Almost every single person is involved in any sort of sports activity but most of us particularly like watching the sports matches specially those held in various sports events. Commonwealth games are a big name in this regard. A large number of people from all over the world wait for this event all the time as this event happens after every four years. These games were started in 1930. The best thing about these games is that it has now become an international event in which sportspersons belonging to various sports from all over the world show their talent. Last time, the commonwealth game was organized in India in the year 2010 and to be honest it was a great shame for the whole Indian nation as it exposed the poor project management done by the project managers of India.

A project management can break or make any event and when it comes to a big event such as commonwealth games then you need to be extra careful as a little mistake can destroy everything. Unfortunately, there was not even a single area in the whole event which was managed well.

The common wealth 2010 was organized in Delhi which is the capital city of India. A 40 acre Delhi village was developed for the whole event. The whole world was doubted about the success of this event right from the start. In fact, various countries started criticizing the Indian nation before the game. In the start, the Indian government tried to hide their poor project management from the whole world but the eyes of camera showed the poor management and system collapse to the whole world.

If we discuss the whole event with respect to project management then we may see that there was lack of interdepartmental coordination. Moreover, the quality standards were completely neglected as the whole arrangement was very poor. Another common problem was the lack of planning and organizing. The project managers didn’t focus on the time limit as well as the minute things that resulted in the collapse of whole system. According to some of the analyses, the project managers and organizers did a corruption of thousands of dollars in this event. The organizers did not show any enthusiasm for the event. I personally believe that they were unable to delegate the tasks and the team buildings skills were also absent.

There were a number of incidents that occurred before this event. These incidents resulted in the boycott of thousands of sportsmen and athletes from this event. England, Scotland and Wales also gave the threat that they will not participate in this event. Two of the Taiwanese tourists were being attacked by a tourist attack just a few days before this event. There was a poor sanitation system and the rooms of athletes were very dirty with a lot of dust and filth in the washrooms. The pictures of rooms were showed by BBC just 2 days before the event and half of the athletes cancelled their trip after seeing those pictures.

Not only this, a footbridge which was leading to one of the entrances for the showpiece Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium collapsed just a few days before the event resulting in an injury of 27 workers 3 of which were in critical situation. Moreover, monsoon rain made the situation worst resulting in an attack of dengue virus. Scotland and Canada delayed their trip after seeing this entire situation.

Although this event started on the given date but it was simply an example of failed project management. People quote this event for explaining the adverse effects of poor project management.

By Steven Macdessi

Master’s in Project Management Versus Project Management Professional Certification

The demand for project managers has been increasing with the passage of time. Now days, almost every organization contains a whole team of highly qualified project managers that work on different projects at the same time. A project manager is the person who takes care of all the things required for the successful completion of a project.

Requirements for a Project Manager

In order to become a successful project manager, you must have some basic skills and education related to it. Some of the educational requirements include a bachelor degree, master’s degree and a project management professional certification. Different organizations require different qualifications according to the nature of their projects.
Master’s Degree in Project Management
The master’s degree is usually done after completing the bachelor’s degree in project management. This is one of the most common degrees with respect to project management.
Project Management Professional Certification
The project management professional certification is becoming popular these days. This certification ensures the entry of highly skilled and competent project managers in to the work force.
Difference between Master in Project Management and Project Management Professional
The master’s in project management does require bachelor’s degree but you have to have an experience of at least 5 years in project management before applying for the project management professional certification. If you have a secondary diploma in project management then still you can apply for the project management professional certification.
You can get a master’s degree in project management without having any working experience but you need to have a previous work experience for getting a project management professional certification.
Master’s in project management is relatively older degree as compared to project management certification that is why it has been losing its importance in the current scenario.
Project management certification is a step ahead from masters in project management as this certification is accepted by all the organizations at the global level.
Masters in project management not only focuses on the project management but also the operations and leading decisions so you can also become an operations manager after getting this degree but the project management professional certification purely focuses on the project management.
The major difference between masters in project management and a project management professional certification lies in the salary. The later provides higher salary.
Another major difference between these two degrees is that you do not need to re certify the master’s degree but the project management professional certification requires you to re certify tit after every 3 years in order to ensure that you have up to date knowledge about project management.

Best Degree for Job Hunting

Although, a combination of both these degrees ensures a good job but if we compare both these degrees individually then project management professional certification is more effective as compared to masters in project management as this certification confirms that you have a detailed knowledge about project management and you also have enough experience in this field.
If we talk with respect to the current scenario then most of the organizations select individuals only on the basis of project management professional certifications. Some organizations have made it compulsory for all the applicants to have a project management professional certification for applying on the project manager’s seat.

A successful Project Manager doesn’t mean one who guarantees success, but one who can learn from mistakes and does better after every challenge he faced. For a newbie project manager, the most important quality is attitude. The zeal or courage to face adverse situations and to keep the composure and self control intact to tackle the situation is mandatory.

A 10 step guide meant to help newbie Project Managers in order to be successful is shared below. The important 3 P of Project Management are Project Scoping and Planning, Process and People. We will talk more about it as we progress through our simple guide.

• Step 1: People:

Knowing your team and managing your resources to the best of their abilities ensures success of any project. One of the key ingredients to success lies in the team member selection. Next is to make the individuals work like a team to achieve a common goal. A project manager must know about the concept of team dynamics and how to ensure he can build teamwork among all his team members.

• Step 2:Project Scoping and Planning:

Honest project scoping and planning reduces the risk of failure, including unrealistic goals which might in turn might result in failure. For the best project plan use the work breakdown structure (WBS), break your project activities into as small and detailed modules as possible.

• Step 3: Process:

Adhering to process ensures high quality deliverables. A standard process can be followed based on the company working culture and business environment. Following the process reduces the risk of repeating mistakes and helps you keep an eye on the progress of the project.

• Step 4: Customer Relationship Management:

For best project results, it is very important to have a good relationship with the stakeholders. Keeping the customer informed about the progress of the project and communicating with your management regarding project issues helps in ensuring customer satisfaction.

• Step 5: Risk Management:

Every project is susceptible to risks and unexpected hurdles. It is  important for a project manager to foresee and be prepared for those hurdles.

• Step 6:Audits and Time Management:

Frequent audits and checks to ensure project continuity ensures adherence to deadlines. A daily update on project progress helps to ensure success. In case there are issues with progress, either more resources can be pulled in or the scope of the project can be reduced after discussing it with the customer.

• Step 7: Communication Skills:

A good project manager must listen and empathize. Empathy is especially important when you’re dealing with your clients as this makes them come back for your service.

• Step 8: Zeal to Gain Experience:

Newbie Project Managers can also pick up valuable experience by seeking out volunteer opportunities in not-for-profits  charities and government agencies.

• Step 9:Attention to Details:

One of the most oft-cited skill for project managers, attention to details ensures one is not missing anything.

• Step 10: Attitude and Zeal to succeed:

There will be adverse situations where a Project Manager will be under a lot of pressure. The one who can face the situation and keep his/her self control to achieve the impossible is one who gains respect and experience. As the old adage says,” When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”.

Success is never guaranteed, it is earned. A Project Manager must know to learn and apply his best.

• Choose the Team Members – each person has unique strengths that he/she can bring into the project. The task of the manager is to identify the best team members and find out who is most suitable for certain tasks. The right team members would allow the project to flow smoothly.
• Allocate the Right Resources - once you have the project team, it’s time to equip them with the resources they need to get the job done. This can come in the form of equipment, access to information, and financial resources. The project manager has to know how much resources are reasonable.
• Set the Deadline – in any project, there should always be a deadline. Aside from being an important goal, it also serves to motivate the team. Without a deadline, there is no pressure to finish the task quickly and effectively.

• Negotiate – if you need to use external resources such as hiring suppliers or contractors, it may be possible to get a better rate by asking for it. The same is true even when you’re dealing with equipment or supplies.
• Ensure Improved Productivity – in many cases, the abilities and availability of staff member is not utilised to its maximum potential because there are too many people in the team. It is sometimes possible to get the same level of output from a smaller team who are committed.
• Hire a Project Manager – an experienced project manager can work with the budget you allocated and deadline. A manager can also see where savings can be made and will act accordingly.

The finances of a business determine the level of service it can provide to its customers. But this article shows that even if you have a tight budget, it is still possible to achieve good output.

Recognize the distinction between target date and deadline

The difference between the two lies in the consequences if the date is not met. When a deadline is missed, the project is basically killed. For example, in contest entries, there is usually a date by which your entry should be submitted by. If the entry was not submitted by that time, there is no point in continuing with a project. On the other hand, when target date is missed, the consequences are also dire but the work still needs to be finished.

Derive rational target dates

The target date should be the result of a detailed project plan. The critical path should make the earliest target date visible. Actual target date may be later depending upon the priority of the company and availability of staff. If the derived target date is unacceptable, there are several choices including (1) reduce project scope, (2) defer certain aspects of the project, and (3) accept the target date and provide strong support for the team.

Differentiate urgency from priority

Priority is a relative term. Without abusing its concept, certain tasks are given varying degrees of importance. Tasks become urgent when the benefits of its success are great while its failure will result to dire consequences.  Urgent tasks/projects move it to a higher level of priority, enabling it to tap otherwise unavailable manpower and funds.

Avoid self-imposed target dates

Whether it’s the target date or deadline, the timeframe should only be the result of a rational project plan or an external event (which influences the need to complete a project). However, in some cases, target dates come out arbitrarily out of management edict or self-imposed desire to complete the project as soon as possible.

Never give reward people to meet deadlines

Successful projects are those that meet the agreed-upon goals, meet the deadline, and are completed within budget. Every team member needs to understand what is expected of them without the need of additional incentives. However, in high-pressure projects, management might try to spur the team with bonuses.  This kind of incentive may undermine the entire project because people will be tempted to take shortcuts and do the barest minimum to meet deadlines.

Author: Steven Macdessi

For 2010, expect to see both old and new project management tactics in the industry. Best practices have been identified and inefficient practices discarded. The world is set to see more efficient and effective processes both within business organisations and outside of it. Here, we will talk about the key ingredient that will define project management for 2010’s: metrics. A group of global experts assembled indentified several trends:

An Increase on Requirements Metrics Performance Measurement

Business analysis, like before, will have a big role for requirements management and development. But greater focus on this may be seen this year. There will also be an increase on RMD reliance, which determines metrics tailing on project performance and helps quantifying management organisational performance improvements.

Project Value and Program Governance

Both project and program handling will have to be embraced from executive management to the project managers, to guarantee an improvement in organisational performance. Performance will be increased by ensuring portfolio, programs and projects work hand-in-hand with organisational resources and objectives.

Eyes on Risk Management

There is a lot of attention being given to financial risk management these days. This wariness will move to other aspects of enterprise where risk assessment is a key ingredient of performance growth. As a result, project management risk assessment will be emphasised on both the program and portfolio level. In 2010, it is expected that organisations will have a more thorough risk assessment that separates systematic from non-systematic risks.

PM Learning Measurement

In 2009, several major organisations put their bet on project management, to outrun their competition. These optimists utilized programs based on pre-conceived notional assessments that had changed leaning program designs, followed by ways of assessing progress and demonstrating performance improvement. Expect that in 2010, an unparalleled increase in the use of assessments to accurately focus on PM learning needs, track progress and identification of the ROI senior management is going to be a critical investment.

PM Learning

Organisations will find ways to use recent technological advances that aid in adult learning to improve hired employees, at the same time improve PM learning retention rates. This will be materialised by using “burst” learning as they call it. This focuses on certain skills for hours, on-demand reference tools, electronic performance systems, job-aids and increase in formal coaching.

Indeed, project managers should brace ahead for new requirements that are brought about for the changing trends. The practices we see in 2010 will hopefully lead to better results.

In project management, the critical chain is the sequence of both precedence- and resource-dependent terminal elements that prevents a project from being completed in a shorter time, given finite resources. If resources are always available in unlimited quantities, then a project’s critical chain is identical to its critical path.

Critical chain is used as an alternative to critical path analysis. The main features that distinguish the critical chain from the critical path are:

1. The use of (often implicit) resource dependencies. Implicit means that they are not included in the project network but have to be identified by looking at the resource requirements.
2. Lack of search for an optimum solution. This means that a “good enough” solution is enough because:
   1. As far as is known, there is no analytical method of finding an absolute optimum (i.e. having the overall shortest critical chain).
   2. The inherent uncertainty in estimates is much greater than the difference between the optimum and near-optimum (“good enough” solutions).
3. The identification and insertion of buffers:
   • project buffer
   • feeding buffers
   • resource buffers. (Most of the time it is observed that companies are reluctant to give more resources)
4. Monitoring project progress and health by monitoring the consumption rate of the buffers rather than individual task performance to schedule.

CCPM aggregates the large amounts of safety time added to many subprojects in project buffers to protect due-date performance, and to avoid wasting this safety time through bad multitasking, student syndrome, Parkinson’s Law and poorly synchronised integration.

Critical chain project management uses buffer management instead of earned value management to assess the performance of a project. Some project managers feel that the earned value management technique is misleading, because it does not distinguish progress on the project constraint (i.e. on the critical chain) from progress on non-constraints (i.e. on other paths). Event chain methodology can be used to determine a size of project, feeding, and resource buffers.

From Wikipedia

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