Are we falling or flying ... and will we ever know? » project

Zero Energy Homes Can Be Quite Amazing.

andi — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:30:30 +0000

The U.S. Department of Energy host the Solar Decathlon—a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. The Solar Decathlon is also an event to which the public is invited to observe the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency, and the best in home design.

The Solar Decathlon brings attention to one of the biggest challenges we face—an ever-increasing need for energy. As an internationally recognized event, it offers powerful solutions—using energy more efficiently and using energy from renewable sources.

The Solar Decathlon has several goals:

To educate the student participants—the “Decathletes”—about the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building technologies. As the next generation of engineers, architects, builders, and communicators, the Decathletes will be able to use this knowledge in their studies and their future careers.
To raise awareness among the general public about renewable energy and energy efficiency, and how solar energy technologies can reduce energy usage.
To help solar energy technologies enter the marketplace faster. This competition encourages the research and development of energy efficiency and energy production technologies.
To foster collaboration among students from different academic disciplines—including engineering and architecture students, who rarely work together until they enter the workplace.
To promote an integrated or “whole building design” approach to new construction. This approach differs from the traditional design/build process because the design team considers the interactions of all building components and systems to create a more comfortable building, save energy, and reduce environmental impact.

To demonstrate to the public the potential of Zero Energy Homes, which produce as much energy from renewable sources, such as the sun and wind, as they consume. Even though the home might be connected to a utility grid, it has net zero energy consumption from the utility provider.

I really do want one of these houses – but am still watching the videos to figure out which one ;)

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Bucky is Still Here (Sort Of)

Today CNN.com is running a story on humanity is acquiring the right technology for the right reason – and is also a current example of R. Buckminster Fuller’s life quest to answer the the question “Does humanity have a chance to survive lastingly and successfully on planet Earth, and if so, how:” Inventor Jon Bohmer created …

Is it the destination, the journey, or both?

There’s a useful post on lifehack.org: “34 Tips for Your Younger Self.” The advice I’d probably give my younger self is to appreciate while we don’t always control our lives or environments, we always have choices – even if our choice becomes figuring out where to go from the spot some …

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New Free PDU Opportunity – “Project Management for Mere Mortals”

andi — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:28:59 +0000

I just signed up for my second PDU webinar from Rita Mulcahy/RMCProject’s Project Management Bookstore (www.projectmanagementbookstore.com); and based on the caliber of their presenter last month, and this month’s topic, I’m really looking forward to attending/participating in this webinar.

While I just added this one to the calendar, I’m also calling this out as a blog posting since they just now opened registeration, there is a 1,000 attendee cap, and the September PDU webinar reached the 1,000 person enrollment cap prior to the webinar.

The details:

Project Management for Mere Mortals
Presented by Claudia M. Baca
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 12:00pm – 1:00pm Central Time (GMT-6)

This webinar will focus specifically on viewing your project from the Risk Management perspective. Claudia will present a methodology that is easy and effective in dealing with project risks. Her methodologies are easily modified to apply to any project.

Risk Management for Mere Mortals will also feature a section on teaming. It will spotlight the project pessimist and how they can help effectively identify and plan for project risks. Claudia offers valuable advice on effective communication to executives about project risks and how to avoid them.

To attend:

http://www.projectmanagementbookstore.com/webinars/mere-mortals.html

To attend:

http://www.projectmanagementbookstore.com/webinars/mere-mortals.html

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More Opportunities for Free PMI approved PDUs.

Many aspiring PMPs know Rita Mulcahy’s “PMP® Exam Prep” book as a constant presence within the PMP exam prep world. I’ve recently become a fan of her Project Management Bookstore, which offers some very interesting Project Management titles for a discounted 40% off list price. :-) The site also has an “Author Webinar Series,”

3 New, Free PDU Software Project Management Webinars

andi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:09:03 +0000

For those Project Managers or Scrum Masters managing technical software development projects – learning via two free, on demand webcasts by Steve McConnell and Construx Software will be time well spent.

You may already be familiar with Steve McConnell’s books Code Complete; Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules; Software Project Survival Guide; Professional Software Development; and Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art.

This year I was extremely fortunate to attend several Construx boot camps and seminars – and I highly recommend their course content and trainers.

And – Construx is a recognized provider registered with the PMI Registered Educational Provider Program (PMI R.E.P.); and seminar attendees will receive/can claim Professional Development Units (PDUs) for completing each PMI Registered course. :)

Construx Software currently offers 2 free webinars worth 1 PDU each:

WEBINAR – 10 DEADLY SINS OF SOFTWARE ESTIMATION

The average project overruns its planned budget and schedule by 50-80 percent. In practice, little work is done that could truly be called “estimation.” Many projects are scheduled using a combination of legitimate business targets and liberal doses of wishful thinking. In this talk, award-winning author Steve McConnell presents 10 of the worst ways estimates go wrong, and presents time-tested rules of thumb for dramatically improving estimation accuracy.

View OnDemand Webinar

WEBINAR – RIGHT SIZING AGILE DEVELOPMENT

Agile development has now been in use for almost a decade. Why use Agile methods? What are the strengths of Agile? What are some common failure modes? What other lessons has the software industry learned about Agile development? In this talk, Steve McConnell–author of Code Complete, Rapid Development, and other software industry classics and CEO of Construx Software–draws on Construx’s extensive consulting work to dissect Agile development. McConnell names the Agile practices that have worked well for Construx’s clients, describes the failure modes of Agile practices that have failed to live up to the hype, and explains how to right size Agile development for your organization.

View OnDemand Webinar

ALSO – Danube Technology just added a new free Scrum-focused Project Management webinar worth 1 PDU, which can only be viewed LIVE from 11 am – 12noon Pacific Standard Time, on Tuesday, November 24:

November 24, 2009

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Standard TIME

Estimation: Story Sizes and Related Topics

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More Opportunities for Free PMI approved PDUs.

Free PDU Options for Current PMPs.

All Project Management Institute (PMI) certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs) know from their many hours of preparing for the PMP exam, one requirement to maintain your credential is to earn 20 PDUs each year. There are an abundance of PDU earning activities and training options – but much of the PDU training offered …

Upcoming Free PDU-Worthy Webcasts Options for Current PMPs

Those of us who are both Project Management Institute certified Project Management Professionals (PMP), and also Certified Scrum Masters (CSM), Danube Technologies, Inc. has several interesting Scrum/Agile focused webinars, all free, which meet the PMI’s requirements for PDU credit (under Category 4). IMPORTANT NOTE: Danube only offers these webinars as special …

Scrum IS Fun.

I’m now a Certified Scrum Master (and certifiable ;) ) - and really look forward to implementing the Agile Development framework into my work and my daily life … more on that to follow after I finish designing and implementing my personal scrum based task board. Stay tuned. In the mean …

More Opportunities for Free PMI approved PDUs.

andi — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:51:06 +0000

Many aspiring PMPs know Rita Mulcahy’s “PMP® Exam Prep” book as a constant presence within the PMP exam prep world.

I’ve recently become a fan of her Project Management Bookstore, which offers some very interesting Project Management titles for a discounted 40% off list price. :-)

The site also has an “Author Webinar Series,” where book authors represented in the online store deliver a 45 to 50 minutes long online presentation, plus 10 to 15 minutes of Q&A.

All events—even the recorded ones—qualify for one Professional Development Unit (PDU) toward a PMP® certification (under Category 4), and include:

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Free PDU Options for Current PMPs.

Upcoming Free PDU-Worthy Webcasts Options for Current PMPs

Upcoming Free PDU-Worthy Webcasts Options for Current PMPs

andi — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:52:14 +0000

IMPORTANT NOTE: Danube only offers these webinars as special one-time events; if you are not able to attend/participate live, regularly check their site in case they offer the same webinars again.

Date	Time	Topic	Register

September 25, 2009	11:00 AM – 12:30 PMPST	Scrum for PMPs: Rolling Wave Planning & Scrum	Register
October 05, 2009	11:00 AM – 12:00 PMPST	Choosing a Pilot Project	Register
October 22, 2009	10:00 AM – 11:00 AMPST	Scrum for Project Managers	Register
October 23, 2009	11:00 AM – 12:30 PMPST	Scrum for PMPs: PM Responsibilities & The Scrum Roles	Register

These webinars cover the basics of Scrum and Danube offers these free webinars frequently throughout the year:

Date	Time	Topic	Register
October 01, 2009	11:00 AM – 12:00 PMPST	Build the right team: Matching people with Scrum roles	Register
October 09, 2009	10:00 AM – 11:00 AMPST	Story Writing Basics	Register
October 15, 2009	09:00 AM – 10:00 AMPST	Introduction to Scrum	Register
October 19, 2009	11:00 AM – 12:00 PMPST	What Is Scrum: The Developer’s Perspective	Register

Enjoy … !

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Scrum IS Fun.

Systems Thinking in the Real World

The more I read about Steve Jobs, the more I want to work for Apple; except for the work | life balance, he really, really gets it, and on so many levels – about people and about products. The good and bad of thinking in terms of systems is not many …

The View From Here is Recursive.

A friend recently drew my attention to the differences between strategic and analytical thinking. I realized while I haven’t normally attach those traits to other people; I have recognized and planned for project impacts from those stakeholder characteristics. We each view the world slightly differently, and through our personal filters, which are …

Free PDU Options for Current PMPs.

andi — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:34:03 +0000

There are an abundance of PDU earning activities and training options – but much of the PDU training offered by PMI Category 3 Registered Education Providers (REPs) is fee based.

However – several PMI Registered Education Providers offer free live and/or “on demand” webcasts, typically worth 1 PDU each.

IAG currently has eight free PDU earning, on-demand webcasts available after registering for its site:

5 Things You Must Know About Requirements Planning (1 PDU)
Harmonizing Agility & Discipline: Balancing Warring Methodologies and Achieving Success (1 PDU)
Managing Requirements Operational Excellence: A Framework for Accelerating Organizational Development (1 PDU)
Fast Tracking Project Concepts (1 PDU)
Predicting Project Outcome (1 PDU)
Inside Effective Business Requirements Documentation (1 PDU)
Optimizing Requirements Discovery (1 PDU)
Outsourcing Requirements Discovery (1 PDU)

CAI and its IT Metrics and Productivity Institute offer free live webinars, each with a PDU credit attached. Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately) if you’re not able to catch these webinars live, you can purchase access for 24 hours to each of their archived webinars for $29.99 each.

IIL offers more than 20 webinars, each worth 1 PDU:

An Introduction to Earned Value Measurement (1 PDU)
In this free one-hour webinar, you will discover the differences between monitoring and managing projects and gain an understanding of the key formulas in Earned Value Measurement. More Details

Change Management—Organizational and People
This free one-hour webinar will provide you with a quick overview of the key elements of organizational and people change management. More Details

Changes in PMBOK Guide^® – Fourth Edition (1 PDU)
In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll gain the must-have knowledge on the differences between the PMBOK® Guide – Third Edition and the PMBOK® Guide – Fourth Edition, with side-by-side comparisons of the most significant changes. More Details

Foundations of Strategic Planning (1 PDU)
This free one-hour webinar will provide you with a quick overview of the key elements of strategic planning and how it relates to project and program management. More Details

Managing Multiple Projects – Overview (1 PDU)
In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll gain an introduction to the multi-project environment with a detailed look at the multi-project process model. More Details

PMP® Prep Overview
This free one-hour webinar provides a step-by-step overview of the process for applying, qualifying, and preparing to take the 200-question project management professional exam offered by the Project Management Institute. More Details

Project Management Fundamentals (1 PDU)
In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll receive an introduction to IIL’s Project Management Fundamentals course, with a selection of slides from most of the course modules, showing you which knowledge areas, skills, and techniques are emphasized in the course.
More Details

Project Management Fundamentals for IT Professionals (1 PDU)
In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll receive an introduction to IIL’s Project Management Fundamentals for IT Professionals course and its emphasis on the IT Project environment and its current issues, directions, and trends. More Details

Project Management Methodology (1 PDU)
In this free one-hour webinar, you’ll receive an introduction to the use of a web-based PM methodology, its features and functions, and the challenges of implementing a PM methodology. More Details

The Art of Feedback (1 PDU)
This free one-hour webinar will provide you with an excellent understanding of how to give and receive feedback. More Details

What Every Project Manager Should Know About Business Analysis (1 PDU)
This free one-hour webinar will explore how a Business Analyst can work in harmony with a Project Manager to manage project scope and help projects succeed. More Details

Work Breakdown Structure and Configuration Management (1 PDU)
This free one-hour webinar will demonstrate the development and use of the Work Breakdown Structure as a powerful organizational technique. More Details

Successfully Integrating Project Management and Six Sigma (1 PDU)
In free one-hour webinar, you will learn how to improve project outcomes and dramatically reduce costs through the successful integration of tools and techniques of project management and Six Sigma. More Details

Leading Cross-Cultural Virtual Teams (1 PDU)
This free one-hour webinar provides an introduction to a subject that is becoming a key success factor for any global enterprise or international project – leading virtual project teams that span time zones, borders, and continents. More Details

The Power of Acknowledgment (1 PDU)
In free one-hour webinar, author Judith W. Umlas will teach you how to use the readily available power of acknowledgment to motivate and inspire teams and fellow employees. More Details

Additional free and low cost PDU 0pportunities can be found on the PDU4Free website.

Enjoy :)

Yet Another “Unique” Job Opportunities for Those in the Market …

andi — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:53:16 +0000

Life Sciences Graduates Hyderabad India based (Ladies) please contact

A Pharmaceutical organization based in Hyderabad India requires lady customer relations coordinator.Life sceinces graduates preferably with MBA Marketing qualifications please contact.