In this month's newsletter the focus lies on matters related to 2011 and the prospects, expectations, truths, myths and stats that will shape the year ahead for project management. Arras People Managing Director John Thorpe gives us a variety of input in this month's edition, first with a considered look at the recent salaries and day rates levels for programme management, project management and PMO. John  also covers the 2011 Project Management Benchmark Report, urging you to get involved in the largest UK survey of project professionals.

It's more than just salary surveys his month though. We also take a look at a Kerry R. Willis' new title "Essential Project Management Skills" with guest reviewer Mark Norman in the latest Book of the Month installment, while Michael Hides takes a crack at answering one reader's questions about how to best express the value they've added to the projects they've worked on.

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Words: John Thorpe

With the launch of the new Arras People website and the updated registration process we are now able to collect additional data about salaries and day rates. The data which we are collecting will be analysed and published to give the UK Programme and Project Management community some up to-date information regarding salaries and day rates.

The first set of data in this report analyses the registration detail collected during September and October, providing analysis for;

• Project Managers
• Programme Managers
• PMO Managers and Support staff
   

The following is a snapshot of the data, the full picture being available here.

Figure 1

Project Managers

As we can see in the graph in Figure 1, 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 in to regular permanent PAYE roles. As can be seen there is a significantly shift in the distribution to a higher salary expectation.

Figure 2

Figure 2 above 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.

Figure 3
 

Programme Managers

This plot again reveals a distribution very similar to that found in the 2010 PMBR with the average salary of our registered programme managers at £60,000, as revealed above in Figure 3.

Again we can see candidates looking to increase salary and the contractor distribution at a higher level of expectation.

Figure 4

PMO Managers and Support

As Figure 4 shows, this plot again reveals a distribution very similar to that found in the 2010 PMBR with the average salary of our registered PMO managers at £40,200 and the average salary of our registered PMO Support people at £27,500.

Again we can see candidates in the lower and median ranges looking to increase salary, though like the project managers we have a higher earning group willing to accept lower salaries. Once again the contractor distribution shows at a higher level of expectation.

For a full analysis including the plots of Contractor day rates and the Max/Average rates for all the roles please visit the Arras People web site at PPM Remuneration Data.

Words: John Thorpe

With 2010 rapidly drawing to a close, the team at Arras are once again preparing the ground for the sixth Arras People Project management Benchmark Report. Pleasingly for us, feedback from the 2010 PMBR was once again positive and highly regarded by many individuals and organisations in the UK PPM community. For those readers who have not seen the 2010 PMBR, or indeed the earlier versions they are all available on our website.

For us 2010 has been another challenging year and from talking to many candidates, practitioners and organisations across all sectors it has certainly been a year of mixed fortunes. As ever we have seen individuals and organisations that have had a fantastic year as their skills and products have been in demand; whilst at the other extreme we have seen some organisations fold and many practitioners who have been made redundant and contractors who have found it very challenging to find their next role.

Looking out to 2011 it feels like once again we are set for a year of mixed fortunes, with the full impact of the Governments spending plans hitting not only those directly employed by the many organisations whose budgets have been squeezed but also the many organisations who supply goods and services. On the up-side we have seen over the last couple of months an increase in hiring in the private sector and hopefully this will be a trend that continues.

So, with such turbulence the 2011 PMBR should make for some interesting reading on the economic front both looking back at how the PPM community faired during 2010 and also looking forward into 2011. In addition we shall also be taking a look at subjects such as;

• Social media and its place within PPM
• Accreditation (to seek a comparison to 2006)
• Job hunting & the PPM community
• The challenges of changing sector
   

As ever we can not create the PMBR without the help of you the practitioner community and once again we are asking that you put a little time aside to complete this year’s survey. At the same time we would ask that you spread the news and encourage other colleagues to also contribute. It is worth stressing that this is not just about practitioners who are looking for a job; we are trying to capture as wide a picture as possible of what is happening across the UK PPM community. We do not capture any details which are used to increase our candidate base and we will not hassle or spam anyone who takes part. If you want, you can complete the survey 100% anonymously and then come back and request a copy of the report when it is published.

Finally, this year we have decided to offer a prize draw which will be open to all those who complete the survey in an attempt to drive up the numbers of people who take part. Shallow we know, but experience tells us that without a prize people are less likely to take part! So super prize this year, an Apple I-Pad so that you can keep up with the latest news where ever you are.

Author: Kerry R. Willis
Publisher: CRC Press
Size: 220 pages

Reviewed by Mark Norman

Project management literature is awash with titles, papers and training courses that describe techniques such as risk management, planning and earned value. In conjunction with this there is an associated emphasis within the industry for methodologies such as PRINCE2 and other in house bespoke methods.

To successfully deliver projects on time, on budget and within the required scope project managers should be able to deploy the correct techniques and methodology specific to their particular work context. However, amongst many other factors it is now recognised that certain skills are required to deliver projects in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.

The central premise of the book is that the modern business landscape is changing, and that the project manager must evolve through the acquisition and application of new skills to meet the demands the new landscape places on projects and the project manager.

"Essential Project Management Skills" describes those skills that a project manager should have to thrive in the new business environment. The book is divided into four sections; background, changing project landscape, the new project management skills and concluding with a summary.

The book opens by introducing the concepts that are related to the changing business and project landscape and considers their impact on projects.

The second section is a discussion of several trends identified by the author within project management and the challenges those trends pose the modern project manager. Four trends are identified, namely: the need to reduce cost, increased project complexity, the requirement for additional rigour and the changing workforce.  The impact of each trend on the discipline of project management is analysed through a series of case studies.

The third section outlines those new project management skills that the author believes a project manager should possess to successfully deliver projects. The author suggests that these skills can be categorised under the following headings; additional rigour, consultative approach, managing information and leadership.

The final section summarises the evolution of the project landscape, the challenges it now presents and the skills a project manager requires managing in today’s environment.

The book is well written and the author’s prose easy to read, diagrams and tables are provided where required although on occasions, such as table 1.1 p4, it is not clear how they support the text.

As practicing project managers we should aspire to ever increasing levels of professionalism. As part of this process project managers should be reflective practitioners and learn lessons from each project engagement. Through its use of a number of wide ranging case studies this book can accelerate that process. The reader can draw from their own body of knowledge when reviewing the case studies and reflect on the success or otherwise of the author’s and associated contributors experiences.

The book is a welcome and valuable addition to the project management library. It bridges the gap between abstract project management theory and the reality of the environment the modern project manager operates in. If the time is taken to critically review the information provided and reflect on its application then the book will have served its purpose.

ABOUT OUR REVIEWER: Mark Norman is an engineer and project manager with over 20 years experience across a number of industry sectors. Mark has delivered technical and business change projects in the military, private and public sectors from both the client and contractor perspective.

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"During a recent PMC clinic on how to improve my CV you suggested that I show ‘added value’ within each of my roles. In my last role I didn’t add any value so what should I do?" - Vince, Leeds

Michael Hides of Arras People says: The first thing to remember is that your CV is a marketing document with the sole aim of getting an interview with a prospective employer. Just highlighting your responsibilities reminds me of a job specification and does nothing to set you apart from the other 90% of CVs like this. This is not to say that you should resort to any means to get your CV noticed as you want to be remembered for the right reasons.

Demonstrating that you have added value within a role shows what you can do for a future employer and reinforces your positive attitudes.

Just because you are not setting strategy, designing new products or selling does not mean that you are not adding value. When I visit companies, the first person I meet is often the receptionist. Where this person is cheerful and professional I already feel good about the company. I could talk equally about call centre staff and shop assistants and the same would apply.

But what about those who do not have a customer facing role? The same applies. The diary manager who ensures the senior executive’s time is managed effectively and the operator who keeps the machine running all add value.

"But that was just my job," I hear you say.

True! But in my experience the majority of people rarely do just their job. From designing document templates, to improving the efficiency of a machine we all have small ways to add value. Sometimes our company structures inhibit this but here I fear the organisation looses out.

Demonstrating that you are able to add value highlights a positive attitude as well as showcasing your skills and experience. Doing this well will enable you to stand out from the crowd and hopefully lead to interviews where you are in a better position to influence the decision makers.

Postscript: A couple of days after this conversation I had a further call from the candidate. She had really struggled with our discussion for two days. Finally she sat down with a blank piece of paper to try to capture the value adding activities. The first couple were still a strain, but then became easier until she had written a couple of pages worth. Now the problem was trimming these down to fit the CV – a nice problem to have.

During our discussion the candidate admitted that her most recent role had knocked her confidence as no one in the company seemed to value the work she was doing although this does not mean it wasn’t adding value.

This story is not unusual and does illustrate how the writing of a CV can do as much for your self esteem as it can for your job prospects.

If you would like to put a question to Michael or any of our other project management consultants, contact us and it could end up in a future edition of the Tipoffs Q&A. Also, be sure to check out our Careers clinic / Careers Advice pages for more advice related to project management careers.

Got a question for us? Contact us today.