Even today, only around 12 percent of companies are deriving competitive advantages from project management excellence according to a survey [1] of almost 2,500 project managers around the world implemented by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in January 2015. It may appear to be ‘old hat’ as a central finding, yet it continues to be relevant because the study revealed that one in three projects is still failing and one tenth of investments in projects and programmes are wasted.

Are project management quality improvement and project manager certifications important to you? Do you believe in promoting project management research, development and application? In short: do you want to help us to take the International Association of Project Managers (IAPM) forward? And do you enjoy networking? As an IAPM Official you would play an important role in ensuring the dynamic growth of our global project management association’s network.

IAPM Senior Official for the European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg, Hermann Endress, and IAPM Officials Andreas Walz and Joachim Friebl, will be hosting a Project Manager Network Meeting on 15 July 2015 in Neumarkt i. d. Oberpfalz with a guided tour of the Maybach Museum and a presentation on the subject of “Stakeholder Management“. The event starts at 5.30 p.m. at the Maybach Museum (Holzgartenstrasse 8, 92318 Neumarkt). It will kick off with a welcome and a brief presentation of the IAPM, followed by a guided tour of the Maybach Museum’s vintage car collection.

The IAPM Senior Official for the European Metropolitan Area of Berlin, Willi Feldt, and IAPM Official Ingmar Petermann would like to invite you to the Project Manager Network Meeting in Berlin on 17 June 2015. The event is being held in the administrative building at Vattenfall’s Wilmersdorf power station and starts at 5.45 p.m. We will be kicking off with a tour of the power station which was built in 1971 and is due to be modernised over the next few years.

IAPM Senior Official for the European Metropolitan Area of Hamburg, Udo Schmidt, is hosting a Project Manager Network Meeting in Hamburg on the subject of “Agile and Hybrid Project Management." We are pleased to invite all IAPM fans, particularly project management enthusiasts in northern Germany, to our second Hamburg Project Manager Network Meeting this year on 8 June 2015. The event starts at 6.03 p.m. on Monday 8 June 2015 at Consensa Projektberatung GmbH & Co. KG, St. Pauli Fischmarkt 20, 20359 Hamburg.

Knowledge is something you can never have enough of, whether you’re an experienced project manager or a newcomer. That’s why we’ve put together some tips from a genuine project management expert, Hans Stromeyer. During the 1990s, Hans Stromeyer managed award winning aerospace projects and is today President and CEO of the consultancy and training services company, Stromeyer & Partners, which also provides training to project managers for IAPM certification. Moreover he's President of the IAPM International Association of Project Managers.

The Portuguese language is spoken in many countries around the world such as Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique and Angola. The IAPM already offers certifications in English and German. Now that it has introduced Portuguese Certified Project Manager (IAPM) and Certified Senior Project Manager (IAPM) certifications, its certification portfolio covers 27% of the world population in terms of languages spoken. The PM Guide 2.0, which is the certification baseline, is now available in Portuguese as well as German and English.

The PMI (Project Management Institute) recently announced that changes to the recertification process would be introduced on 1 December 2015. In future, it will be more difficult for PMI certificate holders to obtain recertification. The PMI has introduced what it calls a “Skill Triangle“ comprising “Leadership“, “Technical Project Management“ and “Strategic and Business Management“. From December onwards, every certificate holder will require a minimum number of PDUs (Professional Development Units) in each of the three areas to extend his or her certificate.

The book is an excellent standard reference work on operative project management topics providing 560 pages of essential and practical knowledge. It describes the basics of project management and includes an excellent bibliography of more detailed reading material. Costing CHF 62 (EUR 55), there is nothing comparable to ProjectManager currently available. Professional project management is the key to successful projects and an increasing number of companies are now relying on project management organisational structures and methods. The IAPM International Association of Project Managers certifies the project managers who are necessary to ensuring that these structures and methods work.

Everyone with an interest in project management is welcome to attend the Project Manager Network Meeting in Nuremberg on 18 March 2015 at Fujitsu Technology Solutions. FTS is Europe’s leading IT infrastructure provider and is present in numerous markets around the world. Michael Gebauer, Project Manager and Lead Solution Architect at FTS, will be providing us with some exciting insights into the project...

The IAPM’s objectives are to promote the development of project management personnel, to ensure the widespread communication of project management knowledge and to improve competence in the field of project management. With these objectives in mind, it has introduced a new certification called Certified Junior Project Manager. It could be described as the ‘little brother’ of the Certified Project Manager certification. It is inexpensive and it certifies basic knowledge.

Harald Kiendler, Group Leader for Chassis Development at Siemens AG Austria, Mobility, Mainline Transport, Bogies in Graz, was named Project Manager of the Year by the IAPM in December 2014. This is the third time that the award has been presented to the most outstanding IAPM-certified Senior Project Manager in the preceding twelve months. In addition to his excellent performance in the certification examination, Harald Kiendler’s managers have confirmed his outstanding leadership qualities.