Misc

Morley Selver, the PMAC Director of Certification is pleased to announce that ten more people received their Certified Agile Project Manager designations in June. This group completed the certification exam after a preparation course in Toronto earlier this month.

[Directory of Certified Agile Project Managers]

The Board of Directors of the PMAC encourage members to participate in a new international study on project management methodologies being conducted by Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann who runs the Competence Center for Strategic IT Management at the Institute of Research on Information Systems (IRIS) of the EBS Business School in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The university is currently conducting a study on acceptance and use of project management methodologies (e.g PRINCE2, CCPM, PMBOK, O2PM, in-house developed etc.) by individuals involved in projects (e.g. project managers, project team members etc.). The study is also supported by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and PMA-India.

This is the first large-scale international quantitative study via online-survey that addresses this issue. To understand the cultural differences project managers / staff from many countries are participating - e.g. U.S.A, India, China, EU-countries, United Kingdom, and if possible further Asian and African countries.

In detail, the following questions are addressed:

• What needs of users are crucial for PM methodology acceptance?
• Based on which cognitive considerations do users decide about using a PM methodology?
• Which characteristics of a PM methodology influence this decision?
• How can users be encouraged to use PM methods as intended by the organization?

The online questionnaire can be accessed by using the following link:
http://ww3.unipark.de/uc/MA_GEYC

As agile management methods grow in popularity, more and more project managers struggle to learn how agile estimating and planning techniques compare with more conventional approaches. Not only do the proponents of agile methods use unique terminology (like sprint, product backlog, and velocity) when working through the planning process, they also use their own technology because standard project planning tools – like MS Project – don’t seem to naturally support the agile planning framework. In his presentation, PMAC President and agile expert Kevin Aguanno will give you an overview of how you can build agile project schedules using MS Project. During this 60-minute session, you will learn:

• The three types of agile plans (Release Plans, Iteration Plans, and Day Plans)
• How scope is managed on agile projects through the Product Backlog
• How to convert the Product Backlog into a high-level project schedule in MS Project using team productivity estimates
• Where Work Breakdown Structures fit in the agile planning process
• How to build agile iteration plans in MS Project

While many people in the agile community may prefer other tools for building and maintaining their project schedules, MS Project is quite capable of handling this type of planning. For those who prefer to stick with what they already know and who don’t want to acquire and learn new planning tools for their agile projects, MS Project is a suitable tool – if you understand how to make it adapt to the different types of agile plans. Attend this session and learn the insider tips to turning MS Project into your agile planning tool of choice.

For anyone who works with or is interested in the agile method of Project Management, attending a Kevin Aguanno presentation is a very informative experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the foremost experts in Agile today.

This event is hosted by the Microsoft Project User Group in Toronto, Ontario. PMAC Members receive a 20% Discount. Due to strong demand, there is limited seating available so please register today!

[Online Registration]

We are pleased to announce two new dates in fall 2011 for those interested in taking a PMAC-accredited IPMA Level-D exam preparation course. Accredited training provider John Colville will be offering two 4-day courses in October: one in Toronto October 10-13, and one in Vancouver October 24-27. Please click on the links above for details.

Morley Selver, the PMAC Director of Certification is pleased to announce that ten more people received their Certified Agile Project Manager designations in April. This group completed the certification exam after a preparation course at the University of Waterloo in Ontario on April 13th, 2011.

Special congratulations go out to Elvis C., who received a perfect score on the exam. Way to go Elvis! He is one of less than a handful of people who have managed to achieve a perfect score since the inception of this certification exam.

It is becoming critical for companies to report on sustainability issues. This two-day course will change the way you think about sustainability and provide you with all the tools you need to communicate according to international best practices. PMAC members enjoy an exclusive 15% discount. You must sign in or register to access.

Sustainability reporting has become an integral component of stakeholder communications, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the world’s most widely used framework. Understanding the GRI’s guidelines allows you to create a communications framework in accordance with international standards that will support the effective communication of your sustainability efforts.

PMAC participants in this GRI-certified course on sustainability reporting will gain an understanding of the sustainability, sustainability reporting, and the GRI framework in a uniquely North American context.

PMAC sponsor Multi-Media Publications Inc. is offering a series of three FREE webinars on leading global product development teams by Tim Rahschulte and Russ Martinelli. The first of the webinars is being held on 25 May 2011. PMPs earn 3 FREE PDUs under category C (self-directed learning) for attending these three webinars.

The Project Management Association of Canada is pleased to announce that a new course has passed our rigorous review process to receive our accreditation.

The PMAC Certification Body is pleased to welcome eight new Certified Agile Project Mangers (Cert.APMs) who successfully completed the certification process in March 2011. Their names have been added to the Directory of Certified Agile Project Managers.

PMAC Director of Certification, Morley H. Selver, P.Eng, has posted a new article looking at project safety.

[Read the article]