PMcrunch

I have encountered misunderstandings numerous times due to different concepts of the meaning of the word ‘plan’. There are various types of plans. In Project Plan Integration, we pull together various aspects of the project plan, which taken separately actually represent separate plans. One of those plans, the Configuration Management Plan, is one that I have encountered misunderstanding over.

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I heard a very funny podcast this morning. It was a parody on the PMBOK 9 Knowledge Areas. The question discussed was, “Should there be an even 10 Knowledge Areas in the PMBOK?” The discussion of “Project Blame Management” as a proposed Knowledge Area in the PMBOK is very funny, and the interviewer and interviewee, Payson Hall, have a very contagiously good time!

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Program Management within an organization involves managing longer term initiatives that involve multiple projects. The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a Program Management Certification – the Program Management Professional (PgMP) – for experienced professionals who are interested in advancing their knowledge of program management and credentials for a continuing career in program management.

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PRINCE2 – PRojects IN Controlled Environments – is a major worldwide project management framework, or methodology. It takes a different approach than the PMI’s PMBOK, but the goal of both is to improve project performance. While PMBOK is generally well-accepted worldwide, it is by far the leading approach in North America. PRINCE2 on the other hand is strongest in the United Kingdom, with a strong presence in Europe, Australia, and other typically English-speaking countries outside North America. But both are expanding there reach on a constant basis as the world gradually “projectizes.”

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I say, a resounding YES to the question “Is a political campaign a project?”. Why? Well, a political campaign has a distinctive beginning and end, and in between there is a lot of planning, a great deal of execution, and a great deal of monitoring and controlling. And of course there is a closing – usually with lots of lessons learned. Let us look a bit at these elements.

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The PMBOK specifies that there is a process for Activity and Resource Estimating. There are a variety of nuances to this process and it is very important to a project’s success that project team members have the skills to produce accurate estimates.

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As the most common standards in the world for the discipline of Project Management, what are the commonalities and differences between the Project Management Institute’s “Project Management Body of Knowledge” (PMBOK) and the British government’s “Projects in Controlled Environments” (PRINCE2)?

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Podcasting has become very popular, and there are several project management podcasts available for review. Here we list 7 of the more popular PM Podcasts found on the internet.

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MPMM – Method123 Project Management Methodology offers a very comprehensive suite of project management templates and more for implementing best practices – derived from PMBOK and PRINCE2 – within an organization.

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Earned value reporting is a powerful project management technique. It applies, one way or another, to ALL projects, large and small. What is important is to understand the concept, then adapting the application of the concept to an appropriate level that is effective for your projects.

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