As a certified Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.), Off Peak Training will attend the Project Management Institute’s R.E.P. Forum, from July 11-14th. The conference will be held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center, in Maryland’s National Harbor. We are excited to be attending this conference, which will feature speakers and presentations from project management scholars and experts. We are committed to continuous improvement in our knowledge of project management and in our course material, and we are looking forward to enhancing our current PMP certification course content with the latest, cutting edge information presented at this conference.

According to the PMI website, “this premier educational conference gathers thought leaders in project management to share new research findings and shape future directions for the profession. Participation in the event is limited to 500 scholars, senior practitioners and students of project management. It will feature upwards of 60 sessions and, in addition to traditional paper presentations, will include new interactive session formats, symposia and student poster sessions. Attendees will also use the latest in social media networking to further their participation and enhance their experience.”

PMI is the world’s leading professional membership organization for project managers and is the only project management association with an established academic research program. In order to become a Registered Education Provider, Off Peak Training’s course materials went through a rigorous review by PMI education experts to ensure that our course material is of high quality and in-line with PMI standards.

Sign up today for PMP Certification training in Tyson’s Corner Virginia August 23-27th, 2010. Full schedule available at www.offpeaktraining.com/pmp

Read testimonials at: http://www.offpeaktraining.com/category/testimonials/

Off Peak Training, a Reston, VA based company, offers public and private classes to help prepare business professionals for the PMP®, CAPM®, PMI-SP®, CISSP®, CAPM®, CISA®, and is a Registered Education Provider for the Project Management Institute.

The Project Management Institute® (PMI®) is a non-profit organization that works to advance the field of Project Management. PMI is the leading authority on all things Project Management. Joining PMI can help out any Project Manager regardless of where they are in their career. PMI is divided into Chapters based on location. Joining the local chapter is a crucial step to anyone serious about Project Management.

In the Washington DC Metropolitan area alone there are several PMI chapters including the Silver Spring, Montgomery County, and Washington DC chapters. In addition there are many more chapters just outside the DC Metro area including the Central Virginia, Baltimore, and Southern Maryland chapters. The local chapters offer networking, a great body of knowledge to draw from, and the wisdom and experience of thousands of local Project Managers. The local chapters hold meetings, lectures, seminars, and all manner of gatherings to spread knowledge and experience. For example, the Silver Spring Chapter of the PMI will be having a guest speaker from the General Services Administration on November 11, 2009. The Washington DC chapter will also be having a dinner meeting with Tom Davis, The Director of Federal Government Affairs, on November 4, 2009.

Being a member of these chapters is the perfect way to connect to other Project Managers and companies in your area. As a member of your local PMI chapter, you will also receive their publication, full of useful information about what’s going on in the world of Project Management. In addition to this, members receive discounts on a variety of Project Management resources ranging from credential exams to books and materials.

In addition to the local chapters, PMI also has online Communities of Practice where Project Managers can build network opportunities around the world. This gives yet another useful source of information. The Communities contain wikis, blogs, online discussions and many other resources.

As a member of the local Washington DC chapter and a Registered Education Provider, Off Peak Training recognizes the value of local chapter membership and the ability to direct and lead project teams efficiently and within scheduling and budgeting limitations. Holding a PMP can also greatly increase a professional’s salary and reputation among potential employers. In fact ZDNET’S Tech Republic organization conducted a survey of the top paying certifications in the technology industry; the PMP came out on top averaging over $100k! Before you get your PMP, get involved in one of the PMI chapters! Doing this will put you in a position to gain the maximum amount of knowledge before you get your certification.

Off Peak Training will be conducting a 5 day bootcamp class for the PMP certification. The class will be taking place from November 16 to November 20 in the Northern Virginia area. Our educators are professionals that truly enjoy imparting their knowledge to others in order to help them attain their certifications. Training through the right educator is an extremely valuable experience and Off Peak Training can give you that experience through the quality of our educators and the convenience of our classes.

Off Peak Training, a Reston, VA based company, offers public and private classes to help prepare business professionals for the PMP®, CAPM®, PMI-SP®, CISSP®, CAPM®, CISA®, and is a Registered Education Provider for the Project Management Institute.

In 2008, the Project Management Institute (PMI®) released two new credentials to its family of certifications. These credentials are meant to complement previous offerings, such as the PMP®, and recognize subject matter expertise in a specific knowledge area.

They include: PMI-SP® – Scheduling Professional and PMI-RMP® – Risk Management Professional

The PMI-SP® is a versatile certification ideal for both new project schedulers lacking the experience required to obtain a PMP®, as well as experienced project managers wanting to highlight their expertise in the knowledge area of project scheduling. The PMI-SP® focuses on the development, maintenance, analysis, and communication of the project schedule to the project team. In order to be eligible to take the exam for the PMI-SP® you must meet one of the two following sets of requirements based on experience and education:

A high school diploma or international equivalent.
5,000 hours of scheduling experience within the last five years
40 education hours completed with a certified educator.

- or -

A bachelor’s degree or international equivalent.
3,500 hours of scheduling experience within the last five years
30 education hours completed with a certified educator.

Earlier this year, Off Peak Training became the first training provider in the United States to have a PMI-SP® course registered under the PMI Registered Education Provider program. We are pleased to announce our first public PMI-SP® Exam Preparation course in November 2009. Two levels of the course will be offered:

Level 2 – Provides 24 hours of education to prepare students for the PMI-SP exam. This course is intended for students who already possess a PMP® or CAPM®. It will be held over 3 weekend days (11/14, 11/21, 11/22).

Level 1 – Provides 32 hours of education to prepare students for the PMI-SP exam. This course is intended for students who do not already have a PMI® certification. It will be held over 4 weekend days (11/7, 11/14, 11/21, 11/22).

To learn more or register for class, please visit:
http://www.offpeaktraining.com/courses/projectmanagement/pmi-sp/

Off Peak Training, a Reston, VA based company, offers public and private classes to help prepare business professionals for the PMP®, CAPM®, PMI-SP®, CISSP®, CAPM®, CISA®, and is a Registered Education Provider for the Project Management Institute.

If you are a member of PMI®, you probably read the PMI Passport® newsletter. In this month’s edition is a great article about building schedules. I’ve consulted with a number of clients on how to build effective schedules using Microsoft Project® on Windows® or FastTrack Schedule® on Mac®. The advice I’ve given aligns well with PMI’s article, Seven Tips on How to Build a Solid Schedule:

1. Realize the importance of the schedule.
2. Identify the availability of team members.
3. Build the schedule around deliverables.
4. Include regular milestones.
5. Expect that the schedule will change.
6. Have a process for managing change.
7. Watch for “hangers.”

This is a great read. I recommend you share it with your fellow project managers.

The Project Management Institute® has released the PMBOK^® Guide 4th edition. Members of PMI^® can download a digital copy of the PMBOK^® Guide 4th edition by logging into the members area of the PMI website. The content has not changed significantly, however improvements have been made on consistency and clarity. Much of the redundant information has been removed and clarifying statements have been added. If you have been studying using the PMBOK^® Guide 3rd edition we recommend you take the exam before the PMP^® test centers adopt PMI^®’s new test on July 1st 2009. For more information about the PMBOK^® Guide 4th edition go to The Project Management Institute’s home page.