• Fun-Filled Learning Was Key to Getting the Most of Asia Pacific Congress in Sydney
• Leadership Matters

• Nominate the Best in Project Management for the PMI Professional Awards

• PMI Islamabad, Pakistan Chapter Forms Project Management Office Group in Pakistan
• PMI Pune-Deccan, India Chapter Discusses the Challenges of Product Development

• Exposure Drafts for New Standards Available for Comment Now

Fun-Filled Learning Was Key to Getting the Most of Asia Pacific Congress in Sydney

Nearly 800 project management practitioners gathered in the energetic and friendly city of Sydney, Australia to set an unparalleled attendance record for PMI’s annual global congress in Asia Pacific on 3–5 March. PMI CEO, Gregory Balestrero said in his opening remarks “As a group, you have the power to manage any project, anytime, anywhere in the world and deliver the projects successfully.”

In his message on project management and social responsibility, PMI Board of Directors Chair Philip R. Diab, MBA, PMP, said that “project management can be a force for growing prosperity all around the world by establishing clean and clear processes.”

“India and China are changing their destinies and that of our world and they are affecting our work and our lives,” said keynote speaker Robyn Meredith, senior editor of Forbes Asia magazine and author of The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What It Means for All of Us. Ms. Meredith engaged the attendees deeply with her multi-faceted and in-depth analysis of the spreading influence of India and China.

• Billions of workers from India and China are changing the global job market. It is no longer possible to be paid more in the developed world for the same type of work.
• India and China have 7.7 million science and engineering graduates per year and that is more than the United States and Europe combined.
• Projects are becoming more complex and more global with global supply and assembly chains broken down into singular components.

Ms. Meredith highlighted that while there are threats, there are also merits and opportunities.

• “The unleashing of capitalism in India and China is incredible in reducing poverty and improving the lives of hundreds of thousands.”
• China is spending a lot of money to be environmentally friendly; this provides great business opportunities.
• Australia has notably increased the amount of natural resources it exports to India and China.

More than 70 educational sessions were presented over three days, providing practitioners in different stages of their career with a rich variety of topics.

Shaun Scallan, PMP, of Melbourne thought the focus on program and portfolio management was most beneficial. “The learning was real and I can relate to it since I am a program manager.”

Sue Mills, PMP, of Sydney; Lavanya Narayanan, PMP; and Malarvizhi Thangaswamy, PMP, of Bangalore, were inspired and gained confidence from the panel discussion, So You Want to Become an Independent Consultant.

Attendees valued meeting fellow practitioners and sharing experiences during the networking opportunities provided between educational sessions, during luncheons and an evening reception that was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, which overlooks the stunning Sydney harbour.

Han Dong Hwan, PMP, a repeat attendee from South Korea summed it all up, saying, “Everyone is gathered here in the same place, with the same interest, holding different jobs from different industries to share how to manage projects and teams in different countries.”

The next PMI^® Global Congress will be held in Malta, 19–21 May.

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Leadership Matters

Clarity of purpose was the key message from keynote speaker, Peter Baines, a forensic scientist and detective inspector of operations with the police department of New South Wales, Australia. Mr. Baines’ heart-warming presentation, Leadership Matters, inspired volunteer leaders in attendance at the PMI Leadership Institute Meeting in Sydney, Australia on 1-2 March.

Peter Baines inspired volunteer leaders at the Leadership Institute Meeting in Sydney

Mr. Baines was one of the 400 international police officers and forensic experts from 36 countries who were in Thailand following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami disaster to support the victim identification project. His first task was to convert the temple Wat Yan Yao into a functional mortuary for the identification of 3,500 victims.

This was a project with exceptional challenges that required special solutions. Besides cultural and language differences, and logistical challenges, there was no command centre and no appointed leaders. This presents a situation where true leadership is tested – leadership without positional authority – individuals who rise to the challenges even though they are not appointed to lead.

Baines reflected that true leaders are not determined by the title of their positions, but by their actions and reactions during crisis situations and by their ability to manage chaos with certainty. Having clarity of purpose enables one to prioritise and focus on what matters most.

Throughout a project cycle, a leader needs to observe behavioural signs of the team members and act accordingly to facilitate a smooth process and deliver results. A process is likely to fall apart when team members do not value their contribution, however big or small the role is.

Mr. Baines presented the four stages of the crisis clock and discussed how to manage team morale and emotions.

Stage 1: Get into it – this is when team members tend to be on an adrenaline rush and have few or no problems in delivering.

Stage 2: Get on top of it – this is when team members are likely to lose momentum and a leader needs to stay alert and watch for signs.

Stage 3: Get on with it – this is when energy level usually drops and a leader needs to help team members understand their clarity of purpose. “Find out what turns people on and then do it with honesty and integrity”, said Mr. Baines.

Stage 4: Get out of it – this is when the project is done and an exit strategy can be put in place.

Bob Hartley, PMP, director of education for the PMI Queensland Australia Chapter, echoed the thoughts of many when he called the speech “brilliant.”

More than 100 volunteer leaders from 16 countries, representing 24 chapters and eight specific interest groups (SIGs) attended the PMI Leadership Institute Meeting, which is part of the PMI Leadership Institute Programme for volunteers who hold a leadership role in a chapter, specific interest group or college. Through the programme, PMI’s volunteer leaders strengthen their leadership skills and increase their knowledge of PMI and of association governance. 

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Nominate the Best in Project Management for the PMI Professional Awards

The 2008 PMI Professional Awards are open for nominations.  These awards seek to honour professional excellence by recognising individuals, organisations, professional development and literature.  Recipients of the PMI Professional Awards join an illustrious list of individuals, PMI components (chapters, specific interest groups, colleges) and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to their community and the project management profession.

This is the opportunity to recognise project management excellence in your community. 

Nominate a project of notable achievement
Project of the Year Award
Distinguished Project Award

Nominate outstanding individuals
PMI Fellow Award
PMI Linn Stuckenbruck Person of the Year Award
PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Excellence Award
PMI Distinguished Contribution Award
PMI Research Achievement Award
PMI Community Advancement Through Project Management Award — Individual Category

Nominate a book or an article
PMI David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award

Nominate a component
PMI Community Advancement Through Project Management Award — Component Category

Nominate an organisation
PMI Professional Development Provider of the Year Award
PMI Community Advancement Through Project Management Award — Organisation Category

Nominate a product
PMI Professional Development Product of the Year Award

The 2008 PMI Professional Awards will be presented on Saturday, 18 October in Denver, Colorado, USA, before the PMI Global Congress 2008—North America.

Find out how to submit nominations and submission deadlines.

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PMI Islamabad, Pakistan Chapter Forms Project Management Office Group in Pakistan

PMI Islamabad, Pakistan chapter held its first project management office (PMO) seminar on 2 February.  Over 50 participants attended the full-day event to understand more about the challenges faced by PMO managers and the formation of PMOs in Pakistan.

In the past, local organisations in Pakistan used traditional data collection and monitoring methods and practices that gave them a sense of control, which obstructed data sharing and timely access to accurate information.

Challenged by increased competition from foreign direct investments and large multinational companies, local organisations are adopting new work methods and standards that will allow them to remain competitive.  One of which is the formation of PMOs.

There is still, however, a need for change in mindsets. There is also a lack of experience in setting up and managing PMOs. To address these challenges, a PMO group has been formed for members to share information and learn from experienced project managers who are managing PMOs.  

The PMO group seeks to address the following:

• understand challenges faced by PMO managers in Pakistan
• realise the special needs required by PMOs in Pakistan, keeping in mind enterprise environmental factors, work styles, cultural settings and political issues
• share best practices, experiences and lessons learned
• provide mentoring and guidance to young practitioners
• provide advisory and discussion forums for practitioners facing implementation problems
• study the setup and survival of PMOs in Pakistan

Maliha Elahi, PMP
Chapter Vice President
PMI Islamabad, Pakistan Chapter

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PMI Pune-Deccan, India Chapter Discusses the Challenges of Product Development

Entrepreneur and Managing Director of Jopasana Software & Systems Ltd., Ajay Phatak, presented on product development life cycle and its challenges in a seminar on 9 February.  

The typical life cycle of product development evolves from conceptualisation to development, and then to delivery. It takes place within an entrepreneurial ecosystem, the environment in which an enterprise, company or organisation develops its products, Mr. Phatak explained.

Entrepreneurs require different resources within the entrepreneurial ecosystem to help tackle challenges faced at various stages in the product development life cycle. In his presentation, Mr. Phatak identified four main resources that entrepreneurs require:

• Access to prospective customers: Share your new product concept with prospective customers.  Evaluate the idea’s potential through customers’ responses to the product. Identify the features or enhancements that can make the product successful.
  
  
• Access to technology: Use research papers, academic institutes and research and development initiatives to help identify the technical feasibility of a new product. Evaluate if there is a suitable technology to design, manufacture and deliver the product.
  
  
• Access to funds: Raise monetary support through means like family, investors and/or venture capitalists. Recognise that funding sources and fund-raising methods change as the company and product/s mature.
  
  
• Mentorship: Mentors can help you avoid potential risks and maximise profits, and provide advice on how to handle difficulties.

Mr. Phatak has played an integral role in establishing software automation in India’s process industry. He has more than 20 years of experience in concept-to-deployment of industrial software systems and has worked in the areas of industrial process control, real-time systems, mathematical modeling and process simulation.

Shantanu Bhamare, PMP
Chapter Marketing & Communications Director
PMI Pune-Deccan, India Chapter

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Exposure Drafts for New Standards Available for Comment Now

The exposure drafts of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide)—Fourth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Second Edition, The Standard for Portfolio Management—Second Edition, and Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3^®)—Second Edition are available for comment on PMI.org.

The comment period will remain open until Saturday 22 March at 5:00 p.m. EST (GMT –5). No comments will be accepted after this date.

This is the time to voice any concerns, share perspective or lend professional insight. We encourage you to take this opportunity to get involved. When the exposure draft period closes, so does your opportunity for initiating change.

"Comments raised by representatives in the Asia Pacific region are crucial in developing a standard that strongly benefits the rapid growth of project management in our area. Especially now that four key standards are all being updated at the same time, a first for PMI," said Australia-based Doug Treasure, PMP, deputy project manager for The Standard of Program Management—Second Edition.

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