PM News Round-up (yes, again already!)

It really is a busy Spring for project management.  Here’s another round-up of the latest news.

New qualification for NGO Project Managers

APMG is launching a new qualification aimed at project managers working in the development sector later this month.  Called, PMD Pro (Project Management in Development Professional), it was successfully piloted in South Africa and Zambia in March.

It’s a competency-based certification, that’s been developed in conjunction with PM4NGOs.  Apparently, a 1% improvement in effectiveness would yield an additional $47m to spend on projects – and development initiatives are often not as effective as they could be because everyone is working to different methodologies.  So this could help massively, and is by far the most exciting thing to hit project management so far this year.

PPM localgovcamp

There’s a PPM localgovcamp happening in London Cheltenham (sorry, my mistake) on 27 April.  It’s an ‘unconference’ for project and programme management professionals working in the public sector with the aim of sharing PPM best practice.  The delegates set the agenda, after a keynote from Sue Vowler, lead author of OGC’s ‘Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O) guidance’ on the topic of ‘Budgets are cut! Why is the portfolio office more critical than ever?’  Should be interesting, if only to see how the rapid democracy model works with a group of project managers trying to organise the agenda for the day in just 15 minutes.

PMXPO 2010

Gantthead is organising another PMXPO this year, and it was fab last year, so hopefully there will be more of the same.  It’s a virtual conference and exhibition, which you can attend from the comfort of your PC on 20 May.  And you get PDU’s, if you are bothered about that kind of thing.

There are five sessions (including one on improving project management competency with social media, which could be very interesting).  The whole thing is free, and you can register online here.

New Business Analysis book

The BCS has launched a new book focusing on practical guidance on the use of the most effective BA techniques. Business Analysis Techniques: 72 Essential Tools for Success, is by James Cadle, Debra Paul and Paul Turner and builds on the first Business Analysis book from the BCS.  I haven’t read it yet, but it looks really interesting – one to put on expenses for the BAs in your team.

PMO Survey

PM Solutions’ research team is running a survey on the state of Project Management Offices in 2010.  You have until Friday to take part in the survey, and if you answer all the questions you’ll get a full copy of the research results.  Take the survey here.

PPM Community

Don’t know where to start looking for project management information online?  PPM Community is a new site that brings together project and programme management blogs.  It’s a good idea (have a hunt for A Girl’s Guide to Project Management – we’re on there) but I think there are overlaps with other sites like PM Toolbox and PM Opinions.  However, PPM Community’s selling point is that it is blogs only, unlike the others.

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