The Monthly PM Challenge
Every month we publish a realistic project scenario. Submit your plan, recovery strategy or status report. Experienced PMs judge the entries; winners take home prizes and recognition.
"The Slipping Launch"
You have just inherited a 12-week product launch at week 6. The previous PM left suddenly. You find:
- SPI is 0.82 and CPI is 0.91 on a $180,000 budget.
- Two of five critical-path tasks are blocked by a vendor integration.
- The sponsor has promised the launch date to the board.
- The design lead is shared with another project and available 50% of the time.
Your task: submit a one-page recovery plan covering (1) your assessment, (2) three options with trade-offs, (3) your recommendation, and (4) how you will communicate it to the sponsor.
Judging criteria
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Accurate diagnosis (uses the data) | 30% |
| Quality and realism of options | 30% |
| Stakeholder communication | 25% |
| Clarity and brevity | 15% |
Prizes
1st
$250 cash or a certification exam voucher of equal value + featured profile
2nd
$100 + featured profile
3rd
$50 + featured profile
Prizes are funded by supporters and sponsors. Want to sponsor a prize? See contest sponsorship.
Submit your entry
Official rules (summary)
- Eligibility: open to individuals 18+ where not prohibited by law. Void where prohibited.
- No purchase necessary. Entry is free; a purchase or donation does not improve your chances.
- Entry period: from publication of the challenge until 23:59 UTC on the last day of the calendar month. One entry per person.
- Judging: by a panel of experienced project managers using the published criteria. This is a contest of skill, not chance.
- Prizes: as stated above, non-transferable; cash prizes paid electronically within 30 days of winner verification. Winners are responsible for any taxes.
- Rights: entrants retain ownership and grant Project.Management a non-exclusive licence to publish winning and shortlisted entries with attribution.
- Privacy: entrant data is used only to administer the contest. See the Privacy Policy.
- Changes: we may cancel or modify a challenge if circumstances beyond our control arise, with notice on this page.
Past challenge themes
Upcoming and past themes include scope creep negotiation, building a WBS for a hospital move, a risk register for a festival, and turning a 40-page status report into one page. Subscribe to get each new challenge by email.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to enter?
Yes. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary.
Who can enter?
Anyone aged 18 or over, anywhere the contest is not prohibited by law. Employees of sponsors and their immediate families are excluded.
How is judging done?
A panel of experienced project managers scores entries against the published criteria. Judges' decisions are final.
Do I keep the rights to my submission?
Yes. You keep ownership; by entering you grant us a licence to publish winning and shortlisted entries with credit.