PMForum has been informed that the deadline for applications for IPMA's 2009 International Project Excellence Awards has been extended until 20 February 2009! This should be good news for those organizations and project teams who just learned about this exciting opportunity.

The IPMA Project Excellence Award is one of the most prestigious in the world of project management. In addition to global recognition, winners will be recognized and will receive their awards at the 23rd IPMA World Congress on Project Management in Helsinki, Finland in June.

IPMA introduced their annual International Project Excellence Awards in order to raise project management skills globally and to recognize the best managed projects in the world. The Award, which identifies examples of excellent project management and acknowledges innovative projects, is based on IPMA's Project Excellence Model, a framework for evaluating project achievements and improving project management.

Those participating in the Award process will receive an in depth analysis of the submitted project by experienced assessors resulting in comprehensive feedback on all areas of project management that identify strengths as well as areas for improvement. In addition, the Award offers a unique opportunity to benchmark a project against other world class projects, with the possibility of receiving international recognition for project success.

A full description of the IPMA Project Excellence Model and the application procedures are available on request from award@ipma.ch, or contact ipmaaward@gmail.com.

Founded in 1967 and registered in Switzerland, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is the world's oldest project management professional organization. IPMA is an international federation of 44 national PM societies in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. IPMA's Annual World Congress is one of the largest and most important gatherings of project management authorities and leaders each year. The president of IPMA for 2009/10 is Brigitte Schaden. Additional information about IPMA is available at www.ipma.ch.