PMI’s 2013 ‘Pulse of the Profession’ Survey

PMI’s 2013 ‘Pulse of the Profession’ Survey makes interesting reading, particularly given most of the world is in or near recession. PMI predicts that between 2010 and 2020, 15.7 million new project management roles will be created globally across seven project-intensive industries. China and India will lead the growth in project management, generating approximately 8.1 million and 4 million project management roles through 2020, respectively.

Along with job growth, there will be a significant increase in the economic footprint of the project management profession which is expected to grow by USD$6.61 trillion. This enormous anticipated growth, along with higher-than average salaries, will make the next seven years an opportune time for professionals and job-seekers to build project management skills.

The squeeze on talent has already started! PMI’s Pulse of the Profession shows that high-performing organizations don’t just emphasise strategy and improve efficiency. They cultivate talent resources to deliver successful projects and programs. With that talent, they can reduce risk, increase stability, improve growth and build a strong competitive advantage.

In contrast, poorly performing organisations that don’t see talent as part of the success equation – they believe the job market is a bottomless pit of skilled people that can be bought in as needed. This puts their projects and their organizations at risk! Whilst more and more successful organisations have adopted talent management as a core competency, many others fail to invest in skilled project management talent and talent development initiatives, and this shows in their performance.

The contrast is stark – high performing organisations are likely to find some $20 million at risk for every 1$billion invested in projects, whereas low performing organisations place $280 million at risk, over 10 time the amount.

The low-performing organizations – those which complete 60% or fewer projects on time, on budget and within scope – are significantly less likely to provide a defined career path for project managers, a process to develop project management competency, and / or training on project management tools and techniques. Poaching talent is a zero sum game that simply drives up costs for everyone.

As a result of this lack of investment, a talent gap exists in project management. A large number of skilled practitioners are reaching retirement age, organisations that train staff hold onto staff and the rest are going to find recruitment becoming increasingly difficult. Talent simply does not grow on trees – skills need developing and nurturing within the organisations that need them.

The reason this matters is that at a time when project success rates are declining and risks are increasing, organisational leadership needs to fill an anticipated 15.7 million new project management roles worldwide by 2020. If they don’t, $344.08 billion in GDP will be at risk – and that’s not even counting the $135 million that organizations already risk for every $1 billion spent on projects.

The ‘high performers’ achieve their results through a combination of good governance and good management. They see project, program and portfolio management as strategic capabilities needed to invest in their organisation’s future. They recognise process improvement and talent management are the two key elements that need investment to deliver outcomes. And they use well proven governance and management processes such as requiring active sponsors (79% of project have active sponsors in high performing organisations -v- 43% in low performing organisations).

Talent management needs investments in selection, training, mentoring and coaching; ideally from internal resources but when necessary using external help to kick-start the development of the internal capabilities. (see more on mentoring and training)

Are you and your team ready to make talent management a strategic priority? Download:
PMI’s Pulse of the Profession™ In-Depth Report: Talent Management,  and
PMI’s Project Management Skills Gap Report, and see how you can build your organization’s success – one project manager at a time. To help PMI have developed a sophisticated career framework, see: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Training-PMI_Framework.html#CareerCentral

Project Governance and Controls Symposium

Canberra hosted the inaugural Governance and Controls Symposium this week – it was a relatively small event packed with highlights.

The first PTMC (Project Time Management Certificate) workshop to be held in Australia – based on feedback from the attendees, this will grow to become a very popular training.

A free networking evening looking at the future of ‘project controls’ in Australasia. During the meeting the final wind-up of the Australian Performance Management Association was completed.

The main symposium included three outstanding key note addresses supported by stream papers and an engaging panel session.

The two days of concentrated learning and discussion were finished with animated networking sessions. All together an intense and enjoyable two days for both project controls professionals, and the executive managers responsible for governing this area of an organisation’s business. Two of the key outcomes from the Symposium were:

• Gary Troop, the President of the newly independent College of Performance Management (CPM) and symposium key note speaker announced a limited time offer to anyone in Australia to join the for US$25.  The CPM was a part of PMI from 1999 to 2012 but has reverted to an independent status to better serve the needs of the Earned Value community.  The College has a major on-line library of EV publications and plans to develop its conferences and webinars on a global basis – there is even talk of establishing an Australian Chapter – to be part of the exciting new development visit www.mycpm.org/aus and become part of the worlds leading EV community.
  
• The project controls professionals present in Canberra expresses a strong desire to see a network established to link all of the various ‘controls focused’ components within professional associations such as AIPM and PMI, independent bodies such as CPM and Planning Planet and individual controls professionals to help raise the profile of project controls, amplify the message from any one component member, and through the network assist in career development and finding the ‘right person’ for work when needed.

To help with this initiative, PM Global are starting to plan the second Symposium to be held in Canberra at around the same time in 2014 and discussions are underway to frame a proposal for a ‘no cost’ network designed to meet the needs of the ‘controls community’.

There’s a lot to do to maximise the gains made this week – watch this space……

In the meantime, if EV and /or ES is your ‘thing’ the US$25 offer is limited and needs prompt attention!  And to understand the link between controls and project governance see: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Resources_Papers_172.html

PMBOK 5 – Some final thoughts

We are now well into the process of updating materials and writing new questions based on the PMBOK® Guide 5th Edition – From being something new, the book is now becoming increasingly familiar:

• Our daily PMP question has had a 5th Edition reference for the last 3 months, you can follow the questions on Twitter: see today’s question (the questions are good for PMP, CAPM and PMI-SP)
• Updates to our CAPM, PMP and PMI-SP courses are planned and under development – our new Mentored Email™ courses will start in late April.
• Our last classroom course based on the 4th Edition will be at the end of May 
• The PMI examination date changes are:
  - CAPM 1st July
  - PMP 1st August
  - PMI-SP 1st September
• The initial rush of people interested in buying the 5th Edition has subsided and we are effectively out of stock of the 4th Edition. 

Overall as we become more familiar with the 5th Edition we are finding it to be a significant improvement. There are certainly a few issues and problems highlighted in earlier posts in this series (view the full series) but the enhancements significantly outweigh the odd regression.

One of the minor but important improvements is he ranges for cost estimates are back to the industry standards of -25% to +75% for ROM and -5% to +10% for detailed estimates. This pessimistic shift in the ranges more accurately reflects reality.

The rearrangement of the first three chapters is also significant and is aligned with the standards for Program and Portfolio management:

• Chapter 1 sets the scene with:
  - definitions of a project and project management,
  - discussion of the relationships between project, program and portfolio management, in the context of organizational project management,- Discussions of the relationship between project management, operations management, strategy and business value
  - the role of the project manager.
• Chapter 2 focuses on organisational influences including the influence of project stakeholders and governance on the project team and the overall project lifecycle.
• Chapter 3 looks at project management processes and the structure of the rest of the PMBOK.

The reorganisation of this front section, facilitated in part by the move of the ANSI standard to Annex A1 is probably the quiet achievement in the standard. The section flows far more sensibly and logically than in previous editions.

In conclusion – the quality of the PMBOK® Guide 5th Edition has been enhanced by hundreds of small changes that make the work of transitioning our course materials hard work and will certainly require some hard work from anyone who has to update their exam preparation.

So a word of warning: If you are trained for the current exam make sure you sit before the change over dates – PMI do not have any flexibility in the timing of the system changes!! This includes re-sits. After the change over date, all new exams are based on the new standards.

But once through these changes we certainly have a better book for the next 4 years and the development team deserve congratulations for a job well done.

Project Time Management Workshops for Planners & Schedulers

We are pleased to be part of the team launching the Project Time Management Certificate (PTMC) in Australasia. Mosaic’s Project Time Management Workshops are designed to:
- Offer a practical one-day scheduling and planning course.
- Underpin studies for the CIOB PTMC examination.
- Start a Blended training course for the PMI-SP credential.

In cooperation with the Chartered Institute of Building, Mosaic will be running a series of practical 1 Day Project Time Management Workshops that will be followed by a PTMC examination conducted by CIOB in the same city a few weeks later. Our first workshop will be held in Canberra as part of the Project Governance and Controls Symposium on the 9th & 10th April:
- Project Time Management Workshop – 9th April
- Free Controls Professional networking evening – 9th April (follows workshop)
- Project Governance and Controls Symposium – 10th April
- PTMC Examination – 4th May

These events are designed to re-frame project controls in Australia and provide an on-going forum for cross-industry, cross-association, cross-discipline discussions to advance the status and understanding of project controls. 2013 is the foundation year for what is planned to be a regular annual event.

The PTM Workshop is a valuable 1 Day course as well as providing a foundation leading to professional credentials.

Unlike the PMI-SP credential which requires formal training and a minimum of 3 years of experience for a candidate to be eligible for the examination, the PTMC is designed as a rigorous knowledge test that is open to anyone. Potential candidates can choose to self-study or take a course or any combination that works for them:

The PTMC is designed to provide experienced schedulers with proof they understand their discipline and offer graduates and others wishing to become a scheduler an opportunity to learn the art and skills associated with being a professional planner and scheduler – there is far more to the profession than simply using software!

More information:
- The PTMC Credential.
- PTM workshops (full schedule of dates).
- Book into the Canberra PTM workshop.
- Book into the free networking evening  (scroll down page – cash bar)
- Join us at the Project Governance and Controls Symposium.

The Symposium and networking events are underwritten by the not-for-profit PM Global Foundation and apart from physical costs, all of the income from the PTM workshop will be used to help develop this important initiative. We look forward to your support.

PMBOK #5 standardises its approach to planning

The PMBOK® Guide has always been designed for large projects, and assumes intelligent project teams will scale back the processes appropriately for smaller projects. The 5th Edition keeps this focus and introduces a standard process to ‘plan the planning’ at the start of each knowledge area. This concept has been embedded in earlier editions of the PMBOK, it’s made explicit in the 5th Edition.

Why plan the planning?

As a starting point, on larger projects there will be a significant team of experts involved in developing various aspects of the project plan, on $ multi-billion project frequently more than 100 people so their work needs planning and controlling the same as any other aspect of the project. With a budget of several $ millions and the success of the rest of the project dependent on the quality of the project planning this is important work.

But planning the planning and developing an effective strategy for the accomplishment of the project’s objectives is critically important on every project. If you simply do what you’ve always done there is very little likelihood of improvement. Spend a little time overtly thinking about what needs to be done to first develop the best project plan and then to manage the project effectively can pay huge dividends.

The overriding consideration in developing the plan is Juran’s quality principle of ‘fit for purpose’ you need a plan that is useful and usable that has been developed for the lowest expenditure of time and effort.

To facilitate this, the PMBOK now has process to ‘plan the management’ of: Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, HR, Communication, Risk, Procurement and Stakeholders. These planning processes develop outputs that are integrated within the overall project management plan and describe how each of the specialist areas will be managed. The management plans include the policies, procedures and documentation required for the planning, developing, managing and controlling of each discipline.

Less well developed are two key aspects that can contribute significantly to project success:

• Within the ‘PMBOK’ there is a real need to coordinate and integrate different aspects of the planning. Decisions in one area frequently impose constraints on other disciplines and managing these constraints across multiple sub-teams is vital if the objective of a coordinated and integrated project plan is to be achieved. The project core team need to set parameters for the specialists to work within, possibly at a ‘planning kick-off meeting’ and then manage issues as they arise.
• On a more general level, and applicable to projects of all sizes, there is a need to formulate the project delivery strategy before any realistic planning is possible. Answering the question ‘what’s the best way to achieve our objectives?’ frames the project planning and later the delivery. In software development choosing ‘agile’ over ‘waterfall’ as the delivery strategy changes everything else (for more on managing Agile see: Thoughts on Agile). The project objective of functioning software can be achieved either way, which strategy is best depends on the specific circumstances of the project (See our earlier post on project delivery strategy)

Certainly asking the team to think about what is needed to optimally plan, develop and deliver each knowledge area, will contribute to project success. Maybe the 6th Edition will take the integration of these processes forward.

See our other posts on the PMBOK® Guide 5th Edition.

To buy a copy in Australia see: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Book_Sales.html#PMI

PMBOK® Guide 5th Edition now in stock

Stocks of the new PMBOK® Guide 5^th Edition, the Standard for Program Management 3^rd Edition and the Standard for Portfolio Management 3^rd Edition are now in Australia. These updated standards continue PMI’s efforts to enhance their suite of international standards to remain at the forefront of project management standardisation.

We will be posting more comments after a careful read.  Some initial thoughts are in two earlier posts:
PMBOK 5th Edition some key changes #1
The 5th Edition of the PMBOK gets communication!

For more information and to order these new PMI standards for free delivery in Australia visit: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Books.html#PMI

Note: These new PMI standards are not required for current examinations – PMI will be updating their examinations in Q3 of 2013 to align with the standards and we will be updating our PMP, CAPM and PMI-SP training in Q2 in readiness for the change over.

CIOB launches Project Time Management Certificate

The Chartered Institute of Building has launched its Project Time Management Qualification (PTMQ) framework upon which the CIOB will assess and accredit Project Time Management professionals placing CIOB at the forefront of establishing the premier industry standard in planning, scheduling and project control.

The first element of the framework, the Project Time Management Certificate (PTMC) was launched at a gala function in London, by the CIOB President last week. Unlike existing certifications, this qualification is focused on assessing the candidates knowledge of practical project time management.   It is designed for new entrants to planning and scheduling as well as those who are already engaged in the management of time on projects. Holders of the PTMC will have demonstrated a rigorous understanding of the practice that underpins project planning and scheduling.

The launch of the PTMQ framework moves CIOB one step close to completing a five year strategy to provide standard education, training and accreditation in time management.

Back in 2008 CIOB research found that 67% of complex building projects were late. Of those delayed 13% were more than 3 months and 18% over 6 months. This finding prompted the CIOB to embark upon the development and publication in 2011 of the CIOB Guide to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects which sets down the process and standards to be achieved in preparing and managing a time model.

The Guide underpins the new CIOB contract for the management of complex projects due for publication later this year, and the PTMQ framework for assessing and accrediting the Project Time Management professionals required as part of the CIOB contract.

The PTMC examination is open to CIOB members and non-members, those who have gone through Project Time Management training or those who have self-studied. It will appeal to anyone looking for a relevant and credible qualification in project time management. And in combination with the forthcoming Practitioner (PTMP) and Specialist (PTMS) credentials, it will offer a project time management qualification structure that will provide a progressive development path based on assessment of skills, knowledge and experience in planning, scheduling and project controls.

Mosaic is the exclusive CIOB partner for delivery of training in Australia and New Zealand, with rights to deliver training throughout the wider region. We are currently working on a planned series of public workshops and examinations commencing in Q1 of 2013. Courses and/or examinations can also be arranged for organised groups. For more information on this exciting development see: http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/Training-CIOB-TM_Credential.html

UK and European readers contact: http://www.athenaprojectservices.com/

PMBOK® Guide and Examination Updates

The 5th Edition of the PMBOK® Guide will be published on the 31st December 2012 and PMI will be updating its credential exams in Q3 of 2013. The new examinations for the credentials we offer courses for are:
PMP®         31 July 2013
CAPM®      31 July 2013
PMI-SP®   31 August 2013

Mosaic’s courses will updated during the second quarter of 2013 to prepare trainees for the new examinations.

Scheduling Training

Mosaic offers a range of scheduling training options primarily focused on achieving a pass in a specified examination, see: Credential Training  (and you have to pay for these!!)

Murray Woolf, a colleague of many years is offering you an opportunity to study the mechanics of CPM free of charge! All you need to buy is the base text used in the study……

If you don’t thoroughly understand how CPM works, you are at the mercy of you software and most tools get the mechanics wrong to a greater or lesser extent. This is not a simple subject! Our paper on Schedule Calculations took over two years and input from more than a dozen experts (including Murray) to settle on the current assessment of ‘correct’ CPM calculations.

Murray’s book CPM MECHANICS takes this analysis much further and focuses on how the mechanics affect the practice of CPM scheduling. His free symposium (or paid course) uses the book as its foundation text and works through the text to build a deep understanding of our practice.

You can choose between a free study session or a full course for $500 including PDUs – its a ‘free’ choice.

Why are we promoting this course? Simply because our exam prep courses do not go deeply into the mechanics of the CPM process – it is not a requirement of the examination specifications and the courses are focused on getting you through the exam!

But I personally believe developing a CPM schedule without a good understanding of ‘CPM mechanics’ is as dangerous as driving a car with no idea of ‘vehicle mechanics’. You are perfectly OK until something starts to go wrong and then you are helpless. Murray’s course won’t help you change a tyre or fix a fan belt but it will help you understand and fix broken schedules, and more importantly help you avoid getting into trouble in the first place! For more information see: Murray’s Course Information Page

Sydney workshops

There are a series of workshops planned for Sydney over the next few weeks we highly recommend:

Workshop 1: Applying Earned Value to Commercial [IT] Projects
This course has been crafted to allow project managers to decide for themselves whether they want to improve the performance of their projects by apply the principles of Earned Value without the overhead associated with large, complex Department of Defence acquisition contracts.

Workshop 2: Earned Schedule Masterclass
Earned schedule analysis is a breakthrough analytical technique that derives schedule performance measures in units of time, rather than cost. The same basic EVM data points are used. Indicators, similar to those for cost, are derivable from the earned schedule measure. These indicators provide a status and predictive ability for schedule, analogous to cost.

Workshop 3: Approaches to and Lessons Learned from “Internal Project Surveillance” with Lisa Wolf EVP, PMP. Lisa is the Earned Value Management (EVM) Focal Point for Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading USA global consulting firm that is committed to delivering results that endure.

This workshop focuses on the approaches which can be adopted and lessons learned in setting up an internal project management surveillance function which comes from Booz Allen Hamilton’s internal experience as well as extensive experience assisting US Government agencies and other clients. Best practices which are essential for successfully establishing this function including processes, procedures, and vital internal relationship-building will be explored.

For more information on these workshops see: ‘Upcoming Events’ at http://pmisydney.org/