Message from the Chair

In the July Connections, I posed a question about what should be in the curriculum for a basic Project Management Consultant course. I received a variety of responses, all of them thought-provoking. Some of the suggestions involved the "nuts and bolts" of contracting - writing a statement of work, various contract clauses important to project management consultants, and how to get professional liability insurance. I recognize some of these topics are less important to consultants in larger organizations where specialized tasks such as these tend to be performed by a centralized workgroup.

Several responses mentioned training. CSIG member Lisa Sieverts indicated that she would like to see a module on "How teaching project management makes you a better project management consultant." CSIG member Linda Cantey suggested a basic presentation for teaching clients about project management. There's an old saying about how teaching a topic enables you to learn it better. Those of us who have volunteered to teach a module in our local PMI Chapter's PMP prep classes can attest to that. CSIG member Leroy Hurt noted that it's important for project management consultants to learn how to learn. Leroy observed: "Because consultants have a role as thought leaders and should also be able to size up a situation quickly, they have to stay current."

CSIG member Jerry Ball approached the July question from a slightly different perspective. One of his suggested topics was "What is consulting?" That's an interesting question because we all probably have different answers. More specifically, I think project management consulting encompasses a spectrum of activities, and that most of us are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum - trying to learn from colleagues who have more skills in certain areas, and -- often concurrently - we are trying to help those who want to learn from us. [The CSIG Mentoring Program will help with both of these objectives.]

Value propositions was another of Jerry's proposed topics. My initial reaction was that it was aimed more at those of us in smaller consulting firms rather than members working in large organizations. After brief reflection, I realized that I was wrong. Each of us brings value to our assignments. Hopefully, participation in the CSIG helps increase our individual value propositions.

There are so many questions that I'd like to pose to you in the pursuit of learning and growing in our project management consulting profession. I'll limit it to one that stuck with me as I reread Leroy Hurt's observation about thought leadership and the need to stay current. I suspect that all of us are constantly deluged with data and information. It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to read and absorb all of the general information I review in order to stay current in emerging trends that could impact our profession and specific engagements. So, what suggestions do you have regarding how to wade through the increasing amount of information available to us? I'll summarize your input in the September issue of Connections. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Bill Craddock, PMP
Chair, Consulting SIG
chair@pmiconsultingsig.org

Wanted: Experienced Project Management Consulting Mentors

The CSIG is excited to announce the re-launch of its mentoring program 1 September when the SIG will begin accepting mentor applications (protégé applications expected to begin 1 October). The program is designed to address professional development needs of our membership. The CSIG represents more than 3,000 consultants worldwide. Our members include successful entrepreneurs and business owners, senior consultants employed by both small and large consulting firms, and consulting professionals experienced in various technical and management areas. The new mentoring program will harness the experiences of our membership so that we can help each other succeed as consultants and managers. Over the past few months, the Consulting SIG board has worked to develop this innovative mentoring program with the help of volunteers from our membership. For more information and to apply, visit the CSIG web site.

Join us 6 October 2007 for the CSIG’s Annual Membership Meeting to be held at the PMI® Global Congress North America 2007. For those who have not attended an Annual Membership Meeting, you are encouraged to stop by the meeting even if you are new to PMI. The Annual Membership Meeting is a good way to connect with other members and find out what we are up to as a SIG, as well as our future plans for the organization in 2008. More details will be announced in the September Connections. As usual, a toll-free dial-in number will be available for members who would like to participate by telephone. We look forward to seeing you this fall!

CSIG Annual Membership Meeting When: Saturday, 6 October 2007 Time: 1 - 3 PM Location: Hyatt Regency, Room Hanover B

A link to the secure election site was delivered electronically to all eligible members on Monday, 6 August. A printer-friendly format is provided for those who would like to print the material and return to the secure election site at a later time to submit their vote. Paper ballots were mailed through the postal service to the members that had requested them. The delivery time for paper ballots is subject to local postal services. If you did not receive a ballot, contact Paul Nentwig of Intelliscan, Inc. at pnentwig@intelliscaninc.com.

To logon and vote via the Internet, eligible members will need to enter their election validation number, along with their PMI identification number. Note that the PMI ID number is not the same as the Project Management Professional (PMP®) number. If you need to verify your PMI identification number, contact customercare@pmi.org.

Imagine for a moment a world without movies. Then consider how moving pictures have transformed the way we think and communicate, how they can record the peaks and troughs of human endeavour, and how they have the power to inspire us to even greater achievements.

This year's PMI New Zealand National Conference theme takes the magic of the movies as its inspiration to showcase the best of current project management thinking and practice. Whatever your level of professional development, be it a PMI veteran, or not yet a member, you will benefit from attending this gala occasion. The conference is now the well-established premier event in New Zealand's project management calendar, leading the evolution of project management awareness, networking and professional practice. Attendance this year is expected to be upwards of 350 delegates from within New Zealand and overseas.

Our theme of Lights! Camera! Action! provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the best, the brightest, and even outright zany and amazing aspects of modern project management. We look forward to meeting you on location in Wellington between 17-19 October 2007 for this stimulating, informative and educational occasion.

Register now and take advantage of early bird rates!