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PMSA membership opens up opportunities for peer networking and special interest groupsOne of the benefits of membership in Project Management South Africa (PMSA) is the opportunity to network with peers and join special interest groups (SIGs), also known as practice communities.
PMSA has a dedicated vice president portfolio on its executive committee, tasked with developing this aspect of the PMSA value proposition.
Roger Layton, a seasoned SIG founder with experience in the information technology and project management environments, is the vice president in question and has been instrumental in the launch of at least two new SIGs / practice communities in 2009, including one for planners and schedulers, and one for young project managers.
What is a SIG / practice community?
A special interest group or practice community is a chartered body that provides people with similar professional interests an opportunity to exchange ideas and remain informed about developments in their field.
Due to the vast array of specific disciplines within the project management sphere, there is much scope for establishing more SIGs in the future.
At PMSA, generic principles determine the formation and structure of the SIGs / practice communities, in response to an identified industry need.
The fact that the activities of the SIGs / practice communities are planned by its members (who form a committee), means they are always relevant to the members.
Some are run with the support of particular industry stakeholders, while others are combined efforts with other professional associations.
SIG / practice community membership is open to all people with an interest in the specific topic.
While PMSA members receive the benefit of a reduced attendance cost to all SIG / practice community events and access to resources, non-PMSA members are also invited to join the groups, in the interests of growing the community to the benefit of the industry at large.
In other words, interested parties can be a member of an interest group without being a member of PMSA.
The intention is to grow PMSA’s existing SIGs / practice communities into virtual communities.
Layton explains that, “A virtual community is a practice community that operates not only through physical and geographical places but largely using the Internet as an electronic community
of practice.
“The key focus is removing geography as the primary raison d’être for the existence of the community.”
At PMSA, the aims and objectives that guide the formation of each SIG / practice community include the following:
* promoting awareness of, and interest in the domain of activity defined within the scope of the SIG / practice community;
* creation and maintenance of a community portal within the PMSA website, which is used to provide access to all of the activities and resources of the community; and
* providing measurable benefit and value to participating members of the SIG / practice community and other participants through a variety of activities including online discussions, blogs, eLearning tutorials, meetings, functions, seminars, conferences, workshops, training sessions and other professional or social events.
Benefits of SIGs / practice communities
Forming a SIG / practice community suggests that a particular level of maturity has been reached by the practitioners involved in the topic and that the time has come to bring them together to discuss common interests and create the opportunity to learn from, and share and network with similarly minded people.
It is an expression of the commitment by a sponsoring company, professional association or organising committee to create an environment in which people may develop in terms of knowledge and understanding, and expose them to thinking that may fall outside the realm of their day-to-day work.
Belonging to a SIG / practice community relevant to one’s work has the following benefits for individuals:
* the opportunity to network with people interested in a very specific topic;
* access to subject matter experts and direct contact with vendors with products related to the topic;
* practising project managers can compare best practices with peers in similar working environments;
* it creates an opportunity to assume a leadership position in the SIG committee and gain experience in a volunteer leadership role;
* professional development points (required to maintain certain industry accreditations) can be acquired by attending relevant SIG / practice community events;
* it creates an awareness of what constitutes professionalism and ethical practice; and
* it affords members access to a specific and useful repository of knowledge resources.
Current SIG / practice communities available to PMSA members and interested parties include:
* Planning and Scheduling (next event will take place in August 2009).
* Project Governance (in collaboration with the Computer Society of Southern Africa – CSSA).
* Young Project Managers Group (for project managers aged 35 or younger).
* IT Project Management (currently being revived in co-operation with the CSSA).
Readers interested in joining one of the existing PMSA SIGs / practice communities, or who would like to establish one relevant to a topic in project management, are invited to contact the PMSA national office between 09h00 and 13h00 daily on (011) 257 8003 or via e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
PMSA
events
July to September
* Tuesday, 7 July 2009 – PMSA KwaZulu-Natal Branch Presentation, Durban.
* Thursday, 23 July 2009 – PRINCE2 Special Interest Group Meeting, Johannesburg.
* Thursday, 23 or 30 July 2009 – Site and presentation at the King Shaka International Airport (hosted by the Ilembe Consortium), Durban.
* Monday, 3 August 2009 – PM Standards Panel Discussion: ISO Workgroup for Project Management, and the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards, Tshwane.
* Tuesday, 4 August 2009 – PMSA KwaZulu-Natal Branch Presentation featuring Rory Burke on the 3Ps: Processes, Plans and Phases, Durban.
* Wednesday, 5 August 2009 – PMSA KwaZulu-Natal Branch Golf Day.
* Wednesday, 12 August 2009 – Planning and Scheduling Special Interest Group Meeting and Presentation, Johannesburg.
* Thursday, 20 August 2009 – PMSA East London Branch Presentation featuring Rory Burke on the 3Ps: Processes, Plans and Phases, East London.
* Tuesday, 25 August 2009 – PMSA Western Cape Branch Presentation, Cape Town.
* Monday, 21 September 2009 – PMSA Johannesburg Branch Presentation featuring Rory Burke on the 3Ps: Processes, Plans and Phases, Johannesburg.
* Tuesday, 29 September 2009 – PMSA Western Cape Branch Presentation, Cape Town.
For event details, contact the PMSA National Office at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,
or visit www.pmisa.org.za
