The APM Project Management Conference 2012 this year will be investigating and celebrating project management as The Art of the Possible.

Projects and programmes, by their very nature, deliver that which has yet to be proven possible – a new and innovative design, an upgraded or more reliable product or service, a more efficient way of working, a programme of transformational change, or a record breaking building. Each project has different stakeholders, expectations, issues, risks, opportunities, challenges and outputs making achievement a triumph in the art of the possible.

The APM Project Management Conference is an interactive forum bringing together project professionals and decision makers from across the public and private sectors.

Benefits of attending include:

• Influential speakers – sharing thought leadership and best practice techniques.
• Interactive conference sessions – delegates are encouraged to contribute to the debate, ask questions and vote.
• Multiple streams – ensuring a rich choice of sessions, making the event relevant to all industries.
• Networking – making contact with other professionals and organisations.
• Continuing Professional Development – earn CPD hours.
• APM exhibition stand – talk to members of the organisation, including Specific Interest Groups and regional branches.

However, is there a point where communication becomes a negative activity, overwhelming, turns people off, and no-one takes note?

Is there a time when there is too much communication? Would this lead to risk of project delay, poor quality, extra cost, or failure?

The type of qualification you undertake will depend on a number of elements, for example:

• What your interests are
• What stage you are at in your education/career and where you want to get to – e.g. are you a portfolio manager, programme manager, project manager, project team member, contractor, student, employee etc
• What sector you are in – some qualifications are general/pan-sector, whereas some are focused on a certain sector
• How much time you have available to undertake training
• What funding you have available – this can range from thousands for MBA level, to no cost for self directed learning

Project management qualifications can be undertaken in a number of ways, including:

• Full or part-time university undergraduate degrees (e.g. BSc)
• Full or part-time university postgraduate degrees (e.g. MSc, MBA)
• Full or part-time professional qualifications (e.g. APMP, PRINCE2, PMI)
• Distance learning degrees and professional qualifications
• Self directed development and and CPD activities

Project management qualifications

It is not possible to list or maintain all the currently available project management courses and qualifications here, but a sample is provided below, along with an indication of the awarding/accreditation body:

• Introductory Certificate in Project Management – Association for Project Management (APM)
• APMP – Association for Project Management (APM)
• APM Practitioner – Association for Project Management (APM)
• CPM: Certificated Project Manager – Association for Project Management (APM)
• APM Risk Certificate – Association for Project Management (APM)
• Registered Project Professional (RPP) – Association for Project Management (APM)
• Agile Project Management – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• Change Management – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• Earned Value Management (EVM) Certification – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• P3O – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• DSDM Atern (Agile) – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• M_o_R (Management of Risk) – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• PRINCE2 – APMG-UK (APMG-International)
• Level A – Certified Projects Director – International Project Management Association (IPMA)
• Level B – Certified Senior Project Manager – International Project Management Association (IPMA)
• Level C – Certified Project Manager – International Project Management Association (IPMA)
• Level D – Certified Project Manager Associate – International Project Management Association (IPMA)
• CAPM- Certified Associate in Project Management – Project Management Institute (PMI)PMP® – Project
• PMP (Project Management Professional) – Project Management Institute (PMI)

• PgMP (Program Management Professional) – Project Management Institute (PMI)
• PMI-RMP (Risk Management Professional) – Project Management Institute (PMI)
• PMI-SP (Scheduling Professional) – Project Management Institute (PMI)
• MSc in Project Management – Multiple universities
• PhD in Project Management – Multiple universities

Links to project management associations:

• Association for Project Management (APM)
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• International Project Management Association (IPMA)

It is not often that I can sum a book up in five words – this book makes business sense!

How often have contracts for outsourced services been created, because they ‘had to be’, and then just left on the shelf to gather dust? How many of us see a contract as a key tool to help deliver a business benefit which the organisation requires, as opposed to a legal article that is only used if we are suing the supplier or they are suing us? To both of these questions, I would suggest the answer goes something like ‘most of the time’. This is a worrying situation. My view is that yes we need to be aware of the legal consequences, but a contract should not be established for this reason alone – it is not just a bat to be wielded when a contract goes wrong – we need to take control long before this.

A significant amount of time, effort and resource is often put into a contract, so why is it left unused once it has been signed off? As a significant amount of finance is undoubtedly being leveraged to outsource to a supplier, shouldn’t the contract actually help the business to achieve the benefits it requires? Why not make the contract work for the business as a tool to leverage and ensure the desired benefits are realised? Cullen states in the book that ‘the benefits you seek to gain from any contract will not inherently result from the mere act of signing it’ – successful contracting requires the benefits to be clearly understood and specified and a management process to be established to ensure the desired benefits will occur.

The Contract Scorecard provides a structured step by step process for developing a successful commercial outsourcing framework and contract. The book is aimed at business users (as opposed to legal folk) and helps to establish business requirements, develop these into meaningful and relevant key performance indicators (KPI’s), and then form these into schedules and charters for inclusion in the contract. The essence of the book is ensuring that the contract and KPI’s are relevant to the business, measurable and allow management, control and adherence to the contract – all of which is geared at delivering the benefits required – not battering the supplier. From experience, setting up contracts that are appropriate, and work, takes time – putting the effort in up front however, always pays dividends. As project managers, we know the importance of planning and control, this should also apply to the contracts underpinning our projects.

The book is based on PhD research and experience undertaken by Cullen across many sectors, countries and contract sizes. The core of the contract scorecard is based on four quadrants – quality, relationship, finance and strategy. The book begins by discussing the need for a contract scorecard, and what the four quadrants mean and relate to. The book continues with individual chapters discussing the development of meaningful KPI’s (a seven step structured process), detailed development of each of the quadrants, and how all of these fit together.

For me, the book had many moments when I would simply say ‘huh’, identifying a moment of eye-opening or recognition. This book is excellent, it is easy to read, directly applies to those operating at the coal face, and immediately demonstrates how the contract can be used to control, measure and improve success at delivering business benefits. I must complain at this point though – I found the headings and layout a little difficult to use… ok, complaint over – the content is key. The inclusion of multiple case studies, examples and sample documents and templates is a success factor for this book – the theory is given, supported by examples and documentation– a well thought through approach.

Cullen provides very clear advice and examples on ensuring appropriate, and specific, KPI’s are utilised. For example, if a KPI states that the average availability of equipment is to be 98% during working hours, there are 100 pieces of equipment at 100 sites – if 2 sites have zero availability and the other 98 operate at 100% availability, and the supplier averages across all sites, then they have met the KPI. However, if the KPI had been specified per piece of equipment, then the supplier would not have met the KPI. We need to ensure we know what we want, that it is actually needed, how we want to measure it, and that this is clear in the KPI’s and the contract.

To conclude, I would suggest this book is a welcome, and critical, addition to any project manager, or other professional, that is beginning to become involved in setting up contracts, or has been for many years, to enable then to leverage the contract to help deliver the business benefits that the contract is being set up for.

Why waste time and effort on a document and process that you will never use; let’s make the contract work for us. As Cullen concludes – the choice is yours.

The above book review was undertaken on behalf of Arras People – and was first published on their website here.

For more details on the book visit Gower Publishing

INSPIRE stands for Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe, and is a European Directive that came into force on 15th May 2007. INSPIRE aims to create a European Union (EU) spatial data infrastructure (SDI). This inititative will enable the sharing of spatial information among public sector organisations, and help to better facilitate public access to spatial information across Europe.

There are a series of milestones to full implementation, with final completion in 2019. This may sound a long way off, but there are earlier milestones which need to be met, along with planning, development and delivery of the overall directive.

To ensure compatability and usability of INSPIRE, there are a series of implementing rules covering the following elements:

• Metadata
• Interoperability
• Network services
• Data sharing
• Monitoring and reporting

For further information, see the European Commission INSPIRE website.

There are a wealth of social media platforms and tools now available, including email, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Xing, YouTube, Google+, blogs, discussion forums and many others. The range of interaction types, wealth of information, formats and time relevant data is, to put it lightly, overwhelming.

I have a view that we may be reaching a point where we are unable to manage, take in, process and analyse all this data, particularly where it is used for business or project decision making – are we able to cope, or are we reaching sensory overload and distraction?

The likelihood is that there are going to be many more social media tools, applications and data streams in the coming years. Are we going to change our way of interacting with this data and knowledge, or will there be new tools to help us synthesise and filter this data to our individual, team or business needs.

What are your views on this potential social media overload, and what strategies are you planning to implement to help you manage?

Why attend?

• Learn about the latest advancements being made in Esri technology.
• Hear from Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri, about the present and future directions of GIS and Esri.
• Strengthen your GIS knowledge and skills.
• Connect with Esri product specialists and GIS professionals, both regional and international.
• Explore GIS topics in a variety of tracks to be announced in the coming months.
• See how to best leverage your current GIS investments.

Who Should AttendAll Esri technology users from Europe are encouraged to attend the 2011 EUC. From new users of Esri’s GIS software to seasoned GIS professionals, from decision makers and business owners to Esri business and media partners—everyone will benefit from attending.

Whatever your field, position or degree of experience with Esri technology, do not miss the opportunity to share and discuss your GIS experiences by presenting a paper at the Esri European User Conference. Presenting at the EUC will allow you to connect with other GIS users and share your professional experiences, making this an invaluable event for all attendees.

Topics will include:

• Energy and Utilities
• National Security
• Telecommunications
• Local Government
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Logistics
• SDI/Inspire
• Mapping and Cadastre
• Census and Statistics
• Environment and Natural Resources
• Hydrology
• Agriculture
• Regional Planning
• Healthcare
• Law Enforcement and Public Safety
• Emergency Management
• Defense and Intelligence
• Education and Culture
• Financial Services
• Imagery
• Others

For further details see the conference website

For further details look at the ESRI website or contact your local ESRI dealer.

My Blog:

• Advanced Strategic Project Management – the CPD continues!
• Advanced Strategic Project Management – Half way through online directed learning course
• Directed learning from home – the end of an online course – this page!

Arras People:

• Directed learning from home – does it work?
• Directed Learning from home – the Half Way Story
• Direct learning from home – the end has come!