Building a PM Infrastructure from the Ground Up

Culture change is a Project, all right, and in an organization the size of Bath Iron Works, it isn't an easy one.

PMI Maine's Sept. 18 meeting program at BIW will reveal how shipyard's project managers built on a company Project Management initiative and created their own Project to make it all work at the grass roots.

Bob Nailor of BIW will present the program, entitled "Building a PM Infrastructure from the Ground Up (or Should that Be 'From the Underground Up?')".

The process began three years ago when BIW recognized an emerging need for a more projectized approach to managing incoming work. The Human Resource division developed and implemented a Project Management Training Program to support skill development for Project Managers. The design was an advanced three-module program over 44 hours, using PCI Global's Bottom-Line Leadership course as a foundation.

Shortly after the training program began, several Project Managers saw a need for a formal Project Management structure within the company. Their bottom-up effort produced the Project Management Sustainability Project, which they used to develop the infrastructure and tools to support the new Project Management approach in the workplace.

The Sept. 18 presentation will cover:

• Overview of the training program, with an interactive demonstration.

• Explanation of the approach that established the Sustainability Project.

• A report card on progress to date, including successes and failures.

Bob Nailor has worked in a variety of Project Management roles and initiatives at BIW for 15 years. Besides a lead role on several manufacturing process improvement Projects, he also has been Project lead and lead instructor on several training course development Projects, two of which were accredited by Maine Maritime Academy.

He is a certified instructor for the BIW Project Management Training Program and leads the Project Management Sustainability effort. He is a Project liaison for initiatives throughout BIW.

The Sept. 18 meeting will be held at the BIW Surface Ship Support Center at 290 Bath Road in Bath. Because that is a federal facility, advance registration is necessary. Registration and direction information is at www.pmimaine.org. Networking and a buffet begin at 5:30 p.m.

PMI Maine's preparatory course for the Project Management Professional Certification Exam has been expanded from two to three days, and scheduled three times over the next year as part of a program at the University of New England.

The course, previously presented each Spring, has been successfully completed by 24 aspiring PMPs over the past three years.

It now has been scheduled as part of UNE's Project Management Certificate 

Course, a pre-existing program offered at UNE's Westbrook College campus in Portland.

PMP Prep designer/presenters Mike Curran, PMP, and Jim Milliken, PMP, will add questions to the simulated tests within the course, plus new content on Professional Responsibility and other test topics.

The PMP Prep course will next be offered Oct. 11, 18 and 25. A Project Management Certificate Course informational session will be held at the Portland campus Oct. 3.

-- Jim Milliken, PMP

Three new officers were elected during the Annual Meeting of the PMI Maine board of directors last June.

Alison Roccia succeeds Marlene Groman as secretary/treasurer.  Eva Polisner succeeds Carl Gruenler as manager of monthly programs. Jim Stevens succeeds Eva Polisner as newsletter distribution coordinator.

The board accepted reports on a variety of ongoing projects, and established the draft program for the 2002-2003 membership year, which runs through May.

 PMI Maine Meetings 2002-2003

Meetings are at UnumProvident Headquarters
Building 1 at 2211 Congress St., Portland,
unless otherwise specified. They open at 5:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 18  - Building a PM Infrastructure
from the Ground Up (or should that be "From the Underground UP"?) with Bob Nailor, at Bath Iron Works, Dennis Carignan, Host.  Advance registration required; see www.pmimaine.org

OCTOBER 9 - Communications, Carolyn St. Pierre, Host

NOVEMBER 13 - Risk Management with John Peterson, Harding/Lawson, Alison Roccia, Host

DECEMBER 11 - Holiday Party, Steve MacIsaac, Host

JANUARY 8 - PM Career Paths (Tentative), Joint Meeting with IEEE, Host TBD

FEBRUARY 12 - Project Management Offices, Local Experiences, Bob Laliberte, Host

MARCH 12 - How to Create a PM Culture with Gary Heerkens, Bob Laliberte, Host

APRIL 16 - Portland College's Distance Learning Project with Tom Patterson, CEO, Applied Learning, Marlene Groman, Host

MAY 14 - MaineToday.com Internet Project (Tentative), Jim Milliken, Host

JUNE 11 - Chapter Strategic Planning Meeting, Steve MacIsaac, Host