The leadership team for the 1^st Annual PMI Panama Project Management Symposium being held in Panama City on March 19, 2009, has announced that an Earned Value Workshop will be held on Friday 20 March. The Panama Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI) will host this major PM event, subtitled "The Land Divided - The Project World United", which will showcase the Panama Canal Expansion program.

Three well-known earned value management (EVM) experts from the United States will lead the workshop, with topics as follows:

Susan Wood - "EVM Principles and Terminology"
Tony Finefield - "Control System Design"
Lloyd Carter - "Establishing an EVM System"

Earned value management is based on integrated scope, schedule and cost methodologies and is commonly required for managing large complex engineering and construction projects, such as the Panama Canal Expansion. Anyone in Panama involved in planning or managing large programs and projects should study EVM, so this workshop will offer an important opportunity for local project managers to learn EVM. Of course, the principles are useful on all types and sizes of projects.

Project managers, engineers, IT professionals and executives throughout the Americas are invited to attend the 1st Annual PMI Panama Project Management Symposium in Panama City on 19 March, which will feature three major tracks: General Project Management, Construction Project Management & Technology Project Management (IT, product development, communications). The symposium will feature keynote speeches by Jorge Quijano, executive vice president of the Panama Canal Authority, and Jhan Schmitz, senior vice president of CH2M Hill, prime contractor for the Panama Canal expansion.

Professional presentations, discussion sessions, focused workshops and networking opportunities will also be included, with bilingual translation available (Spanish or English). Registration fees are $225, $195 for PMI members, and $125 for students. Attendees can receive up to 7 PDUs for PMP recertification for each day attended. The symposium venue will be the Panama Canal Authority Auditorium and facilities.

For symposium information, visit http://www.pmi-panama.org/simposio2009/ or contact Tom Sheives (U.S.) at tom@BetterProjectResults.com or Luis Fasano (PMI Panama) at lfasano@pmi-panama.org.

Local sponsors include the Panama Canal Authority and CH2M HILL, prime management contractor for the expansion. Participants will have an opportunity to tour the canal and meet the program manager.

The PMI Panama Chapter is a chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI^®), the world's largest member-based organization devoted to professional project management. Founded in 1969 in the United States, PMI now has more than 280,000 members in 170 plus countries. Founded in 2001, the PMI Panama Chapter is a volunteer based professional association dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the project management discipline and its critical role in business and organization success. The PMI Panama Chapter has approximately 150 members and serves the project management and business communities of Panama and nearby countries. For more information, visit http://www.pmi-panama.org/.

PMI^® and PMP^® are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute.