Project Management Institute
Greater Toronto
Information Systems Local Interest Group

December 3, 2002

November 6, 2002

October 2, 2002

September 4, 2002

August 7, 2002

May 22, 2002

March 12, 2002

January 10, 2002

2000 and 2001 announcements and feedback results

"Negotiating Skills"
Presentor: Bill Chadwick

Date: Wednesday, December 4th 2002 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM 
Open for registration 6:10 PM
Location: Northern District Public Library, 2nd floor, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto (near Yonge/Eglinton)

Description: Workshop including an exercise in negotiating skills.

The Library is located near Yonge and Eglinton, behind the Yonge Eglinton Center. You can access the Library by subway. If you drive, there is ample Public Parking in the area.

Registration: 
Register By Calling the Southern Ontario Chapter Office at 416- 381-4058. No fee for this workshop, 1 PDU assigned (note: only small snack & drink will be available for this event).

Contact: Bill.Chadwick@sympatico.ca
"Negotiating Skills Workshop" Power Point presentation 

December 4, 2002 "Negotiating Skills" feedback results

The winner of the Program Evaluation and Feedback draw is Sorin Mitrea.

"Tales from the Trenches & Lessons Learnt"
Dhanu M Kothari, PMP

Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2002 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
5:45-6:00 p.m. Registration opens
6:00-6:50 p.m. Networking & buffet dinner, SOC announcement of AGM 
6:50-7:00 p.m. Sponsor's Corner (meeting sponsored by the UoT Professional Development Centre)
7:00-7:50 p.m. Keynote presentation
7:50-8:00 p.m. Q&A
Location: Northern District Public Library, 2nd floor, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto (near Yonge/Eglinton)
Fee: $35 for PMI members; $45 for non-members, guests
This meeting earns 1 PDU point for participating.

The presentation will relate the theory and practice of Project Management to real life experiences gained from implementing dozens of IT projects in complex environments. It will suggest ways to recognize and rectify Critical Failure Factors (CFFs) during various phases of the project. A summary of lessons learnt along with recommendations will be shared with the audience.

Speaker Bio:
Dhanu Kothari is the President of D2i Consulting, a firm dedicated to 
the advancement of project management maturity in organizations. He has over twenty-five years of experience in information technology with 
emphasis on project management, process & quality improvement, 
methodology implementation, and delivering consulting across industries. 
He has worked for major organizations including Hewlett-Packard, Digital 
Equipment, Honeywell, Nortel Networks, and the Bank of Nova Scotia. 
Dhanu has worked as an Engagement Manager, Program Manager and Resource Manager with P&L responsibility for consulting engagements and 
practices. His major areas of responsibility included development & 
implementation of PM methodologies, training, and delivery of complex 
enterprise projects in private and public sectors.

Dhanu holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, and a Post-Graduate 
Diploma in Production Engineering, University of Strathclyde. He is a 
past President of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Southern 
Ontario Chapter and he actively participated in a number of IT Special 
Interest Groups including presentations at conferences and publication 
of 15 papers on Project Management.

Registration can be made:
 - In advance, by calling 416-381-4058 (PMI SOC office); option to pay by credit card (preferred method), or at door by personal check or cash.
 - At the door, only by personal check or cash.

The advance registration will close at noon on Tuesday, November 5, 2002.

The PMI GT ISLIG Leadership invites you to attend an Issues & Challenges workshop:

1. Post-project assessment. What worked, what did not.
2. Team relationship building. Dos and Don'ts.

Date: Wednesday, October 2.2002, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Northern District Public Library, 2nd floor, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto (near Yonge/Eglinton)

Our thanks go to members who forwarded Issues & Challenges to be 
addressed at our workshops.

Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served 
basis. To register, call 416-381-4058.

Please contact Sanjay Swarup by e-mail at sanjay@swarup.org and include a paragraph on your background and experiences as related to the topics above.

There are no fees to attend this meeting. A light snack and soft drinks will be provided. 

Thanks go to Sanjay for organizing and leading this activity.

Issues & Challenges Workshops is a service offered by the Greater 
Toronto Information Systems Local Interest Group (GT ISLIG) and it is being organized in response to your requests. A panel of your peers will address the day-to-day issues and challenges faced by our members in managing IT projects.

October 2, 2002 Issues & Challenges workshop feedback results

"Project Selection"

Speaker: Eugene Mirkin
Date: Wednesday, Sept 4.2002, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Northern District Public Library, 2nd floor, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto (near Yonge/Eglinton)

Many organizations during the project life cycle are often faced with the difficult dilemma of choosing between available alternatives such as:

• In-house development vs. contractor

• In-house operation vs. contractor operation

• Leasing equipment vs. purchasing equipment

• Current operational procedures vs. new procedures

• One technical approach vs. another technical approach

As a Project Manager, you undoubtedly require skills enabling you to select and justify the most sound approach for your organization. The presentation describes several different methods of project selection
that may be used during the initiation stage of the project.

Short Bio
Eugene Mirkin is a consultant specializing in process improvement projects. His many years of project experience span across several industries including utility, transportation and manufacturing. In 1999 Eugene held the record of fastest Baan ERP process solution implementation. Currently he is engaged as a consultant for Toronto Transit Commission streamlining its fare media distribution processes.

The membership meeting agenda will consist of:

1. Networking and buffet dinner
2. Keynote presentation: Project Selection, Eugene Mirkin
3. Q&A

Registrations ($ 30.00 for PMI members, $ 40.00 for non-members) can be made:

• In advance, by calling 416-381-4058 (PMI SOC office); option to pay by credit card (preferred method)

• At the door, only by personal check or cash.

The advance registration will close at noon on Tuesday, September 3, 2002. This will provide the catering company adequate food preparation time. While you still can register at the door, please make all efforts to pre-register.

September 4, 2002 Dinner meting feedback results

The winner of the survey draw (one free dinner session) is Abraham Esedafe.

"The Secret to Success with Difficult (and not-so-difficult) People" 

August 7th, 2002, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM 
Location: Northern District Public Library, 2nd floor, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto (near Yonge/Eglinton)

For this Workshop, your facilitator will be Michael Ehling. Michael is a business coach and consultant specialized in helping companies grow by helping the people grow. Mike comes from the technology and telecommunications industries where he honed his presenting and coaching styles with stints in training, sales, marketing, and consulting. He recently came to Canada from the US and lives in Toronto with his wife, Diane Kilcoyne and son, Adam. 

Format: Combination of discussion and exercises 

Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served 
basis. To register, please call 416-381-4058. 

There are no fees to attend this Workshop. A light snack and soft drinks 
will be provided. Please arrive in time to allow a prompt 6:30 PM start.

Thanks go to Bill Chadwick for organizing and leading this activity.

The Workshops are a service offered by the Greater Toronto Information 
Systems Local Interest Group (GT ISLIG) and are being organized in 
response to your requests.

August 7, 2002 Workshop feedback results

Our thanks to Michael Ehling for a very interesting presentation.
To review the presentation click on this link  

And thank you all for attending! 

May 22, 2002 Presentation
Presentor: Bill Richardson, PMP

Bill will present Critical Thinking for IT Project Managers

Synopsis
Project Managers pride themselves on their ability to be mentally agile and quick on their feet when dealing with the myriad of pitfalls and challenges in everyday project life. The reality is that we often do not take the time to stop and think even though we think we have a good process. More likely we simply do what has always worked in the past, somewhat like being on autopilot. We often jump to conclusions based on previous experience and look for information to support the conclusion. When we ask our very busy staff for a conclusion, we often give them one.

This talk is about refreshing your critical thinking skills in terms of recognizing and resolving issues, either individually or in teams. About effectively gaining commitment to the solution. As Einstein said "You cannot resolve an issue using the same thinking that got you there in the first place".

Short Bio
Bill Richardson has extensive project management and relationship management experience in the Financial Services industry. He has successfully lead, from both the business and systems perspective, major Information Technology and Change Management programs in the retail and commercial environments. He also teaches Project Management at the university and college level and is on the Board of Directors, serving as VP of Marketing, for the Southern Ontario Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

May 22, 2002 Membership Meeting feedback results

Our thanks to Bill Richardson for a very interesting presentation. We are looking forward to have him again in the future.
And thank you all for attending!  

To review the presentation click on this link Critical Thinking for IT Project managers

The winner of the Program Evaluation and Feedback draw is Taras Pich.
Congratulations to Taras!
Taras has won free admission to our next Membership Meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 3, 2002.

March 12, 2002 Presentation

Our thanks to Gord Fogel for a very interesting presentation. We are looking forward to have him again in the future.

And thank you all for attending!     

Project Best Practices - Retail Banking Platform Migration

March 12, 2002 Membership Meeting feedback results

The winner of the Program Evaluation and Feedback draw is Jeff Gold.
The winner of the Networking Game is NJ Stachura.
Congratulations to Jeff and NJ!
Jeff and NJ have won free admission to our next Membership Meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, 2002.

March 12, 2002 Presentation

Presentor: Gord Fogel PMP

Gord will present Retail Banking Platform Migration - Project and Engagement Best Practices

Synopsis
In 2001, one of the Big 5 Banking institutions engaged Financial Models Company (FMC) to assist them in becoming the first Schedule A bank to implement Windows2000 in the retail branch environment. The project was mission critical, impacting every branch and call center at the bank. Technically and organizationally complex, the Retail Banking Platform Migration project was delivered on time and on budget. It became a watermark for other projects at both FMC and the Bank. Gord Fogel PMP will review the project, discuss the project management practices that contributed to the success of this project, and share his own experiences and learnings.

Short Bio
Gord Fogel PMP is Financial Models Company's most senior Project Manager, overseeing their most critical software consulting and product development projects. He is an accredited Project Management Professional with many years of experience managing complex IT projects. Gord is also an instructor with University of Toronto's Professional Development Centre, teaching Relationship Management skills for Project Managers.

Thursday, January 10, 2002 Presentation

Presenter: Dhanu Kothari PMP
Dhanu will talk to us about "Managing by Motivation".

He is very recently retired from HP Canada as a Senior Program Manager and Solution Delivery Manager.

Dhanu is a dynamic speaker, is passionate about Project Management and is a past President of the PMI SOC chapter.

January 10, 2002 Membership Meeting feedback results