Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 03

By Sunil Prashara May/June 2020 // Canadian Government Executive / 27 project management T he Project Management Institute (PMI) recently had the unique opportunity to get a behind- the-scenes tour of the historic rehabilitation and modernization of the Canadian Parliament Buildings. Our teammarveled at the intricate wood panel- ing, the distinctive stained glass, and the majestic setting above the Ottawa River. But we also viewed this challenging project -- the larg- est heritage restoration ever undertaken in Canada -- in the context of why we were in Ottawa in the first place. PMI was holding its annual meeting of our Global Execu- tive Council in Ottawa. The Council is made up of an elite group of organizations around the world, spanning a wide variety of sectors but sharing a common purpose – direct- ing the future of the project management profession. Founded a half-century ago, PMI is the world’s leading professional association for project professionals. Our members live all around the globe, but we always feel at home in Canada, and in Ottawa. Several public and private sector Canadian organizations sit on our Global Executive Council, and we partner with the Government of Canada on a range of development and learning programs. More broadly, six percent of our volun- teer chapters around the world are in Canada, including every province - Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary among our ten biggest chapters. And our flagship Project Management Professional (PMP ®) certification is widely employed, with seven per cent of the million graduates worldwide in Canada (the third-highest country total and the highest rate per capita, almost twice the rate in the United States). Getting Project Management Right