Welcome to the GlocalPM Blog

With so many blogs out there already on Project Management, I was debating whether I could bring any value by adding one more to the mix. After much deliberation, I have decided to proceed ahead. Today is a special day for me since it is my mother's birthday! I strongly believe that mothers are the world's leading "projects managers" with the value, energy, organization and dedication they bring to their families. Life on earth would be unimaginably chaotic without them.

The purpose of this blog is relatively open ended. The GlocalPM blog will evolve as it matures. I look forward to input and participation by the global Project Management community at large.

Let me begin this blog by talking about PMI.

Overview

With more than 240,000 members in over 160 countries, PMI is the leading membership association for the project management profession. PMI is actively engaged in advocacy for the profession, setting professional standards, conducting research and providing access to a wealth of information and resources. PMI also promotes career and professional development and offers certification, networking and community involvement opportunities.

For more than 36 years, PMI has advanced the careers of practitioners who have made project management indispensable in achieving business results.

PMI's History

PMI was founded in 1969 by five forward-thinking individuals who understood the value of networking, sharing process information and discussing common project problems. After their first official meeting in October of that year at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the group officially incorporated the association in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA.

Since then, the Institute has grown to become the global advocate for the project management profession with more than 240,000 members in over 160 countries. And with nearly 242,000 credential holders worldwide, PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP^®) certification is the most widely recognized in the profession.

Global Reach

Regional growth statistics as of August 2007 reveal:

• 70 percent of the members live in North America, with 65 percent of the membership in the United States

• The Asia Pacific region has nearly 35,000 members

• Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) members number almost 27,000

• There are about 10,000 members in Latin America and Caribbean countries.

• Chapters and Specific Interest Groups (SIGs) are constantly growing as well. Currently, there are 30 SIGs representing a range of industries and 250 chapters internationally.

Regional Service Centres

PMI operates two Regional Service Centres outside the United States for the convenience of its members around the world. To help members in the EMEA region, PMI has an office in Brussels, Belgium, while its Singapore office assists members in the Asia Pacific region.