Resources … what we have we want to share

We hope you will find the following resources of value. They are a combination of external resources as well as our own outputs. For details of our underlying thinking please visit the "Our thinking" page under 'How we do it' or click here.

Topics covered

Donnie MacNicol's Blog

Donnie uses his blog to flag up different insights, materials and resources to discuss some of the pressing issues and new thinking emerging from the PM world with a strong focus on leadership.  You can find Donnie MacNicol's blog here.

TA Newsletter

We regularly post a newsletter to our community members to involve them in our latest thinking, discussions and research.  We have conducted several surveys through the newsletter and encourage our members to participate in the discussions with the view of building a community of PM professionals who can share and develop expertise and understanding of Project Management.

Latest Edition

Coaching and Mentoring - December 2008

Past Editions

PM Leadership - October 2008

TA Published Articles

Project - Magazine of the Association for Project Management

Developing PM Leadership - September 08, p23

In difficult times it is the people with leadership skills who can engage all around them to create success; as success becomes harder to achieve so the demand for more such capable leaders inevitably grows. (Brenda Hales with contributions by Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

Embedding a project approach - May 08, p15

Even consultancies can learn from the discipline of Project Management. We explain how they developed a professional project approach at Watson Wyatt to boost performance. (Donnie MacNicol and Martin O'Neill) Click here to view the pdf.

Are you talking to me? - February 2008, p12

Do we really listen to what people tell us, and do we offer an environment where people will tell the truth? Taking into account another's perspective is essential to navigate through the communications minefields. (Brenda Hales with contributions from Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

Communication breakdown - February 2008, p9

Communication can be a dangerous word - seemingly positive and action-orientated, but potentially laden with misunderstanding if used without thinking. (Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

The Foundation Of Project Leadership - May 2007, p 27 - Self Awareness

Examination of how self awareness plays a vital role in project management.  (Brenda Hales) Click here to view pdf

What really makes or breaks a project - November/December 06, p20

We suggest that project managers shouldn't just concentrate on time, cost and quality (Donnie MacNicol)

The Human Touch - May 05, p23

There needs to be a primary focus on improving project management performance through attention to organisational factors and to the way that professionals think, behave and relate to one-another. (Martin Price and Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.


RICS Construction Journal

Leading by Example - Feb/March 09, p9 - Leadership priorities

The top priorities which leaders should be considering in this downturn to survive and prosper. (Donnie MacNicol and Roy Nield-Dumper) Click here to view the pdf.

The Art of Budgeting - Nov / Dec 08, p15 - Budgeting

10 questions for a project manager that will help ensure their budgeting is a success. (Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

It's not big brother - Sep / Oct 08, p27 - Governance

We look at the need for strong governance across construction projects with a focus on the people aspects. (Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

Power of the people - April / May 08, p17 - newPM®

We look at the latest thinking in project management and how improvements should be focused on people rather than tools. (Brenda Hales and Donnie MacNicol). Click here to view the pdf.

Making change happen - November / December 07, p9 - Change

Being ahead of the market and adapting to evolving client requirements means change is becoming the norm for many businesses, so it makes sense to do it well and learn from your experiences. (Donnie MacNicol and Brenda Hales) Click here to view the pdf.

Breaking down barriers - September / October 07, p7 - Multi-culturalism

Having the capability to work with people across different national cultures on foreign projects, or as part of a mixed international team, is a must for surveyors as globalisation continues. (Donnie MacNicol and Paul Saunders) Click here to view the pdf.

More than just golf days - February 07, p21- Account Management

Winning new work is more expensive than retaining it, so developing strong, long-term relationships with customers is key to your success. (Donnie MacNicol and Paul Erricker) Click here to view the pdf.

What really makes or breaks a project - November / December 06, p20

We suggest that project managers shouldn't just concentrate on time, cost and quality (Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

More than a strap line - September 06, p30 - Project Branding

A brand can give a project an identity and help it deliver extra value. (Donnie MacNicol) Click here to view the pdf.

 

Other Publications


PM Network - PMI

Share the Vision - December 2007 / Volume 21, No.12

By Sarah Fister Fale referencing Donnie MacNicol

APM Yearbooks

  • 2006 / 2007 - Adapting to the Challenge of Collaborative Working, p13 (Brenda Hales) Click here to view the pdf.
  • 2005 / 2006 - Project 2012 - adaptation or reinvention, p39 (Donnie MacNicol)
  • 2004 / 2005 - Individual Behaviour and Group interaction, p76 (Donnie MacNicol)

Conspectus - Look for the label - May 2006, p13

Giving projects a 'brand' identity can help engage the people involved. www.conspectus.com

Construction Manager - 2007 - The Magazine of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

Interview regarding the people side of project management. www.construction-manager.co.uk

Management, Procurement and Law Proceedings - Institution of Civil Engineers. 2008

Briefing on the current thinking around Project Management. 2008 http://www.ice.org.uk/services/services_journals.asp

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TA Presentations

This section will be updated shortly with presentations to: APM Inspire, AUA, bPPm, CIMA, Ecademy Consultancy Network, EPMF, ICE, IEE (EYE), Oxford Brookes University, PMI, RICS, SEEDA, Surrey Chamber of Commerce and UCL.

APM Professional Development Conference February 2009 - Developing PM Leaders

Donnie delivered multiple workshop sessions on the opportunities and challenges of developing PM Leaders. Click here to view a pdf version of the slides. For general details about the APM Conference please click here.

APM Conference October 2008

Eileen Roden of PMProfessional Learning and Donnie MacNicol of TA presented on Ethics and Subjectivity in PM, discussing topics such as: "Why should project managers be ethical?" and "What is ethical success and failure?".

Click here to view a pdf version of the slides. For general details about the APM Conference please click www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp

APM Branches

Donnie has presented at a number of Branches throughout England. From 2008, these include:

  • newPM® - A new way of working with project management and developing leadership - Midlands Branch, 11 September 2008. Click here to view a pdf version.

  • Project Branding - Gaining support for your project - Midlands Branch, 10 March 2008. Click here to view a pdf version.

  • newPM® - A new way of working with project management - Thames Valley Branch, 15 April 2008 (slides similar to above)

  • newPM® - A new way of working with project management - East of England Branch, 18 March 2008 (slides similar to above)

Project Challenge

Autumn 2008 Covering the Stakeholder Bases - A new perspective on project success - 25 September

Bob Newman of Insight Consultancy and Donnie MacNicol of TA presented on stakeholder management. Project success is not just a matter of meeting time, cost and quality criteria, however difficult that may be in itself. Sustained success is dependent on meeting often unstated, variable and varying stakeholder expectations and success criteria (including sponsors and SROs). The presentation provided PM’s with insights into how they can strengthen these critical stakeholder relationships. To view a pdf version of the slides click here.

Previous Project Challenge presentations including with the Metropolitan Police Service will be added shortly.

Major Projects Association (MPA)

The MPA provides a forum for organisations concerned with large complex projects
to share knowledge and experience. Its members include government departments and agencies, contractors, consulting engineers, suppliers, management consultants, lawyers, funding institutions and project promoters. For information click here.

Shareholder Perspectives – Managing Subjectivity and Complexity 12 Nov 2008

(Part of 'The Investor, the Board and Major Projects' seminar held in London)

The presentation was given by Bob Newman of Insight Consultancy, associates of TA, and supported during the Q&A session by Brenda Hales of TA. The presentation provided a people perspective on the relationships between a project organisation and the key project stakeholders, and some insights into how to achieve project success from a customer stakeholder perspective. The presentation centred on the insights derived from the research carried out by Bob and the implications for project managers and key project stakeholders, including business sponsors, SRO’s and investors. The research, which is ongoing, is based on 10 years of work during which time Bob has interviewed over 1000 people in 250 organisations.

To view a pdf version of the slides please click here.

Public Sector Forums

Programme Management Masterclass for Senior Public Sector Managers

Geoff Reiss and Donnie MacNicol are now delivering a series of masterclasses to support public sector PMs who are moving into Programme Management. These skills are vital for the successful delivery of change and business transformation.

Programme Managers need a portfolio of skills that go beyond technical abilities in project management.  They need to understand how to manage culture change, improved leadership skills, the ability to influence people at all levels, manage stakeholders and manage the needs and aspirations of disparate groups of professionals working on a number of projects simultaneously.

To view a pdf version of the slides click here. For details of future programmes offered by Public Sector Forums please click here.

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Project Management Professional Bodies

The pre eminent organisation in the UK is the Association for Project Management (APM), a leading member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). The equivalent organisation in the USA is The Project Management Institute (PMI).

For further information:

Publications from the Association for Project Management

These following publications can be found at http://www.apm.org.uk/page.asp?categoryID=5 and are 2 of the key reference documents for every project manager. Donnie MacNicol was a contributor to both documents.

  • APM Body of Knowledge - 5th Edition At the heart of APM is the APM Body of Knowledge; fifty-two knowledge areas required to manage any successful project.
  • Competence Framework The APM Competence Framework provides a clear and simple guide to the full range of individual competences in project management.

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Project Management Magazines / Proceedings

There are 2 magazines and 1 proceedings dedicated to project management:

Project - This is the official magazine for The Association for Project Management (APM)
Website: www.impact-now.co.uk

Project Manager Today - Published by Larchdrift Projects Ltd
Website: www.projectmanagertoday.co.uk

International Journal of Project Management (IJPM) Proceedings - Published by Pergamon, on behalf of the International Project Management Association (IPMA)

Website: http://www.ipma.ch/publication/journal/Pages/default.aspx

This is the official journal of the IPMA, and contains learned articles and papers of an academic nature.

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Project Management Books

Reinventing Project Management; A J Shenhar, HBS Press ISBN 1 59139 800 4

Project Management - The people challenge; Roland and Frances Bee, Institute of Personnel and Development ISBN 0 85292 661 8

Project Leadership; Briner, Geddes & Hastings, Gower ISBN 0 566 02794 1

The Handbook of Project-Based Management; J R Turner, McGraw Hill ISBN 0 07 707656 7

Advanced Project Management; F L Harrison, Gower ISBN 0 566 02475 6

Project Sponsorship; Englund & Bucero (2006) Jossey-Bass ISBN 9780787981365

The New Project Management; J. Davidson Frame (2002) Jossey-Bass ISBN 0787958921

The Human Side of Project Management; Ruth Sizemore House (1988) Addison Wesley ISBN 020112355X

Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers; Anthony C. Mersino (2007) Amacom ISBN 9780 814474167

Leading Change; John P. Kotter (1996) HBS ISBN 0875847471

The Leadership Challenge; Kouzes & Posner (2007) Jossey-Bass ISBN 9780787984915

Good to Great; Jim Collins (2001) Random House ISBN 9780712676090

The skills of Leadership; John Adair, Gower ISBN 0 7045 0555

The leadership challenge; Kouzes and Posner (2007) John Wiley and Sons ISBN 9780787984915

The Psychology of Executive Coaching; Bruce Peltier (2001) Brunner-Rutledge ISBN 1583910727

Coaching, Mentoring and Organizational Consultancy - Peter Hawkins, Nick Smith (2006) Open University Press ISBN 9780335218158

Complexity and Management - Ralph Stacey, Douglas Griffin, Patricia Shaw (2000) Routledge ISBN 0415247608

The New Leaders - Daniel Goleman (2002) HBS Press ISBN 0751533815

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Events

Project Challenge Spring 2009 - 25/26 March, 2009


Bookings: www.projchallenge.com/registration.cfm

APM 2009 Project Management Conference - October, 2009


Bookings: www.apm.org.uk/conference.asp

For a complete list of the APM's upcoming events please click here.

IPMA World Congress - 15/17 June, 2009

The 23rd IPMA World Congress on Project Management in Helsinki next year will be under the theme, "Refresh Yourself – Project World 2.0" looking at refreshing your own professional career, organization and personal development.

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Useful Links

Please see in other areas for professional Bodies, PM Books and Magazines, Articles etc.

Ecademy PM group (Led by Donnie MacNicol)

http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=club&c=1280

LinkedIN Project Leadership Group (Led by Donnie MacNicol)

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=62905&goback=%2Egdr_1222171910166_1


TA Professional Associations

Associations TA are actively involved in:

Association for Project Management (APM)

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

Donnie MacNicol is a Panel Member of the Management, Procurement and Law Proceedings and Chair of the Management and Project Management Group. Details can be found here.

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor (RICS)

Donnie MacNicol is a regular contributor to RICS Construction journal.  Details can be found here.

Acumen7

Donnie MacNicol is a member of Acumen 7, a network of senior executives who can provide a combination of individual skills that together can address complex business needs. Details can be found here.

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Latest Research

We have posted the results of a survey on PM learning and development having sponsored the research earlier in 2008. The author, Stuart Murray, has now joined the team part-time to help with further research.

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