If you are a project manager or if you plan to become one — or even if you cannot manage your personal day-to-day tasks — you might require some help from a software system designed to simplify and streamline any project or multiple projects. To help you keep your projects within budget, we’ve gathered a list of the top 25 Open Source project management apps on the market now. “Open Source” means that the apps are free to use, and that you can tweak the code to your advantage if you so desire.

This list of the top 25 Open Source project management apps offers a wide variety of software tools, from those that provide simplicity for personal projects to complicated disaster-management software systems. Each link is listed alphabetically, and the link leads to the software site where you can download the apps to try them out.

1. Achievo resource management capabilities include project management, a scheduler and time registration in 20 languages. No license fees or other limitations on use of the software.
2. ClockingIT is a free hosted application that keeps track of all your tasks and the time you spend on them. Uses Ajax, Comet and drag and drop technology to keep track of one or several projects.
3. Codendi is an open-source collaborative development platform offered by Xerox for managing software project processes. Codendi gathers management and versioning of code, bugs, requirements, documents, reporting and tests.
4. Collabtive is a Web-based project management software that strives to provide an Open Source alternative to proprietary tools like Basecamp or ActiveCollab.
5. dotProject is a web-based project management application, designed to provide project layout and control functions. dotProject aims to provide the project manager with a tool to manage tasks, schedules, communication and sharing.
6. eGroupWare is a groupware software intended for a wide range of business sizes. Manage contacts, appointments, projects and to-do lists. It is used either via its native Web-interface or by using different supported groupware clients.
7. faces is a self-described “Swiss Army Knife for Project Managers,” a flexible, automated, calculating, extensible and simulating tool based on Python and easy to learn.
8. GanttProject is a cross-platform desktop tool for project scheduling and management. It runs on Windows, Linux and MacOSX, it is free and its code is Open Source.
9. KForge provides a complete Web interface for review and administration of project members and services, as well as a fully-developed plugin system so that new kinds of services can be added easily.
10. Memoranda is an open source cross-platform diary manager and a tool for scheduling personal projects. Memoranda is intended for those people whose daily work is shared between a few different projects, and helps individuals stay on top of personal tasks as well.
11. Open Workbench is an open source desktop application that provides robust project scheduling and management functionality. Already the scheduling standard for more than 100,000 project managers worldwide, Open Workbench is a free and powerful alternative to Microsoft Project.
12. phpCollab is an open source internet-enabled system for use in projects that require collaboration over the Internet. Organizations such as consulting firms that rely on a division between firm-side and client-side information will benefit most from use of phpCollab.
13. phpEasyProject is an Open Source project management system primarily focused toward middle-class businesses from independent and small businesses to the service provider.
14. Project HQ is a collaborative open source project management tool, similar to Basecamp and activeCollab. It is built on technologies such as Python, Pylons and SQLAlchemy and is fully database independent.
15. ]project-open[ is a web-based "Enterprise Project Management" software for project-based organizations with 2-200 users. ]po[ integrates areas such as CRM, sales, project planning, project tracking, collaboration, time sheet, invoicing and payments, and is one of the most popular project management tools in Germany.
16. Projectivity is an Open Source Enterprise Management Platform combining unique tools for portfolio, project and knowledge management and collaboration. It uses Frameworks to turn the platform into a specific application, so you can make this app work for you.
17. Projectory is an open source, platform-independent, Web-enabled project management tool designed to track software projects through all phases of development. Projectory lets you track actual development effort expended by teams or individuals across multiple projects and activities.
18. ProjectPier is a self-hosted PHP application for managing tasks, projects and teams through an intuitive Web interface. ProjectPier is similar to commercial groupware/project management products, but allows the freedom and scalability of self-hosting.
19. ProjectVia.net is highly customizable project management environment, capable of simultaneously managing several projects. It is a Web-based project management and collaboration support system based on JCorporate Expresso framework.
20. Redmine is written with Ruby on Rails framework, and provides a cross-platform and cross-database foundation that tracks networking issues, capacity planning, trouble tickets and more. It includes calendar and Gantt charts to aid visual representation for projects and deadlines.
21. Sahana is a Free and Open Source Disaster Management system. It is a web based collaboration tool that addresses the common coordination problems during a disaster from finding missing people, managing aid, managing volunteers, tracking camps effectively between Government groups, the civil society (NGOs) and the victims themselves.
22. TaskJuggler is a modern and powerful Open Source project management tool. Its new approach to project planing and tracking is more flexible to the commonly used Gantt chart editing tools and scales easily to projects with hundreds of resources and thousands of tasks.
23. Todoyu is a Web 2.0 project and task management application that features project management, time tracking, team organizing, task distribution, resource management, calendar and a client interface.
24. Trac is an open source Web-based project management and bug-tracking tool that allows wiki markup in issue descriptions and commit messages, creating links and seamless references between bugs, tasks, changesets, files and wiki pages.
25. WebCollab is a collaborative web-based system for projects and project management. The software is ideally suited to tracking multiple projects and innumerable small tasks across an organization of any size.

Project management, knowledge management and other management skills are topping the list of requirements for many project managements jobs today as employers seek individuals who can plan, organize and manage resources. The following list may help you stay on top of these requirements, as the 50 project management blogs listed here are written by the best in the field. To narrow down that field, we included only the blogs that were updated within the last week of March forward.

There are three categories in this list, and they are focused on individuals who write about project management, blogs produced by businesses that sell software and other tools for project management, and several blogs with a special focus, such as women or students. Each blog is listed alphabetically by the blog title within these categories.

Project Management Blogs

1. Back of the Napkin Blog: Dan Roam believes that any problem can be solved with a picture, and that anybody can draw it.
2. Brad Egeland: Brad has 23 years of IT and business management experience, of which 17+ years are enterprise project management experience.
3. Eric D. Brown: Eric talks about technology, strategy, people and projects.
4. Fear No Project: Bruce McGraw shares his thoughts and experiences on issues that affect project managers and the world of project management.
5. Guerilla Project Management: Enjoy a wide variety of posts gathered from across the Web that focus on project management.
6. Herding Cats: Glen Alleman provides ideas, comments and resources for readers who are interested in project management.
7. Leading Answers: Mike Griffiths is an independent project manager, trainer and consultant.
8. PM Karma: Sreejith shares his passions in project management, planning, management systems development and more.
9. PM Think! This long-running blog talks about the latest in project and portfolio management. Several authors contribute, including Jerry Manas.
10. Project Management Blog: Joao Almeida, a project manager professional and certified trainer, provides project management news and discussions.
11. Project Shrink Blog: Bas de Baar discusses project leadership in a global and virtual world through his popular blog and video podcast.
12. Project Steps: Stephen Seay has been a project manager in the IT/Telecom industries for almost 20 years.
13. Quantmleap: Shim Marom, a project manager, shares his collection of thoughts about project management, among other things.
14. Scott Berkun: Scott’s work as a writer and public speaker has appeared in major publications. His books include Making Things Happen and The Myths of Innovation.
15. Stepping into Project Management: This “newbie” is an assistant project manager traces his journey from student to job in this blog.
16. The Critical Path: Derek Huether, a certified project manager, offers free project management information, advice and templates.
17. The Lazy Project Manager: Author of the book by the same name as the site, Peter Taylor offers his thoughts on project management.
18. The Tao of Project Management: If you want to learn the Taoist way to project management, tap into John Carroll’s blog.
19. Work Matters: Robert Sutton is Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford and the author of The No Asshole Rule.

Business, Software and Certification Blogs

20. Agile Project Management: Patrick Merg is an Agile project manager who creates, sells, and delivers business software solutions.
21. CaseySoftware: CaseySoftware features dotProject hosting and maintenance specially designed for small development groups.
22. Deep Fried Brain: This is a PM certification blog focused on resources, tips and study notes.
23. Dennis McDonald’s Weekly Top Ten: Turn to this site to learn more about project management in technology through various Web sites.
24. Gantthead: Dave Garrett, president and CEO of gantthead.com, is dedicated to creating value for the project management community.
25. How to Manage a Camel: This is a project management and recruitment blog maintained by the Arras People.
26. Journyx Project Management Blog: Journyx, the creator of Web-based tools for project accounting, offers a blog on how to manage your projects.
27. Mark Phillips: Mark is the product manager and lead spokesperson for Vertabase, a Web project management software company.
28. Papercut Edge: Geoff Crane offers a blog that reflects the use of Papercut project management software.
29. Paul Pondering: Paul Rasmussen talks about time management using a variety of software.
30. Pawel Brodzinski on Software Project Management: This blog is dedicated to project management, software development, team building, managing a software company and more.
31. PM Hut: Read information on topics that range from certification to time management and training.
32. PMAlliance Project Management Blog: PMAlliance offers project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.
33. PMcrunch: Learn about online project management, PM soft skills and the certification process.
34. Project Management 2.0: Andrew
35. Project Management That Works! Rick A. Morris, PMP, is an ITIL Practitioner, consultant, author, mentor, and owner of R2 Consulting.
36. Projects@Work: This blog focuses on certificates and software at the professional level.
37. ProjectManager Blog: Learn about procurement management, project manager roles and more from this business site.
38. The @task Blog: @task is committed to building and delivering the most secure, reliable and responsive project and portfolio management solution around.
39. The Enlightened Manager Blog: Cheri Baker is the owner of Emergence Consulting, an Organizational Development Consulting firm based near Seattle, WA.
40. Voices on Project Management: Voices on Project Management is the place for all things project management, provided by the Project Management Institute.

Project Management for Special Interests

41. A Girl’s Guide to Project Management: Elizabeth Harrin, author of Project Management in the Real World, focuses her blog on women and project management.
42. A Path to Peace: Margaret Meloni, helps professionals become free from the work-related conflict that prevents them from having good working relationships.
43. Earth PM: This blog is focused on project management and sustainability regarding climate change, resource preservation and “green.”
44. Noop.NL: Jurgen is a writer, speaker, developer, entrepreneur, manager, blogger, reader, dreamer, leader, freethinker and a serial business owner.
45. PM Bistro: Chalyce and Jen cover a lot of ground in this blog about project management.
46. PM Podcast: Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, is the host of this show and blog.
47. pmStudent: Josh Nankivel founded pmStudent in 2006 to help himself and others learn more about project management as a discipline and career.
48. The Cranky Product Manager: The Cranky Product Manager is a fictional product management professional at a fictional enterprise software vendor named DysfunctoSoft. Enjoy the stories.
49. The Green PM: Jhaymee Wilson is a passionate female project management expert and advocate for global sustainability.
50. The pm411.org Project Management Podcast: This is a project management Internet radio show and discussion forum as well as a blog.

One of the up and coming fields of expertise is project management. This is because there is demand for those who can organize and oversee a project, and make sure it gets done. Project management involves a great deal of skill, combining aspects of organizational management, psychology, and communications. Indeed, this combination of skills is one of the reasons that it is possible to make a good living if you are a good project manager.

If you are interested in brushing up your project management skills or learning more about the field, here are 50 free open courseware classes that can help you learn what you need to know as a project manager:

Operations and Systems Management

Learn how to design and carry out different projects, from manufacturing operations to service operations. Learn about systems management, including data systems, and get help with the most basic aspects of being a project manager.

1. Operations Management: This course from MIT is just what it sounds like: A class that can help you conceptualize your operations.
2. Systems Optimization: Models and Computation: Learn about how to optimize the systems that you manage from this MIT course.
3. System and Project Management: Learn about different systems and how to manage different types of projects.
4. Management in Engineering: Project management is growing in engineering, and you can get a look at specifically how to manage projects and systems in the engineering field.
5. Systems Design and Administration: Learn about system design and how to manage these systems once they are in place.
6. Global Issues in Information Technology: Weber State University offers a look at some of the issues you are likely to run into when managing IT projects.
7. Lean/Six Sigma Processes: Another offering from MIT, this addresses popular forms of project management.

Business Management

A good project manager often has to have a good grasp of business management in order to properly lead and complete projects. When budgets are involved, business management becomes especially important.

8. Successful Management Techniques and Strategies: Peking University offers this look at successful management.
9. Understanding Management: The Open University presents a helpful class that introduces management.
10. Managerial Economics: Utah State University offers this course on management and economics.
11. Introduction to Financial and Managerial Accounting: Keep on course with your budget with help from this MIT course.
12. Introduction to Strategic Management: Capilano University offers this course on managing strategicaly.
13. International Institute of Management: Get access to a number of classes on strategy, management and projects.
14. Experiments in Economics: Learn about economics and other business management topics from the Open Learning Initiative.
15. Product Design and Development: Helpful information on how to design and develop products.

Communication

Good communication is essential for the successful project manager. Understanding how to communicate effectively with your team and with your superiors is important.

16. Communicating with Data: Learn how to use data to effectively communicate your points. Especially useful when showing superiors the results of your project.
17. Communications Systems I: Learn about how we communicate, and the development of different types of communication.
18. Communication: This basic course can help you learn to communicate better.
19. Business Communications in the Age of Spin: Gresham College offers this interesting look at how to cut through the spin and communicate the essentials.
20. How to Conduct a Meeting in an Intercultural Setting: Connexions offers this helpful course on more effectively conducting meetings.
21. Marketing communications as a strategic function: Another offering from The Open University provides insight into communications and marketing.
22. Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering: Learn how to better communicate in writing.

Leadership

One of the essential traits of effective project management is being a good leader. Here are some open courseware classes that can help you develop leadership skills.

23. Effective Leadership: A presentation on being a more effective leader.
24. Practical Leadership: Learn, from MIT, how to lead in a manner that you can put into effective practice.
25. Leadership and Agility: Get insight on being a flexible leader.
26. Management vs. Leadership: Get a handle on the differences between being a manager and being a leader.
27. Leadership Tools and Teams: Learn different leadership tools, and how to use them in a team environment.
28. Defying Gravity: Learn the characteristics that help leaders overcome challenges.
29. Designing and Leading the Entrepreneurial Organization: Learn the basics of leading an organization.

Organizational Management

Understand how organizations work, and learn about organizational behavior to help you better manage your projects.

30. Optimization Methods in Management Science: Learn how to optimize your management techniques.
31. Managing Transformations in Work, Organizations and Society: Learn how to manage and organization through change.
32. Organizational Processes: This is another MIT class focused on organizations and processes.
33. Emotional Intelligence: Connexions offers this look at understanding the emotions of a group.
34. Introduction to business cultures: Learn how business cultures affect organizational management.
35. Leading Organizations II: Get a handle on how to properly lead organizations and projects.
36. Creating an ethical organisation: The Open University looks at the traits of an organization or group with ethics.

Psychology and Relationships

Understanding how people work is an important part of effective project management. Learn how to develop relationships that result in success.

37. Building and Leading Effective Teams: Learn how to keep your team motivated and successful.
38. Power Play: Gresham College offers a class on power, and how it works in organizations and project teams.
39. Making and using rules: Learn the basics behind creating rules, and how you can use them for more effective teams.
40. Managerial Psychology: Get a look at the psychology of management.
41. Giving and Receiving Feedback: This course from BBC Academy teaches you ways to give good feedback — as well as to receive suggestions.
42. Managing relationships: Learn how to manage the relationships in your project group.
43. Three Faces of Social Psychology: Notre Dame offers a good look at social psychology.

Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution

In order to have a successful project, you need to understand how to solve problems and resolve conflicts.

44. Implementing the project: Overcoming the problems and challenges you might have with a project.
45. Introduction to Computers and Engineering Problem Solving: Learn techniques to solve problems that can come up in some projects.
46. Problem Solving Exercise: Use this course from Capilano University to go through the process of solving a problem.
47. Concepts in Economic Evaluation: Learn how to evaluate your project’s budget and how to fix issues.
48. Negotiation and Conflict Management: Learn the basics of how to negotiate and resolve conflict.
49. Negotiation and Dispute Resolution in the Public Sector: MIT offers a helpful look at dispute resolution.
50. Communication, Conflict & Commitment: Learn about natural conflict, and how communication can help you move beyond it.

A project manager is a professional that is related to the field of project management. He generally shares responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing any project associated to field of construction, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications and software development. Below a list for useful resources for project managers is provided.

1. Basecamp: It is the top most web based project collaboration tool that is trusted by millions of people and can perform arduous tasks like sharing files, meeting deadlines, assigning tasks, centralized feedback. It daily helps to the world’s most respected brands, small businesses, non profit organizations and entrepreneurs to run their project safely and in cordial manner.
2. AMS Consulting:  It is a full service management consulting firm that provides consulting, training and assessment of client’s business performance from a project management preview. It provides services into the core sectors and areas like business analysis, business development, professional development and project management. For a long period of time it is serving to fortune 100/500 companies, medium seized business including government departments and agencies.
3. APM.org: This organization is running on its basic core and concept of developing and promoting the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public utility and benefit. It is one type of professional body in Europe having 500 corporate and 17,500 individual members through out the Europe.  All topics there are based upon the concept of five Dimensions of Professionalism like breadth, depth, achievement, commitment and accountability.
4. Project Magazine: This website is devoted to practical knowledge and learning of project management. The site is not only devoted to general ideas about project management but also provides sequential knowledge to initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & counseling and finally closing a project management. The site’s self improvement center provides learning and ideas about leadership skills, business awareness, time management, personal finance, job seekers, leisure reading, free magazines and white papers.
5. Maxwideman: It is a Wideman Education Foundation (“WEF” 2007) that is a registered charity tax-exempt under the Canadian Federal Government Income Tax Act. It organizes project competition to have high school students a basic learning in project management skills and experience.  It develops in capable students feeling of teamwork and leadership that benefit both families and communities. Thus it is developing seeds of future project ready workforce.
6. PMI.org:  It is the world’s one of the leading organization that run on non profit basis for project management professionals and has half a million members and  credentials in 185 countries. It is known for wider base and globally recognized standards and practices, extensive research programs and professional development chances and opportunities. Expertise provided at PMI.org plays a greater role in governments, organizations, academia and industries. It also has professional award and PMI Educational foundation to carry out things in radical and in appropriate manner.
7. E-Programme:  This website is a great help for professional ranging from a wider spectrum from people world wide involved in all sorts of management program. This website caters to almost definitions of project management but is primarily related to management of portfolio of projects which can make a change in organizational routines. Here you would not only learn about project management techniques and tool but can have opinion from a number of sections  as provided in the website like Articles, Blogs, Books, Events, Forum, Jobs and profile, etc.

Masters in Project Management degree is one of the things many young people wish to have in life. Good news that you can take this degree course online. This is one of the easiest ways to do it because you don’t have to be there all the time. Once you decide on taking it online, there are several universities based on some facts that you are supposed to consider such as the reputation of the university and the cost of the course. There are several universities that are ranked best in the world. These are places to consider when you think of Masters in Project Management. In this ranking method, there is openness in the market and gullible students may less fall in fake and under qualified university when they have a desire for professional qualifications.

The benefits of ranking
There are several benefits that are associated with ranking of universities. Once the university has been ranked the best, it improves its services day by day so that it remains in the market. There is also the competitive environment whereby the universities tend to improve on the quality of what they offer. They also try to introduce new products and services. Students tend to go for the best since the research that has been conducted in order to come up with the ranks strengthens their quest. They choose the best for the best.

The ranking of masters in project management maintains that published rankings should be viewed with caution for the following because there is a variation in the ranking list where a school may be ranked number two but it appears number twenty in another list. There may also be lack of uniformity. The ranking method may also concentrate on the school itself causing some features to be eliminated. The ranking limits the population size where those with less population tend to be eliminated or ignored where as they offer the best teachings. It has also not been clear on the methodologies. These rankings are sometimes used to manipulate the schools and can be tailored to suit individuals.