Are Meeting Managers Project Managers or a Brilliant Blend? 22 nd MEA National Conference 7 April 2009 Chivonne Watt University of Technology, Sydney

Agenda  Introduction  Professions  Project Management Associations  Bodies of Knowledge and Standards  Education  Regulations  Conclusions  Discussion

Introduction The professions….  Formal acquisition of knowledge  Standard practices and regulations

Professions Definitions  Profession  Professional Services  Practitioner Characteristics  History, public service, body of knowledge, education, ie to be accountable to the community

Project Management Associations Self-regulation  Through organised associations, such as AIPM, APM, IPMA, PMI  All contribute to the project management community and have codes of conduct  Lacking substantial history

Bodies of Knowledge and Standards Bodies of Knowledge  Delimit the intellectual parameters of a profession  Provide academic rigour and the degree of skill required Competency Standards  A measure of an individual’s ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge in the workplace

Education Technicians  VET sector, ie Cert IV, Diploma, Adv Diploma Advanced Learning  Reflective practice at a post graduate level  Find, retrieve and process knowledge  Professional associations provide knowledge sharing opportunities

Regulations The Law  Duty according to country of practice, eg SOX legislation Insurance  Type based on job classification which is limited by the Census

Conclusions Professional status requires:  Collective, consistent approach by individuals  Associations to monitor against standards  Governments to regulate legal responsibilities  Educators to encourage knowledge transfer

Discussion What defines a Project Manager role? Do you consider Meeting Managers could redefine themselves as Project Managers? Do you think that Meeting Managers would be accepted as legitimate Project Managers by other members of the professional associations? What are the key differentiations between Project Managers – qualifications, accreditation and/or experience? Are there any specific standards that we would need to adhere to?

Discussion What staff development or qualifications are usually recommended for those wanting to become Project Managers? Do Project Managers usually have staff management responsibilities or do they work more on their own as the manager of the project rather than people? What are the main software tools used by Project Managers - a ‘Project Manager’ type software or are there other integrated financial packages?

Discussion How important are budgets and timelines to the work of Project Managers? How do Project Managers charge for their time? Is it usually at an hourly rate? Do Project Managers usually get paid for every hour they work like lawyers or do they work on fixed price contracts, estimated six or twelve months in advance? Are disbursements usually invoiced separately or included in hourly rates?

Discussion What industries have Project Managers apart from IT, Engineering and Construction? Within each industry sector e.g. IT or engineering are there industry accepted or recommended rates of charging? If so are these made available publically? Are contract variations common in other industries? How are they normally handled? What ethical issues face Project Managers in other industries?

Questions?

“No man ever reached to excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation.” Horace 65-8BC