PMFORUM Breaking News

David Pells, Managing Editor for PMForum and PM World Today, has presented an update to his "World of Project Management" model at the PMI Dallas Chapter’s Professional Development Day on 28 April 2007. This model was previously presented by Pells in an Editorial for the September 2006 edition of the PM World Today eJournal (www.pmworldtoday.net).

According to Pells’ model, the World of PM can be considered to contain the following seven primary elements:

I. Project Management research & development
II. Project Management bodies of knowledge
III. Project Management education & training
IV. Project Management practice & experience
V. Project Management supplier marketplace (PM products & services)
VI. Project Management profession (professional activities, bodies, ethics, qualifications, standards, etc.)
VII. Project Management communities

Following a discussion of these major elements, which can have overlapping contents and aspects, David described the following “global perspectives” that also come into play during the application of modern project management:

➢ Geographic perspective – what is the status of the seven elements of the World of PM in a particular country or geographic region of the world?

➢ Industry perspective – what is the status of the seven elements in your industry?

➢ Nature or type of project – Is PM to be for a project or program that is large or small, using new or familiar technologies, involving simple or complex systems, for construction or product development, etc.?

➢ Economic perspective – Is the PM to be on projects initiated for business development, economic development or organizational development?

According to Pells, these four perspectives (and sometimes others) must also be included when considering the World of PM.

So why is a global perspective on the world of PM needed today? According to David’s presentation, due to the increasing global projectization of business and industry; the globalization of markets and economies; global competition; increasing number of global projects, global project teams, and global PM; global supply chains; and global problems that can only be solved with global projects.

To view a copy of David Pells’ PowerPoint presentation, (in PDF format) click here. To see his original September editorial, click here.

David L. Pells is the President and CEO of PMForum, Inc., and the Managing Editor for http://www.pmforum.org and www.pmworldtoday.net. Summary background information about David Pells can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/team.htm#2

Pells-PMI Dallas-The World_of_PM.ppt