PM World JournalArticles Archive - PM World Journal

How to cite this paper: Akinwumi, T. E., Echeme, I. I., Ubani, E. C. (2026). Application of Management Information System in Road Construction Project Delivery: A Study of SETRACO Nigeria Limited; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Akinwumi-et-al-Application-of-MIS-in-Road-Construction.pdf

About the Authors

Temitope Edward Akinwumi

Imo State, Nigeria

Temitope Edward Akinwumi is the Executive Director, Reset Engineering Services Ltd, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He is a seasoned Electrical/Electronics Engineer and a professional in providing expert services to Oil and Gas firms especially, in foreign procurement and engineering services. Hence, he has successfully secured executed numerous contracts in Government ministries and parastatals and Oil & Gas firms in Nigeria. Akinwumi obtained a postgraduate diploma in Management and an MBA in Project Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State Nigeria. He is married with children.

Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme, PhD

Owerri, Nigeria

Associate Professor, Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme is a lecturer in the department of Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Echeme has a B.Tech, MSc, and PhD in Project Management Technology and has published more than Sixty (60) articles in both international and national reputable journals. Dr. Echeme has published a textbook on Project Time, Cost and Quality Management. He is a Chartered member of Chartered Institute of Project Managers Nigeria (CIPMN), Chartered member, Association of Practicing Project Managers of Nigeria (APPMON), Certified Project Director (CPD) and a member of International Project Management Professionals (IPMP). Dr. Echeme has presented papers in conferences and workshops within and outside Nigeria. He can be contacted through; ibeecheme@yahoo.com

Emmanuel C. Ubani

Owerri, Nigeria

Prof. Emmanuel C. Ubani holds BSc. and MEng in Industrial Engineering; PhD in Project Management Technology. Former Head, Department of Project Management Technology, and former Associate Dean, School of Management Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri. He is a member of Nigeria Society of Engineers (MNSE), Fellow Institute of Industrial Administration (FIIA). He has published widely in both International and local Journals.

An Integrated Framework for Improving Construction Productivity

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:31:17 +0000

in Saudi Industrial Projects

Linking Workface Readiness, Advanced Work Packaging, Modularization, Lean Execution, Climate-Adaptive Planning, and Digitalization Governance

FEATURED PAPER

By Saad A. Al-Wahaib and Abdul Rahman Habib

Saudi Aramco

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Construction productivity in Saudi industrial projects is affected by interdependent climatic, supply-chain, engineering, workforce, logistics, safety, subcontractor, and workface-readiness constraints. These constraints are particularly important in oil and gas, petrochemical, refinery, gas processing, utilities, and chemical process industry projects, where construction delay can affect mechanical completion, commissioning, start-up, revenue realization, and wider industrial-development objectives.

Although prior studies and industry guidance have examined labor productivity factors, heat stress, lean construction, modularization, Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), and digital construction methods, these topics are often treated separately. Limited literature integrates these drivers into a field-oriented diagnostic and mitigation framework tailored to the Saudi and wider GCC industrial-project context, where extreme climate, imported supply chains, multinational workforces, EPC interface complexity, permit-to-work controls, and workface-readiness failures frequently occur simultaneously.

This paper develops an integrated construction productivity framework using a structured literature-informed synthesis of academic and industry sources from 2015–2025, supplemented by established foundational productivity literature and professional practice insights from Saudi and GCC industrial project execution. The framework identifies major productivity loss mechanisms, links them to measurable field indicators, and maps them to practical mitigation strategies including AWP, modularization, lean execution, climate-adaptive planning, digital workface-readiness systems, and KPI-based productivity governance. The contribution is a defensible practice-oriented framework for improving workface readiness, reducing non-productive time, improving workflow reliability, and supporting productivity governance in Saudi industrial projects. The paper is positioned as a structured framework synthesis rather than a primary statistical or project-dataset-based empirical study.

Keywords: Construction productivity; Saudi Arabia; industrial projects; Advanced Work Packaging; modularization; lean construction; workface readiness; Work Sampling; Five-Minute Rating; Craftsman Questionnaire Sampling; heat stress; Ramadan productivity; supply-chain resilience; EPC projects; project controls; BIM; digitalization framework; productivity governance.

Introduction

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region has experienced sustained investment in upstream oil and gas, gas processing, petrochemical integration, refinery modernization, LNG infrastructure, industrial utilities, hydrogen-related developments, and economic diversification programs. Within this regional context, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is particularly significant because of the scale of its capital-project portfolio, its role in global energy and industrial markets, and the continuing transformation associated with Vision 2030. [7,27,28]

Industrial construction productivity is a strategic issue rather than merely a site-level performance concern. Delays in construction execution can affect mechanical completion, commissioning, plant start-up, revenue realization, downstream integration, supply-chain commitments, and national industrial development objectives. In Saudi industrial projects, productivity performance is shaped by a combination of extreme heat, humidity, dust exposure, long-lead imported equipment, multinational workforces, EPC interface complexity, engineering readiness, permit-to-work controls, and brownfield access restrictions. [8,9,27,28]

More…

How to cite this paper: Al-Wahaib, S. A., Habib, A. R. (2026). An Integrated Framework for Improving Construction Productivity in Saudi Industrial Projects; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Al-Wahaib-Habib-Integrated-Framework-for-Improving-Construction.pdf

About the Authors

Saad A. Al-Wahaib

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Saad A. Al-Wahaib, M.E. CEM, PMP is a Supervisor Project Engineer with over 15 years of professional experience in the oil and gas sector, specifically in project management across various project phases from detailed engineering through construction, in both greenfield megaprojects and brownfield projects. Saad obtained a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in 2011 and a Master of Engineering in Construction Engineering and Management from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in 2024. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with demonstrated expertise in delivering complex multidisciplinary projects in high-impact industrial environments. He can be contacted at saad.wahaib@aramco.com

Abdul Rahman Habib

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abdul Rahman Habib, ME, CEng, MIChemE, PMP, PMI-RMP is Lead Engineer (Process and Project Management) with Saudi Aramco, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with over 25 years of international experience in oil and gas, LNG, petroleum refining, petrochemical, and industrial megaprojects. His expertise encompasses project development, process engineering, construction management, energy optimization, risk management, and industrial project execution. He holds MSc and BSc degrees in Chemical Engineering and is a Chartered Chemical Engineer (IChemE). He can be contacted at abdul.rahman.4@aramco.com

Material Handling Equipment Identification

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:48:40 +0000

and Selection Factors for Delivery

of High-Rise Building Projects

in Abia State Nigeria

FEATURED PAPER

By Ihuoma Chijioke Ohajuru ^I, Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme ^II, Emmanuel Chinenye Ubani ^II

^IProcurement Department,
Abia State Universal Basic Education Board,
Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

^IIDepartment of Project Management Technology,
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Assessment of materials handling equipment selection factors for successful execution of high-rise building projects in Abia State is the title of this study. The objectives are to: identify the primary material handling equipment used in the construction of high rise building projects; determine the major factors in the selection of material handling equipment for the successful implementation of high-rise building project delivery; determine the degree to which each of these factors influences the selection of material handling equipment in the successful implementation of high-rise construction projects; ascertain the degree to which these factors collectively affect the selection of material handling equipment in the successful implementation of high-rise building projects and; ascertain the most crucial factor in the selection of materials handling equipment for the effective implementation of high-rise building projects for decisive purposes. A descriptive survey research design was used, and questionnaires were used to collect data. The information gathered from 167 respondents was examined using multiple regression analysis, descriptive statistics and relative importance index. According to the findings, tower cranes and concrete pumps are the most common types of equipment in Abia State. The main considerations while choosing equipment for high-rise buildings in Abia State are job requirements, reliability, and cost. Tower cranes and concrete pumps are recommended by the study as the best material handling equipment. For high-rise building projects to be implemented successfully, the selection of suitable material handling equipment should also take job requirements, equipment reliability, and related costs into account.

Keywords: materials handling equipment, high-rise building, job requirement, equipment reliability, project success

1.0 Introduction

High-rise or tall buildings are becoming more common due to a number of factors, including land scarcity, growing demand for commercial and residential space, economic growth, technological advancements, innovations in structural systems, the desire for aesthetics in urban settings, cultural significance, and prestige, which inspire human aspiration to build higher structures (Echeme, 2021; Proverbs, Holt & Love, 2019). Building a high-rise is a difficult engineering task that requires accuracy, safety, and the appropriate equipment. It is not just about stacking floors. The equipment used on-site must be more robust, quicker, and dependable as structures get taller. MKG (2026), claim that as they provide hoisting and lifting solutions on major construction sites in India, builders witness the above scenario on a daily basis. However, materials management is a crucial component of any building project (Mtandt, 2025). According to MKG (2026), selecting material handling equipment (MHE) for high-rise projects necessitates striking a balance between site safety, load capacity, and vertical height. Concrete pumps, construction hoists for workers and supplies, and tower cranes for heavy lifting are examples of essential materials handling equipment. Site limitations, safety compliance, project timeline speed, material type, and structural load capability are important selection criteria (MKG, 2026).

In the construction sector, having the appropriate equipment can significantly lower labor costs, increase safety, and boost project efficiency. Depending on the materials being carried, the size of the project, and the conditions at the project site, different kinds of material handling equipment are deployed. Good project management in construction must actively pursue the efficient utilization of labor, material, and equipment, and labor productivity should be a major and ongoing concern for those in charge of controlling the cost of constructed facilities. To cut costs, material handling, which includes inventory, shop fabrication, field servicing, and procurement, needs special consideration (Echeme, 2021). In recent decades, significant advancements in construction technology have been made feasible by the employment of new machinery and creative techniques. It is understandable that organizations that have failed to adapt to changing surroundings and acknowledge the influence of various technologies have been pushed out of the mainstream of building operations.

More…

How to cite this paper: Ohajuru, I. C., Echeme, I. I., Ubani, E. C. (2026). Material Handling Equipment Identification and Selection Factors for Delivery of High-Rise Building Projects in Abia State Nigeria; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Ohajuru-et-al-Mtl-Handling-Equip-Selecton-Factors.pdf

About the Authors

Ihuoma Chijioke Ohajuru

Abia State, Nigeria

Ihuoma Chijioke Ohajuru is the Head of Procurement at Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, Umuahia; an Agency charged with the primary responsibility of management of the entire Basic Education Sub-sector in Abia State. He led the management of the entire procurement process of the Abia SUBEB in the implementation of the UBE year 2020 to 2025 projects for qualitative basic education delivery. With over 26 years of experience in educational planning and management, Ihuoma Chijioke Ohajuru, prior to his current role, has served as a Director Planning Research and Statistics where he led the team for the production of the Ministry’s Education Sector Plan (ESP) 2024-2034 to guide the transformation of the entire Abia State Basic and Secondary Education System and production of the year 2024-2027 Abia State Medium Term Basic Education Strategic Plan (ASMTBESP).

He served also as Technical Lead for the securing of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) System Transformation Grant for Abia State Foundational Learning by production of Abia State Theory of Change Document for holistic Basic Educational Reform for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. He has also served as Abia State Technical lead and Coordinator for the conduct of National Personnel Audit year 2022 in the State for the updating of Abia State Basic Education Data as well as served as the Abia State Digital Annual Census Committee year 2025 for basic education data collection, collation and dissemination.

Has bachelor of Technology degree in Project Management at Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and is currently studying as a master’s degree student at Federal University of Technology Owerri. He is also a key resource personnel in educational planning and management for ensuring improved educational outcome in the state and nation at large. He can be reached at ihuomaohajuru@gmail.com

Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme, PhD

Owerri, Nigeria

Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme is a lecturer in the department of Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Echeme has a B.Tech, MSc, and PhD in Project Management Technology and has published more than Sixty (60) articles in both international and national reputable journals. Dr. Echeme has published a textbook on Project Time, Cost and Quality Management. He is a Chartered member of Chartered Institute of Project Managers Nigeria (CIPMN), Chartered member, Association of Practicing Project Managers of Nigeria (APPMON), Certified Project Director (CPD) and a member of International Project Management Professionals (IPMP). Dr. Echeme has presented papers in conferences and workshops within and outside Nigeria. He can be contacted through; ibeecheme@yahoo.com

Emmanuel C. Ubani, PhD

Owerri, Nigeria

The Success Illusion

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:17:09 +0000

Why “On Time and On Budget”

Tells You Almost Nothing

Reimagining Project Management for a New Era

SERIES ARTICLE

By Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

Madrid, Spain

In 1969, a British engineer named Martin Barnes was preparing a training course for people who managed construction contracts. He gave it a plain title: Time and Money in Contract Control.

To explain a tension his students kept running into, he drew a triangle.

Time in one corner. Cost in another. Quality in the third.

That sketch became the most reproduced diagram in the history of our profession. Fifty-seven years later, in most organizations I visit, it still decides whether a project is called a success or a failure.

Here is the part almost nobody remembers.

Barnes did not draw it to measure success.

He drew it to explain trade-offs inside a contract. It was a device for people negotiating scope and price, and it did that job well. It was never designed to answer the question that matters most.

Was this worth doing?

Barnes himself became uneasy about what happened next. He later replaced quality with performance, because he felt quality had been flattened into compliance with a specification.

He was right to worry.

A teaching aid had become a verdict.

And we have been living with the consequences ever since.

The Project Everyone Applauded

A few years ago I worked with a European luxury goods group.

They had built a new digital platform for their boutiques. One system to hold client history, preferences, purchases and follow-up, replacing a patchwork of local tools that had grown up market by market.

The delivery was outstanding. I mean that sincerely.

The program finished two weeks ahead of schedule and slightly under budget. Every requirement was signed off. Every governance gate cleared at the first attempt. The steering committee closed the program with real pride, and the team received an internal award.

I was in the room. The applause was deserved.

Almost a year later, I was back with the same company on something unrelated, and asked what had become of the platform.

The answer was uncomfortable…

More…

Editor’s note: This series of articles is by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, the author of Powered by Projects: Leading Your Organization in the Transformation Age (HBR Press, Jan 2026) and The HBR Project Management Handbook (HBR 2021). One of the world’s most popular authors and speakers on the topic of the Project Economy and the Future of Project Management, he is Founder of Projects & Co. , a PMI Fellow & Former Chairman and Thinkers50 Award Winner. Learn more in his author profile at the end of this article.

How to cite this work: Nieto-Rodriguez, A. (2026). The Success Illusion: Why “On Time and On Budget” Tells You Almost Nothing; Reimagining Project Management for a New Era, series article 8, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Nieto-Rodriguez-The-Success-Illusion.pdf

About the Author

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

Madrid, Spain

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, PMI Fellow, is one of the world’s leading experts in Project Management and Strategy Implementation. He is the author of the “Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook ” (HBR 2021) and is the most published author on project management matters in Harvard Business Review. His upcoming book, Powered by Projects: Leading Your Organization in the Transformation Age, will be published by Harvard Business Review Press in early 2026.

Antonio has brought Project Management to the center of executive leadership, positioning it as a critical capability for transformation in the next decade. He is the creator of influential concepts such as the Project Economy®, the Hierarchy of Purpose®, and the Project‑Driven Organization, which argue that projects have become the operating system of modern organizations—and the language of future careers.

His global impact on management and leadership has been recognized by Thinkers50, where he is the only project management thinker included twice in a row in the ranking of the world’s most influential management thinkers. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Thinkers50 Ideas Into Practice Award and a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches community.

He was the global Chairman of the Project Management Institute in 2016 and has been recognized as a Fellow of PMI for his contribution to the project management profession. He led the creation of the Brightline Initiative, founded Projects & Co, and co-founded the Strategy Implementation Institute.

His work focuses on advising senior leaders on how to prioritize and implement strategic initiatives and lead transformational change.

Antonio is also the author of “Lead Successful Projects” (Penguin, 2019), “The Project Revolution” (LID, 2019). and “The Focused Organization” (Taylor & Francis, 2014), and has contributed to seven other books. A pioneer and leading authority in teaching and coaching senior executives the art and science of strategy execution and project management. Currently visiting professor at Duke CE, Instituto de Empresa, Solvay, Vlerick, Ecole des Ponts, and Skolkovo.

He is a much-in-demand speaker at events worldwide. Antonio has presented at more than 800 conferences around the world, regularly evaluated as the best speaker. European Business Summit, Strategy Leaders Forum, Gartner Summit, TEDx, and EU Cohesion Policy Conference; are some of the events he has delivered inspirational keynotes.

He is former Sustainability Program Director and Head of Global Program Management Office at GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines. Previously he also served as Head of Project Portfolio Management at BNP Paribas Fortis and Head of Post-Merger Integration at Fortis Bank, leading the acquisition of ABN AMBRO, the largest in financial service history. He also worked for ten years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, becoming the global lead practitioner for project and change management.

Born in Madrid, Spain, and educated in Germany, Mexico, Italy, and the United States, Antonio is fluent in five languages. He is an Economist, has an MBA from London Business School and Insead’s IDP. You can follow Antonio through his LinkedIn Newsletter – Lead Projects Successfully. For more information, visit his website at www.antonionietorodriguez.com. He can be reached via email: antonio.nieto.rodriguez@gmail.com

AI in Project Management

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:33:50 +0000

Introduction to the Series

SERIES ARTICLE

By Dr. Prasad Kodukula and Guz Vinueza

USA and Ecuador

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping how project professionals plan, make decisions, manage risk, communicate with stakeholders, and deliver value. Yet for many organizations, the main challenge is no longer gaining access to capable AI technologies. It is integrating those technologies into clearly defined, streamlined workflows, supporting adoption across the organization, establishing effective governance, and scaling successful applications beyond isolated experiments.

McKinsey’s 2026 survey¹ of approximately 500 organizations on AI trust maturity found that only about 30 percent had reached higher maturity levels in AI strategy, governance, and agentic AI controls. Nearly two-thirds identified security and risk concerns as the leading obstacle to scaling agentic AI, while almost 60 percent cited knowledge and training gaps as a major barrier to responsible implementation.

The World Economic Forum² similarly argues that realizing AI’s full potential requires organizations to rethink how work is performed, how decisions are made, and how operating models are designed—not merely to deploy new technology.

Together, these two studies suggest that the real challenge is not AI adoption itself but the organizational capacity to govern, integrate, and scale it effectively.

Drawing primarily on our best-selling book, The Project Management AI Handbook: Leveraging Generative Tools in Waterfall and Agile Environments³, this series will address these challenges through the practical application of AI in project and portfolio management.

The book goes beyond describing what AI can do. It explains the underlying project management processes and workflows and, through more than 50 use cases, demonstrates how Generative AI (Gen AI) can be applied in predictive, agile, hybrid, and portfolio environments.

More…

To read entire Letter to the Editor, click here

Editor’s note: Dr. Prasad Kodukula and Guz Vinueza are the authors of the best-selling book titled The Project Management AI Handbook: Leveraging Generative Tools in Waterfall and Agile Environments, published in 2025 by J. Ross Publishing.

How to cite this work: Kodukula, P. S. and Vinueza, G. (2026). AI in Project Management, Introduction to the Series, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Kodukula-Vinueza-AI-in-PM-series-intro.pdf

About the Authors

Prasad S. Kodukula, USA

Illinois, USA

Dr. Prasad S. Kodukula, PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, DASM, DASSM, BCES, is a USA Today and Amazon #1 best-selling author, PMI Fellow, thought leader, and entrepreneur with over 35 years of professional experience. A global ambassador for project management, Dr. Kodukula has lectured in nearly 50 countries and worked with more than 40 Fortune 100 companies (e.g., Allstate, Abbott Labs, BP, Caterpillar, Dow, Chrysler, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Motorola, Stryker, United Technologies, Whirlpool) across all 11 S&P industrial sectors. He serves as an Adjunct Industry Professor at Illinois Tech. He teaches how to recover troubled projects at NASA. He has delivered project management training in professional education programs at Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of Chicago. As co-founder and CEO of Kodukula & Associates, Inc. and NeoChloris, Inc., he leads the firms in project management and renewable energy, respectively.

His work with AI began in 1988, when he created award-winning expert systems in environmental engineering. In the late 1990s, he co-invented an AI-powered smart monitoring and control system for water and wastewater treatment plants, combining early neural network, sensor, and automation technologies. This invention received a U.S. patent in 2005 and was later licensed to prominent control and automation firms.

Recognized three times by the Project Management Institute as “Best of the Best in Project Management,” he has received multiple accolades, including the Illinois Tech Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award and honors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the states of Arizona, Kansas, and Illinois for his outstanding leadership in education and training, environmental improvement, and innovation. Most recently, he was recognized by Project Controls Academy with a Project Controls Excellence Award. An accomplished author, Dr. Kodukula has co-authored or contributed to 12 books and over 40 articles and holds four U.S. patents. He can be contacted at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasadkodukula/.

Guz Vinueza

Ecuador

Guz Vinueza, M.S., MBA, is a top expert in data analytics, machine learning, and quantitative risk management, with over 25 years of experience helping organizations utilize advanced technologies to create business value and manage uncertainty. He currently works as Consulting Director at The Ferryfield Group, a boutique consulting firm focused on quantitative risk software, where he manages global projects across various industries and regions. Previously, he was Data Director at Betterfly, Latin America’s first social-impact unicorn, overseeing enterprise data architecture, analytics, and machine learning initiatives to expand the company’s digital ecosystem. Earlier in his career, as Director of Consulting and Analytics Solutions at Palisade, he transformed the consulting division into an agile software and analytics team, tripling revenue and delivering solutions across Latin America, the U.S., and the Middle East.

An accomplished consultant, educator, and keynote speaker, Guz has trained thousands of professionals from leading organizations such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ontario Power Generation, Amway, DEWA, Mitsubishi Pharmaceuticals, and Network Rail. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor in Analytics and Business Intelligence at institutions in Argentina, Ecuador, and Spain, teaching advanced analytics, agile methodologies, and project management. Guz holds an MBA from Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, an M.S. in Financial Direction from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and a Postgraduate Certificate in AI and Machine Learning from the University of Texas at Austin. His work continues to shape the integration of AI, quantitative risk, and data-driven decision-making across global enterprises. He can be contacted at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavovinueza/

On PMBOK v8 Application Playbook

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:32:10 +0000

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

By Kenneth Bainey

7 July 2026

Dear PM World Journal Managing Editor

I would like to bring to your attention my recently published book, PMBOK v8 Application Playbook, for possible inclusion, review, or mention in PM World Journal.

The book builds on the practitioner perspective reflected in my recent PM World Journal article, “Turning PMBOK® v8 from a PMP® Exam Reference to an Operating Delivery System.” Its central premise is straightforward: project management knowledge creates value only when it can be translated into practical delivery decisions.

PMBOK® v8 Application Playbook is a practitioner-focused guide designed to help project managers, project leaders, PMOs, executives, educators, and PMP® candidates move beyond simply understanding PMBOK® concepts to applying them in real organizational environments.

The book introduces a practical delivery operating model:

Mindset → Principles → Performance Domains → Focus Areas → Operating Logic and Tools, including AI Capability → Outcomes

This operating model connects project management thinking, decision-making, governance, delivery practices, and outcomes. Rather than treating principles, performance domains, and focus areas as separate concepts, the book demonstrates how they work together as an integrated project delivery system.

The book addresses a practical reality I have observed throughout more than 35 years in project delivery, information technology leadership, public-sector transformation, and academia: projects rarely fail because an organization lacks another template or methodology. They fail when ownership is unclear, governance becomes ceremonial, risk is reported but not acted upon, scope loses its connection to value, schedules become political promises, and project activity is mistaken for project outcomes.

More…

How to cite this work: Bainey, K. (2026). On PMBOK v8 Application Playbook, Letter to the Editor, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Bainey-PMBOKv8-Application-Playbook-Letter-to-Editor.pdf

The Register Has No Memory

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:37:09 +0000

Pricing the cost of an independence assumption on HS2, across schedule and cost, and a low-cost correction available to any project

Coupled schedule and cost Bayesian networks on HS2: the priced independence gap, with structural, distributional and component-breach tests

PEER REVIEWED PAPER

By Nikhil Dhand

Delhi, India

Abstract

This paper presents a low-cost diagnostic for the quantitative risk modelling of megaprojects and prices, on High Speed 2 (HS2), what the most common modelling shortcut costs. In 2013 the programme’s quantitative risk model treated its threats as broadly independent, a choice stated explicitly in clause 4.2.3 of its Cost and Risk Status Report (Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd, 2013). On a megaproject the principal threats are not independent: adverse ground conditions raise the likelihood of tunnelling delay; tunnelling delay extends the programme; an extended programme carries a standing-army cost; and that cost propagates to inflation and the supply chain. Risk accumulates in one direction, in a way an independence assumption cannot represent.

I reconstruct HS2’s Phase 1 risk as two coupled Bayesian networks. The first is a ten-system schedule model whose output is the programme slip in days. The second is a twelve-system cost model in which one node, Schedule Delay Cost, is derived from that slip; so that schedule risk enters the cost answer through an explicit, documented mechanism rather than by assertion. Each network is run through several configurations, holding the engine and the random seed (4209) fixed, and varying only how much dependence the model is permitted to represent.

On schedule, switching the dependencies on, and changing nothing else, raises the P90 programme slip from 3,671 days (about 10.1 years) to 4,535 days (about 12.4 years); roughly 864 days, or 2.4 years, of schedule exposure attributable to model structure alone. The dependency-aware slip falls inside the official reset of a 2036–2043 opening, a slip of ten to seventeen years (HS2 Ltd and Department for Transport, 2026).

On cost, the same switch raises the P90 from £67.4bn to £88.6bn: approximately £21.3bn of cost exposure attributable to structure alone, before any new information about the project is introduced. A bootstrap of the raw output places the sampling error on that figure at about £0.1bn. The dependency-aware cost chain reaches the floor of the official reset range of £87.7bn to £102.7bn from the coupled register alone. Updating the chain on evidence, with each document admitted only at the cut-off on or after its date, carries it to the band and past it: the public record alone reaches £91.8bn, inside the band, and the system-level magnitudes a sponsor already holds reach £105.4bn, about £2.7bn above its ceiling, with schedule counterparts of 4,671 and 6,187 days. The structure sets the level; disclosure carries the rest, and the distance between the two updated lenses measures the disclosure gap directly. Decomposing each gap, using a chain run with the noisy-OR combination rule disabled, shows that the conditional structure, the bare fact that the risks are connected, carries most of it: 74 per cent of the cost gap and 59 per cent of the schedule gap, with the noisy-OR rule supplying the remainder.

The result is hardened against the obvious objections. A topology test (eight runs across reversed, common-cause, sparse and dense variants of each graph) leaves the independence gap intact in every case (£17.6bn to £21.7bn on cost; 833 to 895 days on schedule). A distributional-shape test (lognormal magnitudes in place of three-point ranges) moves the P90 by under one per cent. And a component-breach test, run on the per-node output, shows the dependence lifting both the expected number of simultaneous breaches of the independent ceilings (from 0.60 to 0.96 among the six cost drivers) and (the property an independence assumption most conceals) its variance (from 0.54 to 0.80), the statistical signature of co-movement.

The implication for a sponsor is direct. The same registers, run twice, would have revealed most of these gaps at the outset, at the cost of one additional simulation each. Every headline figure is recomputed from the raw output by a separate check, and the structural-robustness sweep, the distributional test and the component-breach test are reported in full.

More…

How to cite this paper: Dhand, N. (2026). The Register Has No Memory; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Dhand-The-Register-Has-No-Memory.pdf

About the Author

Nikhil Dhand

Delhi, India

Nikhil Dhand, PMP is a Senior Project Controls Consultant with 11 years of cross-sector experience delivering projects for UK, US, and Indian clients across solar EPC, highways, urban infrastructure, and complex project delivery. He is the creator of Probabilistic Chain Analysis (PCA) and RiskPulse V12 — a Bayesian Monte Carlo risk engine calibrated using data from 16,000+ infrastructure projects across 8 sectors.

Author of Risk Runs the Project (forthcoming, Amazon KDP).

ORCID: 0009-0000-6526-8399 | Zenodo: 10.5281/zenodo.19436269

Contact: nikhildhand.research@gmail.com |

The Landscape, the Opportunity, and the Limits

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:45:15 +0000

AI in Project Management

SERIES ARTICLE

By Dr. Prasad Kodukula and Guz Vinueza

USA and Ecuador

Project management has always been a race between complexity and clarity—and between activity and value.

Every project generates a continuous stream of requirements, assumptions, estimates, decisions, risks, issues, changes, communications, and performance data. Project professionals must convert that information into plans and actions while navigating uncertainty, organizational constraints, competing stakeholder expectations, and limited resources. As projects become larger, more complex, and more interconnected, the volume and speed of information can exceed the ability of any individual or team to process it effectively.

But processing more information is not the ultimate objective. Neither is producing more reports, automating more tasks, or completing project-management processes more quickly. The ultimate objective is to generate value—for customers, sponsors, project stakeholders, and the organization as a whole.

Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) in project management must therefore be judged by the same standard: Does it help the organization make better decisions, use resources more effectively, manage uncertainty, deliver promised outcomes, and create sustainable stakeholder value?

Artificial intelligence offers a powerful response to these challenges. It can analyze large volumes of information, identify patterns, forecast possible outcomes, generate project artifacts, explore alternatives, and help project professionals determine what actions to consider. More recently, AI systems have begun moving beyond producing answers and documents toward using tools, completing connected steps, interacting with other systems, and performing work on behalf of users.

This progression creates enormous opportunities for project management.

This article introduces the landscape of AI in project management, examines the opportunities across project and portfolio work, and explains the limits organizations must understand before attempting to integrate and scale AI.

More…

How to cite this work: Kodukula, P. S. and Vinueza, G. (2026). The Landscape, the Opportunity, and the Limits, AI in Project Management, series article 1, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Kodukula-Vinueza-AI-in-PM-article-1.pdf

About the Authors

Prasad S. Kodukula, USA

Illinois, USA

Guz Vinueza

Ecuador

The Signal Gap

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:45:29 +0000

Why Initiative Drift Goes Undetected

and What It Costs Organizations

Findings from Primary Research Across Twenty Organizations in Eight Countries,
Set Against Three Decades of Documented Project Management Office (PMO)
and Strategy Execution Failure

PEER REVIEWED PAPER

By Caran Bradshaw

DaytaTech.ai
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

William Jewell College
Liberty, Missouri, USA

Abstract

This study examines why initiative drift goes undetected in complex organizations despite significant investment in project management and analytics tools. Twenty senior leaders were interviewed across three structured research cycles, representing organizations in eight countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Norway. Participants held roles including Project Management Office (PMO) Director, Chief of Staff, Portfolio Leader, Chief Strategy Officer, and Vice President of Operations across healthcare, financial services, technology, pharmaceutical, infrastructure, and energy sectors.

Using a qualitative research design informed by thematic analysis, the study identifies four consistent findings: a significant reporting burden consuming 20 to 60 hours per cycle; a structural signal gap between when initiative drift begins and when leadership can act; a cross-functional alignment deficit; and a normalization pattern in which leaders absorb the burden over time and cease to experience it as a solvable problem.

The central hypothesis of this study is that initiative drift goes undetected not because organizations lack data, but because initiative signals are fragmented across teams, systems, and functional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are not explicitly connected to the original assumptions and intended outcomes of the initiative. This condition, termed the Signal Gap, requires leaders to repeatedly validate and reinterpret information from multiple sources before determining whether an initiative remains on course. The result is delayed intervention, increased reporting burden, and a reduced organizational ability to act on early indicators of drift.

These findings are consistent across all eight countries represented. The study contributes a structural explanation for a problem that has been documented in the project management literature since 1994 and offers recommendations for practice and future research.

Keywords: initiative drift, PMO, strategic leadership, reporting burden, cross-functional alignment, initiative operational intelligence, portfolio management, signal detection, normalization pattern

More…

To read full article, click here

How to cite this paper: Bradshaw, C. (2026). The Signal Gap: Why Initiative Drift Goes Undetected and What It Costs Organizations; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Bradshaw-The-Signal-Gap.pdf

About the Author

Caran Bradshaw

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Caran Bradshaw is an Entrepreneurial MBA candidate at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and the Founder and CEO of DaytaTech.ai. Her professional background spans project management, business analysis, and enterprise operations, including direct experience inside the initiative management environments examined in this research. This paper represents the applied research component of her MBA program and is built on three rounds of structured customer discovery interviews with senior leaders across eight countries. Her current commercial work, DaytaBrain, is an Initiative Operational Intelligence platform designed to address the structural signal gap described in this paper.

Caran can be contacted at: caran@daytatech.ai

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caranbradshaw

Website: www.daytatech.ai

THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY WARNING SIGNS

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:15:36 +0000

COMMENTARY

By Harold Kerzner, Ph.D. and Al Zeitoun, Ph.D.

California & Maryland, USA

INTRODUCTION _______________________________________________________

Companies have known for a long time that projects can and will have issues and there are often early warning signs that require assessment. Failing to address the early warning signs, and not doing it quickly, can lead to project failure.

Additionally, companies are no longer working on just traditional projects using the waterfall methodology. The risks associated with the new types of projects and their accompanying processes and methodologies have generated significant growth in the importance of early warning signs.

Fortunately, there has also been growth in project risk management, project metrics, and metric measurement techniques to allow organizations to make better identification of early warning signs of trouble and implement quicker solutions. A continual mindset shift in organizations towards this proactivity, directly contributes to increasing the likelihood of projects success.

THE EARLY YEARS ___________________________________________________

In the early years of project management, companies relied heavily upon periodic project health checks to determine overall project status and identify the causes of issues. The diagnostic health check tools were intended to identify problems and find solutions before they could escalate into larger issues. Although this was done with good intentions, many companies struggled. Periodic health checks were frequently performed monthly, or sometimes at longer intervals. This quite often delayed decision-making and the problems became worse.

As an example, if scope creep were the issue, it often took more than a month to conduct the relating health check and make a decision. When new features were added, there were serious issues with available resources, schedules, approvals, and quality. Regulating scope creep became expensive. Some fast-moving and high-risk projects began conducting health checks as frequently as weekly or bi-weekly when needed. More adaptable ways of working started making frequent health checks much more frequent and as an inherent part of the project teams’ common practices. Also, the health checks looked primarily at only time, cost, scope and risks. Today we know that there are many other factors that can identify early warning signs of trouble.

How to cite this article: Kerzner, H., Zeitoun, A. (2026). The Importance of Early Warning Signs, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at: https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Kerzner-Zeitoun-Early-Warning-Signs.pdf

About the Authors

Harold Kerzner, Ph.D., MS, M.B.A

Senior Executive Director for Project Management
International Institute of Learning
New York & California, USA

Dr. Harold Kerzner is Senior Executive Director for Project Management for the International Institute for Learning (IIL). He has an MS and Ph.D. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Utah State University. He is a prior Air Force Officer and spent several years at Morton-Thiokol in project management. He taught engineering at the University of Illinois and business administration at Utah State University, and for 38 years taught project management at Baldwin-Wallace University. He has published or presented numerous engineering and business papers and has had published more than 60 college textbooks/workbooks on project management, including later editions. Some of his books are (1) Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling; (2) Project Management Metrics, KPIs and Dashboards, (3) Project Management Case Studies, (4) Project Management Best Practices: Achieving Global Excellence, (5) PM 2.0: The Future of Project Management, (6) Using the Project Management Maturity Model, and (7) Innovation Project Management.

He is a charter member of the Northeast Ohio PMI Chapter.

Dr. Kerzner has traveled around the world conducting project management lectures for PMI Chapters and companies in Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Singapore, Korea, South Africa, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Croatia, Mexico, Trinidad, Barbados, The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Venezuela, Columbia, United Arab Emirates, France, Italy, England, and Switzerland. He delivered a keynote speech at a PMI Global Congress on the future of project management.

His recognitions include:

- The University of Illinois granted Dr. Kerzner a Distinguished Recent Alumni Award in 1981 for his contributions to the field of project management.

- Utah State University provided Dr. Kerzner with the 1998 Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the field of project management.

- The Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Project Management Institute gives out the Kerzner Award once a year to one project manager in Northeast Ohio that has demonstrated excellence in project management. They also give out a second Kerzner Award for project of the year in Northeast Ohio.

- The Project Management Institute (National Organization) in cooperation with IIL has initiated the Kerzner International Project Manager of the Year Award given to one project manager yearly anywhere in the world that demonstrated excellence in project management.

- The Project Management Institute also gives out four scholarships each year in Dr. Kerzner’s name for graduate studies in project management.

- Baldwin-Wallace University has instituted the Kerzner Distinguished Lecturer Series in project management.

- The Italian Institute of Project Management presented Dr. Kerzner with the 2019 International ISIPM Award for his contributions to the field of project management.

Dr. Harold Kerzner can be contacted at hkerzner@hotmail.com

Dr. Al Zeitoun, PgMP, PMI Fellow

System Thinker & Transformation Advisor
Maryland USA

Dr. Al Zeitoun is a Future of Work, business optimization, and operational performance excellence thought leader with global experiences in strategy execution. His experiences encompass leading organizations; delivering their Enterprise Digital and Business Transformation; guiding fitting frameworks implementations; and using his empathy, engineering insights, and collaboration strengths to successfully envision new business models and execute complex missions across diverse cultures globally.

In his recent role with Siemens, he was a Senior Director of Strategy responsible for driving the global program management practices, Master Plan governance, and enabling the Strategy Transformation processes and priorities.

In his position, as the Executive Director for Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Abu Dhabi, UAE, he was responsible for creating the strategy execution framework, achieving transformation benefits, governance excellence, and creating the data analytics discipline necessary for delivering on the $40B complex country energy mission roadmap.

At the McLean, USA HQ of Booz Allen Hamilton, Dr. Zeitoun strategically envisioned and customized digitally enabled EPMO advisory, mapped playbooks, and capability development for clients’ Billions of Dollars strategic initiatives. Furthermore, he led the firm’s Middle East North Africa Portfolio Management and Agile Governance Solutions.

With the International Institute of Learning, Dr. Zeitoun played a senior leader and global trainer and coach. He was instrumental in driving its global expansions, thought leadership, and operational excellence methodology to sense and shape dynamic ways of working across organizations worldwide. He speaks English, Arabic, and German and enjoys good food, travel, and volunteering. Dr. Al Zeitoun can be contacted at zeitounstrategy@gmail.com

Program Drift

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:15:38 +0000

Early Warning Signals in Large

Digital Transformation Programs

SECOND EDITION

By Cornelius Greyling

Florida, USA

Abstract

Major program failures do not usually arrive as sudden cataclysmic events. They do not hit a wall at high speed. More often, large-scale digital transformations gradually enter a degraded state where delivery remains active, governance stays in place, and reporting remains largely yellow. This paper defines that condition as “Program Drift”: the gradual loss of alignment between governance, plans, decisions, and execution while work continues and formal controls remain in place. Decision latency is a major mechanism, but drift also develops through planning divergence, unvalidated work, assumption-based continuation, fragmented ownership, and apparent closure that does not change execution. The paper also points to a limit in the dominant predict-and-control strain of project management. Traditional controls assume that with enough rigor, decomposition, and method discipline, delivery remains broadly manageable. In large transformations, that assumption captures only part of the problem. Drawing on practitioner experience across enterprise transformations and large ERP deployments, this paper highlights early warning signs of drift that can appear well before delivery failure is detected. It also discusses why these signs are ignored, how the very processes meant to address them can sometimes make the problem worse, and how Program Drift can be recognized early without adding more processes or tools.

Scope and Basis

This paper draws on repeated practitioner observations across large-scale enterprise transformation programs in banking, utilities, automotive, energy, retail, and other sectors, with particular attention to SAP and S/4HANA change. The patterns described here are presented as a qualitative diagnostic model intended to improve early visibility and intervention. Direct empirical research isolating decision latency as a standalone causal variable in large ERP or transformation programs remains limited. Most stronger evidence reaches the issue indirectly, through governance quality, role clarity, alignment, intervention timing, and decision-right allocation. That matters because those are the mechanisms through which lagging or missing decisions appear in real programs. Available evidence still points in a consistent direction: stronger governance is associated with lower delay, earlier recognition improves recovery odds, and ineffective decision structures are repeatedly linked to schedule and quality deterioration^[1] ^[2] Research on early warning signs in complex projects already shows that weak signals are often visible before formal failure is acknowledged (Williams, Klakegg, Walker, Andersen, & Magnussen, 2012). This paper builds on that foundation but shifts the lens to active delivery in large transformation programs, where the issue is not only whether weak signals are detected, but whether governance can still convert those signals into timely decisions and coordinated action.

Program Drift and Decision Capacity

1.1 Motion is not Control

“He who lets the sea lull him into a sense of security is in very grave danger.” – Hammond Innes

Mariners have an old problem that is easy to underestimate: a ship can appear to be making good progress and still be drifting off course. The danger is not the absence of motion. It is motion in the wrong direction, detected too late (Dekker, 2011). At sea, “set” is the direction of the current and “drift” is its speed.^[3] A navigator who mistakes movement for control may discover the error only when the next fix shows the vessel is no longer where the chart assumed it should be. Experienced navigators often sense earlier that “something is not lining up” before the deviation becomes large. But that instinct is usually pattern recognition built on instruments, visual cues, timing, and sea conditions, not some vague gut feeling.

More…

Editor’s note: Second Editions are previously published papers that have continued relevance in today’s project management world, or which were originally published in conference proceedings or in a language other than English. Original publication acknowledged; authors retain copyright. This paper was originally presented at the 18^th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2026. It is republished here with permission of the author and conference organizers.

How to cite this paper: Greyling, C. (2026). Program Drift: Early Warning Signals in Large Digital Transformation Programs; Originally presented at the 18^th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May, republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Greyling-Program-Drift.pdf

About the Author

Cornelius Greyling

Florida, United States

Cornelius Greyling is a senior project and program leader with nearly 30 years of experience working on large, complex digital transformation programs. His career began in Swiss financial services and has since taken him across Europe, Latin America, and the United States, leading enterprise transformations across a wide range of industries. He has held senior delivery and leadership roles at SAP, Natuvion, SNP, and international consulting organizations. His work focuses on how large transformation programs lose control while continuing to appear active, structured, and governed. He is PMP-certified and the author of Designed to Drift. He can be contacted through linkedin.com/in/greyling

[1] Khalid et al. found significant negative relationships between project governance and project delay (β = – 0.418), and between IT governance and project delay (β = -0.292).
[2] The UK Infrastructure and Projects Authority identifies ineffective decision-making as a recurring transformation challenge and states that ineffective decision-making bodies can severely affect schedule and quality of outcomes.
[3] In maritime navigation, “set” refers to the direction of the current and “drift” to its speed.

Post-Harvest Post-Mortem

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:35:59 +0000

STORY

By Dr. Kenneth Smith, PMP

Honolulu, Hawaii
& Manila, The Philippines

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions”
and in this instance
“Too many cooks spoiled the broth!”

Preamble: In September 1970 — after a sabbatical at MIT — I resumed duty at the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Technical Assistance Bureau (TAB) in Washington D.C. During November, I had a quick two-week temporary duty (TDY) assignment to the Dominican Republic (DR) at the request of Bill Averill, USAID’s Mission Agriculture Director there. [I had previously worked with Bill in Vietnam applying critical path, line of balance and other analytical tools to help plan & monitor rice production, land reform activities; and other ag. projects; together with his Deputy Bill Jansen and another AID/Washington Advisor, Earl Kulp.]

But this time, Bill wanted me to evaluate and write a report on a rice-grain silo project — not its actual name — that had gone horribly wrong, but he had “inherited”^[1] on arrival at the DR Mission.

Synopsis: Like many countries in Asia, the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean was primarily an agricultural country whose main food crop — rice – was produced by poor farm families on very small plots. However, before being able to store for family consumption, &/or market any surplus major post-harvest losses were experienced – primarily due to poor practices for drying the harvest, as well as inadequate & inappropriate storage. Ever-ready to assist, the USAID Mission contracted an agricultural consultant from Kansas State University on a short-term basis, to formulate a solution — or solutions — to their problems.

While I no longer have all the details in mind, nor a copy of the log-frame or my actual report to verify my comments here, — as best I recall from my “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” perspective then and now — the situation was as follows:

A short-term contract with an agriculture consultant from Kansas State University for a technical study of the production volume in each area and the drying and storage capacity that would be required to address the situation was undertaken. He recommended multiple readily-accessible small, prefabricated metal “Butler-type” grain silos — that could both dry and store the rice grain – be widely dispersed as the most appropriate solution. The silos were readily available in the U.S., and could be purchased there, shipped to, and imported by, the Dominican Republic; then transported to, and erected at numerous sites in close proximity to the rice growing areas in each of two main production areas – the North-West and the North-East regions of the Republic. After erection the silo mini-complexes could be managed, maintained and operated – either by farmer cooperatives or field agencies of the government.

With the short-term consultation concluded, the contractor went back to Kansas. So far, so good!

After arrival, I took the opportunity to field-test a new log-frame evaluation approach under consideration by USAID to scope the project’s “manageable interest’ & “development hypothesis” to better conceptualize it; then discussed it further with Bill and his technical & FSN staff. We identified & retrofitted the essential key performance indicators and targets; then I used the log-frame indicators as a guide to collect actual performance data, as well as obtain additional information about the resultant for my assessment and to write up my report.

More…

How to cite this article: Smith, K. F. (2026). Post-Harvest Post-Mortem. Story, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII – August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Smith-Dom-Rep-Rice-Post-Harvest-Post-Mortem-story.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Smith

Honolulu, Hawaii
& Manila, The Philippines

Initially a US Civil Service Management Intern, then a management analyst & systems specialist with the US Defense Department, Ken subsequently had a career as a senior foreign service officer — management & evaluation specialist, project manager, and in-house facilitator/trainer — with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Ken assisted host country governments in many countries to plan, monitor and evaluate projects in various technical sectors; working ‘hands-on’ with their officers as well as other USAID personnel, contractors and NGOs. Intermittently, he was also a team leader &/or team member to conduct project, program & and country-level portfolio analyses and evaluations.

Concurrently, Ken had an active dual career as Air Force ready-reservist in Asia (Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines) as well as the Washington D.C. area; was Chairman of a Congressional Services Academy Advisory Board (SAAB); and had additional duties as an Air Force Academy Liaison Officer. He retired as a ‘bird’ colonel.

After retirement from USAID, Ken was a project management consultant for ADB, the World Bank, UNDP and USAID.

He earned his DPA (Doctor of Public Administration) from the George Mason University (GMU) in Virginia, his MS from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Systems Analysis Fellow, Center for Advanced Engineering Study), and BA & MA degrees in Government & International Relations from the University of Connecticut (UCONN). A long-time member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and IPMA-USA, Ken is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and a member of the PMI®-Honolulu and Philippines Chapters.

Ken has two KENBOOKS: 1. Project Management PRAXIS which includes many innovative project management tools & techniques; and describes a “Toolkit” of related templates, and 2. MUSINGS on Project Management — a compilation of contemporary concerns in project planning, monitoring & evaluation, with some tools & techniques suggested for their solution. Either or both books are available from Amazon, and their related templates are available directly from him at kenfsmith@aol.com on proof of purchase.

To view other works by Ken Smith, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-kenneth-smith/

[1] NOTE: Although USAID personnel were designated ‘Managers’ and/or Advisors for USAID-sponsored Programs and Projects, actual day-to-day responsibility for implementation management rested with the host-country Ministry departmental staff, contractors &/or NGO-designated personnel. Our role was essentially advice, coordination, monitoring, facilitation and evaluation; as well as “Co-tars” i.e. Contract Office Technical Representatives.” Other USAID personnel were responsible for funding and auditing.

Furthermore, — unlike contract personnel who usually stayed with a project for its duration — USAID Managers and Advisors were assigned to Host Country Missions for fixed tours-of-duty – usually 2 or 4 years — then reassigned to other Missions; or rotated to AID/Washington. Due to lengthy project technical gestation periods and annual budget cycles — while supported in-country by a permanent Foreign Service National (FSN) staff – USAID Managers and Advisors inherited extant projects from Mission predecessors; to continue planning or implement, as well as plan new ones which they – in turn — passed on to their successors. Once in a while, USAID personnel also oversaw completions, or – rarely — terminations of projects they had never designed, or may not even have approved had they been involved in formulation, or consulted before finalization & approval – such as was this case.

August 2026 UK Project Management Round Up

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:22:12 +0000

Good news (New Stadium, Pennine Tunnels, Tower London Education Centre, Defence Investment Plan); Not so Good News (New Drug Project, Cost Creep, Spaced Out, Bridge Project Funding, New School Demolition); Other Project News (Commonwealth Games, Olympia Reopening. MOLA Dig, Northfleet Harbourside Mega Project); The Begging Bowl, Tunnels for Telescopes and Animal Risks

REPORT

By Dr. Miles Shepherd

Executive Advisor & International Correspondent

Salisbury, England, UK

INTRODUCTION

What a month! Hot weather, Wimbledon, World Cup, Farnborough Air Show, Commonwealth Games – all on top of mega matters the month before. Perhaps the major event to affect the UK project world is the assumption of power by yet another Prime Minister, our 7^th in 10 years. Naturally, a new Prime Minister brings new thinking, not just his/her own but political rivals, one of which called our New Leader (hereafter NL, not to be confused with the Netherlands) “a pair of eyelashes and a tee shirt”; the other obvious change is a new set of priorities. So far, we have had almost non-stop media release, usually at 6 a.m. but so far, not much on projects. No doubt NL’s impact on projects will become clear once we see how he reacts to all the demands for handouts.

And so on with the UK PM News – where we start with some good news

GOOD NEWS

New Projects

New Stadium. One to please NL, Manchester United have acquired most of the land needed to construct the UK’s biggest sporting arena. The 25-acre site, located approximately 350m north-west of the current stadium is intended to work cohesively with the wider Old Trafford regeneration strategy, ensuring optimum connectivity and the best possible experience for fans. The 370 acre regeneration project is expected to deliver around 15,000 new homes, including affordable housing, create 48,000 new jobs locally and over 90,000 nationally, and add more than £7 billion a year to the UK economy.

Pennine Tunnels. Ten years ago, a plan was put forward to build a tunnel through the Pennines. It would link Sheffield in the East with Manchester in the West, cost around £10 BN. Five routes for the project, involving boring two 15m-wide holes through the Peak District, were shortlisted by the government. At the time, concerns were raised about driver safety in the 20 mile long tunnel but fears were contrasted with the 15-mile Lærdal tunnel, northeast of Bergen in Norway and the 11-mile long Zhongnanshan tunnel in China. The plan was eventually abandoned but a new firm claims the tunnel can be achieved that for a fraction of the expected cost by copying the Scandinavians and using explosives rather than tunnel-boring machines. In a press release Michael Dnes, former head of future roads technology at the Department for Transport (DfT) and co-founder of Future Works, stated “We’ve concluded that it’s possible to dig the tunnel as much as 90 per cent cheaper than the government thought”. Laerdal, the world’s longest tunnel, was built in Norway for considerably less than the amount spent on planning permission for the still incomplete Lower Thames Crossing.

Tower of London Education Centre. Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) have launched a project to raise £70 million for a multimillion-pound plan will seek to modernise its educational and community facilities, turning the historic site into one of the world’s most unique learning spaces. The aim is to increase the number of annual school visits by 75,000 a year. HRP have already raised £20 million, the project is one of the largest single investments in the Tower since the 13th century when Henry III and Edward I expanded the palace which was constructed as part of the Norman Conquest toward the end of 1066.

Defence Investment Plan. OK, not a project as such but it can be viewed as starting point for a major program. The four-year financing package plan (2026/27 to 2029/30) totals some £298 billion including a £15 billion new funding boost to accelerate warfighting readiness, autonomous systems, munitions, and service housing upgrades.

More…

How to cite this report: Shepherd, M. (2026). UK Project Management Roundup, report, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Shepherd-UK-Regional-Report.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Miles Shepherd

Salisbury, UK

Dr. Miles Shepherd is an executive editorial advisor and international correspondent for the PM World Journal in the United Kingdom. He retired from a 30 year career in the British Army in 1994. He is also managing director for MS Projects Ltd, a consulting company supporting various UK and overseas Government agencies, nuclear industry organisations and other businesses. Miles has over 35 years’ experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, nuclear security, rail and business projects for the UK Government and EU. His consulting work has taken him to Japan, Taiwan, USA and Russia. Past Chair and Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair and a Fellow of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). He was, for seven years, a Director for PMI’s Global Accreditation Centre and is past Chair of the ISO committee developing new international standards for Project Management and for Program/Portfolio Management. He served on British Standards Institute project management committee (2002 – 2026) including 5 years as Chair. He was involved in setting up APM’s team developing guidelines for project management oversight and governance. Miles is based in Salisbury, England and can be contacted at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uk.

To view other works by Miles Shepherd, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at http://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/miles-shepherd/.

August 2026 Project Management Update from Italy

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:41:19 +0000

REPORT

By Alessandro Quagliarini

International Correspondent

Rome, Italy

First half 2026 activities from the Project

Management Communities’ Associations in Italy

Introduction

Project Management is undergoing a profound transformation. While the discipline has traditionally been associated with planning, scheduling, and project delivery, today’s organizations increasingly recognize it as a strategic capability that enables governance, organizational resilience, innovation, and sustainable value creation. This evolution is reflected not only in the continuous development of international standards and methodologies but also in the initiatives promoted by professional associations, academic institutions, and public organizations. In this second 2026 report from Italy, the contributions presented illustrate how the Italian Project Management community is actively supporting this transition through conferences, research, educational initiatives, organizational maturity models, and public sector engagement. Although each article focuses on a different initiative, together they provide a comprehensive picture of a profession that is expanding its role beyond project execution to become a key driver of organizational performance, public value, and societal development. They also demonstrate how collaboration among professionals, volunteers, institutions, and young practitioners continues to strengthen the Project Management community both nationally and internationally.

The Associations of Project Management Community in Italy

The Project Management Institute: Northern Italy’s Chapter (PMI-NIC)^[1]; Central Italy’s Chapter (PMI-Central Italy)^[2]; Southern Italy’s Chapter (PMI-SIC)^[3]

PMI Italy Forum 2026 – Steering the Future: Project Managers as Drivers of Transformation

On 19 June 2026, the PMI Italy Forum returned for its ninth national edition, bringing together project management professionals from across Italy at the Lingotto Congress Centre in Turin. Jointly organized by the PMI Northern Italy Chapter, PMI Central Italy Chapter, and PMI Southern Italy Chapter, the annual Forum has become the country’s flagship event dedicated to the advancement of project management knowledge, professional networking, and community engagement. Under the theme “Steering the Future,” this year’s Forum focused on the evolving role of Project Managers as leaders of organizational transformation, innovation, and sustainable value creation. More than a technical conference, the event offered an opportunity for practitioners, executives, academics, students, and institutional representatives to exchange ideas on how the profession is adapting to an increasingly complex, digital, and rapidly changing environment. Hosted by the PMI Northern Italy Chapter, the 2026 edition welcomed participants from every region of Italy, including a large delegation of members and volunteers from the PMI Southern Italy Chapter. Throughout the day, the Forum once again demonstrated one of PMI’s greatest strengths: its ability to connect professionals from different industries, organizations, universities, and institutions while fostering collaboration and the exchange of experiences.

More…

[1] https://www.pmi.org/chapters/northern-italy
[2] https://www.pmi-centralitaly.org/
[3] https://www.pmi-sic.org/

How to cite this work: Quagliarini, A. (2026). First half 2026 activities from the Project Management Communities’ Associations in Italy, Project Management Update from Italy, report, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at: https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Quagliarini-project-management-Report-from-Italy-English.pdf

About the Author

Alessandro Quagliarini

Rome, Italy

Alessandro Quagliarini, PhD, MScEng, PMP, MBA, is an experienced Program Manager, with more than 18 years of experience in the ICT sector. He holds a Master’s Degree in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and a Doctor’s degree in Business Administration from the Bologna University Business School. He got both PMP® and ISIPM-Av® advanced certifications in Project Management, and he is also certified as an Information Management Systems Lead Auditor. He is a Member of the Board of the “Italian Institute of Project Management” (ISIPM) for ten years, and he is an Accredited Teacher in Project Management.

Alessandro is currently engaged in the “Digital Transformation” engineering and industrialization programs of the new Italian “Open Fiber” telecommunications network, with particular focus on the engineering of delivery and assurance processes for the provision of retail, business and industries customers, on the operational management and procurement support for the definition of specifications and contracts, on the definition of operating rules/ instructions for maintenance and of requirements for systems development, on the support to the commercial and regulatory lines for the definition of services and processes for customers (Other Licensed Operators and Industries), and on the definition and management of operations compliance with ISO Standards and International Best Practices.

As a Member of the ISIPM Board, he focuses his volunteer activities mainly on the cultural diffusion of the project management to young people – specifically to high school students and also staff, including teachers. As an ISIPM accredited teacher, he has taught project management in public and private institutions, in schools and in universities. He has experience in the organization of events and as a speaker in conferences, and also in proposing and managing EU-funded projects.

Alessandro can be contacted at a.quagliarini@gmail.com

To view other works by Alessandro Quagliarini, visit his author showcase at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/alessandro-quagliarini/

August 2026 Finland Project Management Roundup

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:49:29 +0000

Updates about Association of Project Professionals Finland;

PMI Finland Chapter; Kruunusillat [Crown Bridges] projects;

Hailuoto island Causeway project

REPORT

By Dr Jouko Vaskimo

International Correspondent & Senior Contributing Editor

Espoo, Finland

INTRODUCTION

This roundup continues the coverage of Project Professionals Finland, PMI Finland Chapter and some of the key projects currently going on in Finland.

Project Professionals Finland

Project Professionals Finland (PPF) is a not-for-profit organization, and the International Project Management Association (IPMA) Member Association (MA) in Finland.

Founded in 1978, PPF promotes the interaction, project-oriented thinking, and exchange and development of practical and theoretical knowledge among project management professionals with over 4000 individual and 200 organizational members. PPF organizes two annual conferences: Projektipäivät in late fall and 3PMO in early summer.

The 2026 3PMO event took place on 4.6.2026 at Tampere Sokos hotel conference center Tornin Paja, with the theme The value of PMO in the balance ! Projektipäivät will take place on 20 … 21.10.2026 at the Messukeskus convention center in Helsinki with the theme Back to the Future >>> The future of project world ? Please navigate to www.pry.fi/en for general information on PPF, and to www.pry.fi/en/events for further information on PPF events.

PMI FINLAND CHAPTER

PMI Finland Chapter is a not-for-profit organization providing project practitioners in Finland continuous learning, networking and community support. The Chapter was founded in 2005. Today, with over 500 members, the chapter is increasingly recognized as a community where its members can enhance their project management and leadership skills, as well as network with other project management professionals.

PMI Finland Chapter hosts a number of events such as Breakfast Round Tables, regular meetings taking place once a month in Helsinki and occasionally also in other locations. The chapter members have the opportunity to attend events for free or with a discount and the chapter sends its members a regular newsletter with localized content on project management. Additionally, the Chapter supports its members in their professional development and training.

The PMI Finland Chapter 2026 annual conference took place on Thursday, 8 October 2026 in Helsinki, with the theme What does Future-Fit Project Leadership mean in practice ?

Please navigate to https://pmi-fi.org/ for general information on the PMI Finland Chapter, and to https://pmi-fi.org/2026-annual-conference for further information on the 2026 conference.

KRUUNUSILLAT

The Kruunusillat project is proceeding with the construction of a string of bridges to traverse Kruunuvuorenselkä, a waterway east of the Helsinki downtown area, and to establish a new tram line to connect the Laajasalo, Korkeasaari and Kalasatama areas to the downtown area by means of 10 km light rail line. The project comprises a combination of fixed-priced and alliance contracts with a range of contractors.

More…

To read entire welcome article, click here

How to cite this report: Vaskimo, J. (2026). August 2026 Finland Project Management Roundup, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Vaskimo-Finland-Project-Management-Roundup-report.pdf

About the Author

Dr Jouko Vaskimo

Espoo, Finland

Dr. Jouko Vaskimo is an International Correspondent and Senior Contributing Editor for PM World in Finland. Jouko graduated M.Sc. (Tech.) from Helsinki University of Technology in 1992, and D.Sc. (Tech.) from Aalto University in 2016. He has held several project management related positions with increasing levels for responsibility. Jouko holds a number of professional certificates in the field of project management, such as the IPMA Level C (Project Manager), IPMA Level B (Senior Project Manager), PMP, PRINCE2 Foundation, and PRINCE2 Practitioner. Jouko is also a Certified Scrum Master and SAFe Agilist. Jouko is a member of the Project Management Association Finland, a founding member of PMI Finland Chapter, and the immediate past chairman of the Finnish IPMA Certification Body operating IPMA certification in Finland. Since October 2007, he has been heading the Finnish delegation to ISO/TC 258. Jouko resides in Espoo, Finland and can be best contacted at jouko.vaskimo@aalto.fi . For more information please navigate to www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jouko-vaskimo-6285b51 .

To view other works by Jouko Vaskimo, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at http://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/jouko-vaskimo/

Welcome to the August 2026 PMWJ

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 21:39:57 +0000

WELCOME

By David L. Pells

Managing Editor

Addison, Texas, USA

Welcome to the August 2026 edition of the PM World Journal (PMWJ), our 167^th monthly and 14^th anniversary edition. This month’s PMWJ is another diverse and interesting edition, with 56 new works by 63 different authors representing 20 different countries. The new additions this month bring our totals to 5,907 works by 2,361 different authors representing 90+ countries published in the PMWJ to date and archived in the PM World Library.

Introduction – Scaling Up, Then What

In truth, I am writing this welcome before all contents have been posted in the journal, so the above numbers may end up or down a few. Three papers are awaiting final approval by authors, which may come in before the day is out. But as it is 6 August, I already feel too late this month. We haven’t changed processes; it’s just the increasing numbers of submissions. Clearly our visibility and reputation are growing, as we are getting submittals by more new authors, 28 this month alone. This is all positive, but it’s requiring us to take scaling up more seriously. What happens when the numbers keep growing each month?

Our cutoff date is now the 20^th of each month, as it has been for years. But it’s now a hard stop date for accepting more submissions. Any manuscripts received after the 20^th of each month will go into the queue for the following month’s edition. Exceptions can be made for correspondents, series authors or regular contributors whose submissions are in our standard format. The problem is with new submittals that have to be reformatted, some of which take hours. It seems that too many new authors haven’t read our Author Guidelines on the PMWJ website. Please, read our publishing policies and processes and Author Guidelines under the ABOUT and AUTHORS tabs on the journal homepage.

All these issues and especially the growth of the PMWJ are forcing us to get more serious about finding a new home for the PMWJ and Library. Production is becoming too much work , even with Miles now helping so much. We don’t plan to give the journal and library away, since too many simply value something based on how much they pay. Neither do we want to be inflexible or unreasonable. We want the journal and library to continue to grow. I personally feel that they have become world class resources for sharing knowledge and continuous learning in program and project management. These can immediately provide a PM association, university or corporation with global reach and visibility and a massive database of PM content in the library. If you have an interest or have questions, please contact me at editor@pmworldjournal.com

Now, This month in the Journal

In addition to this welcome article, Dr. Miles Shepherd has provided another short “From the Executive Editor’s Desk.” Miles, who is leading our Peer Review Program, has become more involved with reviewing papers submitted for publication. He offers some useful advice here for both new and experienced authors. Thank you, Miles.

Three Letters to the Editor are included in this edition. Please read the wonderful one from Yamanta Niroula in Kathmandu, who has perfectly captured what we have been trying to achieve each month. Dr. Ken Smith in Manila responds to a recent article on probability estimates. Ken Bainey in Canada shares some information about his book on applying guidance in the recent PMBOK Guide, 8^th edition. Thank you to these three readers; I hope more of you will offer feedback on what you read in the PMWJ.

11 Featured Papers are included this month, by authors in five countries. The papers are grouped into three subsections this month, as follows: Governance of Programs and Projects; Project Cost, Schedule, Scope and Quality Management; and Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Projects. Each month, the groupings will be determined by the primary subjects of submitted papers. Featured papers are a mix of academic and professional research, by professors, graduate students and very senior project management practitioners…

More…

Visit the latest edition of the PMWJ at www.pmworldjournal.com

How to cite this work: Pells, D.L. (2026). Welcome to the August 2026 PMWJ; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Pells-Welcome-to-the-August-2026-pmwj-2.pdf

About the Author

David L. Pells

Managing Editor, PMWJ
Managing Director, PMWL

David L. Pells, PMI Fellow, HonFAPM, ISIPM, PMA is Managing Editor and publisher of the PM World Journal (www.pmworldjournal.com) and Managing Director of the PM World Library (www.pmworldlibrary.net). David is an internationally recognized leader in the field of professional project management with nearly 50 years of experience on a variety of programs and projects, including engineering, construction, energy, defense, transit, technology and nuclear security, and project sizes ranging from thousands to billions of dollars. He recently acted as a program management advisor for two major U.S. national nuclear security programs.

David Pells has been an active professional leader in the United States since the 1980s, as founder and president of several PMI chapters, founder of PMI’s first SIG (Project Earth), and member of the PMI board of directors twice. He was founder and chair of the Global Project Management Forum (1995-2000), an annual meeting of leaders of PM associations from around the world. David was awarded PMI’s Person of the Year award in 1998 and Fellow Award, PMI’s highest honor, in 1999. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM) in the UK; the Instituto Italiano di Project Management (ISIMP) in Italy; and Project Management Associates (PMA) in India.

Former managing editor of PM World Today, he is the creator, editor and publisher of the PM World Journal (ISSN: 2330-4880) and creator and curator of the PM World Library. David has a BA in Business Administration from the University of Washington and an MBA from Idaho State University in the USA. He has published widely and spoken at conferences and events worldwide. David lives near Dallas, Texas and can be contacted at editor@pmworldjournal.com.

To see other works by David Pells, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at http://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/david-l-pells/

An Anatomy of Corruption Patterns

David Pells — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:29:57 +0000

In Building Projects Procurement in Nigeria

SECOND EDITION

By ⁱIsma’il Umar, ⁱⁱMusa-Haddary Yakubu Gimson, ⁱⁱⁱ Chindo Peter Gangas and ^ivAbdullahi Muhammad

ⁱDepartment of Quantity Surveying
Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic Kazaure
Jigawa State, Nigeria

^{ii, iii, & iv} Department of Quantity Surveying
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Corruption in the Construction Industry is referred to the misuse of delegated responsibility by morally depraved professionals for their private gain. This research is intended to identify the most prevalent types of corruption in the construction sector with specific reference to the Nigerian building projects procurement through “Delphi Survey and Nominal Group Technique (NGT)”. Based on an extensive literature review, an initial list of ninety-one (91) corruption risk indicators in public construction projects were established. This list was adopted to serve as the basis for the development of corruption risk indicators specifically in the context of building construction projects procurement in Nigeria via two-round Delphi survey with seven (7) industrial experts and academics; two (2) Quantity Surveyors, two (2) Architects and three (3) Engineers. Similarly, (28) different types of corruption prevalent in the context of construction, engineering, and the procurement sectors were captured from a comprehensive literature review which were further refined into five different constructs was also adapted in the NGT in order to identify the most prevalent types of corruption in the context of building projects procurement in Nigeria and as well to employ in developing the conceptual framework. Collusive practices are the most manifested corrupt practices with 33% at needs assessment stage (NAS), 56% at project design and documentation (PPD), 70% at tendering and contract award stage (TCA), 70% at contract execution stage (CES) and 100% at defect liability and final account stage (DLFA). Collusive practices have overall chance of 68% occurrence in the procurement of building projects in Nigeria. This is followed by bribery-related corrupt practices with 17% at NAS, 33% at PPD, 10% at TCA, 10% at CES and 0% at DLFA with overall 16% likelihood to ensue in the procurement of building projects in Nigeria which mostly initiate by supply side of corruption. The study recommends that the government should integrate anti-corruption measures at all stages of building projects procurement and any contract award within the industry should follow an upright process as outlined in the public procurement Act 2007 among others.

Keywords: Corruption, Building Projects, Construction Industry, Delphi Survey, Nominal Group Technique

1.0 Introduction

Nigeria was classified as the most corrupt country out of 54 countries in a 1996 survey on corruption conducted by Transparency International (TI) and Goettrigen University, with Pakistan coming in second (Moore, 1997). Nigeria was ranked 81st out of 85 countries in a 1978 study by the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) (Lip Set and Lenz, 2000). In 2001 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) placed Nigeria 90th out of 91 nations, occupied second position as the most corrupt nation with Bangladesh coming first. Nigeria was ranked 147th out of 179 nations in the 2007 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (Arowolo, 2018). This is owed to the supposition that the procurement process is the most vulnerable globally, and also the construction industry responsible for executing infrastructure and other related projects is considered as the second most corrupt industry globally (Krishnan 2010; Kottasova2014).

In most developing countries, existing literature and reports reveal how corruption has plagued the public procurement processes, which are also traceable in public construction projects (Zhang, et al., 2022). Olukoyede (2024), economic and financial crime commission (EFCC) chairman advanced that more than ninety percent (90%) of public corruption cases under investigations in Nigeria are tied to procurement processes and according to Ayodele et al. (2010) on bribery and corruption in the Nigerian construction industry, for a particular project the amount ranges from 5% to 15% and sometimes up to 40% of the contract sum is often illegally expended in bribery and other forms of corruption to officials in government offices during contract award, execution and payment processes…

More…

Editor’s note: Second Editions are previously published papers that have continued relevance in today’s project management world, or which were originally published in conference proceedings or in a language other than English. Original publication acknowledged; authors retain copyright. This paper was originally presented at the 1^st International Conference, The Quantity Surveyor’s Edge, Department of Quantity Surveying, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, 25-26 June 2025. It is republished here with permission of the authors and conference organizers.

How to cite this paper: Umar, I., Gimson, M-H. Y., Gangas, C. P., Muhammad, A., (2025, 2026). An Anatomy of Corruption Patterns In Building Projects Procurement in Nigeria; Originally presented at the 1^st International Conference, The Quantity Surveyor’s Edge, Department of Quantity Surveying, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, 25-26 June 2025; republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Umar-et-al-Anatomy-of-Corruption-Paterns.pdf

About the Authors

Isma’il Umar

Jigawa State, Nigeria

Isma’il Umar received his B.Tech. Quantity Surveying from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi state and M.sc Quantity Surveying from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He worked with Borini Prono & Co. Nigeria Limited as site Quantity Surveyor and later Transmission Company of Nigeria. He joined Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure as lecturer from 2000 to date. Currently a Chief Lecturer in the Quantity Surveying Department. He has research interest in Procurement of Construction Works, Application of Machine Learning in Construction and Computer Vision in Construction. Isma’il is a Corporate Member, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and a Registered Quantity Surveyor with Quantity Surveyors’ Registration Board of Nigeria.

Dr. Musa-Haddary Yakubu Gimson

Kaduna State, Nigeria

Dr. Musa-Haddary Yakubu Gimson is a Professor of Quantity Surveying specializing in cost-value optimization of construction projects. He has mentored dozens of respected scholars in over four decades of lecturing in higher institutions, research efforts; include project management, procurement, risk and value management among others. Prof. Musa-Haddary is a registered Quantity Surveyor.

Peter Gangas Chindo, PhD

Kaduna State, Nigeria

Peter Gangas Chindo, PhD is Professor in the Department of Quantity Surveying, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. He is currently the Head of the Department and holds a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying, MSc in Construction Management and PhD in Quantity Surveying. He has research interest in Construction Manpower Training and Management, Project Cost Management and Monitoring and Strategic Management of Construction Firms. Prof Chindo is a corporate member of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyor.

Abdullahi Muhammad, PhD

Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abdullahi Muhammad, PhD is an Associate Professor of Quantity Surveying at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He had his first degree in Quantity Surveying; Masters in Project Management; and PhD in Quantity Surveying, all from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was at the University of Florida in the year 2017 as a visiting scholar to accomplish the last part of his PhD research that required the use of BIM laboratories and other data schema development tools. He was the Director of Public Procurement Research Centre, Ahmadu Bello University from 2020-2024. Dr. Abdullahi is currently the Deputy Centre Leader for in charge of Procurement Management Programmes at the Sustainable Procurement, Environment & Social Standards Centre of Excellence (a World Bank Sponsored project on capacity development on ‘Public Procurement, Environment & Social Standards’). He has published several articles in reputable journals and has attended many international conferences Dr. Abdullahi is a registered Quantity Surveyor (RQS), corporate member of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (MNIQS) and was privileged to present papers at some NIQS national and state chapters’ workshops across the country.

Development of an Integrated Cost and Schedule Estimation Framework

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:52:40 +0000

for ASME B31.3 Pipeline Projects

FEATURED PAPER

By Naufal Abdurrahman

Jakarta, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

This paper develops a probabilistic–parametric rule of thumb model to support CAPEX Class 4 (feasibility) estimates for ASME B31.3 product pipelines (BBM, non‑internal coating) in a national Indonesian oil and gas company. Historically, estimates were based on deterministic spreadsheets and single‑point values, increasing the risk of cost overruns and schedule delays. The methodology standardizes WBS/CBS structures, builds a scalable historical database from 50 downstream pipeline projects (normalized to 100 m segments and expressed in ounces of gold at a P80 gold‑price index), and derives empirical cost and time distributions. Four functional forms (linear, power, logarithmic, exponential) are calibrated using regression and evaluated using R², MSE, and ANOVA. The power model provides the best fit and is adopted to estimate cost and duration as functions of diameter, location, and year of construction. The resulting model accelerates feasibility studies while remaining consistent with AACE Class 4 accuracy expectations.

Keywords: Parametric Model, ASME B31.3, Pipeline, Cost Estimate, Forecasting Growth using Gold Price, National Oil Company, Capex Class 4.

INTRODUCTION

Oil and gas are the most used energy sources worldwide, accounting for 36.4% of primary energy consumption and 94.5% of global energy used for transportation. Maggio and Cacciola argue that world oil production can be modeled with ”a variant of the Hubbert curve”^[1] to project long-term supply trends…

More…

Author’s note: This paper was originally prepared during a 6-month-long Graduate-Level Competency Development/Capacity Building Program developed by PT Mitrata Citragraha and led by Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo to prepare candidates for AACE CCP or other Certifications. https://build-project-management-competency.com/our-faqs/

How to cite this paper: Abdurrahman, N. (2026). Development of an Integrated Cost and Schedule Estimation Framework for ASME B31.3 Pipeline Projects; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Abdurrahman-Estiimation-Framework-for-Pipeline-Projects.pdf

About the Author

Naufal Abdurrahman

Jakarta, Indonesia

Naufal Abdurrahman is an engineer with over six years of professional experience in the oil and gas sector. He currently serves as a Cost Analyst Engineer at the national oil company of Indonesia. Throughout his career, he has been involved in various downstream oil and gas projects, including fuel terminal, pipeline, storage tank and related infrastructure. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from University of Indonesia (UI). Currently, he is participating in a distance learning mentoring program under the supervision of Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE, MScPM, MRICS, GPM-m, Senior Technical Advisor at PT Mitratata Citragraha, as part of his preparation toward obtaining the Certified Cost Professional (CCP) certification from AACE.

Naufal lives in Jakarta, Indonesia, and can be contacted at: naufalabd1990@gmail.com

[1] Maggio, G., & Cacciola, G. (2009). A variant of the Hubbert curve for world oil production forecasts. Energy Policy, 37(11), 4761-4770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.06.053

The Impact of Professional Work Ethics

David Pells — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:05:47 +0000

on Productivity in Construction Consultancy

SECOND EDITION

By Dr Uchechi Vanessa Alintah-Abel ⁱ, Charity U. Ekekezie, PhDⁱⁱ, Nwobu Ifeanyichukwu Chukwunoso ⁱ

ⁱDepartment of Quantity Surveying
Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

ⁱⁱDepartment of Building
Enugu State University of Science and Technology
Agbani, Enugu State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The impact of Professional work ethics on productivity in construction consultancy cannot be underestimated as productivity contributes to the organization’s success. The objectives of the study are to identify professional work ethics and evaluate the impact of these work ethics, with emphasis on construction consultants in Enugu and Anambra States. To achieve these objectives, a total number of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered on targeted respondents. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical (Person Correlation). Percentage and mean score (MIS) of the variables were also obtained and ranked accordingly in the presentation of the results. From the analysis of the investigation carried out, results showed that integrity, responsibility and respect are the most identified work ethics and has the greatest impact on productivity. There is a significant relationship between professional work ethics and productivity. More so, the evaluation of the impacts of professional work ethics on productivity will help to increase client’s satisfaction, improve company’s reputation and minimize potential lawsuits. The research concludes that inculcating professional work ethics in day-to-day work can improve the work performance and productivity of individuals at the workplace and subsequently affect organizational growth.

Keywords: Work Ethics, Productivity, Construction, Consultancy, Project

1.0 Introduction

In today’s competitive building construction markets, achieving clients’ satisfaction is of utmost importance. Achieving client satisfaction is key in procuring future projects (Durdyev, Ihtiyar, Banaitis & Thurnell, 2018) and it adds value to the organization and has been identified as an effective tool for competitive advantage. The foundation of effective consulting lies in the ability to remain impartial and transparent, even under pressure. As consultants, we are often entrusted with sensitive information and are expected to provide unbiased advice. Hence, construction consultants have to go a long way to see that the clients who they are working for are satisfied. Professionals are expected to exhibit high level of professionalism by adhering to their professional ethics when discharging their duties (Usman, Inuwa & Iro 2012). While consultants provide critical insights and drive organizational change, maintaining high standards of ethics ensures the integrity of their work and fosters long-term client relationships.

Project Management Consultancies are essential for expediting the completion of construction projects within specified timeframes and budget constraints. Their involvement is imperative for fulfilling the requirements of financial institutions, meeting project deadlines, ensuring construction quality, and effectively executing all project activities from initiation to completion. Employing Project Management Consultancies not only enables the fulfilment of client needs but also plays a crucial role in achieving client satisfaction (Niraj, Eniya & Renu, 2024).

Though the consulting industry is evolving, the importance of ethics and professionalism remains constant. Organisational growth depends on the contribution of every employee at all levels. The performance of any company is affected by the work ethics that exist in its employees…

More…

How to cite this paper: Alintah-Abel, U. V., Ekkekezie, C. U., Nwobu, Chukwunoso, N. I. (2026). The Impact of Professional Work Ethics on Productivity in Construction Consultancy; Originally presented at the 1^st International Conference, The Quantity Surveyor’s Edge, Department of Quantity Surveying, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, 25-26 June 2025; republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Alintah-Abel-et-al-Impact-of-Professional-Work-Ethics-2.pdf

About the Authors

Dr Uchechi Vanessa Alintah-Abel, PhD

Enugu, Nigeria

Dr Uchechi Vanessa Alintah-Abel, is a distinguished Quantity Surveyor, academic, and researcher that, holds both MSc. and Ph.D in Construction Management. She is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and a registered Quantity Surveyor. She is a Lecturer in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and currently the head of the Department. With many years of experience in higher education, she has built her career across institutions like Enugu state University of Science and Technology, Enugu and Institute of Management and technology, Enugu. She has been involved in execution of high-profile jobs with consistently exceptional results. Email: uv.alintah-abel@unizik.edu.ng

Charity Ekekezie, PhD

Enugu, Nigeria

Charity Ekekezie, PhD holds a Doctorate in Construction management from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Dr. Ekekezie is a registered builder and a fellow and currently the heads the Department of Building, Enugu State University of Science and Technology Enugu Nigeria.

Nwobu Ifeanyichukwu Chukwunoso

Anamabra State, Nigeria

Nwobu Ifeanyichukwu Chukwunoso holds an MSc in Construction Economics, Construction Management. He is a lecturer in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anamabra State. He is a Member, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and a Member Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria. He is equally consultant in various projects.

The Impact of Construction Project Managers’ Attributes

David Pells — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 16:34:11 +0000

on Project Success in Ogun State, Nigeria

SECOND EDITION

By Taiwo Rotimi Ebenezer ⁱ, Solomon Michael Ojo ⁱⁱ, Shakirudeen Olawale Yusuf ⁱⁱⁱ

ⁱDepartment of Quantity Surveying Services, State Secretariat
ⁱⁱDepartment of Quantity Surveying, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic
ⁱⁱⁱDepartment of Architectural Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic

Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Every construction project is unique and engulfed with various challenges impeding successful completion. Previous researchers underscored the relevant proactive project management attributes in effective project delivery. However, how these attributes affect cost and time is underdeveloped scholastically. This study focused on the impact of construction project managers attributes on cost and time as part of significant determinants of project success rate in Ogun state with a view to providing information that will enhance process of project delivery. The objectives of the study include Identification and assessment of the attributes of construction project managers on project delivery and evaluate the impact of construction project managers attributes on cost and time performances of building project in the study area. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire using stratified and random sampling techniques to top management construction professionals in Ogun State. Forty-seven (47) retrieved questionnaire were analyzed using Relative Importance Index (RII) and ranking with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 24.0). The findings of the research revealed that significant managers management attributes that impact on cost and time of construction project basically include leadership ability, communication and administration skills. The study recommends that construction project managers must acquire and discharge these attributes as this will help to minimize cost and time overruns ceteris-paribus which will be of client’s interest, restore client’s confidence in construction project manager, reduce investment risks, and generally boost the viability of construction projects.

Keywords: Construction, Project Mangers, Project Success, Impact, Ogun State.

1.0 Introduction

Construction is a process consisting of the building or assembling of products. Ofori (2000) defined construction industry development as a deliberate and managed process to improve the capacity and effectiveness of the construction industry to meet the national economic demand for building and civil engineering products, and to support sustained national economic and social development objectives. It includes all internal and external stakeholders who in some way or another promote the industry’s policies, procedures, practices and culture. The construction industry is vital to the development of any nation and serves as major yardsticks for the measurement of economic growth which encompasses the physical infrastructures, such as buildings, roads, bridges among others (Agbataekwe, 2005; Dantata, 2008).

Construction project development involves numerous parties, various processes, different phases and stages of work and a great deal of input from construction project managers, to ensure successful projects conclusion. These multidisciplinary natures of the construction industry require a construction project manager using its attributes to lead its activities on site, for overall planning control and co-ordination of a project. Multidisciplinary approach in the sense that various professionals comprising the architects, Quantity surveyors, Engineers, Builders and artisans are involved in construction process each with different duties and expertise (Okuntade, 2014). The construction project manager with supervisory role should possess necessary attributes and commitment to work in collaboration with its primary role which is to deliver the project at the agreed time, cost and to the required quality.

More…

How to cite this paper: Ebenezer, T. R., Ojo, S. M., Yusuf, S. O. (2026). The Impact of Construction Project Managers’ Attributes on Project Success in Ogun State, Nigeria; Originally presented at the 1^st International Conference, The Quantity Surveyor’s Edge, Department of Quantity Surveying, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, 25-26 June 2025; republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Ebenezer-et-al-Impact-of-PM-Attributes-on-Project-Success.pdf

About the Authors

Rotini Taiwo Ebenezer

Ogun State, Nigeria

Rotimi Taiwo is a Cost Manager at Turner & Townsend, where he provides cost management and commercial oversight for major capital construction projects. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Georgia State University, a Master of Science in Construction Management from the University of Lagos, and a

Bachelor of Science degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe. He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and a Registered Quantity Surveyor with the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN). His research interests include construction management, cost engineering, project controls, sustainable infrastructure, and digital innovation in the built environment. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Rotimi has extensive experience delivering complex construction projects while ensuring effective cost control regulatory compliance, and project excellence.

Solomon Michael Ojo

Ogun State, Nigeria

Solomon Michael OJO is a lecturer at Department of Quantity Surveying, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun state, with BSc. (QS), MSc (QS); PhD (QS) – In view. His research Interest is onInnovation in Quantity Surveying Practices; Sustainable Project Management.

Solomon Michael OJO is a registered Quantity Surveyor, certified carbon assessor, and academic researcher whose research focus centers on innovation in Quantity Surveying practices and sustainable project management. His PhD research addresses the low innovation peculiar to construction industry by developing a demographic-based strategies for improving innovation among Quantity Surveyors in Nigeria.

Shakirudeen Olawale Yusuf

Ogun State, Nigeria

Shakirudeen Olawale Yusuf lecturer at Department of Architectural Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun state, with MSc (Architecture); PhD (Architecture) – In view. His Research Interest is on Resilient peri‑urban land governance; Participatory GIS; Circular Economy; and Architectural Planning.

Shakirudeen Olawale Yusuf is a registered architect, certified arbitrator, and academic researcher whose research centers on resilient peri‑urban land governance, integrating Participatory GIS, Circular Economy, and Architectural Planning to address tenure insecurity, land‑use conflict, and ecological stress. He delves into the investigation of construction project management to unravel issues of conflicts leading to arbitration borne out of cost and time performance in building projects. Together, these interests advance sustainable, adaptive, and efficient approaches to urban growth and project delivery in Nigeria.

Six Decades Later

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:58:05 +0000

Modernizing the Happel Factor for

Cost Estimation in Oil and Gas Projects

FEATURED PAPER

By Robbii Adriansyah Kullit

Depok, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Equipment-factored estimation methods for storage terminal projects were developed decades ago for chemical process plants and have not been updated to reflect current Indonesian construction conditions — leaving a critical gap in Class 4 estimation at the FEL-2 Assess gate. This paper identifies, selects, and updates the most suitable equipment-factored estimation method to fill this gap. A structured Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) analysis — comprising Non-Compensatory and Compensatory models — was applied to four candidate methods, selecting the Happel Factor with an Additive Weighting score of 0.967. The updated factor was derived from level 2 estimate records encompassing more than 15,000 WBS cost elements from completed storage terminal projects (2019–2025), with outlier analysis conducted using IQR and MAD methods simultaneously. A Monte Carlo simulation using a lognormal distribution generated probabilistic contingency provisions at P70, P80, and P90 confidence levels. Back-test results confirm estimates within the AACE Class 4 accuracy range of -30% to +50% at P70 to P90 (+6% to +47%). This paper provides the first published, data-validated equipment-factored estimation framework for Indonesian storage terminal projects.

Keywords: Happel Factor, Cost Estimation, Front-End Loading, Oil and Gas Projects, Capital Cost

INTRODUCTION

The Importance of Cost Estimating

Cost estimating is the process to produce an ‘educated guess’ of what a program, project, work package, or activity will cost at some point in the future, while cost budgeting is taking that approved estimate and allocating it over time by cost loading the phased, work packages or activities. Explained another way, cost estimating is the process of generating a monetary value or range of values for management to review and accept.” “Upon acceptance, this value or range of values becomes the time-phased budget for the program, project, work package, or activity against which progress against the plan is assessed, analyzed, evaluated, the output of which is used by management to make decisions.” ^[1]

“The cost estimation, including both fixed and variable costs, varies at each project design stage—such as concept screening, preliminary study, budget authorization, budget control, and construction—because the quality and quantity of available information differ across these stages of the project life cycle.”^[2]

More…

How to cite this paper: Kullit, R. A. (2026). Six Decades Later: Modernizing the Happel Factor for Cost Estimation in Oil and Gas Projects; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Kulit-Six-Decades-Later-paper.pdf

About the Author

Robbii Adriansyah Kullit

Depok, Indonesia

Robbii Adriansyah Kullit is an engineer with over twelve years of professional experience in the oil and gas sector. Currently, he works as an engineer at Indonesia’s national oil company. Several projects have been completed across various downstream oil and gas projects, including fuel and LPG terminals and related infrastructure, with a focus on design and cost engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and professional engineer from Gadjah Mada University. He is attending a distance learning mentoring course, under the tutelage of Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE, MScPM, MRICS, GPM-m, Senior Technical Advisor at PT Mitratata Citragraha to attain Certified Cost Professional (CCP) certification from AACE International.

Robbii lives in Depok, Indonesia, and can be contacted at:adriansyah.kullit@gmail.com

[1] PTMC, & Giammalvo, P. D. (2021). Unit 10- Managing Cost Estimating and Budgeting. In Project Controls/PMO Handbook of “Best Tested and PROVEN Practices.

[2] Cheali, P., Gernaey, K. V., & Sin, G. (2015, February 6). Uncertainties in early-stage capital cost estimation of process design – A case study on Biorefinery design. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/energy-research/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2015.00003/ful l

Optimizing Fuel Pump and Filling Shed

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:04:23 +0000

with Standardized Multidimensional-WBS

and Bidding Template for FEL Improvement

FEATURED PAPER

By Peter Lewis Hamonangan Panjaitan

Balikpapan, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The increased urgency to revitalize pump and filling shed assets identified as high-criticality components is driven by growing fuel demand in Indonesia and ageing fuel terminals. The National Oil and Gas Company continues to use a discipline-based, unidimensional WBS and ad hoc bidding templates, resulting in weak FEL, misalignment between FEL estimates, contract prices, and outturn costs, and a high incidence of overruns. This paper explores the potential for a uniform OmniClass-based multidimensional WBS and United States National Park Service (NPS) Class A bidding template to improve FEL, estimate accuracy, and bid evaluation for fuel pump and filling shed projects. The study is based on the NPS Class A structure, and all Engineering, Construction, and Handover activities are mapped to the OmniClass tables. Sullivan’s engineering-economic analysis procedure is used. The activities are divided into a summary bid template and a detailed breakdown. The results demonstrate that this asset-oriented, WBS-driven template enhances scope completeness, traceability, and bid comparability, simplifies change order control, and provides a stronger foundation for future FEL estimates and cost database development.

Keywords: Bidding Template, Front End Loading, Multidimensional, Omniclass, WBS, Project Control

INTRODUCTION

The Need for Revitalization of the Pump and Filling Shed

“Indonesia ranks as the world’s fourth most populous country, estimated to have a population of around 277.5 million people in 2023”^[1].

“It is an archipelagic state with a total area of about 1.9 million square kilometers and is commonly cited as roughly the 14th–15th largest country in the world by land area”^[2]. “Given its large population, oil and gas in Indonesia remain the dominant energy sources across sectors, with total consumption in 2022 reaching approximately 477.82 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE)”^[3]. As shown in Figure 1, oil products have remained a major component of Indonesia’s final energy consumption over the past two decades…

More…

Author’s note: This paper was originally prepared during a 6-month long Graduate-Level Competency Development/Capacity Building Program developed by PT Mitrata Citragraha and led by Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo to prepare candidates for AACE CCP or other Certifications. https://build-project-management-competency.com/our-faqs/

How to cite this paper: Panjaitan, P. L. H. (2026). Optimizing Fuel Pump and Filling Shed with Standardized Multidimensional-WBS and Bidding Template for FEL Improvement; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Panjaitan-Standardized-WBS-Bidding-Template-for-FEL-Improvement.pdf

About the Author

Peter Lewis Hamonangan Panjaitan

Balikpapan, Indonesia

Peter Lewis Hamonangan Panjaitan is an engineer at the National Oil Company of Indonesia, possessing more than eight years of professional expertise in the oil & gas sectors. Additionally, he has served as an engineer for downstream oil and gas projects and contributed as an engineer on storage tanks, pipings, pumps, piers and other downstream projects across numerous provinces in Indonesia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Indonesia (UI). Currently, he is attending a distance learning mentoring course under the tutelage of Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, CCE, MScPM, MRICS, GPM-m Senior Technical Advisor at PT Mitrata Citragraha, to attain Certified Cost Professional certification from AACE International.

Peter Lewis Hamonangan Panjaitan resides in Balikpapan, Indonesia, and his email address is peter.l.panjaitan@gmail.com.

[1] Badan Pusat Statistik. (2023). Statistik Indonesia 2023 [Indonesia Statistics 2023]. BPS–Statistics Indonesia. https://www.bps.go.id

[2] Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023). Indonesia. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Indonesia

[3] International Energy Agency. (2023). Indonesia: Energy profile. IEA. https://www.iea.org/countries/indonesia

Governing multi-Vendor Digital Ecosystems

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:19:53 +0000

A Project Management Approach to

Orchestrating Complex Digital Delivery

FEATURED PAPER

By Sreesudha Ayyalasomayajula

Michigan, USA

Abstract

Modern digital transformation initiatives have evolved beyond single-supplier models into distributed, multi-vendor digital ecosystems. Today, organizations routinely orchestrate a patchwork of cloud hyperscale’s, niche SaaS vendors, specialized systems integrators, and managed service providers to deploy a single operational capability. While this open-ecosystem paradigm unlocks unmatched technical agility, it completely dismantles traditional, linear project governance. Classic single-contract structures struggle with diffused accountability, fragmented toolsets, and systemic integration gaps.

This paper provides a pragmatic governance framework tailored for program managers tasked with orchestrating multi-vendor delivery networks. Grounded in the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) principle-based delivery standards, it maps out a five-layered governance model covering strategic alignment, decision authority, operational synchronicity, risk containment, and technology-enabled oversight. Furthermore, the article redefines the enterprise’s role from a passive contract manager into an active ecosystem steward, offering a structured blueprint to minimize value leakage and protect delivery velocity.

Keywords: Program Governance, Multi-Vendor Ecosystems, Digital Transformation, Systems Integration, PMBOK Guide, Risk Management

Introduction: The Reality of Modern Delivery

Enterprise digital transformation has outgrown the boundaries of single-vendor procurement. A standard cloud migration or data platform modernization routinely integrates public cloud infrastructure, commercial off-the-shelf software, bespoke microservices, third-party data analytics pipelines, and specialized cybersecurity wrappers. Each component is sourced from a different vendor, governed by a separate contract, and executed via a distinct delivery methodology.

This shift toward multi-vendor digital ecosystems fundamentally rewrites the rules of program governance. In this fragmented landscape, overall success is no longer a simple sum of individual vendor milestones. Instead, it is an emergent property determined by how effectively these independent entities collaborate, pass off deliverables, and share systemic accountability. Traditional project governance—historically engineered for linear Waterfall sequences or closed, single-supplier arrangements—breaks down entirely under these conditions.

When large-scale digital initiatives scale across corporate boundaries, project leaders can no longer act as rigid enforcers of siloed service-level agreements (SLAs). Governance must evolve from a contract-compliance checklist into an active orchestration capability that unifies competing partners around a single roadmap. This paper outlines how program managers can practicalize this evolution to maintain alignment, mitigate hidden operational dependencies, and drive structural value realization.

More…

How to cite this paper: Ayyalasomayajula, S. (2026). Governing multi-Vendor Digital Ecosystems: A Project Management Approach to Orchestrating Complex Digital Delivery; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Ayyalasomayajula-Governing-Multi-Vendor-Digital-Ecosystems.pdf

About the Author

Sreesudha Ayyalasomayajula

Michigan, USA

Sreesudha Ayyalasomayajula is a PMI-certified project management professional with extensive experience delivering software initiatives within complex engineering domains.

Her work focus centers on applying practical, value-driven project management methodologies to environments characterized by rapid technological change, uncertainty, and systemic complexity.

She has a dedicated research interest in the intersection of project governance, operational agility, and emergent risk management. As a continuous learner and industry writer, Sreesudha aims to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and real-world execution, sharing actionable insights to help practitioners adapt project delivery to modern infrastructure, security, and governance challenges.

SreeSudha can be contacted at sreeayyala123@gmail.com

Keeping the Value Case Alive

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:24:43 +0000

Broadband, Wi-Fi and AI Governance

FEATURED PAPER

By Bhavin Gandecha

Independent Researcher
Monroe Township

New Jersey, USA

Abstract

Modern organizations run multiple technology programs simultaneously, including broadband expansion, wireless modernization, and artificial intelligence enablement. While each program may appear healthy in isolated delivery, this paper argues that governing them as separate efforts creates strategic risk when they are technically interdependent. Strategy often moves faster than infrastructure builds, and connectivity, wireless, and AI capabilities increasingly depend on one another for the value each promises to deliver. This paper asks how organizations should govern strategic alignment and benefits realization when broadband, wireless, and AI programs are interdependent rather than independent. Using a qualitative, scenario-based methodology, it proposes a portfolio governance model built on four linked artifacts, business case, charter, program management plan, and benefits register, that allow leaders to continually re-test the value case as conditions change. The paper illustrates the model through a composite cyber-physical resilience scenario in which connectivity disruption and AI compute demand surge together, showing how benefits can silently erode when programs are governed separately even though each appears successful on its own terms. It further argues that transition and sustainment must be visible at the portfolio level, since feature release does not constitute program closeout if promised benefits are not operationally sustained. The contribution extends benefits realization management literature by framing cross-program technical interdependency, rather than single-program tracking, as a first-class governance concern for broadband-centered technology portfolios.

Keywords: Portfolio Management, Benefits Realization, Strategic Alignment, Broadband Infrastructure, AI Interdependency, Cyber-Physical Resilience, Program Governance, Sustainment

Introduction

Organizations today are not running one technology program at a time. They are running several at once: broadband expansion, wireless modernization, artificial intelligence initiatives, and related connectivity investments. Each of these may make sense on its own. Each may even look healthy in execution. But that does not mean the organization is creating the value it intended.

That is the problem this paper addresses.

Too often, technology programs are governed as separate delivery efforts. Each has its own milestones, budget reviews, dashboards, and steering discussions. If schedule and scope are holding, leaders assume the organization is progressing. But a portfolio can accumulate a great deal of successful activity and still drift away from strategy, particularly when the programs within it are not merely parallel but technically interdependent.

More…

How to cite this paper: Gandecha, B. (2026). Keeping the Value Case Alive: Broadband, WiFi, and AI Governance; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Gandecha-Broadband-WiFi-and-AI-Governance.pdf

About the Author

Bhavin Gandecha

New Jersey, USA

Bhavin Gandecha is a Director of Program Management with L&T Technology Services and supports broadband and mission-critical technology initiatives at a Fortune 50 telecommunications company. He has 20 years of industry experience across broadband, cloud, and complex technology delivery, with a focus on resilience-aware architecture, degraded-mode operation, and dependency-aware continuity. He has written on broadband strategy and infrastructure, including a published article in Broadband Breakfast titled “Broadband Programs Are Deciding the U.S. Technology Race.” He has also mentored at a Social Impact Hackathon in New York and serves on a technical review panel for ETECOM 2026 in Paris. He is based in Monroe Township, New Jersey, USA and can be contacted at bhavinkgandecha@gmail.com

ORCID: 0009-0001-0728-8305

The Dilemma of a Resource-Intensive Industry

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:39:27 +0000

The 48-Minute Opportunity

An updated argument for the GCC construction sector, revisiting and building on a case first made in 2007

FEATURED PAPER

By Omar M. Al-Mourad

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Introduction

Nearly two decades ago, in December 2007, I published an article titled “The Dilemma for a Resource-Intensive Industry” (Al-Mourad, 2007). Its argument was simple and, I believed, uncomfortable: the construction industry tries to solve the problems of its heavy dependence on manual labor by adding still more manual labor. When progress stalls, the reflex is to pour more workers onto the site, overcoming the problems of high resource-intensity by increasing resource-intensity. That was the dilemma then. It remains the dilemma now.

What has changed is the scale, and, crucially, the availability of a real answer.

The construction sector across the Gulf remains one of the region’s most powerful economic engines. When I first wrote, I cited a study putting the total value of GCC projects at around US$2.4 trillion. Today the figure is far larger. MEED’s GCC Projects Market and Future Outlook 2025 reports a project market exceeding US$3.5 trillion across more than 10,000 projects in all sectors, an increase of roughly 46% over my original baseline. Related estimates point the same way: a regional pipeline commonly cited in the range of US$3.1–3.2 trillion in planned and unawarded work.

The workforce has grown in step. Drawing on GCC-Stat data for 2025, total GCC employment reached approximately 37.1 million, of which the construction sector represents 19.8%, on the order of 7 million construction workers across the region. This is an industry that is not merely large, but structurally dependent on the daily productivity of millions of people.

That dependence is exactly where the original argument began, and where this updated one continues. The premise has not aged: on any large site, a manual laborer loses time every working day to genuinely unjustified idle periods, waiting on materials or instructions, moving across a poorly organized site, being reassigned mid-task, absorbing the friction of non-productive communication. Construction professionals concede this readily; it is the accepted texture of the working day. My 2007 estimate was that at least 48 minutes per laborer per day, precisely 10% of the working day, is lost to such unjustified idle time, and is recoverable through more efficient and adequate supervision.

A word on terminology, since it matters to everything that follows. Throughout this paper, recovery refers to the reclaiming of productive time that is currently being lost, not to the rest or recuperation of workers, and not as a label for the down time itself. The examples above are illustrative rather than exhaustive; unjustified idle time arises from many causes, and its composition varies from site to site. Crucially, recovery applies only to unjustified idle time. Legitimate rest breaks, safety holds, weather stoppages, and planned sequencing gaps are justified pauses; they are necessary, they are not waste, and they are explicitly excluded from the 48 minutes. The target is not to work people harder or to strip out their rest. It is to stop losing their time to disorganization, the waiting, the wasted walking, the standing idle, that serves no one, least of all the workers themselves.

In 2007 I could only call for “more reliance on IT solutions” to capture that time. The honest limitation was that we had no affordable, continuous way to see where those minutes went, and you cannot manage what you cannot measure. That single constraint is the one that has genuinely lifted. The sections that follow set out what the 48 minutes is worth at today’s scale, why current advances in artificial intelligence finally make its recovery realistic, and how a more effective, AI-enabled model of site supervision can be put into practice.

More…

How to cite this paper: Al-Mourad, O. M. (2026). The Dilemma of a Resource-Intensive Industry: The 48-Minute Opportunity; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Al-Mourad-Dilemma-of-Resource-Intensive-Industry.pdf

About the Author

Omar M. Al-Mourad

Dubai, UAE

Omar M. Al-Mourad is a construction and project-management professional with over 28 years’ experience spanning UAE mega-projects, government PMOs, and independent consultancy. He currently serves as Group Systems & Processes Manager at Engineering Contracting Company (ECC) in Dubai, where he leads a multidisciplinary team applying business-process improvement, Robotic Process Automation, and AI-driven tools across the group’s project-control and administrative workflows. He first addressed the resource-intensity of the construction industry in a 2007 article for Arabian Business, written while serving as Planning Manager on Nakheel’s “The World” mega-development in Dubai.

He holds an M.Sc. in Engineering Systems Management (American University of Sharjah) and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering (UAE University), is a licensed structural engineer, and is an Associate Value Specialist (AVS, SAVE International). Alongside his executive career he has sustained a 20-plus-year research practice on artificial intelligence in construction, with peer-reviewed publications including “A Quantitative Knowledge-Based Approach for the Preliminary Design of Tall Buildings” (Elsevier). He can be reached at oalmourad@gmail.com

(LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/omarm-3a880025 ).

Strategic Project Leadership

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:53:41 +0000

Integrating and Operationalizing Workforce

Sustainability in Project Governance

FEATURED PAPER

By Darshit Joykumar Patel

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Harrisburg, PA, USA

Abstract

Project environments have become increasingly uncertain due to economic volatility, supply chain disruptions, technological change, and workforce instability. Traditional project management frameworks primarily evaluate success through cost, schedule, and scope performance — the “iron triangle.” While these dimensions remain essential, they provide limited guidance regarding workforce continuity during adverse project conditions. This paper introduces and operationalizes the Strategic Project Leadership Model (SPLM), a project governance framework that integrates workforce sustainability into project decision-making as a fourth dimension of project success, alongside cost, schedule, and scope.

The paper first reviews literature on project success, risk management, organizational resilience, and workforce sustainability, identifying a gap: existing frameworks do not explicitly treat workforce preservation as a project governance objective during periods of adversity. SPLM addresses this gap through a proactive approach that seeks to minimize financial losses while preserving the maximum feasible workforce, emphasizing contingency preparation, organizational resilience, and balanced decision-making rather than reactive workforce reductions.

The paper then operationalizes SPLM through a mathematical decision-support framework consisting of ten equations spanning financial capacity, workforce preservation, and organizational resilience, culminating in a composite SPLM Performance Indicator (SPI SPLM). A comprehensive numerical example — a $50 million manufacturing expansion project with an 800-employee workforce facing a $5 million cost overrun — demonstrates that a traditional response would have required a workforce reduction of 300 employees (37.5%), whereas the SPLM-guided process, after evaluating financial mitigation measures, limits the reduction to 106 employees (13.25%), preserving 694 employees and avoiding an estimated $3.88 million in future recruitment and training costs. A sensitivity analysis confirms the framework’s outputs respond predictably to changes in financial loss severity and to the weighting assumptions used in the Organizational Resilience Index.

This paper contributes to project management literature by introducing workforce sustainability as an explicit governance consideration, extending traditional definitions of project success, and providing a quantitative, replicable mechanism for balancing financial and workforce outcomes under uncertainty. The paper concludes that workforce sustainability represents an increasingly important dimension of project success and identifies opportunities for empirical validation and practical implementation.

More…

How to cite this paper: Patel, D. J. (2026). Strategic Project Leadership: Integrating and Operationalizing Workforce Sustainability in Project Governance; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Patel-Strategic-Project-Leadersip.pdf

About the Author

Darshit Patel

Harrisburg, PA

Darshit Patel developed the Strategic Project Leadership Model (SPLM) as an independent conceptual and quantitative framework intended to support workforce sustainability and financial resilience within project environments. He is affiliated with the Project Management Program at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

No external funding was received for this work, and the author declares no competing financial interests.

Extending Earned Value Management

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:01:58 +0000

to Firm Fixed Price Contracts Through a Multi-Perspective

Analytical Framework for Mixed Contract Portfolios

A framework developed and validated through real-life CAPEX applications across multiple industries

FEATURED PAPER

By Alexandre Rodrigues

Foreword by Wayne Abba

Portugal and USA

Foreword

I am pleased to endorse this timely paper on a subject that deserves serious attention: how to apply Earned Value Management (EVM) in a practical, disciplined way to Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts. I have long believed that EVM is first and foremost a management discipline, not a contractual compliance or reporting ritual. That distinction is especially important now, as the United States Government places renewed emphasis on fixed-price contracting.

The question is not whether FFP contracts should be managed with objective performance information; they must be. The more useful question is how to do so when the government does not receive the contractor’s actual cost data. This paper addresses that question directly. It shows how EVM concepts can be extended using the information that is available, including the effects of change orders, baseline maintenance, and the need to distinguish true performance variance from owner-directed scope and cost growth.

What I find most valuable is the paper’s emphasis on practice. The author uses case studies to show how sound program control principles can be adapted to the realities of fixed-price work while still providing decision makers with meaningful visibility into progress, risk, and emerging cost consequences.

For government portfolio managers, the value of that visibility depends on consistency. They need management data that can be compared across programs and contract types, so that performance trends, resource demands, and emerging risks can be understood at the portfolio level, not merely contract by contract. EVM is uniquely suited to that purpose because, properly applied, it integrates cost, schedule, and technical performance management into a single disciplined framework. Those elements are necessary for effective management under any contract type, including FFP…

More…

How to cite this paper: Rodrigues, A. (2026). Extending Earned Value Management to Firm Fixed Price Contracts Through a Multi-Perspective Analytical Framework for Mixed Contract Portfolios; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Rodrigues-Extending-EVM-to-Firm-Fixed-Price-Contracts-3.pdf

About the author

Alexandre Rodrigues, Ph.D.

Lisbon, Portugal

Alexandre Rodrigues, Eng. Ph.D., PMP® is Executive Partner at PMO Projects Group, providing advanced project management consulting, training, and advisory services to clients across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and other international markets. Throughout his career, Dr. Rodrigues has advised a broad range of leading public and private organizations around the globe.

Dr. Rodrigues has extensive experience supporting the delivery and governance of major CAPEX programs and portfolios, particularly in the mining, oil and gas, energy, defense, and infrastructure sectors. He has led the implementation of Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) for the planning and control of multi-billion-dollar projects and programs and has advised organizations on project governance, portfolio management, organizational project management maturity, and project controls. He is also a Senior Consultant with the Boston-based Cutter Consortium | Arthur D. Little.

Alongside his consulting career, Dr. Rodrigues has more than a decade of university teaching experience in Project Management and System Dynamics, having lectured at several European universities and supervised Master’s and doctoral research. Earlier in his career, he worked in project management within the defense and consulting industries in both the United Kingdom and the United States and gained several years of professional experience as a software engineer. He regularly publishes in professional and peer-reviewed journals and has been invited to speak at numerous international conferences.

His international professional contributions include co-organizing the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Managing and Modeling Complex Projects (Kyiv, Ukraine, 1996); serving as Guest Editor of the April 2001 Cutter IT Journal, chaired by Edward Yourdon, on Multicultural Project Management; and contributing an invited chapter on Earned Value Management in the International Scene to the Association for Project Management (UK) Yearbook 2003/04. He also served as the PMForum International Correspondent for Portugal and was recognized as a PM Ambassador for Portugal by PMForum in 2009.

Dr. Rodrigues has made significant contributions to the advancement of the project management profession internationally. He was the Founding President of the PMI Portugal Chapter, served as a PMI Component Mentor for the EMEA Region (2005–2007), and participated in the PMI teams responsible for developing the 3rd Edition of the PMBOK® Guide and the 1st Edition of OPM3®. He also served on the Congress Project Action Teams (CoPAT) for the PMI Global Congresses in Prague (2004) and Edinburgh (2005). He later joined the core teams that developed the Second Edition of the PMI Practice Standard for Earned Value Management and the ANSI/PMI 19-006-2019 Standard for Earned Value Management. He is also a lead author of ISO 21512 – Earned Value Management Implementation Guide, currently under development. In recognition of his contributions to the discipline, he was appointed EVM Ambassador for Europe by the Earned Value Management Europe Association research project in 2012.

Dr. Rodrigues holds a five-year degree (Licenciatura) in Systems and Informatics Engineering and a Ph.D. in Management Sciences, specializing in Project Management and System Dynamics. During his doctoral research, he received the Mike Simpson Award from the Operational Research Society. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP®), a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), and was formerly a Member of the Portuguese Order of Engineers (Ordem dos Engenheiros).

Managing and Resolving Crisis in the Project

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:08:42 +0000

Crisis at the Organizational Interfaces

of a Cross-Corporate IT Project

Project Business Management

SERIES ARTICLE

By Dr. Jude Joseph

Ontario Canada

Abstract

Crises in cross-corporate projects rarely start inside one firm. They start at the seams between organizations, where contract terms, decision rights, and information do not line up.

This essay sets out a typology of six interface-origin crisis types and traces how each one appeared on a single, well-documented Vancouver, British Columbia information technology project, TransLink’s Compass fare payment system, built by the San Diego vendor Cubic Transportation Systems for the regional transit authority TransLink, the Mayors’ Council, and the Province of British Columbia.

The essay draws on current project business management and project governance research to set out practices that reduce the chance of an interface crisis and practices that help a project recover once one has started.

A conceptual map positions the six crisis types by interface ambiguity and escalation potential, giving practitioners a screening tool and giving researchers a testable starting point for further study.

The essay closes on the practical and scholarly contribution of treating the organizational interface, rather than the single firm, as the unit of crisis analysis in project business management.

Keywords: project business management, project governance, interface management, project crisis, information technology project, Vancouver public sector technology

Introduction

A cross-corporate project brings together firms with different goals, cultures, and appetites for risk under one delivery structure. When something goes wrong on a project of this kind, the fault line is rarely inside a single organization’s scope of work. It sits at the interface, the point where one firm’s contract, information, and authority meet another’s. A performance requirement that one party considers final and another considers a draft, a hardware standard that one party assumes matches another’s system, a launch date that neither party can agree is actually ready: these are the ordinary conditions under which a project crisis grows, and they apply as much to a large public-sector information technology (IT) program as to a construction megaproject.

More…

Editor’s note: This series of articles is by Oliver Lehmann, author of the book “Project Business Management” (ISBN 9781138197503), published by Auerbach / Taylor & Francis in 2018. See author profile below.

How to cite this work: Josephe, J. P. (2026). Managing and Resolving Crisis in the Project: Crisis at the Organizational Interfaces of a Cross-Corporate IT Project; Project Business Management, series article, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Joseph-Managing-and-Resolving-Crisis-in-the-Project.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Jude P Joseph

Oshawa, Ontario Canada

Jude Joseph, PhD, C. Mgr, MPM, FAAPM, PBP, ACE is a project management consultant and corporate trainer based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He holds a PhD in Project Management from LIGS University with a minor in Artificial Intelligence, an MBA, and the Chartered Manager designation from CIM. He mentors project professionals worldwide through The PMO Leader and leads Northbridge Learning and Development, delivering PMO setup, Agile and Scrum transformation, and executive coaching.

He is an Accredited Education Partner for the Project Business Professional certification through Project Business Foundation. He has over 20 years experience working as a professional Application development Project Manager in Canada and the United States of America. He has taught project management at five Ontario colleges and university and published a book on project management. He has been a member of the Project Management Institute since 2001 and holds a Government of Canada Enhanced Reliability Security Clearance.

Jude Joseph’s philosophy and professional engagement are guided by principles of freedom, responsibility, inclusiveness, and continuous improvement. These principles inform his every interaction with students, colleagues, and the community, driving him toward creating a more equitable, thoughtful, and engaged society.

He can be contacted at jude@northbridgelearn.com

His website is https://northbridgelearn.com

Dr. Jude Joseph is the author of the following books:

Common-Sense Project Management for Churches: A field Guide from Chaos to Clarity in Ministry (ISBN 978-1-0673861-1-5) Published 2026
Communication Strategies for Multicultural Teams – A Framework for Effective Communication in Diverse, Hybrid, and Virtual Project Environments (Coming soon – October 2026)
Dr. Jude P Joseph’s research papers can be found here at Researchgate.net

Turning Movie Moments

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:26:01 +0000

into Practical Project Lessons

Projectland Goes to the Movies

SERIES ARTICLE

By Dawn Mahan and Jerry Manas

United States

In the first two articles in this series, we shared Why Stories and Movies Help Project Teams Learn and Align, and Five Ways Movies Teach Leadership and Team Lessons Exceptionally Well.Together, they examined why movies can help build shared understanding and make project lessons easier to grasp and remember. Now we turn to the practical question: How can you translate a memorable movie moment into action?

Turning Film into Practical Project Lessons

When we began developing Projectland Goes to the Movies, we invited project experts who also loved movies to identify a pivotal scene and explain the practical project lesson they saw within it. Twenty-two contributors from around the world responded with lessons spanning strategy, leadership, teamwork, risk, communication, and creative problem solving.

The chapters are organized into three acts:

- Act I – Setting the Stage: Vision, strategy, and approach.
- Act II – Directing the Show: Leadership and teamwork.
- Act III – Herding Cats: A Projectland production (the messy realities of getting things done through people).

This structure helped us examine movie lessons across the full project journey, from establishing direction to leading people through the messy realities of delivery.

Together, the chapters, inspired by movies from Aliens to V for Vendetta, reinforced an important point: a useful movie lesson does more than remind us of an entertaining scene. It helps us recognize a familiar project situation, identify the pattern beneath it, and decide what to do differently.

Turning a movie moment into action usually begins with a specific purpose. A project leader might want to clarify a vision, prevent a communication breakdown, improve a decision-making practice, or help a team recognize an emerging opportunity. The next step is to select a scene that makes that situation visible and relatable.

The most effective scene is not necessarily the leader’s favorite movie moment. It is the one that will resonate with the audience.

More…

Editor’s note: Dawn Mahan and Jerry Manas are co-editors of the wildly popular book “Projectland Goes to the Movies: 22 Blockbuster Strategies for Project Success” published in January 2026 by Project Guru Press. To learn more about the book, click here.

How to cite this work: Mahan, D. and Manas, J. (2026). Turning Movie Moments into Practical Project Lessons; Projectland Goes to the Movies, series article 3, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Mahan-Manas-Projectland-Goes-to-the-Movies-article-3.pdf

About the Authors

Dawn Mahan

Florida, USA

Dawn Mahan is the founder of PMOtraining, LLC, and coined the term, Projectland®. She is a dynamic international speaker, award-winning project management consultant, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling book, Meet the Players in Projectland: Decide the Right Project Roles & Get People On Board. Visit her website at PMOtraining.com.

Jerry Manas

Pennsylvania, USA

Jerry Manas is an internationally bestselling author, speaker, and consultant specializing in resource management and workforce effectiveness. His work—including Napoleon on Project Management and The Resource Management and Capacity Planning Handbook—has been cited by business leaders such as Tom Peters and Orlando Magic Senior VP Pat Williams. Visit his website at jerrymanas.com.

Projectland Goes to the Movies: 22 Blockbuster Strategies for Project Success (2026 Amazon Hot New Release) is available globally.
Visit https://books2read.com/projectlandgoestothemovies.

For bulk orders, tools to engage your group, or to inquire about storytelling workshops, email us: hello@pmotraining.com.

Young Changemakers Case Series

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:52:05 +0000

A New PM World Journal Series for Youth Voices

in Project Leadership

Introduction to the Series

SERIES ARICLE

By Evelyn Chao

Washington, DC, USA

Around the world, young people are already leading projects that address challenges in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities. They organize food drives, launch nonprofits, advocate for environmental sustainability, develop educational initiatives, create technology solutions, preserve cultural heritage, and improve the well-being of others. Although these youth-led efforts often begin locally, they demonstrate many of the same leadership, planning, collaboration, and problem-solving skills required in professional project management.

Yet these stories are rarely documented through the lens of project management.

The Young Changemaker Case Series was created to provide a platform for young project leaders to share not only what they accomplished, but also how they planned, adapted, collaborated, reflected, and grew throughout their projects. Each case elevates the voices of young changemakers by capturing their perspectives on the questions they explored, the decisions they made, the challenges they encountered, and the leaders they became. To foster intergenerational learning, every case is accompanied by a Professional Perspective contributed by a project management professional, educator, or recent graduate, followed by a reflection question from the series editor that invites readers of all ages to continue the exploration.

Each case will follow a consistent format:

- Young Changemaker Case (1,500–2,000 words)
- Expert Perspective (150-200 words)
- One Question to Keep Exploring

The series is envisioned as an ongoing feature of PM World Journal. New cases will be published periodically as submissions are received and selected. Over time, the collection aims to represent a diverse range of youth-led projects from different countries, cultures, and communities, creating a growing body of knowledge on youth project leadership.

The series welcomes submissions from middle school, high school, and university students, as well as other young changemakers around the world who are leading meaningful projects in service of something bigger than themselves. Featured projects may include civic engagement, public health, education, environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, technology, arts and culture, humanitarian service, and many other areas where project management helps youth transform ideas into meaningful action…

More…

How to cite this work: Chao, E. R. (2026). Introduction to the Series; Young Changemaker Case Series, series article, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Chao-Young-Changemakers-Series-Introduction.pdf

About the Author

Evelyn R. Chao

Washington, DC, USA

Evelyn R. Chao is a high school senior at Sidwell Friends School and passionate about learning, practicing, and advocating project management. At age 14, She earned the Project Management Ready Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Since then, she has channeled her enthusiasm for civic engagement into championing project management education and empowering young changemakers to serve.

Believing in the transformative power of education, Evelyn took the initiative to establish the nonprofit organization PM Ready Inc., accessible at www.pmready.org. PM Ready serves as a unique platform for fostering intergenerational conversations about project leadership and inspiring youth of diverse backgrounds to apply project management learning to achieve their full potential, take actions to promote community and global development goals. She published two books – Project ABCs for Aspiring Changemakers (2024) & Youth Voices of Change: Case Studies of Impactful Student-Led Projects (2026).

Beyond her academic pursuits, she is an active member of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets and a coxswain with TBC Rowing Club. Outside of school, she enjoys playing the violin, drawing, reading, watching movies with her family, and hanging out with her friends. A loving older sister to Elaine and Elise, Evelyn takes pleasure in nurturing their curiosity through fun, hand-on projects. Evelyn can be contacted at evelynchao.r@gmail.com

Too Young to Rent a Car

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:01:59 +0000

Old Enough to Change the World

with BioMedizone

Young Changemakers Case Series

SERIES ARTICLE

By Anvi Palav
Stamps Eminence Scholar, The Ohio State University
Founder, BioMedizone
New Jersey, USA

Commentary by Yan Xu, Ph.D., PMP, PMI-ACP
eSpelman Online Program Director
Spelman College
Georgia, UA

I hesitated, my finger hovering above the “publish” button on the first website I had built for my first organization. I was just 15—an observant young girl who saw the need for biomedical education and research opportunities in third-world countries. Thus, BioMedizone was born, a fiscally sponsored 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by Hack+ striving to provide biomedical education and research opportunities to students worldwide in unconventional ways, particularly through connecting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities in the realm of biomedicine. BioMedizone has grown into a global initiative connecting over 100,000 students from 50+ countries to internships and research projects with professors and alumni from top universities. The journey was difficult, but these challenges have built BioMedizone’s foundation on resilience, teamwork, honesty, and action.

From the very beginning, we were faced with limited resources. I mean, how can high school students develop and manage a successful nonprofit? There’s no instruction manual for “how to create a successful nonprofit as a teenager.” As young leaders with no formal training in nonprofit management, we were forced to learn quickly. I pored over Coursera courses on finance management and leadership and thoroughly researched the difference between cognitive and emotional intelligence in leadership. If you’re going to be a youth leader, you need to stand up on your own feet. You need to be self-motivated. You should want to learn, because the key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. One of my most useful learning methods was to research what other organizations did that made them successful, and I adopted their strategies. This included potential partners, marketing strategies, and product development.

Our lack of funding forced us to be resourceful. If anyone was going to sponsor us, we needed to be worthy of it. So, we built our team from the ground up, recruiting nearly 250 passionate researchers and outreach members. I vividly remember setting up countless spreadsheets, detailed timelines, and juggling team meetings between school assignments. It was a steep learning curve, but we found our rhythm through trial and error, but most importantly determination…

More…

Editor’s note: The Young Changemaker Case Series in PM World Journal provides a platform for young project leaders to share not only what they accomplished, but also how they planned, adapted, collaborated, reflected, and grew throughout their projects. Each case elevates the voices of young changemakers by capturing their perspectives on the questions they explored, the decisions they made, the challenges they encountered, and the leaders they became. To foster intergenerational learning, every case is accompanied by a Professional Perspective contributed by a project management professional, educator, or recent graduate, followed by a question from the series editor that invites readers of all ages to continue the exploration. This series is created, organized and coordinated by Ms. Evelyn R. Chao; read her introductory article [here]. To participate, young changemakers, submit your case here; professionals, sign up to be a commentator here.

How to cite this work: Palav, A. (2026). Too Young to Rent a Car, Old Enough to Change the World with BioMedizone; Young Changemaker Case Series, series article, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Palav-Young-Changemakers-Series-Too-Young.pdf

About the Author

Anvi Palav

Founder, BioMedizone
Basking Ridge, NJ

Anvi Palav is from Basking Ridge, NJ. She is a Stamps Eminence Scholar at The Ohio State University majoring in Honors Neuroscience on the pre-med track with a full-ride scholarship. BioMedizone, a nonprofit she founded, has grown as one of the largest student-led international nonprofits targeting equitable access to biomedical research and education, reaching 250K+ students in 50+ countries.

About the Commentator

Yan Xu, Ph.D., PMP, PMI-ACP

Online Program Director, Spelman College
Atlanta, GA

Yan Xu, Ph.D., PMP®, PMI-ACP®, is an educational leader in digital transformation and learning innovation. She specializes in adult and online education, faculty development, curriculum design, student success, project management training, and youth development. Dr. Xu collaborates with learners of all ages and backgrounds. She is also a historian and a published author.

Applying “The Algorithm” of Elon Musk

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:07:01 +0000

to Project Management: Learning from

the Master Disruptive Provocateur

ADVISORY ARTICLE

By William A. Moylan, PhD, PMP, FESD, DTM

Professor Emeritus

Eastern Michigan University, USA

Up front, full disclosure by the writer – I am not a fan of Elon Musk. However, a rather good book by Jon McNeill, a former president of Tesla, provides intriguing insights and interesting lessons applicable to project management. McNeil’s book The Algorithm reviews Elon Musk’s 5-step approach of the same name that “… requires radical thinking to explode the status quo, attack complexity and set seemingly unrealistic goals” (McNeil, 2026).

This article reviews Musk’s Algorithm 5-step process and discusses how the steps apply to project management including automotive product development applications from the annals of General Motors and the Ford Motor Company.

Step 1. Question every requirement.

The Algorithm’s first step is the must-mindset for the project manager at the onset of the conceptual phase. The Japanese method of “The 5 Whys” comes to mind. Discerning the critical needs that must be accomplished by the project is the key purpose of the Project Initiation process (PMI, 2026). Following the directive of Step 1 empowers the team to muse through the long list of possibilities they are tasked to consider and distill away any imprudent requirements. The conceptual phase is the appropriate time for the project team to filter out any nonsensical dreams and ludicrous wishes made by the stakeholders. Step 1 of The Algorithm is sound project management practice.

Step 2. Delete every possible step in a process.

This next Step is death to the adage “We always did it this way.” Old habits do not open new doors; one must eliminate in order to evolve. The project manager must challenge their team to remove process complexity without sacrificing product quality. Just as the efficiency of computer programs is a function of minimizing the total lines of code, blending two or more steps into a single succinct statement yields simplicity that in turn breeds elegance. “Less is more” is the maxim for the project manager to follow.

More…

How to cite this article: Moylan, W. A. (2026). Applying “The Algorithm” of Elon Musk to Project Management: Learning from the Master Disruptive Provocateur, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August, Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Moylan-Applying-the-Algorithm-of-Elon-Musk.pdf

About the Author

William A. Moylan, PhD

Ypsilanti, Michigan

William A. Moylan, PhD, PMP, FESD, DTM, is a Professor Emeritus with Eastern Michigan University – College of Engineering & Technology. He has extensive professional experience in all aspects of program and project management, including over eleven years internationally with the Saudi Arabian American Oil Co, and since 1983, has been involved in implementing information technology. He has degrees from Lawrence Technological University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Capella University. He is s active in a variety of professional societies and civic activities including American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineering Society of Detroit, Project Management Institute, Habitat for Humanity, Rotary International and Toastmasters International. He can be contacted at William.moylan@emich.edu

Why Team Learning Often Fails to Scale

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:20:37 +0000

ADVISORY ARTICLE

By Jeff Oltmann

Oregon, USA

After a difficult milestone, Andy’s team held a thoughtful retrospective. They identified real issues and agreed on what to do differently next time.

It worked—for a while. The next milestone went more smoothly, but the improvement stayed mostly within that team. Similar issues surfaced on other projects, and as team members moved on, what they had learned faded under the pressure of new urgencies. Before long, the same mistakes were being repeated.

The retrospective had limited impact, even though the learning was real. It stayed concentrated in a few people on one team. When they dispersed, it faded because it never changed the organization’s long-term behavior. Its impact would have been broader and more durable if it had been embedded in shared tools, workflows, and processes. The first figure shows this progression.

What It Takes for Learning to Last

Learning isn’t automatically embedded when a retrospective is completed successfully. Changing organizational systems and behavior takes ownership, intentional decisions and hard work. The problem was not Andy’s retrospective. It was what didn’t happen afterward. Figure 2 shows the steps that learning goes through as it spreads from individuals to an entire organization.

More…

How to cite this article: Oltmann, J. (2026). Why Team Learning Often Fails to Scale, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Oltmann-why-team-learning-often-fails-to-scale.pdf

About the Author

Jeff Oltmann

Oregon, USA

Jeff Oltmann helps organizations accelerate results through strategy deployment and project portfolio management. He consults, teaches, and leads forums for senior PMO leaders. He is principal at Synergy Professional Services (spspro.com) in Portland, Oregon and is on the faculty of the Division of Management at Oregon Health and Science University. He was previously on executive staff at IBM and is the founder of the Portfolio and Project Leaders Forum, a gathering of senior managers who lead project-based organizations (pplforum.org).

Jeff welcomes your questions and ideas. You can contact him at jeff@spspro.com or read previous articles at www.spspro.com/article-library.

Health Care Planning, Design and Delivery

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:27:22 +0000

Series Guide 1: Service Area

Analysis and Master Planning

ADVISORY ARTICLE

By William Jackson, MS, MA

Colombia & USA

Service Area Planning – Tsunami of Data!

Master Planning – Not Just Buildings!

Introduction

This series of healthcare/hospital related guides are intended to be of assistance to healthcare planners, architects and PMs in service area planning, master planning, and design process. Some of this material is well worn in that it is traditional and by nature not amenable to many new wrinkles However some of the process can be facilitated by the use of AI, but still requires planner interpretation for future implications. I have personally been involved in the planning, design and delivery of hospitals for over 40 years. Therefore I am more apt to be more subjective on some aspects in which I have had repetitious involvement. This does not imply however that what I present are universal truths but rather that they worked for me in the circumstances in which I was operating.

Some of the planning approaches and border on archaic but kindly remember when I started with “manual” data collection and analysis with a three foot long Compag computer with the small green screen and very few sophisticated applications. Obviously over time desk tops computers and associated apps became a means of more expedited data entry and analysis. I was therefore thrust into the tide of changing technology, of which I learned in support of what I was doing; no venturing out for fun. This all served to quicken the pace and, in some cases, accuracy of analysis (with the caveat garage in garbage out). However more importantly, it is imperative that the practitioners knows what the data means and how it is utilized in the prediction of utilization and associated facility needs.

These guides are detailed to accomplish the interaction that occurs in a sequential process. Each step presented builds upon previous information. I do not pretend to know everything but what I do not know I probably forgot. As such my bias can be questioned by better minds than mine. I have attempted to be as comprehensive and thorough as possible so there are no major gaps in the entire process.

The guides are as follows: Guide one addresses service area analysis and Master Planning while Guide two presents the design process and Guide three will provide projects examples for Master Planning and Design process.

Healthcare Services Planning

Hospitals Overview

Generally more people know vaguely what a hospital is and the purpose that it serves, but those who actually plan, design and build hospitals know that the various types of hospitals have varying degrees of complexity.

Healthcare facilities range from 24 hour/emergent, usually smaller rural facilities, to massive multi building academic medical centers. The general tenet for all size facilities is diagnosing and saving lives with the differentiating factor being number and types of specialty areas. Generally more complex specialty services (e.g.: neurosurgery, orthopedics surgery and a myriad of other body parts), are either in dedicated facilities or part of a larger medical center. With that being said most of us are more familiar with the mid-size local community hospitals that offer a fairly comprehensive array of diagnostic and treatment services along with a commitment to preventive programs also.

More…

How to cite this article: Jackson, W. (2026). Health Care Planning, Design and Delivery Series Guide 1: Service Area Analysis and Master Planning, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Jackson-Guide-1-Service-Area-Master-Planning.pdf

About the Author

William C. Jackson

USA & Colombia

William C Jackson, MS, MA Fellow HFI. has been involved with healthcare facilities planning, programming, design oversight and project delivery for over 40 years. He has consulted or worked directly for 60 hospitals in national and international settings. He has been associated with 9.0 million square feet of hospital projects put in place; He has worked for design firms (Ellerbe, HDR and Heery), consulting firms, PM firms and academic medical centers (17 years) including Bowman Gray School of Medical at Wake Forest and the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. International work includes seven years of varying roles in the United Arab Emirates working on two 3,0 million square foot hospitals, Turkey, Haiti and Nassau. He is presently semi-retired, living in Medellin, Colombia, and can be reached at bjcamel2012@gmail.com.

Budgets Kill Projects

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:32:26 +0000

Challenging the common belief that

all Projects benefit from budgets

COMMENTARY

By Dr. Thomas Walenta

Hackenheim, Germany

Abstract

Project budgets are widely regarded as indispensable instruments of planning, governance, and control. Consequently, project success is frequently assessed by adherence to approved budget baselines, while significant effort is devoted to improving the accuracy of cost estimation and forecasting. This paper challenges that prevailing assumption by arguing that budgets are fundamentally predictions about an uncertain future and therefore become progressively less appropriate as the complexity, novelty, and uncertainty of projects and programs increase.

This conceptual paper distinguishes between budgets, funding, and investment, arguing that a budget is not an investment but an estimate of the financial resources expected to be required. While budgets provide a useful planning baseline for relatively predictable projects, they become epistemologically problematic for complex projects and benefit-oriented programs, whose objectives, scope, and resource requirements evolve as knowledge is created. Programs such as the Apollo Program, the Manhattan Project, COVID-19 vaccine development, enterprise transformations, and the Olympic Games demonstrate that successful initiatives frequently depend on adaptive funding and the continuous mobilization of financial and non-financial resources rather than adherence to an initial budget.

Drawing on conceptual analysis, published research, and the author’s professional experience, the paper proposes a shift in project governance. Rather than treating budget conformance as the dominant measure of success, governance should emphasize the continual reassessment of resource commitments, adaptive funding decisions, and the realization of strategic value as uncertainty is progressively reduced.

The paper concludes that budgets remain valuable instruments of financial accountability but should inform governance rather than dominate it. As project complexity increases, governance should progressively shift from protecting predetermined budgets toward enabling adaptive resource commitment and value creation.

Introduction

Budgets kill projects

This statement is deliberately provocative because governments, corporations, project management organizations, and much of the academic literature regard budgets as indispensable prerequisites for projects. Business cases, portfolio selection, investment decisions, and project governance all rely heavily on financial estimates and budget approvals. Techniques such as Earned Value Management (EVM) assume that project performance can be monitored and controlled by comparing actual expenditures with predetermined budgets. Consequently, project success and failure are frequently judged by adherence to budget baselines.

A project budget is essentially a prediction. It estimates the financial resources expected to be consumed over the project’s lifetime and allocates those resources across planned activities and reporting periods. Considerable effort is devoted to improving the accuracy of these predictions through estimating techniques, historical data, expert judgment, and increasingly sophisticated forecasting methods. Once approved, the budget becomes a central governance baseline against which performance is measured, and continuation decisions are made.

More…

How to cite this paper: Walenta, T. (2026). Budgets Kill Projects: Challenging the common belief that all Projects benefit from budgets, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Walenta-Budgets-Kill-Projects.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Thomas Walenta

Hackenheim, Germany

Dr. Thomas Walenta, DBA, PMP, PgMP, PMI Fellow, worked as a Project and Program Manager at IBM from 1983 to 2014. Most recently, he was responsible for a program encompassing all of IBM’s business with a global client in the EMEA region, with teams in India, Japan, and across Europe. Thomas built his first PMO in 1995 and started his first program in 2002. He led the PMI Frankfurt Chapter from 1998 to 2005, increasing membership from 111 to 750 and the annual budget to 100K Euro. He teaches PM at the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt and has been a project management consultant since 2014.

Thomas he held a variety of volunteer positions for PMI, including serving as the final juror for the PMI Project of the Year award, a member of the PMI Board nomination committee, an auditor for PMI‘s Registered Education Provider Program, a writer/reviewer of PMP Exam questions, and a significant contributor to PMI‘s first standards on Program Management and Portfolio Management. Thomas served on PMI’s Ethics Review Committee from 2011 to 2016. He received PMI’s Fellow Award in 2012.Thomas has been a member of GPM/IPMA since 1996.

He was elected by PMI membership to serve on the PMI Board of Directors from 2006 to 2011 and for a second term from 2017 to 2019. As a speaker at global project management events in Tokyo, Moscow, São Paulo, Little Rock, and across Europe, Thomas significantly expanded his professional network and is regarded as an experienced and skilled advisor and mentor. He has been an honorary global advisor for the PM World Journal since 2019. Thomas is based in Hackenheim, near Frankfurt, Germany and can be contacted at thwalenta@online.de or www.linkedin.com/in/thwalenta/

Improving organisational strategic success:

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:37:13 +0000

1 By extending existing internal

project management capabilities

COMMENTARY

By Alan Stretton, PhD (Hon)

New Zealand

INTRODUCTION

This is the first of two articles under the broad title of “Improving organisational strategic success”, which look at extending existing roles of project management to help this process. This first article is concerned with potential for extending existing internal project management (PM) capabilities to help achieve strategic success. The second article will be concerned with potential for expanding externally delivered project management services to help achieve such success.

This article will first look at some attributes of organisational strategies, noting that they are largely implemented via projects, but that a high percentage of them fail. We will then look at causes of such failures, which are related to the five stages of an organisational strategic management framework, as recorded in one of my previous articles. These will essentially form a core reference point for following discussions.

Turning to links with existing internal PM capabilities, the latter are so varied that we need to find a reasonably representative type of such capability. We propose that Project Management Offices (PMOs) would appear to be the most representative candidates, particularly in view of their increasing prominence in many organisations. We then discuss a recent contention that there is a high level of poor recognition of the strategic value of PMOs by top-level management in many organisations.

This will lead us to look at four recorded causes of strategic failure which are attributed to top-level management deficiencies. By far the most important of these is the separation of strategy formulation (‘choosing’) from implementation (‘doing’). We will look at problems with translating strategic intentions into the “right” actions for success, and discuss Nieto-Rodriguez’s proposal for a Chief Project Officer (CPO) to address this issue. This can be seen as a very substantial extension of usual PMO ranges of activities, and I will describe this as a CPO-led PMO role. This role, and its link to helping resolve the above “separation” cause of failure, will be illustrated in the context of the basic organisational strategic management framework

We will then go on to look at three other cause-of-failure groups recorded in Figure 1 where CPO-led PMOs should also help. These relate directly to the causes of failure in Stages 2, 3 and 5 of the strategic management framework, and there appear to be ample opportunities for this extended form of project-related help to further contribute.

Finally, we take a brief look at some apparent impediments to extending the scope of CPO-led PMOs, and Priena’s emphasis on the relevance of cognitive issues.

More…

How to cite this work: Stretton, A. (2026). Improving organisational strategic success: 1. By extending existing internal project management capabilities, Commentary, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Stretton-Improving-org-strategic-success-1.pdf

About the Author

Alan Stretton, PhD

Life Fellow, AIPM (Australia)
Auckland, New Zealand

Alan Stretton is one of the pioneers of modern project management. In 2006 he retired from a position as Adjunct Professor of Project Management in the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Australia, which he joined in 1988 to develop and deliver a Master of Project Management program. Prior to joining UTS, Mr. Stretton worked in the building and construction industries in Australia, New Zealand and the USA for some 38 years, which included the project management of construction, R&D, introduction of information and control systems, internal management education programs and organizational change projects. Alan has degrees in Civil Engineering (BE, Tasmania) and Mathematics (MA, Oxford), and an honorary PhD in strategy, programme and project management (ESC, Lille, France). Alan was Chairman of the Standards (PMBOK) Committee of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) from late 1989 to early 1992. He held a similar position with the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) and was elected a Life Fellow of AIPM in 1996. He was a member of the Core Working Group in the development of the Australian National Competency Standards for Project Management. He has published 280+ professional articles and papers. Alan can be contacted at alanailene@bigpond.com .

To see more works by Alan Stretton, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at http://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/alan-stretton/.

Turning Projects into Products

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:44:11 +0000

Making Delivery Stick in

Complex Organizations

Why project and program leaders should treat go-live

as the start of adoption, not the end of delivery

COMMENTARY

By Sudhakar Shivaraju

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

In large organizations, many initiatives begin with strong sponsorship, a credible business case, and a committed project team. Yet a year after go-live, the reality can look very different. The new process is only partly adopted, reports still need manual reconciliation, and teams quietly keep pieces of the old way of working because it feels safer or faster. This is where many projects fall short, not because the project team failed to execute, but because the organization treated the change as something to launch rather than something to operate, measure, and improve.

A product mindset can help close that gap. This does not mean turning every internal initiative into a software product or borrowing start-up language that does not fit the environment. It means applying disciplines that matter in any serious delivery setting: clarity of outcome, visible ownership, user feedback, adoption measures, and continued improvement after the formal milestone has passed. In project and program environments, those disciplines can be the difference between a completed initiative and a durable capability.

A useful starting point is to define the outcome in operational terms. Many project charters still describe success as a deliverable: implement a system, roll out a process, migrate data, or complete training. Those deliverables matter, but they are not the same as business change. The more useful question is simple: what should be different in the day-to-day work six or twelve months after go-live? If the answer is fewer manual reconciliations, faster onboarding of new projects, or more reliable portfolio reporting, then those outcomes need to be named early and revisited often. Once the outcome is explicit, decisions about scope, sequencing, and trade-offs become easier to defend.

For example, if a new PMIS is intended to improve portfolio reporting, success should not be measured only by whether the system went live on time. It should also be measured by whether project teams enter data consistently, whether leaders trust the reports enough to use them in decision reviews, and whether manual spreadsheet reconciliation begins to decline. Those signals say more about the value of the change than the launch milestone alone.

Ownership is the next practical issue. In complex organizations, accountability can become diluted across steering committees, PMOs, technology teams, operations leaders, and control functions. Each group may be doing its part, but no one is clearly responsible for whether the new way of working takes hold. A product-style model does not remove governance. It makes accountability more visible. One person should be responsible for the end-to-end outcome, supported by a cross-functional team that can make practical decisions, resolve competing priorities, and keep the focus on value after implementation.

More…

How to cite this article: Shivaraju, S. (2026). Turning Projects into Products: Making Delivery Stick in Complex Organizations, commentary, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Shivaraju-Turning-Projects-Into-Products-2.pdf

About the Author

Sudhakar Shivaraju

Atlanta, GA, USA

Sudhakar Shivaraju is a project and program management leader with experience spanning manufacturing, capital programs, and enterprise technology. He currently leads governance and systems strategy for a global real estate technology platform at a major financial institution. He holds a PMP certification and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and writes on governance, data quality, and AI readiness in enterprise project management and real estate technology environments.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not represent the views of the author’s employer.

Why the AI Race in Project Management Is Shifting Accountability

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:50:37 +0000

Away From Humans and Onto

Flawed Algorithms

COMMENTARY

By Dzmitry Dudzin

Krakow, Poland

Introduction

The number of trends related to the use of AI in work processes is growing like a snowball. Project teams consciously implement smart systems to automate planning, track tasks, or predict risks. In turn, large vendors offer exciting capabilities through autonomous agents, promising to significantly reduce the workload of managers. However, if something doesn’t go according to a plan or changes suddenly, who is responsible for decisions — a human or a system?

We see algorithms becoming increasingly autonomous. At the same time, there are specialists in the industry who don’t consider the overall responsibility of these algorithms. Unfortunately, this issue is often ignored.

The Promise vs. The Reality of AI in Project Planning

The prospects for using AI in project planning are quite promising. The Association for Project Management (APM) shared the study, which found that 70% of PM professionals are already using AI, and 29% say their companies plan to implement it.

I’ve recently read a column titled “The Next Generation Project Manager,” written by Alfonso Bucero, in which the author contrasts Maria, a traditional PM, with Javier, a manager who actively uses AI. Faced with routine tasks and sudden changes, Maria reacts too late and loses. Javier, in his turn, acts immediately and wins by using AI.

This optimistic example of AI’s application in project management is supported by the data from Gartner, which states that by 2030, 80% of project management work will be performed by artificial intelligence.

It seems that smart systems should positively influence the project’s success. However, only 36% of organizations deliver projects on time, according to Wellington’s “State of Project Management 2026” report.

It all means that tools are getting smarter, but results are not improving. This happens for various reasons, including the fact that AI systems are still imperfect.

Many years of experience in project management allow me to highlight the following AI strengths in this area:

- Automation of routine tasks such as status updates and report preparation.
- Smart planning based on a description.
- Working with requirements and transforming chaotic thoughts of clients into structured tasks.
- Finding risk patterns considering historical data.

The disadvantages are also obvious:

More…

How to cite this work: Dudzin, D. (2026). Why the AI Race in Project Management Is Shifting Accountability Away From Humans and Onto Flawed Algorithms, advisory, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Dudzin-AI-race-is-changing-accountability-.pdf

About the Author

Dzmitry Dudzin

Krakow, Poland

Dzmitry Dudzin is the CEO of GanttPRO, the leading Gantt chart-based project management software trusted by over a million project managers worldwide. Before founding GanttPRO, Dzmitry established himself in the tech community as a developer and organizer, actively cultivating the front-end community through blogs, articles, and major hackathons such as “What the Hack.”

Dzmitry’s core competency lies in his ability to integrate product development, technology, AI, and business strategy. With deep technical knowledge, he constantly evaluates tasks from a business perspective, focusing on solving real user problems and scaling the product without unnecessary complexity. As CEO, he oversees strategic development, key product decisions, and finance, working at the intersection of technology and marketing. He focuses on removing process bottlenecks, streamlining, and automating workflows where necessary. Dzmitry can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nedudi/

About GanttPRO

GanttPRO is a B2B SaaS project management platform built around Gantt charts. It helps teams plan projects, visualize work, manage workloads, assign responsibilities, and track progress in one place. The product is used by more than 1 million professionals worldwide, including teams from NASA, NVIDIA, Sony, and Booking.com. For more information, visit www.ganttpro.com

Snow Flake of risk

David Pells — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:55:48 +0000

could change Risk in Project Management

COMMENTARY

By Gareth Pugsley

Durham Gate, UK

Concept/Abstract

The conceptual development of the Shape Based Risk Model for us in quantum computing offers the potential for near real time mapping of project risk, enabling practitioners to visualise their effect and account for them dynamically

The foundation of this research originated from a fundamental question “What makes project risk similar and what makes each risk unique?”

Rather than approaching risk solely through established project management frameworks, the author sought to consider risk in this way. This reflective process led to the conclusion that every risk is unique in its specific characteristics, context, and potential consequences. However, despite this individuality, risks also share a number of common attributes that enable them to be analysed using consistent methodologies. Consequently, risk may be viewed as simultaneously unique and universal—possessing characteristics that distinguish one risk from another while exhibiting underlying properties common to all forms of uncertainty.

The Author therefore sought an analogy capable of representing this dual nature of risk. The concept of a snowflake emerged because, while every snowflake shares a common underlying structure, each possesses a unique pattern.

Building upon this analogy, a geometric representation was designed to provide a visual framework for modelling project risk. The intention was not merely to create a graphical representation, but to develop a conceptual model capable of illustrating both the intrinsic characteristics of an individual risk and its relationship with other risks within a project management environment. The resulting shape therefore represents a single risk entity, whilst simultaneously providing a mechanism through which interactions with other risks may be examined.

By doing so, the model could respond dynamically to individual project risks, illustrating their impact, causal relationships, cascading effect and potential influence on future project events. This could revolutionise risk management in projects with an ability to see effect rather than guess and also cause as each new flake brings with it changes and how that will ripple through the project.

More…

How to cite this work: Pugsley, G. (2026). Snow Flake of Risk could change Risk in Project Management, commentary, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Pugsley-Snow-Flake-of-Risk-commentary.pdf

About the Author

Gareth Pugsley

Durham Gate, UK

Gareth Pugsley is a Fellow of the APM and IIRSM, Dept head of knowledge at the APM. Teacher for over 8 years in apprenticeship. Previous author of works published in the PM World Journal. He holds 2 masters degrees and a reputation in the Risk and Projects worlds. Gareth can be contacted at mrpugsley@outlook.com

Unlocking Innovation

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:29:33 +0000

The Power Trio of Agile, AI and DevOps

SECOND EDITION

By Samant Kumar

Katy, Texas, USA

Abstract

Organizations undergoing digital transformation face increasing pressure to deliver faster while maintaining high quality and making effective decisions in uncertain environments. While Agile, DevOps, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are often applied independently, organizations are increasingly adopting them together as part of an integrated delivery model.

This paper proposes a project-management-oriented framework for understanding this convergence. Building on established Agile and DevOps research, along with emerging studies on AI in software engineering and project management, the paper argues that combining these disciplines creates value through improved delivery flow, enhanced decision-making, and stronger feedback mechanisms. Agile supports adaptive planning and iterative learning, DevOps enables continuous delivery and operational efficiency, and AI augments estimation, prioritization, testing, and monitoring capabilities. Based on these insights, the paper outlines an implementation model for program and portfolio leaders that incorporates maturity assessment, governance, automation, and performance measurement.

The key contribution is a practical framework to help organizations move beyond isolated tool adoption toward a cohesive delivery system that is faster, more informed, and more resilient. The paper also discusses implications for management practice, including performance metrics and adoption challenges.

Keywords: Agile, artificial intelligence, DevOps, project management, digital transformation, CI/CD, delivery performance, software engineering

Introduction

Digital transformation programs are now expected to generate business value at a pace that traditional delivery models often cannot sustain. Project and program leaders must respond not only to shifting customer expectations and compressed release cycles, but also to rising architectural complexity, compliance demands, and the need for data-driven decisions. From a project management perspective, the central challenge is no longer simply delivering scope on time; it is designing delivery systems that can learn continuously while balancing speed, quality, and risk.

Agile methods emerged to address rigidity in plan-driven development by privileging customer collaboration, rapid feedback, and responsiveness to change. DevOps later extended this logic into the operational domain by connecting development and operations through automation, continuous integration, continuous delivery, and observability. More recently, AI has begun to reshape both project management and software engineering by supporting estimation, forecasting, prioritization, test automation, anomaly detection, and decision support.

However, the literature and practice still frequently treat these domains in pairs—Agile and DevOps, Agile and AI, or AI and DevOps—rather than as a unified delivery system. This matters because implementation failures often arise when organizations automate pipelines without changing governance, or introduce AI assistants without improving data quality, process discipline, and human oversight. The real issue is therefore one of integration: how should project, program, and portfolio leaders combine Agile, AI, and DevOps into a coherent management model?

More…

How to cite this paper: Kumar, S. (2026). Unlocking Innovation: The Power Trio of Agile, AI, and DevOps; Originally presented at the 18^th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May, republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Kumar-Unlocking-Innovation.pdf

About the Author

Samant Kumar

Katy, Texas, USA

Samant Kumar, ASPC, AI-SPC, PMI-ACP, ICP-ACC, A-CSM, CSPO is a highly accomplished Portfolio Manager and Agile Program Manager at Capgemini. He is an Ex-IBMer with over 21 years of experience in driving Agile transformations and successful project delivery. He holds multiple prestigious certifications including Advanced SAFe SPC, AI-SPC, AI-SM, PMI-ACP, ICP-ACC, A- CSM and CSPO, reflecting deep expertise in Agile leadership. A recognized thought leader, he frequently speaks at global conferences and serves as a judge at renowned competitions. His work has been published across respected platforms, and he has received several awards such as Claro, Stevie, Titan, and Globee. Samant also contributes actively to the AI community as an AI Ambassador and published author. He can be contacted at linkedin.com/in/samant-kumar-374a091a8

AI in Action

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:46:42 +0000

Real Stories, Real Results

SECOND EDITION

By Greg Saunders

Texas, USA

Introduction

The world is three and a half years into the open GenAI era. With its November 30, 2022, launch of ChatGPT (chat-based generative pretrained transformer), OpenAI offered generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to anyone with the motivation to leverage it. Many more GenAI tools, one-hundred-fifty-plus, are now available and specialize in generating or editing emails, image or video generation, analytics, and project management, to name a few.

Everyone from middle-school students to CEOs are attempting to use and benefit from GenAI’s ability to accelerate delivery of accurate answers to homework and products that give a diplomatic, information, economic (business), or military advantage to him or her. In late March 2026, Anthropic published its summary of the percentage of twenty-two professions’ tasks people are prompting Anthropic’s Claude AI to perform (Massenkoff, Massenkoff, & McCrory, 2026). While this is only one GenAI tool’s actual profession-task-specific-prompt-usage result, it does give insight into the worldwide practical application of GenAI.

GenAI is capable of performing higher percentages of many professions’ functions. One of those functions is processing big volumes of data accurately and quickly to accelerate product delivery to the benefit of students, employees, and governments. GenAI can do that well, but it comes with “growing pains” for the user. With the goal of accelerating an office’s adoption of GenAI, what follows in this paper is a discussion of an EPMO’s failures with GenAI, examples of big data applications of GenAI in the project management domain, and guidance on leading organizations to adopt GenAI.

Failing Fast

Agile has a philosophy of failing fast. Most people avoid failing due to embarrassment or some other form of punishment but in Agile, the goal of failing fast is to learn. Agilists want feedback as to what the market likes and dislikes. If the release’s features are not used by customers, then in the duration of two more two-to-four-week sprints, the agile team will release additional features that the product owner forecasts customers will use.

This is a good philosophy to apply when using GenAI. It is good to engineer prompts across a spectrum of GenAI tools and disciplines and see what works and what does not work. Then use the GenAI tools that best fit your situation.

More…

Editor’s note: Second Editions are previously published papers that have continued relevance in today’s project management world, or which were originally published in conference proceedings or in a language other than English. Original publication acknowledged; authors retain copyright. This paper was originally presented at the 18^th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2026. It is republished here with permission of the author and conference organizers.

How to cite this paper: Saunders, G. (2026). AI in Action Real Stories, Real Results; Originally presented at the 18^th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May, republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Saunder-AI-in-Action-2nd-ed.pdf

About the Author

Greg Saunders

North Texas, USA

Greg Saunders is a Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master and PMP serving at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Exchange, which is an $7B international retailer for America’s Soldiers, Airmen, and Guardians. He’s currently the manager of the Exchange’s Program and Project Portfolio Governance office, setting policy for and managing a $550M portfolio of 90 programs, projects, and initiatives. Previously at the Exchange he 1) served as PMO head with a team of 22, 2) served as the lead PM for the Exchange’s largest program—replacing the accounting systems; 3) worked with PM, governance, and system analyst leads to architect the transformation of the Exchange’s program management approach; 4) served as the systems portfolio manager of 51 primary HR, payroll, & data warehouse systems; and 5) served as the PMO head for a 16-person team managing a $150M portfolio of 60 projects.

Prior to joining the Exchange, he ran a $2.5M/year business in a top-tier consultant firm. During his USAF career he re-established the Denver-based Air Reserve Personnel Center’s (ARPC) PMO; led the upgrade to ARPC’s portion of the Air Force Personnel Center’s call center that supports over 6 million reservists, retirees, and their surviving spouses; and as a colonel at the Pentagon served as both the USAF Reserves Comptroller and the Reservist to the AF CIO Director for Cyberspace Capabilities and Compliance, overseeing a team of 60 managing the USAF’s cyberspace capabilities, policy, and compliance. Over his 35-year career he has also become a Certified Agile Practitioner, been certified in ITIL Foundation, and been certified by the Air Force as a Lean, Six Sigma Black Belt. He can be contacted via Linked at https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg767/.

From the Executive Editor’s Desk

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:01:09 +0000

By Dr. Miles Shepherd

PMWJ Executive Editor

Salisbury, England, UK

It will not have escaped notice that the Journal has expanded in recent years. The expansion is mainly in the number of papers we now include. In 2025 we published 90 featured papers and 6 peer reviewed papers; to date this year the tally is 84 featured papers and 16 peer reviewed papers. The count for 2025 is incomplete as we had technical difficulties that took out two editions and we have only published 7 editions but even so, the numbers for this year are significantly higher.

With all these papers, how do you make yours stand out? In mainstream journalism, it is the headline that attracts readers and it is the same in the Journal. Our headlines are the titles of your paper, and they play an important role in how readers decide what to read.

In general terms, less is more! Long titles tend to put readers off, especially it they are highly specific geographically. This can be a problem for authors of peer reviewed papers especially if the paper is an adaptation of a dissertation or thesis but to attract readers (and possible citations) very detailed location information is almost certain to mean readers will assume that the paper has nothing relevant to where they live.

How do experienced authors handle issues around titles, you might wonder? Well, most academics will have a short, easily assimilated title that indicates the topic and the overall methodology. An example might be something like” Project Risk Anomalies: A case study” rather than “An investigation of factors affecting risk perception in Ross Island, Antarctica”.

The geographical aspects can be explained in the main body of the paper, and the wider relevance should form part of the concluding remarks. Similarly, for peer reviewed papers, care is needed when selecting key words. If you are unsure what works best for your paper, please don’t hesitate to seek advice from PMWJ’s Executive Editorial Team.

How to cite this work: Shepherd, M. (2026). From the Executive Editor’s Desk; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Shepherd-From-the-Exec-Editors-Desk.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Miles Shepherd

Executive Editor, PMWJ
Salisbury, UK

Dr. Miles Shepherd is Executive Editor, Advisor and International Correspondent for the PM World Journal in the United Kingdom. He retired from a 30 year career in the British Army in 1994. He is also managing director for MS Projects Ltd, a consulting company supporting various UK and overseas Government agencies, nuclear industry organisations and other businesses. Miles has over 35 years’ experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, nuclear security, rail and business projects for the UK Government and EU. His consulting work has taken him to Japan, Taiwan, USA and Russia. Past Chair and Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair and a Fellow of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). He was, for seven years, a Director for PMI’s Global Accreditation Centre and is past Chair of the ISO committee developing new international standards for Project Management and for Program/Portfolio Management. He served on British Standards Institute project management committee (2002 – 2026) including 5 years as Chair. He was involved in setting up APM’s team developing guidelines for project management oversight and governance. Miles is based in Salisbury, England and can be contacted at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uk.

To see other works by Miles Shepherd, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/miles-shepherd/

The Renovation of Germany’s Deutsches Museum

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:19:15 +0000

An Empathetic Battle

CASE STUDY

By Sebastian Wieschowski

Nuremberg, Germany

INTRODUCTION

Ten centimeters. Barely four inches. To the construction team at Munich’s Deutsches Museum, moving a doorway or adding another layer of insulation may seem like an insignificant adjustment. For curator Frank Dittmann, however, those few inches can determine whether a historic diorama still fits into its intended space, whether a display case suddenly blocks an emergency exit, or whether months of exhibition planning have to begin again. “For the construction team, these are minor details,” Dittmann says. “For us, they can be major issues.”

That seemingly trivial example captures the essence of one of Europe’s most ambitious cultural infrastructure projects. The comprehensive renovation of the Deutsches Museum (“German Museum”) is not simply about concrete, fire protection, engineering, or budgets. It is about bringing together two professional worlds that operate according to entirely different rules. On one side are curators, who think in terms of stories, scientific accuracy, and visitor experience. On the other are project managers, architects, engineers, and construction specialists, whose daily work revolves around schedules, procurement, risk management, and technical feasibility.

Between those worlds lies what Dittmann calls an “empathetic battle”—a constant process of negotiation in which conflicting priorities must be reconciled without losing sight of the project’s shared objective.

The phrase may sound paradoxical, yet it perfectly describes the management challenge behind a project whose complexity extends far beyond the construction site itself.

Since 2015, Germany’s largest museum dedicated to science and technology has been undergoing a complete modernization while remaining open to visitors. The project combines the renovation of a historic landmark with the redesign of nearly every major exhibition, the replacement of outdated building systems, and the integration of modern educational concepts—all without shutting the institution down.

Like many major infrastructure projects, the renovation has encountered escalating costs, shifting schedules, unexpected structural problems, supply-chain disruptions, political oversight, and even the insolvency of the project’s lead architectural firm. What began with an estimated budget of approximately €445 million has grown into a project backed by roughly €750 million in federal and Bavarian state funding.

The scale is extraordinary. About 72,000 square meters of buildings are being modernized, while approximately 45,000 square meters of exhibition space are being completely reimagined. Simply clearing one construction phase required an entire year. Rather than closing the museum altogether, management opted for a phased renovation strategy. The first fully renovated section reopened in 2022 with around twenty entirely new permanent exhibitions covering subjects ranging from robotics and health sciences to aviation. According to the museum, visitor numbers returned to record levels in 2025, while the second major construction phase is expected to continue through 2028.

More…

Author’s note: This article was originally prepared in the German language, after which AI tools were use to translate the story and assist with structure, grammar and punctuation. All details are in the author’s own words, based on a tour and interviews with museum staff.

How to cite this paper: Wieschowski, S. (2026). The Renovation of Germany’s Deutsches Museum: An Empathetic Battle, report; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Wieschowski-Empathetic-Battle.pdf

About the Author

Sebastian Wieschowski

Nuremberg, Germany

Sebastian Wieschowski is an editor at the German Project Management Association (GPM), the national member association of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) in Germany. He is responsible for developing GPM’s media relations and serves on the editorial board of PM Aktuell, a quarterly magazine distributed to more than 6,500 GPM members as well as external stakeholders.

Born in 1985 in northern Germany, Wieschowski developed an early fascination with journalism. His formal education began with active contributions to school and local newspapers. He later completed journalistic training at the Cologne Journalism School for Politics and Economics, earned a Master Level Diploma from the School of Journalism at Eichstaett University, and undertook professional training at a regional newspaper publisher. He also holds a postgraduate M.Sc. degree in Public Health from Hannover Medical School.

In addition to his freelance journalism for national and international outlets, including major German media such as DIE ZEIT, Wieschowski has held senior communications roles since 2012. He first worked as press officer for a private university specializing in social work, then for a psychiatric hospital, and later for an industrial company. In September 2024, he joined GPM’s Marketing and Public Relations department, where he focuses on strengthening the visibility and public relevance of project management through editorial formats such as storytelling.

Alongside his professional career, Sebastian Wieschowski is also active as a freelance author in his lifelong passion, numismatics. He writes for both German- and English-language specialist publications, and his work has been recognized three times by the Numismatic Literary Guild, a writers’ association based in the USA.

Sebastian is a reporter at heart and enjoys discovering inspiring stories and meet people from around the world, a goal that is particularly easy to pursue in the field of project management. He can be contacted at s.wieschowski@gpm-ipma.de.

Cross-Industry Scenario Planning Lessons

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:26:35 +0000

Insights for Project Managers in the AI Era

LESSONS LEARNED

By Alicia Morgan

Texas, USA

Abstract

Scenario planning is an increasingly critical capability for project managers operating in complex, uncertain environments. Its application varies across industries and is shaped by differences in risk tolerance, organizational maturity, and resource constraints. Emerging frameworks emphasize pattern-based approaches to decision-making, further reshaping how projects are planned and executed.

This paper presents cross-industry lessons learned from my experience as a capital projects manager in aerospace manufacturing, an AI coach supporting organizational transformation, and a leader in traditional and adaptive environments. It identifies five key insights: (1) scenario planning depends on contextual trust and stakeholder alignment, (2) communication and interpretation shape scenario effectiveness, (3) forecasting is frequently applied in situations where evaluating multiple possible outcomes may provide a broader perspective, (4) constraints can strengthen decision-making, and (5) cross-industry exposure enhances pattern recognition.

The practical case study examples are from my experience in aerospace manufacturing and AI-enabled transformation initiatives; this article demonstrates that scenario planning is evolving into a structured, pattern-supported capability. Actionable considerations are provided for project managers seeking to improve decision-making and value delivery.

Keywords; Scenario Planning; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Project Management; Decision-Making; Cross-Industry Leadership; Pattern Recognition; Digital Transformation

Introduction

Project managers are increasingly required to operate under conditions of uncertainty, accelerated change, and cross-functional complexity. Traditional planning approaches, often grounded in linear forecasting and deterministic assumptions, are no longer sufficient for navigating these environments.

Scenario planning provides a structured approach to evaluating multiple possible outcomes and decision pathways. Rather than relying on a single projected future, it enables project teams to model alternatives, assess trade-offs, and prepare adaptive responses.

More…

How to cite this work: Morgan, A. (2026). Cross-Industry Scenario Planning Lessons: Insights for Project Managers in the AI Era, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Morgan-Cross-Industry-Scenario-Planning.pdf

About the Author

Alicia Morgan, PMP

Dallas, Texas, USA

Alicia Morgan is an accomplished executive leader with expertise in project and program management, change management, and agile leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Tuskegee University and a Master of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from New Mexico State University. She has managed high-performing teams across various sectors, including Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and workforce and education initiatives, with experience in digital transformation and AI-enabled project delivery. As a PMP-certified consultant, she is recognized as an industry expert applying structured project approaches across complex environments. Alicia is also an award-winning professional, a Women in Technology Awards Advocate Honoree, and a TEDx speaker. Her work is in several publications, including the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Business Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business, and The Hill. Alicia excels in executive and people leadership, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning, with a focus on connecting technical and non-technical teams to deliver effective outcomes.

Alicia can be contacted at ammorgancreative@gmail.com

Governance Takes Center Stage

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:29:42 +0000

São Paulo’s Project Management

Market at Mid-2026

REPORT

By João Henrique Pettená do Carmo, PMP®

São Paulo, Brazil

Introduction

This report revisits the three recurring angles established in this author’s February 2026 baseline for the São Paulo region: governance maturity, delivery capacity, and market professionalization (do Carmo, 2026a). It updates each angle using developments observed through the first half of 2026 and, where relevant, the opening weeks of the third quarter. The report closes two items flagged earlier in the year: the VMO Summit 2026, treated as an observable signal of the PMO-to-VMO discussion, and the July 2026 PMP® examination transition, identified in the April report as a development to watch (do Carmo, 2026b). It also reviews selected project management events whose agendas illuminate the broader Brazilian conversation. Because public event programs and training offerings are market signals rather than audited maturity data, the conclusions below are framed as evidence of direction, not as a statistical measurement of adoption.

Keywords: project management, São Paulo, Brazil, PMO, VMO, PMP exam, governance, artificial intelligence, regional report

Returning to the Baseline

In February 2026, this column introduced three recurring angles for observing the São Paulo project management market: governance maturity, delivery capacity, and market professionalization (do Carmo, 2026a). Six months later, governance has moved most visibly. The PMBOK® Guide, Eighth Edition explicitly includes governance among its seven project management performance domains (PMI, 2025a), while artificial intelligence has become more prominent in standards, credentialing, training, and event agendas.

Delivery capacity and market professionalization have also changed, although the evidence at mid-year is more concrete for credentialing and capability-building than for labor-market outcomes. The sections below therefore distinguish official data and program information from this author’s interpretation of what those signals may mean for the São Paulo market.

Angle (a): Governance Maturity and the VMO Question

São Paulo’s portfolio and risk management practices continued a pattern already visible in February: larger organizations increasingly frame project governance in terms of value delivery rather than schedule and cost compliance alone. This orientation was the explicit premise of VMO Summit 2026, held in São Paulo on May 12-13. In its fourth edition, the event was presented by UGlocal as a national gathering focused on value-creation strategies, bringing together leaders from projects, processes, technology, innovation, strategy, transformation, and operations (UGLOCAL, 2026). Its continuity and breadth are useful indicators that the PMO-to-VMO discussion has become more institutionalized in Brazil’s management community…

More…

To read entire newsletter, click here

How to cite this report: do Carmo, J. H. P. (2026). Governance Takes Center Stage: São Paulo’s Project Management Market at Mid-2026, report, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-do-Carmo-governance-takes-center-stage.pdf

About the Author

João Henrique Pettená do Carmo

São Paulo, Brazil

João Henrique Pettená do Carmo is a Project Manager (PMP®) based in São Paulo State, Brazil, with 19 years of experience across the energy, infrastructure, engineering, and industrial sectors. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (USP), an LL.B. from UNISAL/SP, and has completed Six Sigma training through Kennesaw State University, with additional specializations in project management from the University of Colorado System and the University of Leeds.

João Pettená has contributed to projects for organizations including AGCO, Boticário, CPFL, General Electric, GLP Properties, Jacuzzi, JBS Seara, Nissin Foods, and Zongshen Machinery. He serves as an International Correspondent for PM World Journal in Brazil, covering São Paulo and the broader Brazilian market. He has authored professional and academic publications on project, program, and portfolio management, including peer-reviewed contributions to international journals. He is also a Project Manager for the Learning and Development program at the PMI São Paulo Chapter, Campinas Branch.

João Pettená can be contacted at pettena.joao@pm.me

Author profile: https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/joao-henrique-pettena-do-carmo/

August 2026 PM Update from Madrid

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:04:13 +0000

REPORT

By Dr. Alfonso Bucero, PhD

International Correspondent

Madrid, Spain

Which are Best Universities to Study

Project Management in Spain?

Spain is becoming one of the most popular choices among international students to study abroad and pursue higher education degrees. A few universities are offering possibilities to work as trainees in some multinational organizations. Some of the most popular universities in Spain have at least one degree available in project management at different degree levels, including bachelor’s, master’s, and a few of them doctorate studies. Some universities examples are as follows.

EAE Business School

EAE Business School is in Madrid and Barcelona and offers a master’s degree in project management in part-time study mode. The language of instruction has been Spanish so far, but this year they have added an English version for their program in project management. It is a one-year program with a total of 70 ECTS credits. Enrolment in either campus, Barcelona or Madrid, offers an equal chance of admission, depending on the course and students’ preferences.

Project management majors at EAE Business School are trained to work in team management and produce new project ideas to improve and develop the performance of companies. Project management students are equipped with real-life work experience skills with the latest technology trends and software development. Some of the subjects they reinforce are power skills (soft skills), IA, and case studies reviews.

Universidad Europea

The master’s in project management is taught in the school of architecture, engineering, and design at the European University of Madrid. The unique thing about this degree program is that you can graduate in about three months. Students learn various techniques and abilities to make project management more accessible and efficient. The thorough curriculum helps students learn through case studies and methodologies offered by professionals in project management…

More…

To read entire report, click here for ( English ) or ( Spanish )

How to cite this work: Bucero, A. (2026). Which are Best Universities to Study Project Management in Spain; Project Management in Spain, monthly report; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at: https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Bucero-Regional-Report-Spain-English.pdf

About the Author

Alfonso Bucero, PhD

Madrid, Spain

Alfonso Bucero, Ph.D., CPS, ACE, PMP, PMI-RMP, PfMP, SFC, IPMO-E, PMI Fellow, is an International Correspondent and Contributing Editor for the PM World Journal in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Bucero is also the founder and Managing Partner of BUCERO PM Consulting. Alfonso was the founder, sponsor, and President of the PMI Barcelona Chapter until April 2005 and belonged to PMI’s LIAG (Leadership Institute Advisory Group). He was the past President of the PMI Madrid Spain Chapter and then nominated as a PMI EMEA Region 8 Component Mentor. Alfonso was a member of the PMIEF Engagement Committee.

Alfonso has a Computer Science Engineering degree from Universidad Politécnica in Madrid and a Ph.D. in Management from the ISM University. He has 39 years of practical experience and is actively advancing the PM profession in Spain and Europe. Alfonso received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award on October 9, 2010, the PMI Fellow Award on October 22^, 2011, and the PMI Eric Jenett Excellence Award on October 28, 2017. You can contact Mr. Bucero at alfonso.bucero@abucero.com.

To see other works by Alfonso Bucero, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/alfonso-bucero/

Advancing project management excellence

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:11:38 +0000

through knowledge, community, and leadership

August 2026 PMI Dallas Chapter Newsletter

REPORT

By Carissa Roy

Newsletter Director
PMI Dallas Chapter

North Texas, USA

PMI Dallas has several upcoming events designed to help members learn, connect, and grow, including a virtual dinner meeting on August 13 focused on PMI’s construction strategy, the PMI-CP program, and the chapter’s 2026–2027 construction roadmap. The chapter is also hosting a full-day North Texas Project Management Conference on September 26 at UNT Frisco, along with a preview webinar to highlight conference sessions, plus additional networking and professional development opportunities such as Toastmasters, Coffee & Community, and happy hour gatherings.

Warm regards,

More…

How to cite this work: PMI Dallas Chapter (2026). PMI Dallas Chapter Newsletter – August 2026, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PMI-Dallas-Newsletter-August-2026.pdf

About the Editor

Carissa Roy PMP

Texas, USA

Program Manager | System Implementation | IT PMO | Customer Success Operations
Agile manager who elevates operational excellence, scalability, and retention by hardening procedures and tools.

Carissa Roy has 10+ years of project management and customer success leadership experience. A self-driven, resourceful manager, she is expert at building partnerships and stakeholder relationships, deploying emerging technologies, and driving product adoption to unlock business scalability and growth for customer success. When she is not delighting clients and overdelivering results, you can find her tickling the ivories, hitting the trail, or whipping up a batch of crepes for her five children. Email: newsletter@pmidallas.org

About the PMI Dallas Chapter

Established in 1984 and now with more than 5,000 members, the PMI Dallas Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the Project Management Institute network, serving project professionals across the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan region in the U.S.. The chapter provides professional development, certification support, networking, and volunteer leadership opportunities to advance the practice of project management and strengthen the local project community. For more, visit https://pmidallas.starchapter.com/

First AI-Driven Project Management Masterclass

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:26:47 +0000

Project Dynamics – I2P2M Newsletter

REPORT

By Ms. Minoo Sahoo

Noida, India

We are enclosing herewith the ‘Project Dynamics Newsletter’ July 2026, specifically highlighting the importance of AI-Driven Project Management. The first AI-Driven Project Management Masterclass was held in Bengaluru on 18th July 2026. 71 participants from 19 companies with 35 Divisions/Centres attended the inaugural AI-Driven PM Masterclass. The 2nd AI in PM Masterclass will be held on August 22, 2026, in Mumbai, to help organisations take advantage of it. Organisations can take full advantage of this major event.

Artificial Intelligence is emerging as one of the most significant forces shaping the future of organisations. According to Gartner report, 80 per cent of Today’s Project Management Tasks will be eliminated by 2030 as Artificial Intelligence Takes Over.

With best regards,

Ms. Minoo Sahoo, B.E.

AI in Project Management Centre
International Institute of Projects & Program Management (i2P2M)

Noida, India

To read entire newsletter, click here

How to cite this work: I2P2M (2026). First AI-driven Project Management Masterclass, Project Dynamics: I2P2M July 2026 Newsletter, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/260803-Project-Dynamics-Newsletter-AI-Driven-Project-Management.pdf

About I2P2M

International Institute of Projects and Program Management (i2P2M) is a not-for-profit Section 8 company established in 2008. It develops project leaders and professionals through practical learning, best practices, simulations, AI driven project managers and industry insights to improve project outcomes. Its strategic direction is guided by a distinguished Academic Industry Council from academia, industry, and government. i2P2M is an Authorized Training Organization (ATO) of the AI driven Project Manager (AIPM) co-founded by Prof. Antonio Nieto-Rodiguez and Dr. Ricardo Vargas to promote

Masterclass and the Training and Certification leading to AI Project Manager credential administered by APMG, UK. Based in Noida, India, I2P2M can be found at https://www.i2p2m.com/ and contacted at chairman@i2p2m.com

After EURAM 2026

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:45:56 +0000

REPORT

Compiled and Edited by

Ipek Sahra Ozguler

International Correspondent

Istanbul, Turkey

Navigating High Waters – Managing in an age of disruption

The 26th EURAM (The European Academy of Management) Annual Conference was held in Kristiansand, Norway, from June 16 to June 19. The conference theme was “Navigating High Waters – Managing in an Age of Disruption”.

This report provides brief information about the excellent research that received awards at the conference:

The PMI Best Paper of the Project Organising Strategic Interest Group (PO SIG): Role of Project Governance in Shaping Social Value in Infrastructure Projects

The Most Inspirational Paper of the PO SIG: Leading without leaders? The organizational limits of project leadership in bureaucratic contexts

Speakers:

Roksana Jahan Tumpa

Simon Bichon

Summaries of their presentations follow..

More…

How to cite this work: Ozguler, I. S. (2026). After EURAM 2026: Navigating High Waters – Managing in an age of disruption, report, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August.. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Ozguler-After-Euram-2026-report.pdf

About the Author

Ipek Sahra Ozguler

Istanbul, Turkey

Ipek Sahra Ozguler graduated from the Istanbul University, Turkey with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering and from Middle East Technical University, Turkey with an MSc degree in Software Management. As a project manager, she has more than 13 years of experience in various areas such as portfolio management, program management, project management, software management, business analysis. She became a certified PMP in 2012 and a certified SCRUM Master in 2014.

She has gained broader insights in a variety of projects across manufacturing, defence, FMCG (Cola Cola), insurance (Euler Hermes), audit (Deloitte), telecommunication, aviation and finance sectors. In addition, she has been working as an international correspondent for the PM World Journal since 2014.

Ipek is the creator and editor of the highly acclaimed book, The Perspective of Women Project Management Professionals, interviews with leading female PM experts and professionals around the world. The book was published in March 2020 and is available here.

Ipek is based in Istanbul, Turkey and can be contacted at ipeksahra@gmail.com. Her portfolio is published at the http://ipeksahra.strikingly.com/ and https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/ipek-sahra-ozguler/.

Case Studies on Project Management in Practice

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:56:58 +0000

BOOK REVIEW

Book Title: Case Studies on Project Management in Practice
Author: Edited by Alejandro Romero-Torres, Shankar Sankaran, and Joseph Griffin
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
List Price: $150.00
Format: Hardcover, 246 pages
Publication Date: 2025
ISBN: 978 1 0353 1126 2
Reviewer: Dr. Patricia M. Chowdhury, EdD, MM, MBA, PMP
Review Date: June 2026

Introduction

As an educator, I am always looking for publications that help drive home the points that careful instruction on project management processes, rules, standards, and best practices teaches. But these often lack the real-world context of appropriate industry case studies to bring these points to life. Case Studies on Project Management in Practice provides this context and more.

Overview of Book’s Structure

Case Studies on Project Management in Practice offers readers illustrative stories of real project situations requiring resolution and provides a decision-making framework based on the available information.

But first, the editor brings readers- up to date on the shift in businesses toward “projectifying” work that formerly was handled in more traditional department hierarchies.

A very useful feature is the variety of global industries represented in the cases. They range from a municipal water company in Ecuador to a property and casualty company in the Upper Midwest of the United States, a construction contracting company in the Middle East focused on digital innovation in its work, and public road works in Senegal. With increased globalization in business, project managers can observe how other cultures handle various project situations.

Interestingly, the cases do not stop at the various industries. While the cases may feature specific industries, the main story in one case focuses on ethics and difficulties in team dynamics, another on issues arising between Scrum Masters and Product Owners, and a third on deciding to terminate a project during project delivery. As project managers learn from situations similar to those they face, these cases are not only instructive but also help others solve problems in their work.

Each case provides thoughtful questions for prompting discussion and is an excellent source and time-saver for educators.

Highlights

Any project manager holding PMI certifications must continually update their knowledge and earn a minimum number of professional development units (PDUs) between certification renewals. To guide project managers as they accumulate these PDUs, the Project Management Institute developed the PMI Talent Triangle®, which specifies the number of PDUs required in three project management learning and competency areas for project managers to renew their certifications. A highlight is the organization of the case studies into the three PMI competency areas: Ways of Working, Power Skills, and Business Acumen.

More…

How to cite this work: Choudhury, P. M. (2026). Case Studies on Project Management in Practice, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Chowdhury-Case-Studies-on-Proj-Mgt-in-Practice-book-review.pdf

About the Reviewer

Dr. Patt Chowdhury

North Texas, USA

Dr. Patt Chowdhury, EdD, MM, MBA, PMP is an experienced marketing executive and cross-functional senior manager with extensive experience in marketing operations, program management, product management, process development, and information technology at iconic Fortune 500 brands in the information technology, travel and transportation, professional services, public sector, telecommunications, and higher education industries. She is a full-time Professor of Business and Marketing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Dr. Chowdhury is a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of Programs at PMI Dallas Chapter.

Patt can be contacted at programs@pmidallas.org

Editor’s note: This book review was the result of a partnership between the PM World Journal and the PMI Dallas Chapter. Authors and publishers provide books to the PM World Journal Editor; books are delivered to the PMI Dallas Chapter where they are offered free to PMI members who agree to provide a review within 45 days; book reviews are published in the PM World Journal and PM World Library. Reviewers can normally claim PDU’s for PMP recertification upon publication of their book reviews.

PM professionals can also author a review of a PM-related book independently purchased or received from authors. Those book reviews can also be published in the PMWJ, with authors then able to claim PDUs or CEUs for PM recertifications. If you would like us to publish a book review or are an author or publisher of a project management-related book, and would like the book reviewed, please contact editor@pmworldjournal.com.

Megaproject Management

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:03:12 +0000

BOOK REVIEW

Book Title: Megaproject Management: Lessons on Risk and Project Management from the Big Dig
Author: Virginia A. Greiman
Publisher: Wiley
List Price: $128.95
Format: Hardcover, 496 pages
Publication Date: 2013
ISBN: 978-1-118-11547-3
Reviewer: Nicole Thomas
Review Date: June 2026

Introduction

Megaproject Management: Lessons on Risk and Project Management from the Big Dig (Greiman, 2013) provides readers with lessons learned from Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel Project, also known as the Big Dig. The project is considered one of the most challenging infrastructure projects in U.S. history due to its size, complexity, cost, and public visibility.

The author provides an overview of megaprojects and gives insight into the day-to-day challenges, uncertainties, and successes experienced by the Big Dig project team. Using the Big Dig as a case study, Greiman demonstrates the importance of project management and risk management in delivering large and complex projects.

Overview of Book’s Structure

The book’s structure is simple and easy for readers to follow. It begins with an introduction to megaprojects and the Big Dig, including information related to long project durations, costs exceeding $1 billion, public and political influences, procurement methods, and project delivery approaches.

Chapters 3 through 12 focus on specific project management concepts, including stakeholder management, governance, scope management, scheduling, cost management, risk management, quality management, sustainability, and leadership. Each chapter discusses how these topics influenced the planning and execution of the Big Dig infrastructure project.

The chapters also provide background information, lessons learned, a summary, ethical considerations, and discussion questions. This format helps reinforce key concepts and encourages readers to think about how the lessons can be applied to future projects.

Highlights

The book highlights the importance of effective risk management, stakeholder engagement, cost management, leadership, and adaptability when dealing with unforeseen challenges. Throughout it, the author demonstrates how decisions made during the project affected project outcomes and stakeholder perceptions.

More…

How to cite this work: Thomas, N. (2026). Megaproject Management: Lessons on Risk and Project Management from the Big Dig, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Thomas-Megaproject-Management-book-review.pdf

About the Reviewer

Nicole Thomas

North Texas, USA

Nicole Thomas is an IT leader with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has led cross-functional teams and partnered with business stakeholders to deliver technology solutions that improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and support strategic business objectives. Her experience spans the planning, delivery, implementation, and operational support of technology initiatives that help organizations achieve measurable business results.

She is passionate about developing high-performing teams and fostering collaborative environments where people and ideas can thrive. She brings an adaptive leadership style that helps teams navigate change, innovate, and deliver meaningful business outcomes. Her professional interests include leadership development, Agile delivery, product and project ownership, and aligning technology with business priorities to solve complex challenges and create lasting organization value.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and currently pursuing a master’s degree. She maintains professional certifications in Scrum, Project Management, IT Service Management, cloud computing, networking, and cybersecurity.

The Project Management AI Handbook

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:10:10 +0000

BOOK REVIEW

Book Title: The Project Management AI Handbook: Leveraging Generative Tools in Waterfall and Agile Environments
Authors: Dr. Prasad Kodukula and Guz Vinueza
Publisher: J. Ross Publishing
List Price: $59.95
Format: Hardcover, 334 pages
Publication Date: 2025
ISBN: 978-1-60427-205-5
Reviewer: Prof. Shankar Sankaran PhD, PMP, PMI Fellow
Review Date: July 2026

The book titled ” The Project Management AI Handbook: Leveraging Generative Tools in Waterfall and Agile Environments” by Dr. Prasad Kodukula and Gus Vineza stands out among resources for project managers and teams seeking to responsibly leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Generative AI (Gen AI), to enhance project performance and deliver results while addressing ethical considerations in human-AI collaboration.

While many books on AI in project management focus on applying AI for specific project tasks, this book aims to cater to both newcomers and experienced project team members who are keen to integrate AI into their project management practices. It achieves this through a systematic approach, first discussing essential project and portfolio management principles, their key functions, and activities, before explaining how AI can support these functions in use cases. Even when AI usage in the Use cases is detailed the tasks for which AI is used and its importance are also clearly explained so that this book also serves newcomers to projects.

While explaining how AI can support project management both waterfall and agile approaches are explained before demonstrating how AI can be utilized in either methodology.

A highlight of this book is its logical four-section structure.

Section 1: AI in Project Management

In this section, the authors clearly articulate the book’s intent: to help project teams and managers enhance efficiency and productivity by partnering with AI for administrative and procedural tasks. AI can assist project teams in managing time and cost, assessing risks, engaging stakeholders, allocating resources, and handling project documentation for scope definition and reporting. The book also explores how AI tools can support project portfolio management by screening and ranking projects, categorizing them into funding buckets, and ensuring alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives and the projects’ missions.

The authors define AI and its classifications, explain how AI learns through different forms of machine learning, and trace its evolution before discussing the rapid development and impact of Generative AI on our lives and on project management. This provides an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with AI and its relevance at operational, tactical, and strategic levels, and how it improves project results and outcomes. The section concludes by exploring AI’s potential evolution from a useful tool to a strategic partner, given its ability to process vast amounts of data and offer predictive capabilities. The authors advocate that leaders in both organizations and projects must address the challenges of adopting AI to ensure its contribution to project delivery is carefully managed, considering both risks and opportunities.

More…

How to cite this review: Sankaran, S. (2026). The Project Management AI Handbook: Leveraging Generative Tools in Waterfall and Agile Environments, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Sankaran-PM-AI-Handbook-book-review.pdf

About the Reviewer

Prof Shankar Sankaran, PE

Sydney, Australia

Shankar Sankaran PhD, PMP, PMI Fellow, is Professor of Organizational Project Management at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Australia. He is a member of the faculty of Design and Society at UTS where he teaches advance level subjects at the Master of Project Management course including Project Governance, Project Leadership, Digital Transformation and Systems Thinking. His research areas are in project governance, project leadership, sociotechnical systems, and action research. Shankar has won awards for research excellence from PMI and IPMA. He is a Chief Investigator in two Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research grants, one in an Industry Transformation Research Hub for Human Robot Teams for Sustainable and Resilient Construction and Project Governance and Governmentality as Collaborative Challenges.

Shankar has been involved in the publication of 15 books including a research handbook on project governance and has published and/or presented over 150 peer reviewed research publications in international conferences and journals. Shankar worked for several years in industry as a project manager, and a technical director in a Japanese MNC in Singapore before joining academia in Australia in 1999. He has been serving a PMI as a Volunteer for over 20 years including serving as a Chair of the Board of PMI’s Global Accreditation Centre, and as an Associate Editor of Project Management Journal.

Shankar is also a member of the College of Leadership and Management’s Sydney Committee at Engineers Australia where he works with other committee members to promote project governance to improve the performance of major projects in Australia. Shankar is an Honorary Academic Advisor of PM World Journal from Australia

Editor’s note: Authors of book reviews published in the PM World Journal can normally receive professional development units (PDUs) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) or continuing education units (CEUs) from other professional bodies for certification or recertification purposes. Reviewed books should be directly or indirectly related to program, portfolio or project management.

If you would like us to publish a book review or are an author or publisher of a project management-related book, and would like the book reviewed, please contact editor@pmworldjournal.com.

Project Management Metrics

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:17:51 +0000

BOOK REVIEW

Book Title: Project Management Metrics, KPIs, and Dashboards
Author: Harold Kerzner, PhD
Publisher: Wiley
List Price: $81.95
Format: Softcover, 448 pages
Publication Date: 2019, 4^th Ed. 2023
ISBN: 978-1-951486-00-6
Reviewer: Sunil Kumar Suvvari
Review Date: Feb 2026

Introduction

Project management today is about much more than delivering a project on time and within budget. Organizations want project managers to show business value, make informed decisions, and use data to improve project outcomes. In Project Management Metrics, KPIs, and Dashboards, Harold Kerzner explains how the right metrics and dashboards can help achieve these goals. This is the second edition and the fourth edition has many more revisions of the evolved metrics.

The book takes a practical approach to performance measurement. Instead of treating metrics as numbers to report, the author shows how they can help project managers reduce uncertainty, identify problems early, and make better decisions throughout the project lifecycle.

Overview of Book’s Structure

The book is divided into eight chapters, each building on the previous one. It starts by explaining how project management has evolved and why traditional measures of success are no longer enough. The early chapters introduce the basics of project metrics, stakeholder expectations, and why measuring the right things is more important than measuring everything.

The next few chapters focus on metrics, KPIs, and value-based measurement. Kerzner explains the difference between a metric and a KPI, how to select meaningful measures, and why projects should be evaluated based on the value they create, not just schedule and cost.

The book then moves into dashboards and reporting. It explains how to design dashboards that communicate useful information to executives and stakeholders. Real examples from different organizations make these concepts easier to understand.

The final chapter brings everything together by explaining measurement-driven project management. It shows how project goals can be converted into meaningful information that helps teams make better decisions and improve project performance.

Highlights

One of the biggest strengths of this book is its focus on measuring what really matters. The author explains that collecting more data does not always lead to better decisions. Instead, project managers should focus on information that helps reduce uncertainty and supports decision-making.

More…

How to cite this work: Suvvari, S. K. (2026). Project Management Metrics, KPIs, and Dashboards, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pmwj167-Aug2026-Suvvari-PM-Metrics-KPIs-Dashboards-book-review.pdf

About the Reviewer

Sunil Kumar Suvvari

Texas, USA

Sunil Kumar Suvvari is a technology and enterprise delivery leader with over 15 years of experience driving Agile transformation, digital governance, and inclusive product strategy across telecommunications and financial services organizations. His work focuses on integrating accessibility, responsible AI practices, and empirical Agile delivery into enterprise-scale engineering ecosystems.

As a Principal Agile Delivery Lead, Sunil has led large modernization initiatives that embed accessibility governance directly into sprint planning, DevOps automation, and enterprise SDLC standards. His approach demonstrates how inclusive design, when operationalized effectively, enhances product quality, reduces delivery risk, and creates sustainable competitive advantage.

Sunil has authored and co-authored research-based articles published in international journals and has contributed to books focused on Project Management and Agile methodologies. He actively serves the professional community as a reviewer for publications and conferences affiliated with Springer, Elsevier, SAGE, ACM, and IEEE.

He has also served as a judge for global innovation and technology awards, including business intelligence and accessibility-focused competitions. A frequent keynote speaker at PMI, IEEE, ACM, and other professional forums, Sunil shares practical insights on governance-driven Agile leadership and inclusive digital transformation.

He currently serves as Vice President, Professional Development for the PMI Dallas Chapter. An international mentor supporting professionals across 26 countries, Sunil advocates universal design as both a professional responsibility and a strategic business advantage. He can be contacted at suvvarisunilkumar@ieee.org.

Project & Production Scheduling

David Pells — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:02:33 +0000

BOOK REVIEW

Book Title: Project & Production Scheduling
Author: Quentin W. Fleming, John W. Bronn, and Gary C. Humphreys
Publisher: Probus Publishing Company, Chicago
List Price: $42.50, out of print, used $4.00+
Format: Hard Cover, 272 pages
Publication Date: 1987
ISBN: 0-917253-63-9
Reviewer: John William Jeter
Review Date: June 2026

Introduction

There are some rare business books that are classics and timeless. My interest in this book was because I have worked in Operations/Manufacturing most of my working life. Production scheduling is a recurring key element of my work environment. In aerospace and defense, we work by contracts. The program management of those contracts fits in very well with the field of project management. This book offered to provide insight on tools that would apply to both areas of scheduling.

The book is not played out like a fictional story like so many modern business books or classics like The Goal. It is structured more like a textbook, but it is written and structured in a way that flows logically and reads in an engaging manner. The authors provide interesting historical context on why the techniques they promote are effective and enduring. Enduring and classic are two words I associate with the book after completing it.

A textbook written in 1987 would seem irrelevant in our fast moving world, but one ends up with the sense that these authors did in fact identify what are essential tools and a very effective method for combining those tools no matter what decade since 1987 for the project or production need. They offer predictions on how personal computers and software will impact scheduling and project management. Those positions are very interesting to read knowing how it really turned out since 1987. I never read or was exposed to a specific text just on scheduling.

This book was a great choice, a classic in my view, and one of the most practical texts I have come across that augments the very tools I use at work and the guidance on scheduling techniques covered in the PMBOK guide.

Overview of Book’s Structure

The book structure supports the emphasis on the use of effective, enduring techniques in an approach to scheduling projects that the authors call the alternative scheduling method. Those key elements are Work Breakdown Structures, Networking, Resource Analysis & Leveling, Gantt charts, and Milestone charts. In the 254 pages and thirteen chapters of the book, there is an entire chapter dedicated to the Gantt and Milestone charts. Network diagramming receives the most attention in the book with five chapters. Each network chapter builds upon the other. Among these chapters you can see how the overall techniques of logic diagramming following a precedence diagram format for planning, scheduling, and managing the critical path have evolved and endured.

More…