One of my relations is taking early retirement after 35 years working for the same organisation. He has simply lost all enthusiasm for his job and missed the opportunities presented to him 10, 20, 30 years ago which could have changed the course of his career. You might think he had a boring dead-end job, […]
Parallel Project Training and Acuity Training are pleased to announce that they are joining forces to offer high quality Microsoft Project Training to the clients of Parallel Project Training. What is Microsoft Project? Microsoft project is one of the most widely used project scheduling tools. It significantly improves the management of project schedules, resources and […]
If you’re planning to work your way up the ladder of success in project management then it goes without saying that you should be gaining professional qualifications. Basic qualifications are the first step on the rung of the career ladder and the more advanced credentials will help further along the way. But are qualifications enough? […]
Hi Paul, Could you give me some feedback on this question please. Jenny What difficulties might a project manager encounter when running a project in a well-established operational business? The three main areas of difficulty can be grouped as People, Technology and Process. 1) People can pose difficulties as the project manager is unlikely to also be the line manager […]
Wrike Project Management Software
Five key attributes of a project are: Projects: Require a specific authorised business case Seek to introduce change Are limited by time Seek step change and transformation Produce one-off deliverables Have a specified scope so we understand what the project work and products are I will now describe these attributes further and show how they […]
Parallel Project Training have successfully delivered a number of bespoke virtual courses for corporate clients and have now launched their first open virtual PMP Certification course to be held in November 2014. Registration for the course is now open and will continue until 23 October 2014. The course will be conducted over a full week […]
In the project management world we all like to talk about, and aim for, a successful project. We expend much of our time, effort and energy trying to manage risks, control change and monitor our schedule and budget. We deal with long lists of tasks with complex inter-dependencies trying to make everything perfect. But, perhaps, […]
Delegation is a key skill for a project manager but it is often very difficult to execute efficiently. Here are 5 ways to improve your delegation skills: Give Notice You should never make assumptions with project management, ever. Your team members should be well organised and committed to achieving their objectives on time. If […]
I have discussed before the advantages to a project manager of getting involved in the business requirements gathering and analysis phases of a project. Accurate and clear requirements (formally documented or not) contribute to project success so a project manager needs to be involved to some extent during these phases, whether it is technically part […]
Project management is about planning, communicating, monitoring, controlling, reporting etc but it is also about risk management and change management because few, if any, projects are without risks and change. But it can sometimes seem that change management, in particular, is only concerned with changes within the project. Too often there is not enough emphasis […]
Having completed chapter 5 try some of the following homework questions and post your questions below and we give you feedback? Explain five distinct benefits of using a structured life cycle approach? List and describe five key phases of a project lifecycle, the activities undertaken during and outputs of each? Remember each of the […]
Having completed chapter 4 try some of the following homework questions and post your questions below and we give you feedback? Explain the concept of a matrix organisation and describe four advantages of such an approach Explain five difficulties a project manager may experience when working in a matrix organisation and give examples of how […]
Having completed chapter 3 try the homework questions and post your questions below and we give you feedback? List and describe five key benefits of using a programme management? List and describe five benefits of running projects as part of a programme instead of unconnected activities? Describe the term project context and explain four contextual […]
I have spent a few days developing a course outline for a design contractor who delivers complex engineering projects. This got me thinking about the fit between the APM Body of Knowledge and PRINCE2 and the challenge of running a project in a contracting organisation – contractor project management. The APM Body and Knowledge and […]
If you’ve considered the possibility of becoming a project manager within your current organisation but have not found any opportunities available, you may now be looking at other avenues that will lead you to your chosen career. But first ask yourself why there are no opportunities with your current employer: Is it the wrong type […]
Scholarships for Aspiring Project Managers The Project Management Institute Educational Foundation™ (PMIEF) offers academic scholarships and professional development scholarships to provide students, teachers, professionals and charities the opportunity to develop their project management capabilities. The cost of gaining formal project management qualifications can be prohibitive for those who are not funded by their employers so […]
Every project manager wants their project to be a success but the definition of success can be ambiguous with different people having a different perspective on just what constitutes success. It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether a project is successful or not, especially if those involved and affected by the outcome cannot […]