PMWT Viewpoints - August 2006
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Time for Governance and Election Reform Within the Project Management Community? (Part 2)
by Paul Giammalvo, CDT, PMP, CCE, MScPM
In the May issue of PMForum, I outlined a case for Election Reform. As a follow up to this article, I was contacted by a group of concerned members resulting in a motion being submitted to the PMI Board of Directors asking for a major change in the governance model PMI is using.
For background information, around 1998, PMI made promises in writing to entice the member/owners of the organization to vote for Policy Governance. The two primary documents were a “FAQ” authored by Karen Alfonsi and posted on the PMI website and a more detailed PowerPoint slide show entitled “Policy Governance Promises”, authored by David Bruhin, Swarthmore Group also posted to the PMI Website around May of 1998. Based on the strength of these promises, many members, including myself, despite misgivings, voted in favor of Policy Governance.
Included in these promises were the following statements:
“the elected leadership is accountable to the PMI membership. The role of the elected leadership is to understand the wants and needs of the membership, and to turn those overall needs into results to be achieved by the organization. PMI’s management staff is accountable to the Board through the Executive Director. The role of the management staff is to implement the means to achieve the organizational results defined by the Board”.
“the Board must KNOW and UNDERSTAND the values and needs of PMI’s membership”
“The first priority of the Board is to establish the linkage with the membership. The ‘hows’ to achieve this can take many forms (i.e., e-mail, internet chat areas, phone, forums, focus groups, surveys, etc.) Based on the membership values identified through this linkage, a strategic Board sets policies and priorities to direct the activities of the organization.”
“The Board exists (as trustees) on behalf of the moral owners of the organization -The members! And is responsible for strategic results to be achieved on behalf of the member-owners.”
“Thus we need to align the Board with members, not with operational staff”.
“How is “member-owner” defined? What does ‘member-owner” mean/imply for PMI? Member-owner refers to the moral owners – rather than legal owners -- of the organization. They are the reason the organization exists.”
“Chapters and SIGs will have a permanent and effective voice with the PMI Board.”
“Chapters and SIGs Co-Chairs will be the direct interface with the Board, rather than VP-Regions.”“the Board must KNOW and UNDERSTAND the values and needs of PMI’s membership”
“The first priority of the Board is to establish the linkage with the membership. The ‘hows’ to achieve this can take many forms (i.e., e-mail, internet chat areas, phone, forums, focus groups, surveys, etc.) Based on the membership values identified through this linkage, a strategic Board sets policies and priorities to direct the activities of the organization.”
“The Board exists (as trustees) on behalf of the moral owners of the organization -The members! And is responsible for strategic results to be achieved on behalf of the member-owners.”
“Thus we need to align the Board with members, not with operational staff”.
“How is “member-owner” defined? What does ‘member-owner” mean/imply for PMI? Member-owner refers to the moral owners – rather than legal owners -- of the organization. They are the reason the organization exists.”
“Chapters and SIGs will have a permanent and effective voice with the PMI Board.”
“Chapters and SIGs Co-Chairs will be the direct interface with the Board, rather than VP-Regions.”
Once approved by the member/owners, PMI adopted the Policy Governance Model of
John Carver http://www.carvergovernance.com/mode
Around 2004, with no advance notice to or approval from the member/owners, the PMI BoD changed from the Carver Model to a proprietary model developed by Tecker Consultants LLC and adapted from the writings of Collins and Porras in the book "Built to Last".
Since that time, the elected BoD has become less responsive to the needs, wants and expectations of the member/owners and has become more focused on their relationship with the PMI HQ staff. This has resulted in an organization which is more oriented toward being a business than a professional organization, oriented towards meeting the needs of the member-owners. This is totally contrary to what the member/owners voted for in 1998 and what was promised in writing by PMI leadership in order to get us to vote for Policy Governance.
With that brief background, three long time members of PMI- Bob Youker, Ed Fern, PMP, Sponsor, California Inland Empire Chapter, and; Paul Giammalvo, PMP; Former Director of Advocacy, Region 10, 2000-2004. Founder- PMI Indonesia, PMI Singapore, PMI Bangkok Chapter, Founder- International Development SIG, Past President PMI Indonesia Chapter, Vice Chair, International Development SIG have submitted a MOTION to be voted on by the PMI BoD that will provide the Chapter Presidents, SIG Chairs and College Presidents with formal power to represent the voice of the member/owner of PMI by drafting and voting on legislation that the elected BoD MUST develop a policy to support, as promised to get the member/owners to vote for policy governance in the first place.
As PMI is in the process of rethinking the relationships of the components, I would hope that process includes governance and election reform to fulfill the promises made in writing to get us to vote for policy governance in the first place.
What are we asking you to do?
- Educate yourself by reading what was promised.
- Discuss what PMI is doing for you today in the context of what was promised.
- IF you agree that how PMI is being run today does NOT live up to the promises made
- THEN write to the PMI Board of Directors insisting that they fulfill the promises made in writing by reinstating the Council of Chapter Presidents and Council of SIG Chairs as a FORMAL part of the governance of the organization, responsible to draft legislation which, if passed, the BoD is obligated to carry out.
Paul D. Giammalvo, PMP
Former PMI mentor, Southeast Asia Region
Founding member of PMI Chapters in Bangkok, Indonesia and Malaysia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Paul
D. Giammalvo, CDT, PMP, CCE, MScPM, is Director of the ASEAN Project Manager’s
Center of Excellence, Inc. (APMX) For over 12 years, he has been provided
Project Management training and consulting throughout SE Asia. He is active
in the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International,
(AACE); Construction Specifications Institute (CSI); Construction Management
Association of America, (CMAA) and serves on the Global Project Management
Forum Steering Committee. http://www.getpmcertified.com
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