Program managers and systems engineers each play leadership roles in the design and implementation of key organizational initiatives.
PMI and INCOSE Align To Help Organizations Improve Program Success (01 Sep 11)
Program managers and systems engineers each play leadership roles in the design and implementation of key organizational initiatives. These can include rebuilding infrastructure, creating improvements to healthcare delivery, managing equipment acquisition for national defense, delivering competitive new products and properly allocating resources. At times, however, these professionals apply different approaches to initiatives based their own distinct practices, which can delay success.
In order to help organizations overcome the resultant inefficiencies, the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) – two leading professional membership organizations – have announced a strategic alliance that will enhance overall program success through the improved integration of practices between their professional communities. PMI and INCOSE will work together to provide members with tools to maximize the shared skills and experiences that are essential for successful program execution in this fast paced and continuously changing world. The associations will solidify initiatives that support stronger integration between the two professions, starting with developing case studies on successful collaborative projects and furthering dialogue with their stakeholder communities.
“When it comes to an organization’s success, the whole is the sum of its parts,” said Mark A. Langley, president and CEO of the Project Management Institute. “Our alignment with INCOSE will help program managers and systems engineers – both critical ‘parts’ of an organization, strategically and operationally – leverage each other’s strengths to deliver improved program results that better support their organizations’ strategic goals. In addition, it will foster new skill sets and networking opportunities for the members of both associations, driving professional growth.”
“In an environment of increasing complexity, organizations face enormous challenges creating systems that meet performance specifications, on time and on budget” said Samantha Robitaille, president of INCOSE. “By working with PMI, we have the potential to significantly improve performance on these complex programs by establishing an integrated team approach that will ultimately benefit not only the members of both associations, but also the organizations they work for and those organizations’ stakeholders.”
PMI and INCOSE’s first joint initiative produced a white paper, “Toward a New Mindset: Bridging the Gap between Program Management and Systems Engineering,” which details the need for better professional integration. In addition, the two organizations will jointly sponsor the following:
- The Program Management Lean Enablers Working Session, which will take place at the PMI® Global Congress 2011—North America on Saturday, 22 October 2011 from 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time. Along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lean Advancement Initiative (MIT-LAI), PMI and INCOSE will engage program management professionals in exercises to validate critical program management challenges that can affect delivery of stakeholder value and business results. The participants will then apply MIT-LAI’s principles of lean management to those challenges by validating collected lean enablers and identifying additional ones. There is no registration fee to attend this session, but individuals must register in advance by visiting http://congresses.pmi.org/NorthAmerica2011/.
- A workshop titled, “Integrating Program Management and Systems Engineering,” which also will be held in conjunction with the PMI Global Congress 2011—North America on Monday, 24 October 2011from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time. The workshop will explore the unique skills and experiences systems engineers and program managers possess, along with the shared space where they collaborate to drive program team performance and success. This workshop is part of the PMI Congress program, and individuals must register for the full Congress or for the day to attend. To register, visit http://congresses.pmi.org/NorthAmerica2011/.
- An article series highlighting effective integration of program management and systems engineering; and
- A research study jointly published with MIT-LAI, which will be available in the first quarter of 2012.
INCOSE is a not-for-profit membership organization founded to develop and disseminate the interdisciplinary principles and practices that enable the realization of successful systems.
INCOSE’s mission is to share, promote and advance the best of systems engineering from across the globe for the benefit of humanity and the planet. INCOSE has grown significantly since its formation in 1990. Today, there are over seven thousand members representing a broad spectrum – from student to senior practitioner, from technical engineer to program and corporate management, from science and engineering to business development. Over 50 chapters have been established worldwide and 70 organizations from industry, academia and government are active members of the Corporate Advisory Board. Additional information is available at http://www.incose.org/.
Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world’s largest project management member association, representing more than half a million practitioners in more than 185 countries. As a global thought leader and knowledge resource, PMI advances the profession through its global standards and credentials, collaborative chapters and virtual communities and academic research. When organizations invest in project management, supported by PMI, executives have confidence that their important initiatives will deliver expected results, greater business value and competitive advantage. Learn more about PMI and PMI Global Congress 2011—North America at www.pmi.org.
©2011 Project Management Institute, Inc.