive Laziness’, a world that will help you focus on what really matters and still deliver the results that you and your sponsor demands. Here we explore the often forgotten part of the project, the very end, that point in time that is usually rushed or ignored in favor of far more attractive offerings in the shape of ‘the next big project’.
But this is a point in time for one last effort, to make life easier in the future. The Lazy Project Manager’s Theory of Projects, from a Productive Laziness aspect states: 'All projects are thick at one end, much, much thinner in the middle and then thick again at the far end.'
Now is not the time to declare the project a success and rush off for a Bloody Mary at the bar. No, now is the time that you can apply a small and final amount of effort but gain enormous amounts of knowledge so that future projects are likely to be even more successful and potentially with even less effort.
And by less effort we know that means so much more time in the ‘comfy chair’ being lazy but in a productive way.
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3. Certification Update From Duncan: His Team Has Been Very Busy!
PROMOTE Program Taking Off
The Board of Directors of asapm's Certification Body recently approved the PROMOTE applications of seven candidates. Brett Hirsh (IBM), Craig Letavec (Siemens), Donna Fitzgerald (Gartner Group), and Brian Garnichaud (Jerian Enterprises) were approved at IPMA Level B®, Senior Project Manager. Andy Robinson (Wachovia), Brent Hansen (LDS), and Conrado Morlan (DHL) were approved at IPMA Level C®, Project Manager. Way to go guys! Have you been PROMOTEd yet? Click here for more information about asapm's PROMOTE Program.
Rigorous Program Manager Certification Kicks Off
IPMA Level A® certification is finally here! Bill Duncan, who heads up asapm's certification program, commented that he was really pleased with the overall design of the program. "We offer better value to potential employers by using performance-based criteria and two independent assessors," he said. "And the value to the candidate is greater still because there is no need to waste money on preparation courses."
Update, 11 January 2010; sorry, this special program is now closed.
Certification Program Blog
Bill Duncan has completed his blog series on "Designing a Certification Program." Stop by to read Bill's discussion of who, what, when, where, why, and how to better understand the performance difference of asapm's offerings.
IPMA Level C and D Exams Scheduled for Q1 and Q2 2010
We have recently posted examination dates and locations for IPMA Level D®, and for the written portion of the IPMA Level C certification. Check out the dates and locations at the asapm website and be sure to get your applications in on time! In addition, the Certification Board decided to supplement the content of the NCB with 2-3 generally available books that will provide more in-depth treatment of key topics.
Certification Board Expands
Donna Fitzgerald has agreed to join the Board of Directors of PMCert, asapm's Certification Body. Donna is currently a Research Director at Gartner Group, and is one of the world's leading experts on both Project Management and Project Portfolio Management. Welcome, Donna!
Colville to Market Level D
John Colville of Proportion, an asapm Competence Enabler based in Chicago, has agreed to serve as Marketing Manager for the Level D certification program. John has already been doing this job informally. We're happy to make it official! Next month, we hope to announce appointments for the other Levels. If you are interested in these volunteer positions, please contact Bill Duncan.
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4. NASA Knowledge Forum Convenes Experts to Discuss KM Strategies and Effectiveness
October 15, 2009 – Washington, D.C. Knowledge Management (KM), often referred to as knowledge sharing, is about capturing and organizing systematically the wealth of knowledge and experience gained from staff, clients, and development partners; making this knowledge readily accessible to a wide audience internally and externally; and creating linkages between groups and communities working on similar topics. As energy costs rise, skill shortages persist, and global operations expand and become more complex, organizations can ill afford to waste time reinventing solutions. Nor can they let new employees search in frustration for the information and advice they need to do their jobs. Effective knowledge management is an increasingly important source of competitive advantage, and a key to the success of contemporary organizations, bolstering the collective expertise of its employees and partners.
This year, NASA’s Knowledge Forum continued its tradition of having the best KM experts tell the best stories of the strategies and effectiveness of KM initiatives. The forum featured five seasoned KM practitioners from outside organizations, who described their experiences with knowledge sharing: Klaus Tilmes, World Bank, Advisor Knowledge Strategy Group; TJ Elliott, Vice President and Chief Learning Officer (CLO) for Education Testing Services; Jean Tatalias, MITRE Director of Knowledge Services; John McQuary, Fluor, Vice President of Technologies and Strategies Organization; and Alex Korowajczuk, Petrobras of Brazil Corporate Knowledge Manager. The event was chaired by Dr. Ed Hoffmann, NASA Director of Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL) and attended by more than 40 KM practitioners.
There are several perspectives on KM, but all speakers share the same core components, namely: People, Processes and Technology. Some take a techno-centric focus, to enhance knowledge integration and creation; some take an organizational focus, in order to optimize organization design and workflows; some take an ecological focus, where the important aspects are related to people interaction, knowledge and environmental factors as a complex adaptive system similar to a natural ecosystem.
APPEL has developed unparalleled insight into emerging trends and has provided hundreds of organizations with practical tools and techniques to apply KM for winning results. One way NASA/APPEL have accomplished this is through its unique annual conferences featuring real-world best practices, presented by the KM practitioners who make it happen. This year KM Forum highlighted the effectiveness of a strategic Knowledge Management (KM) approach to KM implementation significantly increases the probability of success for any KM program. As a process KM must support and be linked to the overall strategy of the organization to ensure that KM is able to foster innovation, to create and add value to existing processes and to advance organizational learning.
The experts also stress the importance of the proper implementation decisions that are planned, developed and executed as needed to drive the KM implementation. Experts also explored KM strategies that can be applied to any organization, to ensure that the proper KM strategy approach, types and focuses are determined which results in the right knowledge availability to close knowledge gaps and achieve organizational goals. Overall the event accomplished its mission to explore KM strategy lessons learned, to better understand proper strategy alignment and its effectives.
Reported by asapm and Young Crew-USA member Edward Logan. Edward is IPMA's International Young Project Manager of the Year. Edward represented us at this event. Thanks Edward!
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5. Article: Build Your Project Using Feature Driven Development, by Pavan Kumar Gorakavi
We have started a series of articles on the asapm website, thanks to Pavan Kumar Gorakavi. Pavan is interested in Agile PM Methods, and while the examples he uses are primarily for Information Technology projects, our reaction is that many of the methods are also relevant for many other types of projects. Based on a Build Your Project With ... theme, his article series continues this month with article 4.
Pavan has a number of other useful initiatives under way. He is the Program Director for Young Crew USA, is working on an updated website for Young Crew, and in his spare time, is also developing an Open Source tool for Agile Methods. Thank you Pavan!
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6. News: Goff Speaks at Major PM Conferences in the USA and Middle East
In Milwaukee: asapm President Stacy Goff spoke at two major PM conferences in October; one was in Milwaukee, for the 7th Annual Professional Development Day conference of the local PM Institute chapter. With over 300 people attending this very well-organized conference, the range of speakers was outstanding. We spoke in two sessions; the first was the popular topic (click the link to download the article): Essential Insights In Meeting the Rising Demand For PM Performance. Of great interest for this audience, as it has been for others, is the notion of moving beyond the firm foundation of Entry-level PM certifications, to develop and certify PM Performance Competence with Advanced certifications. Both the need for and the appeal of PM competence development, PM performance improvement, and asapm's Advanced certifications were clear in the questions-and-answers session.
The second session in Milwaukee dealt with practitioner and society implications from our chapter in the recently-published book, Project Management: Circa 2025. See more about the book itself and some background information about chapter 9, Visions for the PM Software Industry at the blog post mentioned in topic 1, above. The presentation includes such predictions as the mainstreaming of Portfolio Management with a holistic twist, an implantable "wisdom tooth" that provides instant access to 1000 project experts' knowledge and experience, and other exciting scenarios. A comment from one participant: "I spend so much time worrying about work needed by the end of the month, it was totally refreshing to look this far into my future. This was so different from other conferences!" In the interest of helping publicize the book, and with the permission of PM Institute (the book's publisher) the chapter is available for download at the ProjectExperts website.
In the Middle East: This was an interesting project from the start! At an IPMA Council meeting, the representative of one of our Middle East Member Organizations asked us to present a Keynote at their major conference, with over 1500 PMs in attendance. Schedules were tight, so we suggested a Virtual Keynote. Given the economic challenges this year, they readily agreed. Both parties agreed to the topic, the duration, and the technology. On the weekend before the event, they held an extensive test, connecting the conference facility to Colorado Springs. Flawless reception! The Conference Theme was Project Risk Management; and, the Keynote presentation supported that theme, Risk Management IS Project Intelligence. Ironic, because one risk remained: What if the internet connection is down at one location or the other? We recorded the complete Keynote, together with a personalized welcome, and a friendly shout out to friend and associate Adesh Jain (IPMA EXBO Member from India), who had spoken earlier in the conference day. We Flashed (translated video to Adobe Flash) the backup recording, posted it at his website, and urged the Conference Director to download it as a backup plan.
Wouldn't you know, on the first Conference day, no internet connections worked at the Conference facility! The pre-recorded backup was played to the 1500+ participants, the Keynote was a success, and the Conference organizers were very happy with the outcome. We truly understand that Risk Management IS Project Intelligence! We sent a notice about the downloadable copy to asapm members at the Members Only website the day before the Conference, and over 25% of asapm members downloaded the 38mb presentation. The Flashed presentation remains available through the end of November 2009 if you would like to see it. Note that because this is intended for backup rather than seamless web presentation, we encountered a blank screen during the somewhat-lengthy 38MB download, but it eventually came up. Slides 12 and 18 should be especially interesting for any PM practitioner, as they introduce advancements in sources of Project Information and Intelligence that (to our knowledge) have only been shared at the 2005 India IPMA World Congress. Enjoy!
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7. Article: Cutting Costs with a Scalpel, Not a Chainsaw, by Curt Finch.
From 1945 to 1965, the financial market in the U.S. moved upward. It then moved sideways until 1982, and up again until 2000. Right now, we are engaged in another great sideways movement. It could continue for another decade or so, and as businesses fail and members of congress pound their fists, it is natural to fear for the future.
These types of fears can be especially dangerous for businesses, as management often makes unwise decisions out of panic. For example, they might cut employees or reduce spending on various programs that are good for the company. Consequently, many companies that slash costs in response to an economic recession find themselves unable to achieve top-line growth when the recession ends.
Extreme cutting of people and projects can be avoided, or at the very least, they can be performed with more intelligent precision. All that are required to handle such problems the right way are per-customer per-project profitability metrics.
Understanding costs is the first step towards understanding profitability. Most managers know how profitable the company is in general, but few of them know how profitable it is on a per-product or per customer basis. Yet this level of understanding is necessary in order to develop and implement the right growth strategy. Think of it as the difference between performing surgery with a scalpel and performing it with a chainsaw... This is from the introduction to Curt's Lead Article for this month. Click the title above to read Curt's article.
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8. News: Two Young Crew Press Releases; Jhaymee Lauded, New Logo Completed
1. We are excited to announce that our Young Crew President, Jhaymee Wilson, has been listed as a 2009 Technology Rising Star in Women of Color magazine. You can download the formal press release in PDF format. We invite our supporters to send their congratulations to Jhaymee via e-mail at Young Crew-USA.
Please direct all media inquiries to Sloane Whiteley at vp-marketing@young-crew.org. Thank you for your continued support of IPMA Young Crew, and continue to stay tuned for our official website rollout later this year! -- Sloane Whiteley, VP YC Marketing.
2. We are also excited to announce the finalization of our Young Crew logo. This is a major milestone. Look forward to seeing our logo on our new website, which we will be rolling-out in the up-coming weeks! You can see the logo by downloading the formal press release in PDF format. Thank you for your continued support of IPMA Young Crew! -- Sloane Whiteley, VP YC Marketing.
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9. Still More asapm-Related News
Brent Hansen Representing asapm at PMO Symposium, in Atlanta Next Week
Plan to stop by the asapm booth at the PMO Symposium in Atlanta, November 8-10. You'll meet Brent Hansen, asapm Director of Member Services. You can ask Brent about the asapm Competence Enablers, our Advanced PM Certifications, our now-emulated Project Management Communities of Practice (PMCoPs). And, you may even see his cool asapm shirt.
Your Participation Requested in a New Product Development Research Study
One of asapm's strengths is that our members represent a wide range of projects and programs, rather than focusing on just one or two disciplines. New Product Development is an exciting application area for competent project managers, and project-oriented enterprises. A significant amount of research has been published in the area of New Product Development (NPD). Nevertheless, published market success rates for launched new products have remained relatively flat. This is a critical research area, as any increase in the success rate of launched new products can lead directly to an increased return on investment.
Tom Carbone, a PhD candidate, is conducting new product research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The goal of this research is to better understand how organizations deal with new product information and the impact on product success. He requests your help in this study by participating in this short survey. Your responses will remain confidential. All participants who include their optional contact information will receive a free copy of the final report; and, the information will be shared with asapm. For those who would like more context before responding to Tom's survey, see this preliminary explanation at the asapm website. Thank you for your support.
International Tongue Twister Day
We are informed that today is International Tongue Twister Day. In acknowledgement of that, here are some samples (courtesy of Queensboro Shirt company, where we source our asapm shirts) for you to experiment with; it is best to read them out loud in a social setting:
Do-Ray-Mi ... in a Belgium Train Station
In her inimitable way, Rose Johnston has provided us with today's best example of a social collaboration site, and the power of projects: See this video (requires a fast internet connection, and sound). Uplifting!
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asapm, the USA Member of IPMA, 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 Competent in Program and Project Management. asapm is a registered trademark of the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management.
To subscribe to this newsletter, or even better, to Join asapm, see the links at the bottom of most pages on the asapm.org website.
asapm is a registered trademark in the USA.IPMA Level A is a Registered Trademark of IPMA.