Membership News - 2009 Annual Membership Survey Results

 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP SURVEY RESULTS

We learn a lot from our Annual Membership Survey, and you helped us improve the PMI Central Virginia Chapter by participating. We had 167 members (13% of our members) respond to our survey. We learned that:

  • You are looking to CVC for PDUs, opportunities for personal development, followed by networking opportunities.
  • You are generally satisfied (89% were satisfied, very satisfied, or extremely satisfied) but not enough of you are extremely satisfied!
  • You think we needed to improve on networking and social opportunities and on outreach in alternate locations.
  • You like our event registration process and email communications but the newsletter could use some improvement.
  • You like to hear speakers who are experts and knowledge area specialists, real project managers or personal development speakers.
  • You saw our partnerships with other organizations as networking opportunity.
  • You really liked our primary membership meetings and our PDU generating professional development events (top scores).
  • Some of you are concerned about the cost of the dinner meetings. [Please note: We strive to breakeven but sometimes have to subsidize the cost!]

We also learned that:

  • We have interested members who live well away from our Richmond venues and the distance is limiting their participation.
  • 38% of you attended no dinner meetings in 2009 and the primary reasons for not attending were conflicts with work schedule or family or community activity.
  • 27% of the respondents said that their employer did not support their participation financially and 5% were not employed at the time of the survey.

We heard great suggestions from the respondents. Some indicated:

  • They were very interested in some potential new services such as having the chapter submit PDUs after events, career opportunity postings, and publishing a membership directory or profile on our website.
  • We should have a new member/first-timer table at dinner meetings.
  • They might be interested in participating in a mentoring program.

Not to blow our own horn, but we are grateful to have heard from you... “I have found the chapter very well run and organized - I get a lot of benefit attending the meetings - it's the best run professional association I've been part of" and "This is THE BEST PMI Chapter! (I belong to 4)”. 

We also noted that many respondents stopped responding after five questions. (OK, we know that means the survey was too long!) We hope to conduct shorter and more targeted surveys in 2010.

Thanks to all that participated! This is important feedback in making your Chapter the best!

Jane Newell PMP
VP Membership 2009-2010