PMFORUM Breaking News

Dr. Edwin Andrews, Director of Academic and Educational Programs & Services for the Project Management Institute (PMI®), delivered the lead off plenary presentation on day two of the International Project & Program Management Symposium Tokyo 2008 in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday, March 11. The two day conference was held at Tower Hall, Funabori in Tokyo. The sponsor of the two-day project management conference was the Project Management Association of Japan (PMAJ).

Dr. Andrews (pictured), provided an update to conference attendees on the structure, plans and activities of PMI’s Academic and Educational Programs & Services (AEPS) area, for which he is responsible. He began the presentation with some data: “Global gross fixed capital formation reached US$7.5 trillion in 2004, not counting private investment. This equals 21% of the world’s GDP. With private investment, that total could amount to one third of global GDP. Most of that investment is in the form of programs and projects, all of which need project management.”

He also provided some of the latest information about PMI, as follows:

• PMI has more than 260,000 members in 172 countries, as of February 29, 2008


• PMPs worldwide reached almost 260,000 at the end of February


• PMI has 251 chapters and members in more than 70 countries


• PMI certifications now include the CAPM®, PMP®, PgMP® and OPM3 Product Suite®


• In 2008, a standards will be released for Scheduling


• PMI has been named on behalf of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to be secretariat on the new ISO project management standards committee

Highlights of Dr. Andrews’ presentation related to Academics & Education included:

• As the global economy grows, many senior managers are retiring at the same time, creating a large and growing gap between demand and supply of qualified project managers in the world.


• AEPS goals are to (a) have project management recognized by academic institutions as a discipline; and (b) to increase the supply of knowledgeable project managers to lesson the supply gap.


• The global strategy for PMI’s AEPS area include:
  - Strengthen the benefit proposition for all academic partners
  - Tailor programs to meet individual country needs
  - Partner with academic associations representing universities teaching PM
  - Optimize the role of government in stimulating PM education
  - Mobilize academic organizations to realize the opportunity before them


• PMI’s Academic Services include grants, networks for academics and students; research conferences; research working sessions and academic forums.


• PMI’s academic resources include survey aids for researchers and students; Project Management Journal® (for publishing research); the PMI Marketplace (for research and educational publications); scholarships; teaching case studies; and the PMI virtual communities – Specific Interest Groups and Colleges.


• Some of PMI’s major Academic Programs include the Registered Education Provider (REP) program, which now includes almost 1,000 PM training firms, 100 of which are at Universities; academic library memberships; the Global Accreditation Center (GAC), through which universities can have their PM degree programs accredited by PMI; and PMI global research grants program.


• Academic programs in project management are growing. In 1994, there were only 2 universities in the world with bachelor’s degree programs in project management. By 2007, there were more than 300 such programs at 280 academic institutions worldwide.


• PMI’s GAC has accredited 14 universities, with 14 more “candidates” in the review process; and an additional 17 letters of intent have been received.


• PMI has invested over US$14 million in project management research over the last 10 years. PMI acts as catalyst and has funded researchers worldwide. The largest research project currently underway is related to “the value of project management to organizations.”


• Research “working sessions” are held in conjunction with each of PMI’s four annual global congresses, which will also be adding a new research track focused on applied research.

Dr. Edwin Andrews receiving appreciation gift from Dr. Hiroshi Tanaka, Symposium Chair

Dr. Andrews closed with an open invitation to attend the PMI 2008 PMI Research Conference in Warsaw, Poland, during 13-16 July 2008. 400 attendees are expected from over 30 countries, with 51 proffered papers and nine plenary papers to be presented. For information, visit http://congresses.pmi.org/ResearchConf2006/NextYearsConference.cfm.

The “International Project & Program Management Symposium Tokyo 2008 – “In pursuit of organizational project management value,” was held in Tokyo, Japan during 10-11 March 2008. The symposium was sponsored by the Project Management Association of Japan. The Program Director and Chairman for the IP&PMS Tokyo 2008 was Dr. Hiroshi Tanaka, president of PMAJ. Mr. Tetsuhiro Yamane, PMP, was Project Manager.

The national Project Management Association of Japan (PMAJ) was born in 2005 thorough the integration of the Japan Project Management Forum (JPMF – pioneer of Japan’s project management society) and Project Management Professionals Certification Center (PMCC). PMAJ has 3,000 individual and 110 corporate members from all branches of the Japanese industry and governmental agencies. PMAJ offers its own standard “The Guidebook of Project and Program Management for Enterprise Innovation – P2M” and P2M based certification system. For more information, visit http://www.pmaj.or.jp/.