| October Luncheon Meeting Details |
"The Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation - A New Concept for R&D Project Management"
Presented By:
Marty Kress
Executive Director, National Space and Technology Center
Date: Thursday, October 18 Location: Marriott, 5 Tranquility Base
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $20 (includes lunch)
PDUs: 1
Click here to register
(Register before 9:00 AM Monday October 15 to guarantee a seat)
Join us at the October Chapter meeting for a presentation by Marty Kress (pictured above), who will provide an overview of the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation. VCSI is a new not-for-profit charitable trust that is intended to better capitalize on the assets housed at Huntsville's National Space Science and Technology Center and to expand the R&D portfolio for Huntsville.
The VCSI was created a year ago and is a member organization. Its board consists of key members of the business, university research, and government communities. This new model is intended to enable science applications and engineering solutions for key federal customers. By combining the technical talents of government, industry and the university research community, in particular Alabama research universities, VCSI is positioned to deal with pressing near and mid-term requirements.
Marty is the Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Center in Huntsville. Marty oversees a space science and technology center complex that includes 400 researchers, 32 labs and is housed in a 250,000 square foot research lab. Center projects include data analysis and modeling for earth science, instrument and sensor development for space science flight programs and a variety of technology programs ranging from microsatelittes to integrated data management tools and platforms.
Note: 2008 PMI-NAC Board Elections will be held during this luncheon meeting, so reserve your seat now to hear a great speaker and help guide the Chapter's direction in the upcoming year.
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| October Evening Meeting Announcement |
Joint PMI-NAC/NCMA Evening Event Scheduled for Thursday, October 25
Make Plans Now to Attend!
Make your plans now to attend PMI-NAC's fourth evening event of the year. This will be a special joint meeting sponsored by PMI-NAC and the Huntsville Chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), two professional groups that share a great deal of professional activities. Here are the meeting details:
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2007 Time: 6:00- 9:00 PM
Location: Marriott, 5 Tranquility Base
Cost: $25 (includes buffet dinner, cash bar available)
PDUs: 2
Reservations
The evening's speaker will be Dr. Jay Billings (pictured above) who presentation is titled: "Conflict Management - PM Versus Contracting Officer". Dr. Billings' presentation will explore what happens when persons with different objectives, processes, procedures and values are put on the same team with the expectation of superior results. He will follow up with some constructive solutions to produce better results for all concerned.
Dr. Billings has over 40 years experience in management. He has extensive successful experience in roles ranging from Deputy Project Manager for the PERSHING II Project Office to senior procurement analyst and Deputy PARC for a US Army Major Subordinate Command. He has served as chief of a Should Cost Analysis Team, a member of many Source Selection Advisory Councils and Evaluation Boards. He has extensive experience as a teacher both in classroom situations as well as developing instructional materials for others. Dr. Billings also participates actively in professional and civic organizations.
This meeting will bring the project management and contract management communities together in an informal, professional development environment that will help grow communication and collaboration between the two groups. Make your reservation early for this special event. |
| Upcoming EVMS Seminar |
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 "Establishing Your EVMS Performance Measurement Baseline"
One Day Seminar Presented By
Kelly, Gaston, PMP
Charter Performance Mgmt. Group
Due to the success of the PMI-NAC-sponsored Earned Value Management System (EVMS) introductory seminar held in July, a follow-up seminar has been scheduled that will take participants on the next step to establishing an Earned Value Management System. Here are the details:
Date: Friday, December 7, 2007
Time: 8:30- 4:30
Location: Gemini Room, Odyssey II Building, SAIC Huntsville Campus
6723 Odyssey Drive
Cost: Early Registration Price (available until Wednesday, Nov. 21): - $275 for PMI Members,
- $375 for non-PMI members
Late Registration Price (available until Wednesday, Dec. 5):
- $345 for PMI members;
- $425 for non-PMI members
Price includes continental breakfast and lunch
PDUs: 7
Check the Acteva link or watch the PMI-NAC website in the near future to register.
Here is the course agenda:
- Establishing the Performance Measurement Baseline:
- Establishing the Scope Baseline:
- Authorize the Project
- Define the Project Scope, Major Deliverables, and Milestones
- Develop the Integrated Master Plan (IMP)
- Develop Work Breakdown Structure and Dictionary
- Identify Responsible and Performing Organizations
- Identify Control Accounts and Assign Responsibility
Establishing the Schedule and Cost Baselines:
- Develop the High-Level Schedule
- Establish Management Reserves
- Identify Rates and Responsibility for Indirect Costs
- Allocate and Authorize the Work
- Develop the Detailed Project Schedules
- Develop the Budget Baseline
- Develop the Integrated Control Account Plan
Kelly Gaston, PMP, the seminar presenter, provides Project and Program Management consulting to government contractors and agencies. She has over 18 years of project, program and executive management experience in the defense and federal government industries. Her experience includes EVMS development and implementation, business case analysis, life-cycle application development, systems integration and world-wide systems deployment. She has an MBA from Auburn University and a Bachelors' Degree in Management Information Systems from UAH.
Based on the success of the previous EVMS seminar reservations should be made early to ensure a seat. |
| Professional Development Opportunities |
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Professional Development Opportunities
Coming To Our Area
2007 is rapidly drawing to a close and for those PMPs who are searching for PDUs or for those who have put off preparing for the PMP Exam, here are some opportunities coming to nearby locations:
Two-Day Seminars
October 23-24
Memphis, TN
SeminarsWorld is coming October 23-24 to the Memphis Doubletree Hotel, 85 Union Avenue, and is offering a choice of three two-day seminars good for 14 PDUs each:
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Building a Next Generation Program Management Office and Portfolio Management. Level: Advanced CEUs: 1.4, PDUs: 14
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Project Leadership: A Practical Guide to Communication, Influence and Collaboration. Level: Intermediate. CEUs: 1.4, PDUs: 14
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No-Nonsense Advice for Successful Projects. Level: All. CEUs:1.4, PDUs: 14
Early registration rate for PMI members is $1,050 per seminar, however if a group of five registers, the 6th can attend for free, meaning the price per attendee is reduced to $875, a savings of $13.50 per PDU. This covers tuition, seminar materials, certificate of completion and lunch.
For PMI members wishing to take advantage of the discount, go to the PMI website and key in SeminarsWorld in the search box, where you will find a registration form. If you are a PMI-NAC member and are a lone representative but would like to take advantage of the group discount, please click here to register your interest. If at least six people indicate interest in the group discount by Friday, October 19, 2007, PMI-NAC will serve as a coordinating point to secure that discount.
Visit the SeminarsWorld section of www.pmi.org for full course descriptions.
2007 PMI-NEFL Regional Conference,
November 1-2
Pensacola
The PMI-Northeast Florida Chapter (PMI-NEFL) is holding its 2007 Regional Conference November 1-2 at the Renaissance Resort at Golf World, Pensacola FL. The conference will include six internationally recognized speakers. The cost is $449 if you sign up by October 12, and attendance is good for 14 PDUs. For more information, contact Sherma Katz.
2007 PMI NEFL PMP Boot Camp/Exam Prep Class
November 1, 2, & 3
Pensacola
For those wanting to prepare for the PMP Exam, PMI-NEFL is offering a PMP Preparation Course November 1-3 in at the Renaissance Resort at Golf World, Pensacola, FL. This course will teach participants to apply the concepts learned in class to their day-to-day work environment. It will use a combination of lecture, real-life case studies, hands-on individual/team-based exercises and actual application within the course curriculum. This is a 2.5-day accelerated program, which includes a PMP preparation book: "Achieve PMP Exam Success - A Concise Study Guide for the Busy Project Manager."
The course instructor is Diane Altwies, Senior Project Manager, OuterCore M.B.A, PMP OuterCore is a registered education provider (REP) for PMI, with 98% of their course attendees passing the test. The cost is $549 if you sign up by October 12 and the course is good for 18PDUs. For more information, contact Sherma Katz.
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Other Upcoming Events |
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What: North American Leadership Meeting
Who: PMI
Where: Atlanta Georgia
When: October 4-6
Event Information: The meeting is an outstanding opportunity for professional development, skills improvement and networking. The Leadership Institute Meeting gives you the chance to interact with members of the PMI Board of Directors, PMI staff and fellow colleagues.
What: Global Congress North America 2007
Who: PMI
Where: Atlanta Georgia
When: October 6-9
Event Information: The congress features some of the world's leading practitioners, instructors, and visionaries in the field of project management. Demonstrations and exhibits run throughout the day and networking receptions are scheduled for evenings. Keynote Robert K. Cooper and other special guest speakers will present, and PMI will host its annual Awards Ceremony and Reception. This is a great opportunity to earn PMP PDUs.
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| Using BATNA |
"Why Use BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)?"
By Edrie Grier, Ph.D
Global Knowledge Instructor |
Negotiation is one of the oldest problem-solving methods in the world. It's a basic means of getting what you want, when you and the opposing side share some common interests yet differ in others.
A good negotiation method should protect you from making a bad agreement or rejecting one that you should accept.
This article introduces the concept of BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement), which in the absence of a deal, is a beneficial course to take, especially when the other side is more powerful and/or has a stronger bargaining position.
Dr. Edrie Greer has taught communication and negotiation techniques for Global Knowledge for several years. She brings more than 20 years of experience in adult education, instructional design, educational technology, instructor development, and media production to her work. Dr. Greer holds a Ph. D. in the Sociology of Religion from the New Thought Theological Seminary, a Master of Science in Continuing and Vocational Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
This article was originally published in Global Knowledge's Management in Motion e-newsletter. Global Knowledge ( www.globalknowledge.com/PMILocal) delivers project management, business process, and professional skills training.
© Copyright 2006, Global Knowledge. All rights reserved.
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Uncovering Customer Expectations |
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Oh No, You Gave Me
What I Asked For!"
Part 1: Common Pitfalls to Uncovering
Expectations
By
Elizabeth Larson, CBAP, PMP and
Richard Larson, CBAP, PMP
Principals, Watermark Learning, Inc.
Project professionals - specifically project managers and business analysts - realize that no
matter how well projects are executed, projects still fail when customer requirements are not
clearly defined and customer expectations are not met.
Uncovering expectations takes time and requires the art of consultative questioning. It
demands patience with clients who have difficulty articulating their requirements. It requires
a process for not only eliciting the requirements, but also for analyzing, documenting and
validating them. Finally, it takes a commitment to defining requirements in sufficient detail to understand what those expectations truly are.
Click here for the first of a three part article in which five common pitfalls of not uncovering expectations, and the associated risks, are discussed. Parts 2 and 3, which will appear in upcoming newsletters, will present a mitigating strategy.
Elizabeth Larson, PMP and Richard Larson, PMP are Principals of Watermark Learning, a leading project management, requirements analysis, business analysis training and skill development company. Watermark Learning maintains training facilities in both Minnesota and Arizona. For more information, visit their website or contact them at 800.646.9362.
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PMI-NAC Best Practices Library | |
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PMBOK Knowledge Quiz |
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Do You Really Know The PMBOK?
Test your knowledge with the following questions; these are similar to what you might find on the PMP exam. Answers at the end of the newsletter (questions and answers provided by PMI-NAC's VP of Professional Development, Allen Green).
1. You have been asked to rescue and endangered project. The CPI is 0.4, the SPI is 0.36. Four different project managers have come and gone. Team member attrition is also a serious problem. A recent discovery was that many of the project team members in another country rarely read their email, resulting in a serious lack of communication. The project charter is weak, although the scope statement is quite well done. Integrated change management is almost non-existent. Recent training has resulted in some incremental improvement. On the project critical path, for one of the longest tasks has an optimistic estimate of 12 days, a pessimistic estimate of 20 days, and a most likely estimates of 15 days, so what would the PERT estimate be for that task?
A. 19
B. 12.3
C. 17.83
D. 16.67
2. Which of the following is NOT a risk response strategy?
B. Exploit
C. Deflect
D. Enhance
Need help preparing for the PMP exam? PMI-NAC offers a course that will help you prepare for exam success and meet PMI's exam requirement for 35 contact hours of project management education. Click here for details. |
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New/Renewing Members and New PMPs |
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Chapter membership has now exceeded the 300 member milestone and continues to grow!
Welcome new and renewing members!
New Members
- Mr. Daniel Thomas Crane
- Mr. Ronald Kiker
- Mr. Joseph Mark Gregory
- Mr. Scott A Jacobsen
- Mr. Chester Williams Jr.
- Mrs. Annette Gayle Thibodeau
- Mr. William Joseph Burkard
- Mr. Brian Merriweather
- Mr. Richard E Brown
- Mr. Michael Dahl
- Mr. Matthew Wojciechowski
- Mr. Gregory P Utley
- Mrs. Marilyn O Reeves
- Mr. Jim Dingus
- Mr. George Earl Baker
- Mr. Roland Belew
- Mr. Glenn Meyer
- Mr. Phil C Nivens
- Mr. Michael Shayne Adams
- Ms. Arnetta Latrice Langham
- Ms. Kimberly C. Harmeyer
- Mr. Demuni Abeysiriwardena
- Mr. Fred McClintic
- MS.Elizabeth G. Paschall
Renewing Members
We recognize new PMPs with a free lunch at the next chapter meeting. Contact our VP of Professional Development when you pass the PMP exam. Congratulations new PMPs!
- Ms. Sally B Parsons, PMP
- Ms. Amy Stapleton Ph.D., PMP
- Ms. Lisa D Murphy, PMP
- Mr. Don Ross, PMP
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| PMI-NAC Volunteer Update |
Volunteers Needed! Make a Difference in Your Local Chapter and Earn PDUs
Our Chapter has grown to over 300 members and the need for volunteers is following the membership growth. Volunteering is a great way to earn PDU's and to network in the local PM community. Current volunteer opportunities include:
- Finance Volunteer - This position includes researching bank Certificates of Deposit to manage Chapter cash flow and developing reporting forms by emulating similar forms obtained from other PMI Chapters.
- PMP Exam Prep Instructors - PMI-NAC, in partnership with local Universities and/or Colleges, offers a PMP Exam Prep Course at least twice a year, typically in the spring and fall. The purpose of the PMP Exam Prep Course is to prepare students to take and pass the PMP exam. Each course covers the 12 chapters of the PMBOK Guide and other related material. Each course will provide students a minimum of 35 contact hours. Instructors teach one or more PMBOK Guide chapters. Instructor selections and assignments are made by the PMI-NAC Vice President for Professional Development.
Position Requirements:
- Member of PMI-NAC
- Current Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Hold a Bachelors' degree or higher
- Preferred, not mandatory, prior teaching experience.
If you are interested in these or other volunteer opportunities, contact PMI-NAC's volunteer coordinator.
Thanks to our Current Volunteers
- Allen Green - Web Site Support
- Carl Pivarsky - Database Management
- Cathy Filippo, PMP - Sponsorship
- Cathy Webster - Seminar Support
- Cynthia Hrubecky, PMP -Webmaster
- Don Ross, PMP - Newsletter
- Donna Klecka - Acteva Manager
- Herman Thomas - Corporate Ambassador
- Jean Allan, PMP - Scholarship Project
- Jim Tower - Speaker's Bureau
- Karen Allen - Evening Meetings
- Ken Grant, PMP - Speaker's Bureau Chair
- Larry Frakes - PMP Prep Class
- Lisa Caine, PMP - Sponsorship
- Mike Meyer, PMP - Sponsorship
- Pamela Farnsworth - Awards Director
- Patty Popour, PMP - Evening Meetings
- Paul Hession, PMP - Exam Simulator Reviewer
- Richard Blais,PMP - Newsletter
- Ron Steele, PMP - PMP Prep Class
- Steven Foster, PMP - PMP Prep Class
- Tony Lindeman, PMP - PMP Prep Class
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