The International Project Management Association (IPMA) maintains a project management methodology and certification scheme which is outlined in the Individual Competence Baseline. This manual outlines 29 'competence elements' which define a competent project manager. The competence elements are divided into three subcategories: Perspective People … [Read more...]
Project management certification can be a difficult field to navigate. You want to be recognized for your expertise and further your job prospects, but if you choose the wrong certification you could jeopardize those goals. You have to know which to choose before pursuing them. There are many variables to consider, including geography, popularity, cost, and … [Read more...]
PRINCE2 is a project management methodology which specifies a series of project management documents (called products) that aid the project manager in carrying out their duties. Each PRINCE2 process and theme are mapped to the documents which are used to carry out that process. The documents (products) are core to the methodology. PRINCE2's documents … [Read more...]
Becoming a PRINCE2 Practitioner is one of the best steps you can take in your career. Every year tens of thousands of people make the leap from technical professional into project management, or start their career in project management, through this certification. It is a very easy certification to obtain, and carries a tremendous amount of prestige with … [Read more...]
Obtaining a PRINCE2 Foundation certification is an unbelievably easy way to take a huge leap forward in your career, from technical professional into project management. In fact, if you're in a technical role and not looking at PRINCE2 Foundation certification you're experiencing a huge missed opportunity cost, it's like winning the grand prize show home at the … [Read more...]
Most projects require some form of external purchasing (procurement) in order to meet their goals. Executing these procurements to fulfill the needs of the project falls under the knowledge area of Project Procurement Management. Contractors usually have better expertise or experience and can provide a higher quality product. But often they are not … [Read more...]
Many project managers have executed the technical work to perfection only to find out that stakeholders were not satisfied because communication was poor. Thus, project communication is sometimes more important than the technical work. Of course, the project manager needs to communicate when unexpected events occur. That's the domain of project risk … [Read more...]
Managing the project resources is how the project manager spends most of their time. From ordering supplies, to training team members, to paying bills, the project resources are a seemingly bottomless pit of active management. Meanwhile, the project team is one of the most important components of project success - Having confidence that your team is going to … [Read more...]
In some industries, risk analysis as a subset of project management is virtually non-existent. Project management is usually focused on cost and schedule, and delivering projects "on time, on budget" sometimes feels like the only criteria. But as a project manager, there's nothing that makes you sleep at night better than knowing you've got the risks to your … [Read more...]
The earned value method is the project management standard for cost control during a project. Whether you are a practicing project manager or studying for the PMP exam, you need to know how to calculate earned value. Fortunately, it involves nothing more than basic high school math. The more difficult part is knowing what each of the variables means and how … [Read more...]
