PMFORUM Breaking News

Reported by Miles Shepherd in the UK

The 6^th Annual Best Practice Showcase, an event showcasing best practices in programme and project management, will take place at the QE11 Conference Centre in Westminster, UK on June 24^th 2008. Project and programme managers are invited to attend this free learning event.

According to event director Emma Hilditch, "This year's event will include a number of new features, especially the interactive sessions. But not everything has changed. We're binging back some of the most popular sessions from last year, including 'Birds of a Feather'."

The popular ‘Birds of a Feather’ sessions, where delegates discuss issues around a boardroom table, will be featured again this year. Examples of these sessions include ‘Project Leadership Techniques: benchmark your own experiences against the ‘leadership lifecycle’ and choose the right leadership technique to solve commonly occurring difficulties’ hosted by Melanie Franklin, Chief Executive, Maven Training.

Paul Major, Director, Program Framework, will host a session entitled ‘The Change Directorate. What does a Change Directorate actually do? Understanding and unpacking this concept’!

The 2008 Best Practice Showcase will also feature some new interactive sessions, including:

• Interactive Seminar Sessions – such as one hosted by Steve Clarke of Onemind Management and Sarian Harcombe, IT Portfolio Manager, Environment Agency


• ‘Ask the Expert Panel’ - with Susan and Alan Ferguson from AFA and Alison Browne, Director for Pathways, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. The session will be entitled: Beyond MSP: Attitudes, Benefits or Challenges


• Live Interviews - with Andy Murray, PRINCE2 Lead Author, and Alan Harpham, Chairman, The APM Group about the PRINCE2 2009 Project™ Update.


• ‘Question Time: Ask the Author’ - will feature Sue Vowler, P3O Lead Author, Rod Sowden, P3M3 Lead Author and Andy Murray, PRINCE2 Lead Author.

The final session of the day will be an interactive presentation by Nick Fewings, Director of The Colour Works. Nick’s session ‘Fired Up For Success! Managing Change Effectively’ will showcase how the Shropshire Fire Brigade worked with The Colour Works to become one of the leading Fire & Rescue services in the UK.

The Best Practice Showcase is free to attend for programme, project and risk managers. Delegate registration is via the web site at www.bestpracticeshowcase.com

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre is located right in the heart of London, a minute's walk from the Palace of Westminster. Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1986, it is operated by the British government as an executive agency of Communities and Local Government. The centre has four main auditoria, seven conference rooms, many smaller rooms and over 2,000 square metres of exhibition space. (Photo: Churchill Gallery at the QUII Conference Centre, which is directly across from the Sanctuary outside Westminster Abbey.)

Miles Shepherd International Correspondent UK based in London Mr. Miles Shepherd is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in London, UK. . Miles has over 30 years experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, rail and business projects for the EU. Past Chairman of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Additional information about Mr. Shepherd can be found at www.pmforum.org/pm forum team/. Miles can be contacted at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uka