Whilst working with a client I got into an interesting discussion about the similarities and differences between portfolio management and business planning. The two processes seem to have much in common. With the Association for Project Management (APM) extending the Body of Knowledge to include more on the portfolio management processes I though it might be interesting to compare and contrast to two. Are these the some process just seen from different perspectives, the view from the business and the view from the project and portfolio world?

It’s probably best to start with some definitions

What is Portfolio Management?

The 5^th edition of the APM Body of Knowledge defines a portfolio management as

Protfolio management is the selection and management of all of an organisations projects, programmes and related business as usual activities taking into account resource constraints. A portfolio is a group of projects and programmes carried out under the sponsorship of an organisation. Portfolios can be managed at and organisational, programme or functional level”

Portfolio management involves screening, analyse and selecting project and programmes which fit with and organisations strategy. This involved prioritisation of the resources of the organisation on those projects which are most important to its future growth and prosperity. It includes the management of the interdependencies of limited resources, balance of risk and returns the relative timing between the project and the avoidance of capacity bottom necks. Clearly it is a process that will involve the senior management in the decision about what should be done and when. However the current APM Body of Knowledge says very little on now these processes can be implemented.

What is a Business Plan?

Business plans can be written to address the needs of two groups. The first is external investors in a business (such as a bank or venture capitalist) who want to see a return for the investment that they make and the second is an internal business plans which targets intermediate goals required to reach the external goals. This internal business plan will cover major changes in an organisation such as the development of a new product, IT system, construction of a new factory or restructuring an organisation.

What is the Business Planning Process?

The business planning process is often quite iterative and emergent, but they generally include the following steps:

1) Set an overall strategic aims for the organisation, where do you want it to be in the future, what are the overall objectives?

2) External and internal analysis to understand the current position of the organisation and the challenges and opportunities that it may face in the future. Some simple tools like SWOT and PESTLE can help here, but is is more important to look long and hard at the business and the changes in the market.

3) Strategic choice, deciding which way to move given the understanding of the organisations capabilities, challenges ahead and the likely uncertainties.

4) Establish a plan to reach this strategic goal, including the projects and programmes what will need to be implemented. However this plan need to be fluid to cope with emergent opportunities and issues which may come along at time goes by. Because of the inherent uncertainty it is often worthwhile establishing intermediate goals along the way.

5) Write down and communicate the plan so that individual within the organisation can use it a guide when making decisions on resources and priorities.

6) Monitor progress against the plan and celebrate progress towards the goals.

Organisations who invest significant time in business planning can develop and illusion of control, however the key to success is often flexibility to adapt to events as they change and a willingness to experiment with different approaches until something that works is discovered.

Comparison of Portfolio Management and Business Planning

Comparing the two processes highlights some very strong similarities. Both are concerned with the deployment of the organisations limited and constrained resources to achieve a strategic goal. Both involve the prioritisation of the way these limited resources will be deployed. Both involve planning and monitoring progress towards the successful completion of the plan.

Differences between portfolio management and business planning

The primary difference between the two processes seems to be the starting point and intent. Portfolio management takes the perspective from the project and programme teams point of view and answers the question how we should deploy the resources to deliver the organisations objectives and goals. Business planning on the other had answers the same question but starting with a bigger question what does and can the organisation achieve and how can the resources be found and deployed to deliver this outcome. Is this two different processes or the same process from two perspectives?

In any profession where both men and women perform the same roles, they will typically deal with people and problems differently. This is just as true in project management where the style of management can be markedly different between the genders. But are there personality traits in men that make them more successful project managers than their female counterparts? Or is it purely the abilities and personal attributes of the project manager, regardless of gender, that determine their success?

What innate abilities can differentiate male project managers from their female colleagues when it comes to delivering projects successfully?

Authoritative Communicators

Men tend to be strong communicators who can deliver their message authoritatively and get the buy-in of other members of a group for their ideas and approach to a project. They are effective at convincing others of the benefits of a project and the benefits of change – all of which are useful skills in a project management role.

When communicating via email or in documentation men are concise and to the point. They do not add unnecessary detail but focus purely on the ultimate business goals and do not become diverted or distracted by side issues. They do not agonise over the options and are quick to make decisions and get projects up and running in the least possible time.

Building Strong Project Teams

Male project managers tend to encourage a sense of competition within a project team which motivates the team and creates a can-do attitude and a working atmosphere in which failure is not considered an option. Men can bring out the best in a team by encouraging individuals to achieve their best and work effectively when under pressure. This approach builds a team that expects to be successful and, consequently, usually does deliver projects successfully.

Valuing a Challenge

So the authoritative and team-building skills of men in a project management environment contribute to their success but the most successful project managers also value a challenge. Since so many projects are complex and demanding, whether due to new technology or by introducing change to a reluctant workforce, dealing with challenge is a necessary attribute for any project manager.

Businesses operate in a competitive environment so in order to succeed a project manager must be competitive and have a determination to succeed. A male project manager’s competitive instinct means they are unlikely to accept that something is not achievable and will have the courage to challenge existing practices in a constructive way.

Risk Inclined

There have been many studies by psychologists in all areas of life that show that men are more likely to take risks than women (particularly those of Wilson and Daly from 1988, 1993 and 1996). Some studies have also found that men find risky situations less stressful than women (Kerr and Vlaminkx, 1997).

Because men are more risk-inclined than women, when risks occur they deal with them more efficiently and because they are risk-takers men are more likely to deliver a project that exceeds expectations with respect to the business benefits it provides. This can, however, mean that adherence to the budget and schedule is treated as a lower priority.

A 2007 survey of experienced project managers by the Project Management Perspectives research group reported that male project managers were far more likely to deliver maximum business benefits than females, albeit without consideration of budget and schedule, but the economic impact of delivering more than was expected can outweigh the additional costs of the project.

Obviously, a project manager can be successful irrespective of gender and that success can also be attributed to the right project management training and experience backed up by professional qualifications such as PMP Certification, PRINCE2 or APM PQ. Male project managers may be authoritative, decisive and risk inclined but they do not possess all the advantages when it comes to project management particularly in the areas of soft skills, budget control and sticking to a schedule but typically masculine traits are major factors in the successful outcome of a project.

It could, of course, be argued that the most successful project managers are not determined by their gender but rather by the balance of masculine and feminine traits within their personality. For another perspective on what traits contribute to success for project managers take a look at this other article “Do Women Make the Best Project Managers“.

Quite often people get confused about the scope of the PMP exam. They mistakenly think it is based on the PMBok Guide. In fact the scope of the PMP exam is defined by a role delineation study. During this study the PMI examines the roles that a project manger actual fulfil during a project. This conducted by the PMI to ensure that the certification reflects the changes in the roles project managers follow as part of their day to day activities. The study makes sure that the exam stays in line with the changing roles filled by project managers. Based on feedback from 3,000 project managers the latest study has identified changes the PMP certification.

Key areas in this certification area are:

Initiating the Project (13% of the questions are on Initiating the Project)

• Assessment of the project based on the needs of customer to ensure the proposed project is realistically achievable.
• Define a high level scope for the project including a description of the main deliverables and acceptance standards
• Complete stakeholder management for the project to ensure that all the stakeholder requirements have been captured
• Document and record the high level risk, assumptions and constraints as part of the project management charter
• Established the project deliverables based on the project charter, assumptions constraints and assumptions.

Planning the Project (24% of the questions are on Planning the Project)

• Create a work breakdown structure to deliver the deliverables for the project focusing on the work required to complete the project
• Develop a project budget for the project based on the deliverables and integrated with the work breakdown structure.
• Develop a schedule, resource and budget plan based on the deliverables which provides enough detail to manage the project but not so much detail that it cannot be used to effectively manage the project.
• Develop a human resource plan for the project which recognised the resource demand and the skills required to deliver the project.
• Develop a communications plan for the project to ensure that stakeholder are informed of progress and issue associated with the project
• Develop a procurement plan for the project to deliver best value for the project and select supplier that have the capability to deliver the requirements.
• Develop a risk management plan for the project which fully understands the risk and opportunities for the project, the appropriate actions required to manage them and ownership for these actions.
• Present the project management plan to the stakeholders for approval, this can include the Sponsor but also other senior managers

Executing the Project (30% of the questions are on executing the project)

• Obtain the resources required to deliver the project in accordance with the human resource plan.
• Implement a quality plan for the completion of the project to ensure that the products and intermediate product meet the project specification
• Implement a procedure to control changes to ensure that the scope of the project remains in control
• Implement actions and work around to manage risk based on those identified in the risk register.
• Lead a team to develop the project team and develop a performing team.

Measuring and Controlling the Project (25% of the questions are on Measuring and Controlling the Project)

• Measure performance using appropriate measures and key performance indicators
• Updates the risk register to maintain a current view on the risks as new risk emerge, risks change and are closed.
• Addresses the corrective actions required to manage variations against the plan do that the project remains in control
• Communicate to the stakeholder the current status of the project and agree actions required to deliver the project

Close the Project (8% of the questions are on Close the Project)

• Complete acceptance of the project with the customer
• Transfer ownership of the project to the operations teams
• Close out the final commercial and legal arrangements for the project
• Distribute the final report the the project
• Archive the project
• Evaluate customer satisfaction

Plus a number of cross section skills such as facilitation, brainstorming, facilitation, leadership, problem solving, information management. For full information download the latest role deliberation study from the PMI website at: http://www.pmi.org/Certification/Project-Management-Professional-PMP/Updates-to-PMP-Certification-Exam/PMP-Role-Delineation-Study.aspx

- Parallel Project Training launches new PMP Certification courses designed to recognise the skills and qualifications of experienced project managers –

Reading, UK. 27 July 2011: Not-for-profit association the Project Management Institute (PMI) is aimed at promoting the project management profession worldwide with internationally-recognised standards and credentials. Their PMP Certification is designed for experienced project managers who are looking for industry recognition of their experience, qualifications and competence to deliver projects. Training courses for this certification, which is increasingly in demand by employers, are now available in the UK by specialist training provider Parallel Project Training. According to a PMI Salary Survey of 35,000 project managers in 19 countries, obtaining this credential leads to salaries up to 10% higher than those of other project managers.

To meet this increasing demand by employers and project managers, 5-day PMP training courses have recently been launched in London and Reading. These courses aim to develop an in-depth understanding of the PMI Body of Knowledge and also a wider understanding of project management principles. They also prepare candidates for the format and style of the PMP exam by providing the opportunity to answer practise exam questions.

The PMI has specific pre-requisites for obtaining PMP Certification based on the candidate’s level of academic qualifications plus their level of practical project management experience. Between 3 and 5 years of experience leading and directing projects is necessary, depending on other qualifications. A project manager is also required to have at least 35 hours of specific project management education, which is provided by the new PMP Certification course from Parallel Project Training.

As John Bolton, Programmes Director of Parallel Project Training, commented, “As PMI research has shown, the PMP Certification can significantly increase the marketability of a project manager and also their earning potential. Here at Parallel, our project management courses use active learning techniques, such as process mapping and buzz groups, and realistic case studies to ensure project managers gain a thorough understanding of the PMI approach. This gives them the best chance of achieving exam success and consequently bringing improvements to project management within their own organisations.”

One of the recommendations always made at the end of every project is to apply the lessons learned from the just-completed project to subsequent projects; learn from the mistakes made and try not to repeat them and, less often, learn from the successes and do try to repeat those.

The project plan probably has a task on it to do just this and has time and resources allocated. But in reality, how often do project managers actually do this – actually learn from past mistakes to increase the chances of success in the future?

The opportunity is there, and formal project management procedures recommend it, but very few people stick to this part of the plan. Now there are times when breaking some of the formal project management rules can be a good thing, but this is not one of those times. It is difficult to understand why this is so often the case because transferring all that information about what was done badly (and what was done well) from one project to the next could, over time, reap huge rewards.

Incorporating a thorough Lessons Learned review at the end of each project is the way to improve an individual project manager’s performance and also the overall success rate of projects within an organisation.

So how can Lessons Learned be effectively recorded and then be applied to subsequent projects?

Well, there are many processes available to use in an end-of-project review and also templates that can be used throughout the project in order to record issues when they are still fresh in the mind. So a shortage of suitable tools is not preventing the lessons learned from being recorded. Rather, what seems to be the case is that little, or no, priority is given to documenting failure, even when the advantage of doing so is to avoid similar situations in the future.

This could genuinely be for the reason most often given, which is a lack of time. However, this really is a feeble excuse akin to saying a house was built with shallow foundations because there was no time to build them deeper. The resulting house is ultimately far more likely to have problems because the time was not taken to build strong foundations and no project manager would recommend this as an option. Similarly the overall success of all projects in an organisation is at risk if lessons are not learnt from past mistakes. Very few, if any, projects exist in isolation where what happened before and what will come after are irrelevant.

Could this reluctance to document “lessons learned” be a subconscious way to avoid admitting to the mistakes? Particularly in an organisation where a blame culture still exists.

So whether the reasons are a lack of time, lack of resources or a reluctance to accept blame, there are ways that a project manager can encourage, and be encouraged, to learn lessons from previous projects and record issues for the benefit of future projects. One way is to ensure the project team share their experience and knowledge at the start of the project so that suggestions for avoiding mistakes may be taken into account in the planning stage. Another is to record mistakes when they actually occur and when the causes can still be recalled easily, rather than leaving this until the project has almost finished.

Learning Lessons from Past Mistakes

Initiate frank and open conversations in which the project team are able to discuss past failures in a constructive way. Make it very clear that these issues are being aired in order to learn something from them and not to apportion blame. At the same time encourage discussion of tasks or projects completed successfully to reinforce the positive purpose of the meetings and foster a learning culture in place of a blame culture.

By including these knowledge-sharing discussions on the project plan, their importance will be emphasised but also they will contribute to progress on the project schedule.

Capturing Lessons Learned to Avoid Future Mistakes

Develop a suitable project log and associated process right at the beginning of every project to record any mistakes which could be avoided in future projects (and also any notable successes). Do not be tempted to leave this process until the end of the project when memories have faded and the inclination to complete the process has been lost. This will simply lead to a rushed exercise that benefits no one. Such a log should document issues that have arisen, possible causes of the problems, how they were resolved and key decisions that were taken at the time.

Project logs used in this way effectively become the starting point for a “lessons learned” document at the end of the project, making the process simpler and quicker to complete, and the document itself more useful.

So instead of making excuses for not completing the “lessons learned” process, use it to encourage learning rather than allocate blame and see it as an opportunity to improve the outcome of your next project. It is an approach supported by major project management methodologies such as PMP, PRINCE2 and APMP and will ultimately lead to more successful projects across your organisation.

APM are pleased to announce that Tim Banfield, a director at the National Audit Office (NAO), will be in the speaker line-up at the APM Conference 2011 on 20^th October along with Simon Henley and Sue Pritchard. These three key industry figures will be joining Ian Watmore, Chief Operating Officer for the new Efficiency and Reform Group, and Jeremy Beeton, Director General of the Government Olympic Executive, at the new world, new project management themed conference.

Tim Banfield, speaking in the ‘working with business’ stream at the conference, joined the NAO in 1988 having previously worked in local government and was appointed director in February 1999. Tim has specialised in the examination of defence acquisition issues for almost 25 years and has led or contributed to the production of over 70 published reports. Tim has also been responsible for NAO’s work on the Millennium Dome and foreign affairs. In 2009, Tim also assumed responsibility for setting up the pan-Office Cost Effective Delivery Theme, with a particular emphasis on project, programme and portfolio delivery.

Passing on his wealth of knowledge and experience in the ‘professionalism’ stream is Simon Henley, president of Europrop International (EPI), who has responsibility to EPI’s four shareholding companies of ITP, MTU Aero Engines, Rolls-Royce, and SNECMA, the four leading engine manufacturers in Europe. EPI is responsible for delivering the TP400 engine to its customer Airbus Military. Prior to joining Europrop, Simon was programme director for New Products and helicopter engines in Rolls-Royce’s defence sector, accountable for the delivery of a range of new propulsion products for Rolls-Royce.

Sue Pritchard, an associate in Ashridge Consulting and leading the Complex Projects Action Research Consortium, will be perfectly placed as a speaker in the ‘change management’ stream
at the key calendar date for the profession. Sue specialises in developing leadership and change capability in complex social systems, with people, organisations and communities. A leadership and change consultant for over twenty years, Sue has worked with public, private and not-for-profit organisations in the UK and internationally, coaching top teams and assisting partnerships to work more effectively across boundaries.

Dayner Proudfoot, PR & Marketing Manager at APM, said: “Having Tim, Simon and Sue confirm so early as speakers simply illustrates the high regard the profession has for the APM Conference. They will be joined by more of the industry’s most senior and influential professionals as APM will be announcing more speakers soon.”

Book your place at the APM Conference before the 31^st July to take advantage of their special discounted rates and save up to £90, simply visit www.apm.org.uk/conference.

Much has been talked about and written about motivating people in all areas of business. Certainly, in a project team, a project manager who takes a personal interest in each individual and their ideas and concerns can contribute enormously to a well-motivated team. And well-motivated project teams achieve greater success than their disinterested counterparts. But much of what is discussed assumes there is a well-motivated project manager to instil enthusiasm into the team. But what motivates the project manager?

Wisdom has traditionally suggested that motivation is a combination of expected reward and worry about failure but this carrot and stick approach is becoming outdated as new evidence shows that individuals are far less likely to be creative in this type of punishment and reward environment. Since many of today’s projects require innovative solutions then encouraging creative thinking would seem to be a good thing.

The book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel Pink questions much of what we might think we know about motivation and suggests that the ability to develop and realise our full potential are the greatest motivators.

So if anticipated rewards and fear of failure are less important than a desire to grow professionally and achieve our full potential, what exactly is it that will motivate a project manager who, in turn, will motivate the project team? Assuming it is difficult, if not impossible, for an unmotivated project manager to motivate team members, then a well-motivated project manager is the key to a successful project.

There are organisations (for example Google, IBM, Sun Microsystems) which allow some of their staff a certain amount of freedom when it comes to what they work on, when or where – providing, of course, that certain goals are met. This approach uses the power of inherent motivation rather than superficial reward mechanisms and recognises that an individual is most driven to succeed at something they enjoy.

However, it is a bold approach for a company to take and one that is dependent on a level of maturity and experience in the project manager and the team members. This type of Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) is an approach first promoted by Ressler & Thompson at Best Buy and produced dramatic results with increases in productivity, higher employee satisfaction and lower turnover rates. But can this approach work for a project manager within a project environment?

Projects need structure and, yes, of course, the results are important but only within the boundaries of a schedule and budget. How can a team work collaboratively if they, and the project manager, choose what to work on at any particular time? It’s difficult to see how this could be achieved if the project team are all working at different times and in different places. With less opportunity for impromptu discussions or brainstorming sessions there are also fewer opportunities for team-building.

An unstructured work environment may well encourage creativity, and creativity can certainly be good for a project but there is much more to a motivated team than the opportunity to be creative. And that includes the fundamental requirement of working as a team towards a common goal. Having a defined structure to both workplace and projects can, in itself, be a motivational factor for many people. Established project processes and methodologies provide that structure and define what is expected and when. They remove uncertainty, which can be de-motivating, and establish clear goals which is a motivational factor.

 
So the carrot and stick approach of reward and punishment is not the ideal way of motivating a project manager. But neither is the ROWE approach, although its attempt to give freedom and autonomy to employees is laudable.

Clearly a middle ground where the project manager is continually developing on a professional level and striving to achieve their full potential, but within a structured environment, would seem to be the best approach; one in which there are clear boundaries, goals, expectations and schedules. So could it be that the structure of formal project management methodologies is in itself part of what motivates a project manager and hence the project team?

As project management becomes regarded more and more as a profession and project managers have the ability to achieve professional recognition such as APM RPP for their experience, qualifications and project management training – these factors can only help in motivating a project manager. And a motivated project manager is the key to a successful project.

Wednesday 6 July, 6pm for 6.30pm
at Halcrow, Burderop Park, Swindon, SN4 0QD

The speaker: Mr Paul Naybour
Business Development Director, Parallel Project Training

In the current market no engineer can ignore the critical role they play in finding and growing business opportunities. Project managers and engineers are often the primary point of contact with the customer and have a critical role in finding and growing business opportunities. However many consider “sales” to not be part of the job description. In this short seminar we look at the different approach a project management and engineering consultancy can use to identify and grow business opportunities.

The speaker is Paul Naybour, Business Development Director for Parallel Project Training. Launched in October 2009, Parallel Project Training is one of the fastest growing project management training providers and has a wide range of clients including Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Prince’s Foundation, MoD. Prior to the launch of Parallel Project Training, Paul was the Rail Director at PMProfessional, where Paul’s business grew this business from 150K to 1,000K turnover in five years with clients including Network Rail, TfL and many others in the sector.

Learning Objectives
At the end of the course delegates will be able to:
1) Explain the role of project managers and engineers in business development
2) Explain how to use a wide range of approaches to business development
a) Hunting specific targets to identify qualified opportunities which have significant potential
b) Farming, which includes looking after existing accounts to cross sell a wider range of services
c) Fishing using PR, social media, search engine optimisation, viral marketing, blogging and events to
attract customers
d) Bidding for competitive tenders advertised in the market place
3) Identify activities that you can undertake to grow your business

Duration
This course is 2 hours in duration.

Target Audience
This course is aimed at anyone who is new to or planning to move into the engineering consulting project management.

Biography
Paul Naybour is passionate about the use of project management in engineering projects to engineering projects. He has a wealth of experience helping engineering consultancies to improve project management and has worked on both sides of the fence. His first love is Nuclear Power Stations and he may end up taking a real job soon. For now he is Business Development Director at Parallel Project Training, co-author of “Your Journey to Professional Project Management, How to Pass the APMP a study guide” and host of the free APM Project Management Podcast channel on iTunes which has over 57,000 downloads since its launch in January 2010. He is currenlty working on developing a PMP Certification course.

Find out if you are hunter, farmer, fisher or an order taker.  Download the slides and self evaluation questionnaire  for this seminar below.

Selling and Doing Good Business Slides

Selling and Doing Good Business Self Evaluation questionnaire

In today’s economic climate many individuals are looking for free project management training. They are looking for this to

1. Increase their chances of getting a project management job. Recent research by Arras People has shown that 57% of respondents say their employers now expect employees to have project and programme management qualifications and accreditations with 63% confirming that it helps them to secure new roles.
   
2. You may have embarked on your first project and just need some guidance on the most appropriate project management approach to adopt.
3. You may have been managing project for a while but you are looking for external recognition of your project management capabilities.

You can find plenty of project management training on-line, just search YouTube and you will find many home made videos showing you how to tackle project management. However you have to ask yourself if these free project management resources are credible, reliable and how will they support you professional goals. However the only alternative may seem to be an accredited course for hundreds of pounds.

The alternative to free poor quality project management training is the Parallel Project APMP Study Guide for only £38.

Accredited by the Association for Project Management (APM) the Parallel Study Guide is the only course in a book. Complemented by free podcasts on iTunes this provides the most flexible and cost effective way of completing a almost free project management leading to a formal APMP qualification from the association for project management. Don’t believe it can be so good just look at the reviews on Amazon. However don buy it from Amazon, it’s cheaper to get it directly from Parallel Project Training

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, 24 Sep 2010

By 

NCP “NCP” - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Pass the APMP a study guide (Your Journey to Professional Project Management.) (Paperback)

This is a nice book. Helped me to pass APMP exam in less than a week preparation time. Nicely explained 
with relevant examples. Definitely recommend.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK FOR YOU APMP EXAM, 17 Mar 2011

By 

MR. JORDI (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Pass the APMP a study guide (Your Journey to Professional Project Management.) (Paperback)

Great book to read alongside the BOK. I will strongly recommend it. 

It contains all the information you will need to pass the APMP exam. It also gives you some useful information and good tips. 

The good thing about the book is that is very easy to read and follow, and gives real examples that helped me understand better the topics. 

There are lots of diagrams, tables and graphs that are very useful and at the end of the topics you have some exercises and there are a few questions that you might find in the real exam. 

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5.0 out of 5 stars Pass the exam with this book, 23 Jun 2011

By 

prharding - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Pass the APMP a study guide (Your Journey to Professional Project Management.) (Paperback)

After searching the internet, including the APM’s website, I found this book. The book contains all the information that you need to pass the exam. I would not even bother with the APMs Book of Knowledge (BoK) as it does not explain what is required for the exam. 

This book is simple to use and provides clear examples to aid understanding of each of the topics covered in a logical order. 

I used this with Parallel Projects free podcasts and other free materials on their web site and can highly recommend it.

The APM Conference 2011 is now open for bookings, so if you are quick and book your place by the 31^st July you could save up to £90 off the full ticket price*. There are special discounted rates for both APM members and non members, so everyone has the opportunity to see some of the best speakers from the profession.

This event is not to be missed as it is the industry’s key calendar date with a long-held reputation for attracting the country’s most senior and influential speakers and more than a half a decade of agenda setting content featuring the country’s most innovative and groundbreaking projects.

The theme for the conference is New world, new project management, which looks at how the profession will rise to the challenges resulting from climate change, technological advances, globalisation, social networks, public health, security and economic regeneration. These challenges require fundamentally new ways of making sense and shaping a world we can neither fully control, nor fully understand.

Professor Darren Dalcher, Director of the National Centre for Project Management, will be chairing the conference that issues a ‘call to action’ to address the challenges of the new world by defining a new kind of project management.

The first speakers for the conference have also been announced with Chief Operating Officer for the new Efficiency and Reform Group, Ian Watmore, taking the conference platform. Ian will be joined by Jeremy Beeton, Director General of the Government Olympic Executive, which is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. More speakers are still to be announced, so please visit APM’s news page to see the latest.

For a full list of prices and to book your place simply visit the APM website. If you would like to make a corporate or group booking, please contact Vicki Orbell on: 01908 398390. Alternatively please contact the APM business development team on: 01844 271 682.

*All prices are exclusive of VAT. Early bird rate available until 31st July 2011.

END

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About the Association for Project Management (APM)

Founded in 1972, the Association for Project Management has been at the forefront of the development of project, programme and portfolio management for over 35 years. The APM is a registered charity with over 18,000 individual and 500 corporate members making it the largest professional body of its kind in Europe. As part of its strategy to raise awareness and standards in the profession it is currently in the process of applying for a Royal Charter.

APM’s mission statement is: “To develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit.”

The APM is dedicated to the development of professional project, programme and portfolio management across all sectors of industry and beyond. APM is committed to developing the profession through its three strategic themes:

1. Development and maintenance of standards and knowledge.
2. The promotion and application of those standards and knowledge.
3. Development and maintenance of the APM infrastructure.

Contact:

Dayner Proudfoot

PR & Marketing Manager
Tel: 01844 271 632

Fax: 0845 458 8807

Email: dayner.proudfoot@apm.org.uk

Web: www.apm.org.uk

Association for Project Management, Ibis House, Regent Park, Summerleys Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9LE