3 Project Manager Headaches and How to Cure Them
Project management is a highly complex and complicated job. Because there are so many factors that come into play during every single project, project managers must be extremely versatile and skilled. Unlike developers, engineers, or architects that work on the technical side of projects, project managers, in addition to being familiar with all the technical details, also need to deal with the social and corporate aspects. On top of all that, they are often juggling several projects at once. In addition to all this, project managers need to ensure that lines of communication between different departments stay open so that teams coordinate with each other and any potential risks that can sideline the project don’t go unnoticed. Naturally, all this complexity is a fertile breeding ground for a myriad of problems. Here are three major headaches almost every project manager faces, along with some practical solutions. Headache #1: Project Schedule Updates It goes without saying that every project needs a schedule, so that everyone involved can keep track of their progress and responsibilities, including milestones. It is up to the project manager to monitor all the activities of the team, update the project status, and act as the link between the team and any stakeholders, including upper management. However, all of this is an incredibly time-consuming activity for project managers, when their skills and expertise could be put to better use by having them do actual work on the project, instead of administrative tasks. Solution: Automate schedule updates whenever possible, so that you don't have to waste time collecting them manually. Meeting with your team and asking each member for task status is time-consuming, especially when there are project management and collaboration tools available that allow your team to simply mark a task or milestone as finished and provide real-time status updates and reports. By saving time on administrative busywork, you can focus your efforts and expertise where it really matters. Headache #2: Multitasking With so much on your plate, multitasking may seem unavoidable. But it turns out that it actually impedes your productivity, negatively affects the quality of your work, and can create massive delays. A setback in one area will inevitably cause problems for any dependent tasks, which can't begin until the first task has finished, and so on. It quickly compounds and creates further delays. Solution: Do what you can to limit the number of projects that are in progress at the same time. Try to keep no more than 25 to 50% of your projects running simultaneously to result in fewer delays and a higher quality of work. As a project manager, you will have a much easier job with fewer projects demanding your time and attention at once. You should also take advantage of the many online tools that can help you shoulder some of the burden. An instant message app like Slack allows for real-time communication, message archiving, and easy search, in case you need to recall specific conversation details. Headache #3: Project Duration Estimates Unless you have a working crystal ball on hand, (in which case, can we borrow it?) you simply cannot know how much time it will take to complete a particular task. However, you will need provide an estimated project duration to stakeholders and clients, based on all the relevant information you have at your disposal. And you will be held accountable to that estimated completion date. There are several different methods you can use to estimate how much time it will take your team to complete a project. But even if you assign proposed durations for each task, you may come up short with your estimate—which means your team will have to pick up the slack and make up for lost time. And aside from the stress, that can mean sacrificing quality, going over budget, or potentially slipping deadlines. Solution: Instead of asking your team members to provide a single estimated deadline for their individual tasks, try a two-point estimation method. The advantage of a two-point method is that it allows you to miss your estimate, while providing enough of a buffer that you can still deliver the project before the final deadline. Note that this method still doesn't guarantee that you’ll be able to deliver every project on time, but it's still a safety net of sorts. With these helpful strategies and tools, you’ll be able to plan and execute your projects better, and allow yourself and your team to function more productively, under less stress, and still meet (or exceed!) your client's expectations. Author Bio: Diana Clark is a Digital Marketing Expert and Marketing Operations Project Manager works with her talented marketing team at Aussiewriter. She loves guiding people though their business practice and shares her ideas as a blogger.
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Complete Collection of Project Management Statistics 2015
Need up-to-date facts and figures for a project management report, article, or infographic? Browse this collection of project management statistics collected from studies and reports from the past five years. The data and statistics below are sorted into categories so you can quickly skim to find the information you need. Simply grab the stats you want and find the corresponding original source information at the bottom of this page. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Benefits of Project Management —1A. Project Management Methodologies —1B. Project Management Best Practices —1C. Agile Project Management 2. Project Management Salaries 3. Project Management Training & Certification 4. Project Management Software & Tools 5. Project Management Industry Growth 6. IT Project Management Challenges 7. Portfolio Project Management (PPM) and Project Management Offices (PMOs) 8. 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Benefits of Project Management 80% of “high-performing” projects are led by a certified project manager. [4] ROI of project managers (including average salary and training costs): Entry level501% ROI Mid-level268% ROI Senior level358% ROI [8] 89% of high-performing organizations value project management, 81% actively engage sponsors, 57% align projects with business strategy. [6] 46% of organizations admit to not fully understanding the value of project management, even though that understanding boosts the success rate of strategic initiatives by 16%. [12] —1A. Project Management Methodologies 59% say either most departments or their entire organization uses standard project management practices. [6] Organizations that use a methodology:38% meet budget 28% stay on schedule 71% meet scope 68% meet quality standards 60% meet expected benefits [4] VS. Organizations that don’t use a methodology:31% meet budget 21% stay on schedule 61% meet scope 60% meet quality standards 51% meet expected benefits [4] Popular Methodologies:41% use PMBoK26% do not use a standard methodology9% use an IT methodology9% use another approach8% use a combination of methods4% use an in-house method to manage projects3% use PRINCE2[4] —1B. Project Management Best Practices Having a knowledge transfer process in place boosts the chance of project success by over 20%. [6] More than 90% of organizations perform some type of project postmortem or closeout retrospective. [9] 64% of organizations say they frequently conduct risk management. [6] 30% of project managers break up large projects into smaller segments, with deliverables and evaluations at the end of each segment. [5] How Project Success is Measured:20% — Satisfied stakeholders19% — Delivered on time18% — Delivered within budget17% — Achieves target benefits15% — Produces high-quality deliverables9% — Achieves acceptable ROI2% — Other[6] Keys to Project Success:48% say the team’s technical skills41% say executive support26% say effective team communication19% say Agile techniques17% say the leadership of certified Project Managers12% say effective soft skills among staff[5] —1C. Agile Project Management 38% of organizations report using agile frequently. [6] 75% of highly agile organizations met their goals/business intent, 65% finished on time, and 67% finished within budget. Compared to organizations with low agility, where only 56% met their business goals, 40% finished on time, and 45% finished within budget. [6] Agile organizations successfully complete more of their strategic initiatives than less agile organizations. (69% to 45%). [12] Agile organizations grow revenue 37% faster and generate 30% higher profits than non-agile companies. [6] Most Popular Agile Tools and Processes:Scrum – 43% Lean & Test Driven Development (TDD) – 11% eXtreme Programming – 10% Feature Development Driven – 9% Complex Adaptive System – 4% Crystal – 3% Dynamic Systems Development Method – 3% Other – 6% None – 10%[4] 2. Project Management Salaries Average Project Manager Salaries: Entry-level$54,953 Managing small, low-risk projects$65,818 Managing medium-size, moderate-risk projects$81,520 Managing large, highly integrated projects$103,047 [7] On average, it takes 7 years in the profession to go from entry-level to managing large, complex projects. [7] Average Salary of Senior-Level PM by Region: .graph .col{ text-align: center; width: 100px; display: inline-block; position: relative; padding-bottom:50px; } .graph .progress{ height: 111px; width: 90%; position: relative; margin: 0 auto; } .graph .bar{ position:absolute; bottom:0; height:50%; width: 100%; } .graph .text{ font-size:12px; padding-top:4px; position: absolute; width: 100%; word-wrap: break-word; } .graph .col:nth-child(1) .bar{background-color:#B85754;} .graph .col:nth-child(2) .bar{background-color:#6E99AF;} .graph .col:nth-child(3) .bar{background-color:#99BE68;} .graph .col:nth-child(4) .bar{background-color:#CC9662;} .graph .col:nth-child(5) .bar{background-color:#88C2C8;} .graph .col:nth-child(6) .bar{background-color:#919097;} .graph .col:nth-child(7) .bar{background-color:#D48AA4;} .graph .col:nth-child(8) .bar{background-color:#A2AFB1;} .graph .col:nth-child(9) .bar{background-color:#B693BB;} .graph .col:nth-child(10) .bar{background-color:#88C2C8;} .graph .col:nth-child(11) .bar{background-color:#7D84A4;} .graph .col:nth-child(12) .bar{background-color:#B85754;} .graph .col:nth-child(13) .bar{background-color:#6E99AF;} .graph .col:nth-child(14) .bar{background-color:#99BE68;} .graph .col:nth-child(15) .bar{background-color:#CC9662;} Southwest US$108,300 Southeast US$98,864 Midwest US$97,778 Mid-Atlantic US$110,096 Northwest US$101,446 Northeast US$103,511 Outside US$108,300 [7] Average Salary of Senior-Level PM by Industry: Energy/ Utilities$147,600 Aerospace/ Defense$116,100 Government – Federal$113,000 Information/ Technology$107,200 Construction/ Engineering$104,800 Financial Services$104,500 Telecommu- nications$102,800 Pharma/ Healthcare $101,800 Automotive/ Manufacturing $99,760 Management Consulting$100,700 Media$94,340 Government – City/State/Local$90,080 NonProfit/ Education$72,920 [7] According to respondents, five days per year of project-focused training reduced the amount of time it took to advance from an entry-level project manager to a senior project manager by 12.6 months. [7] How much do project managers make? In the U.S, Project Management Professional (PMP)® certified project managers make an average of 16% more (approximately $14,500) than their non-credentialed peers in 2011. [6] 3. Project Management Training & Certification 61% of project management practitioners say their organization currently offers ongoing project management training for staff. [6] PM Certification by Department:37% say their entire IT department is certified.33% say IT department managers are certified.26% say Business managers are certified.25% say Business staff is certified (both managers and non-managers).10% say Executive managers are certified.29% say no one on staff is certified.[5] Types of Project Management Training Offered by Organizations: Classroom setting – 28% Online self-paced course – 24% Online situational sessions – 18% Paper-based self-studies – 16% All of the above – 13% Other – 1%[4] Number of PMI Certified Project Managers: Total Number of PMP credential holders: 607,128 # of CAPM certification holders: 25,060Program Management Professional credential holders: 1,027 PMI Agile Certified Practitioner holders: 5,265[14] 4. Project Management Software & Tools 77% of companies use project management software, and 87% of high-performing companies use project management software. [5] Top Business Challenges that Lead People to Project Management Software: Capturing time/cost of projects: 62% Approvals are paper-based: 55% Re-entering lost data: 45% Lack of integration between tools: 38% No central source of project information: 35% Poor visibility & resource management: 31% Poor purchasing processes: 23% Lack of visibility into work in progress: 21%[10] Most-Wanted Features in Project Management Software: 1. Reliability 2. Ease of integration 3. Ease of use[10] 66% said they choose a project management software based on level of support available. [10] Popular Tools for Managing IT Projects:70% use status reports68% use the project plan documentation63% use spreadsheets53% use project management software45% use help desk tickets, work orders, or a task tracking system36% use time reporting at the project level31% use communication templates25% use quality assessments21% use real-time status dashboards20% use a homegrown/in-house solution18% use word processing documents10% use earned value management reports[5] The most important factor in choosing which software to purchase was functionality (40%), followed by ease of use (24%). [17] Most-used features include file sharing, time tracking, email integration, and Gantt charts. [17] Business aspects significantly improved by PM software: Team communication – 52% Quality of final product – 44% Number of projects completed on budget – 44% Number of projects completed on time – 44% Customer satisfaction – 38%[17] 66% of organizations use PM software to communicate with clients. [17] 76% of respondents said they are either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their PM software. [17] 5. Project Management Industry Growth Between 2010 and 2020, 15.7 million new project management roles will be created globally, and the project management industry is slated to grow by $6.61 trillion. [11] An expected 12% growth in demand for project management professionals will result in almost 6.2 million jobs by 2020. [11] Business services (2 million jobs) and Manufacturing (630,000 jobs) supported the greatest number of project management roles in 2010. Business services and healthcare are expected to lead job growth between 2010 and 2020. [11] The healthcare industry is projected to increase project management roles by 30% — a higher growth rate than any current project intensive industry. [11] Estimated Project-Oriented Job Openings 2010-2020: China8,153,340 India3,975,650 US2,348,830 Japan387,560 Brazil347,820 UK177,120 Germany153,230 Canada120,070 Australia74,900 United Arab Emirates18,000 Saudi Arabia12,670 [11] 83% of project organizations reported that they were understaffed at some level. 44% of the reported shortages were for senior-level project managers. 89.4% report that it is either very difficult or somewhat difficult to find senior-level talent. [7] 6. IT Project Management Challenges The average large IT project runs 45% over budget, 7% over time, and delivers 56% less value than expected. [6] One in six IT projects has an average cost overrun of 200% and a schedule overrun of 70%. [1] Nearly 45% admit they’re unclear on the business objectives of their IT projects. [3] Only 34% of respondents say IT projects almost always deliver value to the business. 21% say they sometimes deliver value, and 41% say results are mixed. [5] 78% said their project requirements are usually or always out of sync with the business. Depending on the situation, this may include technical requirements as well. [3] 75% of IT project leaders believe their projects are “doomed from the start.” [3] 17% of large IT projects (budgets $15M+) go so badly they threaten the existence of the company.[2] Top Contributors to Large IT Project Failure: Unclear objectives/lack of business focus Unrealistic schedule/reactive planning Shifting requirements/technical complexity Unaligned team/missing skills Unexplained causes[6] Only 47% say their teams achieve 70-89% of their goals. Nearly 20% say they only achieve 50-69% of their goals. [3] 80% of teams say they spend at least half their time reworking completed tasks. [3] Barriers to Success:38% cite confusion around team roles and responsibilities.31% point to being unclear or disagreeing on what constitutes project success.77% say they don’t always agree on when a project is done, leaving the door open for ongoing rework and scope creep.[3] 7. Portfolio Project Management and Project Management Offices Portfolio Project Management (PPM) 53% of respondents say they have a project portfolio management process in place. [6] The number of firms with a PPM process in place grew from 64% in 2003 to 71% in 2013. [13] Popularity by Industry:Finance – 87% Healthcare – 76% Retail/Consumer – 72% Insurance – 71% Information/Technology – 67% Manufacturing – 66% Automotive – 65% Banking & Capital Marketing – 60% Telecommunications – 55% Energy – 52% Defense – 51% Construction – 34% Other – 51%[13] 26% of firms say they get a 25% or greater ROI from implementing PPM processes. [13] How Companies Prioritize Projects:18% say strategic alignment14% say expected benefits14% say ROI[6] Top 5 PPM Functions: Portfolio tracking & performance monitoring – 75% Portfolio oversight – 68% Portfolio planning, resource allocation, and schedule – 66% Portfolio analysis, project selection, & prioritization – 65% PPM process implementation & management – 61%[13] Top 5 PPM Priorities: Improve resource planning & forecasting – 65% Implement/enhance reporting, analytics, & dashboard tools – 62% Implement/enhance PPM processes – 53% Implement demand management/capacity planning processes – 42% Implement/enhance performance measurement process – 39%[13] Top 5 PPM Challenges: Organization has silo mentality 49% Consistent application of defined processes – 44% Getting reliable/accurate project info – 42% Lack of info on resources- 40% Inadequate PPM skills- 39%[13] 42% of portfolios are comprised of more than 100 projects, while 25% of portfolios have fewer than 20 projects. [4] 55% of organizations surveyed review project portfolios monthly, 23% review them quarterly. [13] Project Management Offices (PMOs) PMO Popularity by Company Size:61% of small organizations ($1B) have a PMO[16] Number of companies with a PMO has grown from 47% to 80% from 2000-2012. 30% of companies currently without a PMO plan to start one in the coming year. [16] PMO Popularity by Industry:Healthcare – 93% Finance – 93% Information Technology – 85% Manufacturing – 78% Professional Services – 60%[16] Benefits of High-Performing PMOs:45% more projects aligned with business objectives28% increase in # of projects delivered under budget$101,000 cost savings per project27% decrease in # of failed projects18% improvement in productivity31% improvement in customer satisfaction[16] 49% of PMOs provide project management training. [16] Top 5 PMO Challenges:Resistance to change within the organization PMO is perceived as unnecessary overhead Not enough time/resources for strategic activities Value added by PMO is difficult to prove Poor resource management capabilities[13] In Organizations Without a PMO, Projects are Managed by:IT managers or business execs – 38% Non-management IT staff – 26% Project managers within IT department – 22% Project managers outside IT department – 9% Outsourced project managers – 1%[13] 8. Project Failure Only 64% of projects meet their goals. [6] 70% of companies report having at least one failed project in the last year. [15] Organizations lose $109 million for every $1 billion invested in projects and programs. [12] High-performing organizations successfully complete 89% of projects, while low performers only complete 36% successfully. Low performers waste nearly 12 times more resources than high-performing organizations. [12] Only one-third of companies always prepare a business case for new projects. [15] 60% of companies don’t measure ROI on projects. [15] Average Project Success Rates:39% of all projects succeed (delivered on time, on budget, and with required features and functions)43% are challenged (late, over budget, and/or with fewer than the required features and functions) 18% fail (either cancelled prior to completion or delivered and never used).[9] Average % of features delivered – 69%Average cost overrun – 59% Average time overrun – 74%[9] Small Projects (less than $1 million) VS. Large Projects (more than $10 million) Small Projects (less than $1 million)76% are successful 20% are challenged 4% fail[9] VS. Large Projects (more than $10 million)10% are successful 52% are challenged 38% fail[9] Large projects are twice as likely to be late, over budget, and missing critical features than small projects. A large project is more than 10 times more likely to fail outright, meaning it will be cancelled or will not be used because it outlived its usefulness prior to implementation. [9] Most Common Causes of Project Failure:Changing priorities within organization – 40% Inaccurate requirements – 38% Change in project objectives – 35% Undefined risks/opportunities – 30% Poor communication – 30% Undefined project goals – 30% Inadequate sponsor support – 29% Inadequate cost estimation – 29% Inaccurate task time estimate – 27% Resource dependency – 25% Poor change management – 25% Inadequate resource forecasting – 23% Inexperienced project manager – 20% Limited resources – 20% Procrastination within team – 13% Task dependency – 11% Other – 9%[6] Despite being the top driver of project success, fewer than 2 in 3 projects had actively engaged project sponsors. [12] 68% of projects don’t have an effective project sponsor to provide clear direction or help address problems. [15] Projects Completed in the Last Year:64% successfully met original goals/business objectives62% were supported by active project sponsors55% finished within budget50% finished on time44% experienced scope creep15% were considered failures[6] Strategic Initiatives:Organizations report that an average of 3 out of 5 projects are not aligned with business strategy.[12] Only 56% of strategic initiatives meet their original goals and business intent. [12] 44% of strategic initiatives were reported as unsuccessful. Top causes: -Lack of executive support -Lack of focus on key initiatives & projects that are strategically relevant -Lack of skills and/or personnel for effective strategy implementation[12] Over 25% of companies don’t conduct a strategic review to identify how a proposed project will benefit the business. [15] 60% of companies don’t consistently align projects with business strategy. [15] Want More Project Management Resources? Check out our collection of articles, free downloadable resources, and interviews with leading project managers for more tips and advice. Sources: Harvard Business Review: “Why Your IT Project May Be Riskier Than You Think” McKinsey & Company: Delivering Large-Scale IT Projects On Time, On Budget, and On Value Geneca: Doomed from the Start? Why a Majority of Business and IT Teams Anticipate Their Software Development Projects Will Fail PricewaterhouseCoopers: Insights and Trends: Current Programme and Project Management Practices 2012 InformationWeek: Enterprise Project Management Survey 2014 Project Management Institute: Pulse of the Profession 2015: Capturing the Value of Project Management 2015 ESI International: Annual Salary Survey 2013 ESI International: Talent Drain Fact Sheet 2013 The Standish Group: CHAOS Research Report 2013 The Access Group: Inbox Insight Survey 2013 Project Management Institute: Industry Growth Forecast – Project Management Between 2010 + 2020 Project Management Institute: Pulse of the Profession 2014 – The High Cost of Low Performance PM Solutions: The State of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) 2013 Project Management Institute Certification Registry, via LinkedIn Pulse. March, 2014. KPMG New Zealand: Project Management Survey 2010 PM Solutions: The State of the Project Management Office (PMO) in 2014 Capterra Project Management User Research Report 2015 document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function (){ var line_width,stat,line; $('.stat-line').each(function() { stat = $(this).find('.stat'); line = $(this).find('.line'); if(stat.attr('data-width')){ line_width = stat.attr('data-width'); } else { line_width = stat.text(); } line.width(line_width) }) });
Top Project Management Conferences to Attend in 2016
2016 is brand new, and now that you've started a fresh calendar, you're probably eager to find exciting events to fill it with. Look no further than our list of top project management conferences for 2016. Stay up-to-speed on the latest industry developments, pick up tips from respected experts in the field, meet other project management professionals, and have some fun learning new tricks of the trade away from the office. North America Global Scrum Gathering April 18-20, Orlando, FL Scrum experts gather to share their current best practices and creative applications to help your Agile team run more efficiently and effectively. Agile and Beyond May 5-6, Ann Arbor, MI Featuring Lean leadership expert Dr. Jeffrey Liker as a keynote speaker for their 2016 event, this conference focuses on Agile product development best practices. Boston University's Project Management in Practice Conference May 13, Boston, MA This year’s conference focuses on developing the technical skills central to project management success, from scheduling to risk analysis and budgeting. The event, hosted by Boston University, also features notable keynote speakers and hands-on workshops. Change Management Conference May 15-18, Dallas, TX Learn and sharpen the skills you need to lead your organization through effective change management, discover the latest trends and tools, and connect with your peers. Project Management Institute Mega SeminarsWorld June 27-30, Orlando, FL These in-depth seminars hosted by PMI help both novice and experienced project managers advance their careers. Real-world projects and small group sizes mean hands-on learning and valuable professional development. PMI Global Congress - North America September 25-27, San Diego, CA PMI’s annual Global Congress provides insight into current project and business challenges and strategies. This year’s conference will focus on globalization’s effect on the project management industry. PMO Symposium Nov 6-9, San Diego, CA Get a special peek into some of the world’s leading PMOs’ successful processes and strategies to improve your own results. International IPMA Expert Seminar February 18-19, Zurich, Switzerland This high-level seminar focuses on advanced project management topics, from business orientation of projects to strategic project management and more. It will bring together over a dozen international project management leaders to give presentations, lead workshops, and discuss trends, case studies, and research results. RICS and APM Project Leadership Conference February 23, London, England Good project managers recognize and develop talent in others. This conference teaches project managers how to create a talent, leadership, and people strategy for both project and team success. APM ProgM Conference: Equipping Programme Managers for Global Success March 10, London, England Program management is an increasingly digital field, with more tools and techniques emerging every day. ProgM brings together internationally-recognized leaders in program management to discuss the latest trends and ensure attendees have the skills they need to succeed. APM Project Management Conference April 21, London, England The 2016 edition of this award-winning conference will focus on how project managers can develop a world-class mindset as an individual, organization, and profession. This year’s speakers include notable program managers Steve Elliott, Richard Palczynski, and Paralympian gold medalist Marc Woods. PMI Global Congress - Europe May 9-11, Barcelona, Spain PMI’s 2016 international conference will focus on this fact: successful projects aren’t enough for businesses to thrive — initiatives must be aligned with larger strategic objectives. Keynotes from industry experts, product demonstrations, and educational presentations give attendees real-world solutions to the emerging challenges facing project managers. Project Management Africa Conference August 29-30, Accra, Ghana This year’s African conference focuses on applying project management principles for better business results. Attendees will benefit from learning new skills to advance their business, networking opportunities, and a thorough understanding of current tools and best practices. ProjMAN October 5-7, Porto Region, Portugal Academics, scientists, and project management professionals from around the world are invited to submit papers, share their experiences, and debate new ideas at this international conference. What Project Management Conferences Will You Attend? Which events will you add to your calendar? Do you have a favorite conference that we didn't include in this list? Let us know in the comments below!
What's Changing on the PMP Examination This November 2015?
UPDATE: The PMP exam update has been postponed till January 11th, 2016 to allow all examinees adequate time to prepare for the change. See the full announcement on the PMI website. Those aspiring to get their Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, take note: there will be changes to the PMP examination which will go into effect this November 2015. So if you're studying for the PMP exam with older material (i.e. the Exam Content Outline dated August 2011), you have until November 1st to use those materials and take the exam. After that date, the new PMP exam will be instated and you'll have to upgrade to the new Exam Content Outline (dated June 2015). Why is the PMP Exam Changing? The PMP exam is being updated because the role of the project manager continues to evolve. The exam is meant to reflect current practices. In fact, PMP certification exams are updated every three to five years to ensure they stay relevant for project managers. To update exams, a Role Delineation Study (RDS) is undertaken to examine the role of of the project manager and distill it down to key competency areas, such as domains, tasks, knowledge, and skills. The research done in the RDS is then validated by the larger PM community. In order to maintain certification as a PMP, you'll need a specific number of Professional Development Units (PDU). 60 PDUs are required over the course of three years, which can be earned by attending events, or accomplishing courses. What Was Updated? Here's a quick rundown: Overall, there are minor changes to terminology and language within many tasks. While the essence of these tasks remains the same, the language has been modified to fit current practice in the industry. A few tasks were removed from the prior version of the Exam Content Outline. Because they were dropped, the new PMP exam will not include related questions. The 5 domain areas remain the same, but there are shifts in how each area is weighted, meaning a corresponding change in the number of questions pertaining to each domain. For example: Domain 3 "Executing" has increased to 31%; this means there will be more questions on domain 3 than the previous version of the exam. The biggest change is the introduction of eight new tasks to the Exam Content Outline. See the chart below. Domain 1 has three new tasks (Task 2, 7 and 8), Domain 2 has one new task (Task 13), Domain 3 has two new tasks (Task 6 and 7), and Domain 4 has two new tasks (Task 6 and 7). To view all the changes in detail, see the latest Exam Content Outline (June 2015). Why Were These Changes Made? 1. To Focus More on Business Benefits & Benefits Realization There is an increased focus on business benefits, strategy, and benefits realization. This is because project managers are now being brought in at the earliest stages of projects when benefits analysis is conducted. Today's PMs often need ensure that the project focuses on business benefits rather than just delivering on time. 2. To Ensure Lessons are Learned Throughout the Project Lifecycle Another topic with added emphasis is lessons learned. Traditionally, PMs only discuss lessons learned during the initiation phase (lessons learned from past projects) and then again during the closing phase (lessons learned on this project). The focus is now on gleaning lessons learned throughout the entire project lifecycle. 3. To Reflect Who Really Creates the Project Charter The consensus now is that it's typically NOT the project manager who is solely responsible for creating the project charter. Instead, it's the sponsor or customer who creates and approves the project charter, while the PM acts as a contributor to its development and informs team members and other stakeholders about its contents. Parts of the exam were changed to reflect this shift. 4. To Underscore the Importance of Stakeholder Relationships Everyone now agrees that project managers build two-way relationships with stakeholders, instead of simply sending one-way communications and updates. The exam changes now place a greater emphasis on managing and engaging stakeholder relationships to effectively complete a project. What These Changes Mean Overall for the PMP Exam Expect to see 25% of the exam content cover new topic areas from those 8 added tasks. Also, expect a large percentage of the rest of the exam questions to be new and updated. Some things are not changing. The eligibility requirements remain the same: every PMP candidate needs to have 4,500 to 7,500 hours of experience in leading and managing projects, and should also have a total of 35 hours of formal project management education. The overall structure also remains the same. The PMP exam will still be made up of 200 multiple choice, scenario-based questions. How Are These Changes Affecting You? Are you taking the PMP exam soon? We'd like to hear how these changes are affecting your exam preparations. Are you already a PMP? What do you think of these changes? Drop us a comment below.
The State of Project Management in 2015 (Infographic)
Project management is becoming an essential part of running a successful company. But in an evolving industry like project management, where trends, top tools, and best practices are always changing, how can you tell if your approach to managing projects is outdated? This infographic collects statistics on various aspects of the project management industry to give you: Insights into the top business challenges leading to project failure The compelling benefits of introducing project management to your company Emerging trends that are shaping the future of project management (and your business!) Take a look at this infographic, and learn more about project management in this complete collection of project management statistics. Share this infographic on social media, or embed it on your own site using this code: Infographic brought to you by Wrike Project Management Tools to Accelerate Your Business If you want to introduce better project management to your business, you can start learning more now. Discover how a project management tool like Wrike can keep all your business projects running smoothly!
In Anticipation of PMI Global Congress North America 2012
With the ongoing expansion of the distributed workforce, this topic seems to be gaining even more importance among fellow project managers. The first part of the speech will cover the most interesting findings of a survey recently conducted by Wrike with 1,000 respondents (how many people work remotely, how this compares to their work style 2-3 years ago, what they value the most about telecommuting, where they see this trend going, etc.) For instance, the vast majority of surveyed people believe that a fully virtual office will be a reality in the future. Later, the presentation will focus on efficiency tips for managers of virtual teams, based on my own experience of working with globally dispersed employees. If you haven’t planned a trip to Vancouver yet, it is worth consideration! I’m just as eager to hear the other presentations as I am to give my own. Speaking of the event agenda: this is one of the things that we recently discussed with Paula Jayne White, PMI’s Director, Professional Development. Read our full conversation to find out about the focus of the upcoming event and discover some lessons that such a huge project like PMI Congress can teach. Paula Jayne, I’m pleased to welcome you in my blog! Could you please tell me a bit about your PMI history and your role in organizing the Congress in Vancouver? Hello, Andrew. Thank you for having me. I joined PMI almost a year ago exactly, as the PMI Global Congress 2011—North America was getting underway in Dallas. It was a great initiation, since my role with PMI is to build on the Global Congress’s great history and help the event evolve in a way that reflects and meets the evolving needs of today’s project managers. The PMI Global Congress is the place where project management meets, and I’m fortunate to work with a talented team of individuals that share my passion and vision for everything from content to professional networking – everything that defines the participant experience and makes the PMI Global Congress such a valued professional development event. One of the most exciting things about PMI Congresses is that they observe a really wide diversity of topics. Can you outline a few of the hottest ones on the upcoming agenda? What are the keynotes? Some of the hottest topics this year are change management; requirements management; leadership and soft skills for project managers; agile; complexity in large projects; risk management; and the PMO, among others. Our keynote speaker is Marcus Buckingham. We’re very excited to have him as part of our line-up; his insight into workplace strengths, how to maximize them and the crucial differences between leadership and management are unmatched. His presentation will give attendees a new perspective on how to fulfill the quest for long-lasting achievement, not just in the workplace but in all walks of life. Other speakers include Annie McKee, best-selling author and founder of the Teleos Leadership Institute; behavioral scientist and consultant James Kane; Lem Lasher, President, Global Business Solutions, Chief Innovation Officer and Chairman of the Leading Edge Forum for technology solutions firm CSC; and Mary Beth Romig, one of the key architects of the reconstruction of New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We’re excited to offer some new panels and topics for 2012 as well. Our first-ever Women in Project Management panel is poised for an exceptional turnout as it corrects the misconception that project management is a profession led only by men. Some of the most successful women in project management will share their experiences as project managers; discuss how project management as a profession is growing in general, and how opportunities for women specifically are increasing; and show how women are cracking the top echelons of previously male-dominated roles. Other new offerings include Hot Topics panels, which will enable attendees to learn about a given topic from multiple speakers and perspectives in a single session, and improved business networking events where attendees can make new contacts and explore new professional opportunities. Compared to the 2011 Congress, how has the focus in topics shifted? Do you see some specific trends in the project management space that affected this? The PMI Global Congress 2011—North America focused on the delivery of general project management knowledge. Many of the topics above were addressed in some form, but this year, they will be examined more thoroughly, and in sessions designed for intermediate and advanced project professionals. This is based on direct attendee feedback, as well as on PMI’s Pulse of the Profession report and studies by the Anderson Economic Group, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the McKinsey Global Institute. Instead of doing an open call for papers, as we did in past years, PMI invested in extensive market research to determine the topics that are of most interest and need to our attendees, and this year’s offerings are the direct outcome of that feedback. We issued a targeted call for papers on the most requested topics to ensure that attendees would get the most value from their experience. Is there any talk that you’re eager to hear personally? With that line-up, how can I choose just one? Well, I’m very excited about the women in project management panel. The demographic of PM is definitely changing; women are project management leaders, and have been for quite some time, but they can be isolated in their professions because there are still fewer of them. It will be exciting to learn how the profession and organizations are evolving in this area. And you can’t miss Marcus Buckingham. He’s such a dynamic speaker, with such profound cultural insights. The whole room will be hanging on his every word and I’ll be first in line to do that. I’m also very excited about closing speaker James Kane, and I hope that everyone can attend. He’s talking very specifically about collaboration, which has become a key concept for project professionals: how do we collaborate in virtual team environments? James Kane is both insightful and entertaining, and we’ll walk away with solid concepts that we can execute immediately. The Congress is a big project, so could you share some lessons learned along the way that readers could apply to their events, or maybe projects in general? It’s essential to have strong project management for an event of this magnitude. We’ve learned that a strong program manager is critical, as are skilled project managers for each work stream. Communication and accountability are key as well, along with strong leadership and technical skills. And never, ever forget an excellent sense of humor! It’s the only way to manage all of the moving parts so that the event comes together flawlessly. Were there any interesting and fun anecdotes that you’d like to share? One of the things we like to do each year is feature something fun, cool, and a little outside the box for technical project managers. Last year, attendees played Jeopardy against Watson. This year, we’ll get an up-close and personal look at the rebuilding of New Orleans through the experience of those who were actually there. These real-world scenarios, along with the social and networking events, are the backbone of the PMI Global Congress experience. There are more, of course, but to find out what it’s really about, you’ll have to attend. This sounds like one of the prominent reasons to attend the Congress. Thank you for your time, Paula Jayne. It was a pleasure to talk to you in anticipation of the Congress. See you in Vancouver!
