PMFORUM Breaking News

In Search of Innovative Project Management Research, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has issued official Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for 2009 Research Funding.

According to the PMI announcement, "In response to the rapid growth of the profession and in our quest to advance the science and body of knowledge in Project Management, we must consistently discover and understand trends, explore new cutting-edge concepts, theories, tools, and further investigate present issues in project/program/ portfolio management. It is in this spirit of progress that the PMI Research Department issues its 2009 Request for Proposals."

Proposals for research in the following topic areas may be candidates:

ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT (Public and Private) - Many governments have now introduced laws and/or regulatory requirements of organizations to improve governance and risk issues. Although these have had a significant impact at senior levels of organizations, their influence is less determinable at levels where programs and projects are delivered. In the future, there are likely to be more regulations at senior levels of organizations. This RFP solicits research proposals that seek to provide evidence on what influence this will have at the delivery level and what influences they may have on project management.

PROJECT ASSESSMENTS - Reviews of on-going projects come under different names in various contexts, such as project assessments, project reviews, project audits and project health checks and are an essential part of project governance and management. They provide essential feedback regarding the status of a project. When Projects are created at various levels, it is important to have reasonable means of assessment to see whether the projects have achieved or are going to achieve their planned goals.
The research should look across the key issues and challenges in assessing projects.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE - Organizational change has existed for a long time as a specialized field in general management and is largely independent of the field of project management. Despite the potential relevance of one for the other, few bridges have been built between these two fields. Research project proposals are being solicited to examine and further investigate organizational change.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A CAREER CHOICE - The proposed research will explore the reasons why individuals choose Project Management as a career. It will ascertain the means by which they establish themselves as Project Managers and also explore the satisfaction they have gained from the career choice. It will identify the determining criterion for promoting Project Managers. A broad study encompassing various industries and various geographic regions would be most advantageous.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT - Project portfolio management has only become an important topic in the field of project management in recent years. There has been very little research on the topic outside of the field of new product development. There is a great need to further explore the many aspects of portfolio management. We seek proposals that will investigate the following possible areas: Portfolio Risk Management, Strategic Alignment and Portfolio Management, Research Allocation, Capacity Management and Implementation Processes.

BEST INDUSTRY OUTCOMES FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS AND THEIR PROJECT MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES BY INDUSTRY AND REGION - Each project is a unique temporary organization focused on a specific mission and outcome. Similarly, each organization is different. It must deal within its industry, its economic constraints, cultural pressures and geo-political influences. What traditionally evolves from the myriad of standards, processes and methods focused on organizational capabilities is a set of best practices. These may be common across organizations in a given industry. Best practices are important to the eventual outcomes that projects provide for an organization’s ultimate success. This research proposal will explore and find the best practices common, not to specific companies (organizations) as much as they are common to a particular industry or project type. Most importantly, the research will delineate the best outcomes that are expected for organizational success in different industries.

OPEN TOPIC - This is an opportunity to either advance a project, program or portfolio management theory or hypothesis that has not been considered or otherwise addressed; to explore a particular relationship between elements that might contribute to project, program or portfolio success; or develop a heretofore unanticipated product or service of use to the profession.

All proposals should be three pages long and include a curriculum vitae for each of the primary researchers. PMI Research Program financial resources are limited, so proposals are sought from researchers who will have access to other financial resources. Researchers around the world are welcome to apply.

The deadline for pre-proposal submissions is Monday, 30 June 2008. PMI will notify the authors of the chosen pre-proposals by Monday, 4 August 2008, at which time full 10-page proposals will be requested. For more information and guidance to submit a proposal, please view the description of the RFP process.

With more than 265,000 members in 170 plus countries, the Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI) is the leading membership association for the project management profession and the largest association dedicated to project management in the world. As a leading advocate for the profession, PMI is actively engaged in setting professional standards, providing a professional career path for project managers and maintaining a family of professional credentials: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®), Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Program Management Professional (PgMP)®. The PMP is held by more than 267,000 project managers worldwide. PMI provides members with access to the knowledge, skills, educational support and networking opportunities. The Institute is also highly regarded for its extensive research capabilities and its program to accredit colleges, universities and Registered Education Providers to teach PMI approved project management courses. PMI was founded in 1969. Please visit PMI.org for more information.