PMAC Newsletter - March, 2013 Issue

Project Management Association of Canada Newsletter

• Project Management Mathematical Models for the Customer (www.pmworldjournal.net)
• Re-imagining the Iron Triangle: Embedding Sustainability into Project Constraints (www.pmworldjournal.net)
• Dragons, Camels and Kangaroos: A Series on Cultural Intelligence for Programme and Project Management (www.pmworldjournal.net)
• Upcoming Events

• The PMAC Board of Directors is proud to announce it has awarded its first two fellowships to two former PMAC Presidents: Kevin Aguanno and Beverly Pasian. As Fellows of the Project Management Association of Canada, these two individuals have been recognized with the highest honour in the association for their service to the association and the project management community. They are now entitled to use the initials "FPMAC" after their names.

  [List of PMAC Fellows]
  [Information on the PMAC Fellowship Program]

• The PMAC Board of Directors has set the date for the latest PMAC AGM. The annual event will be held on 4 May 2013 as an online "virtual" meeting. Directors will present their portfolio reports via webinar and votes will be solicited via the Internet. More details and a signup form will be forthcoming closer to the date. Please hold some time open on that day, beginning at noon Eastern time.

The article considers the mathematical models intended for managing project activity at all stages having one interested party, project customer involved. For the first time, the problem of managing project and product configuration is explicitly formulated and stated. Use of these models is aimed at increasing the efficiency of customer’s activity; using these models ensures implementation of relevant competences and attainment of the objectives set under various conditions of project environment.

Since the emergence of the formal discipline of project management, academics and practitioners have sought to define criteria against which project success can be measured. Perhaps the most well known criteria are encapsulated in the ‘Iron Triangle’ that places Cost Time and Quality at the center of project success. However it has been suggested that whilst this triple constraint is important, it can also narrow the focus away from other crucial project success factors. One area that is gaining prominence within the field of project management is the consideration of sustainability principles and there is an increasing understanding of the need to develop methods, tools and techniques to integrate sustainability criteria into the management of projects. This paper presents the results of an empirical study in which project managers were asked to re-draw the traditional Iron Triangle with the inclusion of sustainability. The results of the study indicate that whist sustainability is seen by practitioners as a key factor to be included in project planning and implementation, there is disagreement as to where the issue sits in relation to traditional time, cost, quality constraints and how sustainability principles should be integrated into projects.

This issue’s article focuses on how Cultural Dimensions (conceptual constructs that help put into perspective the features of national cultures) can be used to develop an understanding of behaviors and motivations. Knowing what can potentially motivate or de-motivate people in their work activities and environments is useful in building effective integrated business and project teams. The article explores the use of Cultural Dimensions for business applicability, and also considers their limitations.

*** Includes preparation for the new PMI Agile-Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) exam ***

Agile Project Management is a hot topic these days, appearing on the front covers of magazines and being presented to packed rooms at conferences. Agile methods promise to speed up project delivery, improve stakeholder satisfaction, improve quality, and reduce overall project risk. Recent studies have backed these claims, showing that for some types of projects, agile project management will reduce the risk of late delivery or cost overruns.

In this three-day intensive workshop, participants will learn the basic techniques of Agile Project Management including how these techniques differ from traditional methods, what value each technique can bring to a project, and how to introduce the techniques to project teams.

Data governance projects present a unique set of management challenges that can stymie many experienced information system project managers. This complex organizational and technical practice requires a tailored methodology to ensure that the project is well-organized, analyzed and executed, delivering value to the organization. A program approach to data governance is important to the success of the effort

This presentation will offer a methodology for creating a successful data governance program based upon actual experiences of the presenter at several companies. The attendee will gain an understanding of the importance of managing a data governance program effectively, the critical success factors of data governance, offer some suggestions for avoiding common problems, and how to extend the data governance program into the organization’s culture and projects.

In this presentation you will learn:

• The critical success factors of data governance
• How to establish the data governance program
• How to select the right stewards and other participants
• Roles and responsibilities of the data governance entities (councils, teams)
• How to develop the initial project team and manage the program and subsequent projects

And that's not all! Project Management Professionals (PMPs) will earn a FREE PDU for attending this event which they can put forth towards their general PDU requirements. Certified Data Management Professionals (CDMPs) will earn a free CDMP Professional Development /Recertification Credit for attending this event. Certified Business Analyst Professionals (CBAPs) will earn a FREE CDU, and both CIPS Information Systems Professionals (ISPs) and CIPS Information Technology Certified Professional (ITCPs) will earn a FREE Learning Credit from attending this event.

[ MORE INFO ]