lindsayscott
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Project Management Census Aims to Shed Light on Project Management Practices in 2012
Dec 14th
The 2012 Arras People Project Management Census was opened to project management professionals across the globe this week.
Now in its seventh year, the Project Management Census – once collated – will provide a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of what is happening in the project & programme management fields both in the UK and worldwide. The subsequent Project Management Benchmark Report (PMBR) is regarded by fellow professionals and students of the industry as the most comprehensive report available for the project management marketplace.
New for 2012 is the reach of the Census, looking at the project management marketplace and outlook for 2012 across the globe. Alongside practitioners of project management, the Census also solicits the views of those hiring project management staff.
The Census will give us a clearer view of what is happening in the project management marketplace and focuses on issues such as;
- Project & programme-related training and accreditation
- Remuneration & bonus details
- Job sectors
- Contracting-specific traits
- Permanent employment-specific traits
- Job searches & sector relocation
“This year we decided that the project management population is ready for its own Census. We have increased the focus beyond the UK to help give a truly global view on where project management is at now and what is in store for us in 2012” said John Thorpe, Managing Director/Founder of Arras People. “The Census includes demographics from current practicing project professionals as well as those responsible for hiring. This will help us to understand if the current project management profession is meeting the demands of those who require their services”
The PMBR has been cited often in many different presentations worldwide since its inception in 2005; additionally, project management professionals have repeatedly cited the Report when looking to present current data and trends in the profession. The Arras People study remains the only report targeting the climate of project & programme management through the direct polling of practitioners and professionals within PPM.
Participants in the Census will have the opportunity to receive a free copy of the final PMBR upon its release, which is tentatively scheduled for early February 2012. Non-participants in the Census will not have access to the report until mid-2012.
Individuals can take the Census online > Project Managment Census (all responses are confidential)
More details on the Census and access to last year’s report are available at: Project Management Benchmark Reports
APM pick up the Arras People Report
Dec 12th
The Association for Project Management (APM) released this news last week based on Arras People’s information on the project management marketplace. The new project management census for 2012 is now open for anyone to take part with an interest in project management, it takes up to 10 minutes to complete and you will receive the new report early February 2012. >> Take part now
APMP qualification can earn PPM practitioners an extra £10k
The recent Salaries and Day Rates Review for Project Management Personnel, based on the 2011 Project Management Benchmark Report from recruitment specialists Arras People, shows that project and programme managers could earn up to £10,000 more per year if they hold the Association for Project Management’s APMP qualification.
“It would appear that for most programme and project management practitioners the reality is that accreditations are not only becoming increasingly mandated when looking for a new role, but more importantly they are also rewarded with higher salaries and day rates.” said the report’s author and Arras People managing director John Thorpe.
The survey of programme and project management practitioners suggests that APMP can have a positive impact on both remuneration and contractor day rates with 52% of those with the qualification commanding fees of £400 to £600 per day.
The popularity of the ubiquitous PRINCE2® accreditations, long seen as an industry standard methodology, is also reflected in the survey, although the overall impact on salary is “not significant” due to the fact so many practitioners hold the accreditation.
“Many project managers have hit mandatory requirement that they have PRINCE2® which rightly or wrongly has achieved the de facto standard” said John Thorpe “The PRINCE2® accreditation does have a positive impact on the PPM practitioner distribution by salary across the whole and also when reviewed for just project managers. As expected, because it is now a baseline accreditation the actual difference is not significant reflecting its ‘me too’ position.”
With the profession facing tough economic times and jobs and contracts at a premium, increasing numbers of professionals are turning to the APMP qualification to provide an edge in the employment market. A shortened route to APMP, launched in 2010, specifically for those holding the PRINCE2® Practitioner qualification is especially attractive to those wishing to stand out from the rest.
Liz Wilson, head of Professional Standards and Knowledge at APM said: “Those who have achieved the APMP have had their project management knowledge professionally recognised by APM. These research findings from Arras emphasise that employers place a high commercial value on this achievement, too.”
APMP is part of the association’s suite of qualifications providing support for professionals throughout their career. Accredited at IPMA Level D and SCQF Level 7, APMP is a knowledge based qualification for those wishing to achieve a broad level of project management knowledge sufficient to participate in projects from individual assignments through to large capital projects. Candidates can study for APMP on a variety of different courses run by accredited providers or should there be a desire to undertake self study, candidates can enter one of four open examinations run by the APM.
For more information visit the APMP webpage.
PRINCE2® is the Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.
Best Practice Showcase Roundup
Jun 29th
The Best Practice Showcase, organized by APMG-International, took place this month at the Grange Hotel near St Paul’s Cathedral, London. The venue – an architecturally striking new hotel, provided the perfect backdrop for a day of genuine discussion, debate and learning focused on getting the most out of programmes and projects. Arras People ran 5 sessions throughout the day, meeting over 50 delegates to discuss “How to Differentiate Yourself in the Project Management Marketplace”
The format of this year’s event – which was launched in 2002 – featured only round table sessions so delegates could focus on the subjects of interest to them. There was a host of interesting sessions, from why communication is so important in projects, how earned value keeps projects on track, to how much programme and project managers can earn in the current economic climate.
During the event, some of the candidates who passed new APMG examinations in Agile Project Management and Management of Value, were given their certificates. There was also time to celebrate the achievement of London Underground for its recent Level 3 Maturity Award. Mike Strzelecki, Director of Safety and Doug Norman, Head of the Centre of Excellence, were presented their certificate by Mike Ward, the Accredited Consultant who assessed London Underground. The Maturity of the organization has meant they have been able to save hundreds of millions of pounds while upgrading the tube, and keeping it running.
Richard Pharro, CEO, APMG said, “It’s good to take time to acknowledge the achievement of both candidates and organizations who strive to improve, so I was delighted to be here today. The format of Showcase has evolved over the 9 years we have been running it – it used to be the traditional exhibition and seminars. But we listened to what delegates said they wanted – being able to discuss issues, talk to each other, ask questions and be part of small groups. We have been delighted with the feedback we’ve got and of course from the support of our sponsors.”
If you are interested in the session Arras People ran; take a look at the new page “Differentiate Yourself in the Marketplace” which includes a new podcast to compliment the session
Meet Arras People at the Best Practice Showcase
May 25th
Come along to the popular Best Practice Showcase in London on the 17th June 2011 and meet Arras People throughout the day. Arras will be hosting five sessions throughout the day on “How to Differentiate Yourself in the Marketplace”
With the UK private sector slowly showing signs of economic recovery and the continued uncertainty in the public sector, the UK job marketplace has seen a number of changes which have impacted the job seeker. In these sessions we explore the changes, such as;
- What are employers looking for now in their project management hires?
- How can you improve the way you represent yourself – tried and tested methods Vs doing things differently
- Hints, tips and advice on how to differentiate yourself from the competition in the recruitment process – focused on CVs, interviews, where to look for opportunities.
Delegates will leave the session having gained an insight into how the recruitment market has changed over the last three years and the steps they need to take to ensure success when looking to secure their next project management opportunity. These sessions are an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into the kind of advice we offer through our Careers Clinics as well as receiving real and practical advice on the day which you can start to implement straightaway
The Best Practice Showcase is free to attend and is being held at the Grange St Paul Hotel near St Paul’s Cathedral. If you are interested in coming along you need to register for your place. You can then register for the sessions you would like to attend. If you’ve never been to a Showcase event it is well worth attending for a number of reasons. It’s free, it’s CPD, great networking, great food and that’s even before you consider the sessions on offer. The “birds of a feather” format is basically 12 of your peers around one table learning, discussing and debating the topic you’ve chosen from the programme. The format is much more interactive than a presentation or seminar plus it aids networking.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Arras People Speak at Project Challenge
Mar 17th
Lindsay Scott of Arras People is back for a second year presenting at the Project Challenge event being held at the NEC, Birmingham on the Thursday 31st March. The presentation is scheduled for 1.30pm.
| How to differentiate yourself in the marketplace when looking for the next career opportunity
Lindsay Scott, Director, Arras People
With the UK private sector slowly showing signs of economic recovery and the continued uncertainty in the public sector, the UK job marketplace has seen a number of changes which have impacted the job seeker. In this session we explore the changes, such as;
Delegates will leave the session having gained an insight into how the recruitment market has changed over the last three years and the steps they need to take to ensure success when looking to secure their next project management opportunity. |
Project Challenge is a free event for project management professionals and features a number of presentations throughout the day. Register via the website to receive your free entry.
Lindsay will be available throughout the day on the PMI exhibition stand, so drop by and say hello.
Arras at the University of East London
Nov 30th
Managing Director, John Thorpe, returns to the University of East London again today for the second year running to host a 
briefing session for the University’s project management department. The MSc Project Management students will be hearing about the project management industry today; how to prepare themselves for the job market post university; how to gain that all important practical experience; preparing a post university project management CV; and finally the current marketplace and what they can expect when completing their Masters degree.
Further advice and guidance is available for graduates through Arras People’s careers information pages
>> Please visit the graduate project management section for more information
Arras People has presented at a number of university project management departments – hosting sessions for graduates on areas such as those above. If you are a university department or current student in MSc Project Management and would like to invite Arras along please contact us for more information
Arras People Launches New Salary & Rates Publication
Nov 19th
Arras People launched its quarterly publication exclusively for our clients today. The PPM Insider focuses on an up-to-date picture of the UK’s programme and project management sector including salary and day rate data.
With the launch of the new Arras People website and our updated registration process we are now able to collect additional data about salaries, day rates and trends for the UK Programme and Project Management community. The data which we are collecting will be analysed and published in a new quarterly briefing document PPM Insider™ which will be exclusively available to our clients.
This overview is aimed at giving you a flavour of the analysis that we have of the UK Programme and Project Management community. If you would like to receive the quarterly report please sign up here.
Candidate Information
Part of the challenge for any organisation is to understand what is happening in the candidate market. Current market conditions would suggest that there are many candidates available, but are they the right ones for our role? How does this apparent volume translate to quality?
As can be seen in the graph above, October saw candidate volumes increase in terms of both “new” (we have not dealt with them before) and “active” (a combination of new and existing). This increase was due to two key factors;
- Increase in available roles
- Post holiday surge
However further analysis from our internal grading process, which is applied to candidates based upon their PPM skills and experience, shows an interesting trend.
The percentage of “strong candidates” fell as a proportion of those that were active. The number of “weak” candidates increased substantially by the same measure. Overall this surge in activity increased the workload required to find the best candidates for our clients.
Analysis by Role
Whilst general market intelligence is fine, what many organisations can not get to is benchmarked information by individual roles. One of the challenges in project management is the differing interpretation and activities associated with a role title, which is further exaggerated across sector. Our collected data and analysis allows us to review by popular roles and also sector to provide trending information which we believe is not generally available. As a teaser, the data provided below shows part of our analysis for Project Managers.
Project Managers
As we can see in the graph above we have been able to capture and present three elements of data for the registered candidates who are looking for a permanent role.
The first line of data (blue) plots the Current salary of the candidates which we have been banded to allow comparison. This plot reveals a distribution very similar to that found in the 2010 PMBR, though the average is slightly down from £42,500 to £41,000 for our registered candidates.
The second plot line (red) shows the desired salary which the registering candidates indicated they would like to achieve in their next roles. Not surprisingly, the graph shows that there is still pressure to grow salaries and increase earnings in the lower and mid sectors of the distribution, though it would also appear to suggest that some of the higher earning project managers are willing to take a decrease in rate to secure a role.
The third plot line (green) shows the salary expectations of contractors if they were to be tempted back into regular permanent PAYE roles. As can be seen there is a significantly shift in the distribution to a higher salary expectation.
The table at right summarises the current salary and current day rates which registering Candidates provided.
The data shows the salary information by the candidates’ primary sector and includes the highest rates along with the average.
To see the full report including further candidate analysis, Permanent and Contractor rates and the Max/ Average rates for all the roles please visit the Arras People web site at PPM Insider™, where you can sign up.
Voluntary Project Management Posts
Nov 9th
Arras People launched its new voluntary project management job board this week, a new job board purely for unpaid project management positions. Following on from the changes facing the voluntary, charity and third sector organisations through the Big Society launch from the Coalition government, Arras People decided to get involved and offer a free job board.
The Voluntary Project Management Job Board is free to use to advertise for any unpaid volunteer project management posts. This is an opportunity for charities, not-for-profit, social enterprise organisations who need to attract volunteer project management people to their organisations.
The job board covers all the UK and all charitiable areas. 
The Volunteer Project Management Job Board is also a useful addition for people looking for voluntary opportunities in the project management field. Currently there is not one single provision that allows volunteers to quickly and easily find a volunteer position in project management.
Voluntary work in the project management area is an excellent way for the newly qualified, graduate or job seeker seeking a path into project management to gain valuable on the job practical experience. It’s also an excellent way for current experienced project management professionals to work in a new area or to just have the opportunity to put something back into their local communities or social area.
If you are currently looking for a volunteer project management resource, visit the new job board area.
To take a look at the current available opportunities, visit the volunteer project management job board
Special Invitation Only PM Event for Arras Clients
Oct 25th
Arras People’s clients are invited to a special one off event at a rather special location in Central London next month. The Caledonian Club – the Scottish Members Only Club – hosts a briefing and networking session on the new research into PRINCE2. The event kicks off with a lovely Scottish breakfast followed by a session led by Richard Sargeant, Chief Investigator, Queensland University of Technology
New independent research from Queensland University of Technology, examines the strengths of PRINCE2 and looks at the challenges organisations face in directing successful projects. Key issues that this briefing session will focus on include:
- Providing effective executive support to champion the adoption of PRINCE2
- Creating a robust business case
- Prioritising project governance
- Embedding and tailoring the method into your organisational culture
- Successfully overseeing projects being managed using PRINCE2
The event takes place on Thursday 11th November 2010
There are also three sessions to choose from;
A: What Sort of Leader are You?
This practical workshop will provide you with fresh thinking on what sort of leader you are. Starting with a self assessment you will learn more about your preferences and how you are likely to respond in different situations and with different personality types. The session will help you identify those situations where you would be likely to be most effective as a leader (and also those where you may be ineffective!) You will also have the opportunity to reflect on how your own leadership style fits with the organisations culture and style and the nature of your projects.
B: Using portfolio management to deliver effective change
During this interactive session we will discuss the value of portfolio management and the role of the PMO in project prioritisation and strategic alignment of projects and programmes. We will discuss different approaches for achieving these objectives and identify activities that we can implement back in the workplace to realise benefits.
C: We’ve trained our staff in PRINCE2®, so why has nothing changed?
This workshop discussion will examine how best to set out the organisation’s approach for managing projects. Defining the organisation’s expectations on how projects should be managed will improve the management information that supports decision making, and will help to improve governance. Topics for discussion will include:
• defining types and sizes of projects
• ownership of each theme within the project management framework
• tuning the level of management information and level of control applied to each project
Invitations are in the (email) post this week; look forward to seeing you for breakfast!
Latest UK Labour Market Data
Sep 16th
The Report on Jobs published last week (8th September 2010) by the REC and KPMG headlined with “Permanent placements rose at weakest rate for ten months in August”.
The overall picture painted was one of a general slowdown in the UK job market with the economy continuing to exhibit the dual track (split across Public / Private sector) which we have now been seeing for the last couple of years. The Public sector is generally tightening down in advance of further budget cuts whilst there are some signs that the Private sector is creating new roles.
Whilst this report gathers its data from a broad spectrum of recruitment agencies some of this months data has a direct correlation to what Arras People are seeing in the Programme and Project Management sector.
“Growth of staff appointments weakens further..” A sweeping top level analysis which we believe is also being impacted by the changes that many organisations are making to the way they recruit. During the downturn we have encountered many clients who have taken recruitment in-house in order to reduce the cost of employing new starters. This change of approach may hide some of the actual hiring patterns as it is naturally having an impact on those organisations in the recruitment market. Channels increasing used are direct advertising, referal schemes, LinkedIn and other social media tools.
“Further decline in availability of permanent candidates” The report indicated that despite the slowdown in new appointments there is growing evidence of a growing skill shortage. Interestingly the areas identified included Project Management and Business Analysis. The availability of permanent staff declined at the sharpest level since 2007. Whilst this may be impacted by seasonal events as many candidates withdraw from the market during the summer months it continues the general concern about the availability of talent in the UK market. This is further compounded by the lack of “movers” in the market as professionals sit tight waiting for the economy to settle and employers tighten packages on offer as they believe it must be a buyers market.
Pay pressures “Permanent Salaries” – the knock on effect from the lack of talent discussed above may well be the trigger for this move, as companies are finding themselves having to make their packages more attractive or at least competitive to entice good candidates. All the way through the current downturn we have found that on the whole the best programme and project management practitioners have managed to stay in employment. Time is of the essence when recruiting if employers are looking to secure both permanent workers and contractors with the best skill sets.
Arras People – Moving with the Market
Many of the movers and shakers in the recruitment and HR market are predicting that many of the short term changes that we have seen, will become embedded as business as usual for many organisations as we move forward. Key changes such as recruitment moving in house and management of employer brand will become more of a focus; triggering a move away from big and informal to niche and focussed. A position that we believe Arras People is already occupying.
As such our new web site has allowed us to offer two new channels to market for clients who are being impacted by the changes or looking to operate in a new way. We have solutions that allow clients to come and fish in our talent pool when looking for new candidates.
- Featured Employer – A cost effective way of ensuring your brand and your recruitment campaign can be seen by project management professionals. Whether looking for immediate hires to fill your talent pipeline this offering will attract both active and inactive job seekers. Read more >
- Branded Advertisements – For the cost conscious in-house recruitment team we have our branded project management job advertisements. From £350 the advertisements are a brilliant way to get some bang for your advertising buck as they hit your target audience! Read more >
