Abstract

During this Pecha Kucha, I will share my experience: Coming from the lab, becoming the sole PM in a research division, figuring out everything on my own; Next, I became member of a PM team in two fast growing RSOs; I have set up an internal PM network and am co-founder of ARMA-NL, which I currently chair; I have shifted my focus from single projects towards more process coordination in new (pioneering) funding schemes (large-scale initiatives), which added a new dimension to my overall skills and how to put them in good practice.

I have experienced and experimented with different types of roles at different levels. There is something to learn for everyone. I know the challenge of making researchers, management and funders aware of the necessity of a PM as a professional partner in their next steps. To create awareness amongst important stakeholders. To build PM as a service, to grow this service and add it as part of our full-cycle support. Project management, portfolio management and process coordination are becoming powerful and necessary tools in RMA. What do project managers, projects, researchers, organisations and funders need in this matter and how to make them aware of the added value of good project management and professional project managers?

After this short Pecha Kucha, I have touched on the (dis)advantages of different service levels and how to grow to a desired service level; What it takes from you, the team and the organization to grow successfully. To develop and evolve, you need passion, knowledge sharing, hard work, perseverance, social engineering, going with the flow, super(wo)man skills and to let it go.