Lean Software

Consortium formed to further the integration of lean principles into the software development process. ...

... "LeanSSC is a global, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote professionalism and create awareness of lean science and associated competencies by creating and promoting a body of knowledge and an associated certification program. " ...

Link : Lean Software and Systems Consortium

Knowledge Project

Leverage online expertise ...

... "long-term project to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone. " ...

Wolfram Alpha Knowledge Engine

IT Project Management, The Beatles, and KM

If you are in IT, and you haven't subscribed to Gantthead, I recommend it. It is a great community for IT Project Managers. I don't think Jerry promoted his recent Gantthead article on PMThink! so I'll shamelessly promote it for him. It is called "The Extreme Beatles: Seven Steps to Self-Mastery."
One of the board members at my local PMI chapter called this article "awesome" although it is possible she may be more of a Beatles fan than a Jerry Manas fan. :o) So we reprinted the article, with Jerry's kind permission, in the PMI Tulsa Chapter August newsletter...which was released today.

http://www.pmitulsa.org/files/PmiTulsaNewsletter.2007.08.pdf
See pp. 4-5.

Oh, and while you've got this newsletter open, there is a great summary article called "Managing Knowledge and Learning in IT Projects" from Blaize Horner Reich, PhD. See pp. 8-10. It is a summary of her popular paper from PMI's research quarterly PM Journal (June 2007).

The Thinking Person's Guide to Leadership

Every once in a while, I come across a website that's a goldmine of information. Fred Nickols' "Skullworks" is a good example. He has a wealth of thought provoking articles, by himself and others, in areas such as consulting, organizational development, training & performance, strategy, and more.

One article I found particularly interesting is the one on generalists vs. specialists, which happens to be one of the topics on my upcoming book (more on that soon).

As many knowledgable leaders know---and Fred Nickols is no exception---leadership and management are by no means simple. They require serious thought and carry significant responsibility. Reading just one or two of these types of articles a week can help make the difference between being a good leader and a great one.

Nickols runs a consulting company called "Distance Consulting," which focuses on helping organizations help themselves, a noble cause indeed. Here's the link to his articles.

Articles by Fred Nickols

CIO Focus: Replenish Talent, Plan Succession

With the perfect storm of aging demographics heading toward us, CIO's need to assess their talent, plan for career development of their staff, and create a map for succession. ...

... "Top of the list is the need to address the imminent loss of senior members of IT departments. With many CIOs due to retire in the next few years there will be a huge loss of knowledge and wisdom ... " ...

Via Silicon.com: Link

Olympic IT Project: Risk Management Challenge

Atos project team will manage the Olympics IT project for Vancouver games. It manages risks by leveraging accumulated knowledge and experience forward. Lesson learned, knowledge transfer, sustaining core team members, and scaling high-performance teams are all ingredients of successful Olympic technology events. ...

... "In June 2006, only months after completion of the Torino 2006 Winter Games, Atos Origin dispatched IT managers and engineers to already start working on the Vancouver project. Currently the size of the Atos Origin IT team in Vancouver is around 15 but the team will grow rapidly over the next couple of years. During the 2010 Winter Games, Atos Origin will manage the technology consortium team estimated at 2,000 staff, including 400 Atos Origin experts, made up of locally hired staff, local volunteers and overseas Olympic Games technology experts.

The complex, massive IT infrastructure of the Olympic Games is deployed by large teams of people into different cities in different countries every other year. Such a major task is all about risk management capitalizing on the knowledge gained from previous Games Operations. This knowledge and experience transfer is critical in keeping costs down and in lowering the risk of future Olympic Games. " ...

Via Atos Origin: Atos Origin IT Team already in place for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Microsoft enters the project certification arena

This press release from Microsoft, timed shortly before the PMI Global Congress, announces a certification programme for users of Microsoft Project 2007. The new version of Project Server is due to be released in the New Year and aims to integrate further with other organisation systems and processes. Offering a standard for training does seem like a good idea. It will be interesting to see how the new certification from Microsoft, which has a reputation for setting its own standards, aligns with the PMBOK.
The announcement says the "training and certification product lines ... were developed after consulting the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge ...".Microsoft Advances Its Project Management Technology and the Project Management Profession

PMI Announces Program Management Certification: Bring On the PgMP

PMI has finally announced the certification for program managers ---- the Program Management Professional or PgMP (the "sm" after the designation in the press release is for the service mark). It'll be available in early 2007.

The title is probably a good choice and has good synergy with the existing PMP designation. Of course, it's the same designation as the Program Management Plan (PgMP) from the Army Core of Engineers, so hopefully that won't cause confusion in those circles.

As I've mentioned before, the rigor of the PgMP requirements should give organizations a pretty good feeling about taking on program managers with this certification. It's based heavily on experience in the real world and feedback on results as opposed to pure knowledge.

Also, one needn't have a PMP certification to apply for PgMP certification. Here's the press release...

PMI to launch credential for program management practitioners

Talent Management: Readiness Survey Results ...

Interesting results of recent talent survey ...

Knowledge Infusion performed the 2010 Talent Readiness Survey in the early summer of 2006 to understand the talent gap to be left by retiring Baby Boomers. The study evaluates when people will leave the workforce, if there will be talent shortages that impact business outcomes, the steps organzations can take to find, develop, and retain the critical skills required for success. ...

The survey validates these findings:

Larger organizations are likely to impacted the most by the retiring workforce.

By 2010, a significant portion of the eligible workforce will retire.

To get ready: You must understand the impact on your organization. What percentage of your workforce could retire in four years? If succession planning at your company is focused more on the executive ranks, now is the time to apply succession modeling to your critical skills. Take a skills inventory. Understand the skills across the workforce demographics. Develop a plan to attract and retain the critical skills for your organization.

And, of course, digitizing your talent data enables your organization to provide visibility to this critical workforce information. Cornerstone OnDemand provides integrated on-demand solutions for talent management.

Via Cornerstone OnDemand : Managing Talent in the Face of Workforce Retirement ...

Einstein Project Management Tip #5: Imagination Counts

Our next project management tip from our Einstein series regards the need to challenge the status quo----to think out of the box. Consider this quote:

"To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science."

Of course, Einstein also famously said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." To a project manager, who's typically focused on things like scheduling, monitoring, reporting, and driving the team to completion, this can be a particular challenge. But it's important nonetheless.

Imagination is required in many situations, including (but not limited to):

• Achieving success when the odds are against you
• Conceptualizing ways to achieve the objectives more effectively
• Brainstorming solution ideas and possible risks
• Overcoming barriers, whether political, technical, or physical
• Improving the cusotmer experience

For some practical advice on building the right team for innovation, see my blog series on Tom Kelley's The Ten Faces of Innovation.

More to come.

ITIL CMDB: Survey Insights ...

Evergreen shares insights on aligning data center projects with creation of a configuration management (CMDB) database, which is a core component of ITIL. Current state information is needed to jump-start the CMDB, but the data must be maintained through change management to sustain its value to the enterprise. ...

... "As companies are gathering this data, Evergreen suggests that they adopt a CMDB approach to 1) aid in the execution of the data center initiative itself and 2) ensure that this critical data is kept current and made available to the rest of the organization. Key benefits of capturing and maintaining this data in a CMDB include better capacity and resource planning, reducing risk associated with failed change (and a lack of configuration knowledge), and better IT operations in general due to more current, accurate, and useful data. As a core component of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a CMDB contains relevant information about IT Configuration Items (CI’s) as well as their dependencies on and relationships with each other. A CMDB can include data specific to IT hardware, software, applications, documentation, personnel, and business domains. " ...

Via Evergreen Sys: Evergreen Systems Suggests Organizations Utilize Data Center Initiatives to Drive CMDB Adoption ...

Talent and Project Management

I received the latest PM Network magazine from PMI the other day, and several things jumped out at me, especially following my last blog post on the winds of project management changing.

First, Neal Whitten had a great article about how a project analyst (what I've often called a "project control specialist") can be a valuable aid to a project manager by taking on the responsibilities of: project tools management, plan development, sub-plan collection, project support, supporting project tracking meetings, filling in for the project manager at times, and other areas that can free a project manager up to actually lead the project.

It got me thinking about the talents needed for the project manager role, the project analyst/specialist role, and any other roles needed on the project. But more than that, it got me thinking about talent management in general, and what it means to the project management industry.

Just look at these headlines, all from this month's issue:

• Attracting--and Keeping--top talent
• Executive Identity: Project managers should learn to think like executives
• A People Person: Succeeding in project management---and getting what you need from thise around you---requires a well-honed set of people skills
• Virtual Reality: Dispersed project teams are sparking shifts in management and leadership styles

Clearly, the talents needed to manage projects go way beyond schedule, budget, and cost control. Notice I said "talents" as opposed to skills or knowledge. As Marcus Buckingham points out in his excellent book, First Break All the Rules, there is a huge difference between skills, knowledge, and talent. The first two can be taught. The last one--talent--is innate, and cannot be taught.

This becomes clear when you apply Buckingham's definition of talent as "ANY recurring patterns of behavior that can be productively applied." Everyone has talent. It's just a matter of discovering it and matching them to the right role. The key point is that a person's nature cannot change that much, so it's important to select someone with the right talents (i.e. innate traits). Once that's done, you need to set clear expectations, motivate the person (through praise and recognition of their strengths), and ultimately develop the person (building on the strengths that already exist instead of fruitlessly trying to fix weaknesses).

So what does this mean to the project management field? Everything. It means we need to begin thinking about these innate talents when we hire and assign project managers, when we staff the project, and when we consider how to motivate the team. The talents needed for each role will be different. And, based on the nature of the project and the stakeholders involved, the talent required to manage each project may be different. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to talent selection.

It's not that skills and knowledge aren't important, but these two items without the correct talents will not bring about success.

What I like about Buckingham's book is that it's based on facts---years of research with the Gallup organization. Anyone who selects and manages people should read this book. And when you do, think about the diverse talents needed for each person on your team, and for the project manager role for each individual project.

Is the Role of the Project Manager in Jeopardy? - An Editorial

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about the new Program Management credential from PMI. In it, I referenced PMI's definition of a program manager vs. project manager in their FAQ page.

A project manager, according to PMI, has the following responsibilities (I've put some of the key points that jumped out at me in bold):

• Perform their duties under general supervision and are responsible for all aspects of the project for the life of the project
• Lead and direct cross-functional teams to deliver projects within the constraints of schedule, budget and resources
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience to appropriately apply a methodology to projects that have reasonably well-defined project requirements and deliverables.

A program manager, according to PMI, has the following responsibilities (again, I've bolded the key points):

Under minimal supervision, program managers are responsible and accountable for the coordinated management of multiple related projects directed toward strategic business and other organizational objectives. These programs contain complex activities that may span functions, organizations, geographic regions, and cultures. Program managers build credibility, establish rapport, and maintain communication with stakeholders at multiple levels, including those external to the organization.

Clearly, a program manager must be closely tied to the strategic goals and benefits, monitor the program accordingly, and have a strong connection to senior management. And I also feel that the new credential seems on the surface to set the bar appropriately high.

But I can't help but feel that, in contrast, the PMP credential is losing steam. First, there are myriad organizations virtually guaranteeing an "instant-PMP" after a crash course and some tweaking of one's background experience (although PMI is now doing audits of work experience).

Second, a project manager must, in many cases, go beyond the PMP/tactical focus and possess the same traits and skills that PMI has designated as requirements of a program manager, especially in the case of an enterprise and/or global project, such as a business transformation effort. I realize PMI's role definitions are a way to differentiate and justify the new certification and I suppose one could organize their effort into a "program" to qualify for that certtification, but in these changing times (and with greater challenges for project managers), I think PMI needs to evaluate and revamp the PMP certification as well.

When I do presentations on principle-based leadership training, I have a slide where I present what I call "The PM Challenge." I present it as a boxing match. In one corner, we have a project manager, armed with MS/Project and the PMBOK, but lacking:

• Business Acumen
• Leadership Skills
• Conflict Management Skills
• Negotiation Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Communication Skills
• Strategic Intuition

In the other corner, we have the "challenger," represented by "the project," with the following characteristics:

• Global, virtual team
• Complex technology
• Complex change
• Multiple vendors
• Offshore resources
• Conflicting Stakeholders
• Scrutinizing Executives

Such a project manager, without the appropriate leadership and soft skills, doesn't stand a chance. Wouldn't a person with the skills PMI describes as a "program manager" be more apt to have success?

In the latest PM Network magazine from PMI, there are not one, but TWO articles that illustrate this point. One is titled "Project Management 2.0: Project Management is at a Crossroads," by Peter Fretty. The other is titled "No Limits," by Marcia Jedd, and talks about what project managers must do to crash through the glass ceiling and elevate it from the tactical trenches.

Perhaps a start would be to take a new view of project management beyond just "executing to a set of requirements to deliver on-time and on-budget." The current tactical focus might explain the consistent failure rates of projects. One problem is that PMI has traditionally "followed common good practices in the field," which of course is what a standard is supposed to do. The problem is that common practices have brought common results, which aren't all that good. Time for an upheaval. Perhaps they need a section, apart from the "standard" itself, for "new frontiers in project management," which could outline those who are breaking the mold with good results.

I'd be interested in others' thoughts on this topic. Who knows---It just might help drive requirements for the next version of the PMBOK and/or PMP credential.

Move Over PMP: PMI Announces Program Manager Credential

As reported in PM Forum, PMI has announced their new Program Manager credential, which looks to be like a PMP on steroids.

Earning the new credential will be like passing the seven trials of Hercules, with education reviews by PMI staff, reviews of experience by a panel of program managers, a multiple-choice scenario-based exam, and an assessment by a team of raters selected by the candidate to rate them during on-the-job program management performance.

Any guesses as to what the new credential will be called? How about PME (Program Manager Extraordinaire) or KOAPM (King of All Program Managers - oops, that wouldn't work for female program managers). Maybe SPM (Supreme Program Manager)? Hey, we get enough jokes about the PMP acronym, why don't they continue the trend and use PMS (Program Management Specialist)?

I better quit while I'm behind.

In all seriousness, it's good that the credential will require such a rigorous application process. With so many organizations virtually guaranteeing "instant PMPs," this one should have quite a bit of prestige.

While the PMP certification assures a solid foundation of project management knowledge, this one should give organizations the confidence that the certified program manager is indeed worthy of managing large programs (although nothing is foolproof).

Here's the full article on PM Forum, where they list PMI's stated qualifications for certified program managers. One might argue that a senior project manager should have the same qualifications (although PMI's FAQ page attempts to distinguish the project manager role from that of the program manager).

PMFORUM, Connecting the World of Project Management PMFORUM Breaking News: PMI INTRODUCES PROGRAM MANAGER CREDENTIAL

PMO Process Primer

Last month, I mentioned a four-part series on Projects@Work about establishing PMOs. The first installment was on defining the role of your PMO up front.

Not sure what took so long for the second installment, but it's finally here and worth the wait (maybe it's a monthly series). This installment talks about the types of processes your PMO might undertake, and offers some food for thought with each process area. According to the article, a PMO might consider:

Project Processes (including demand management, approval, portfolio management, project/application lifecycle, and risk mitigation)

Analysis Processes (including business analysis, business case development, and process redesign)

Planning Processes (including planning and tracking, and capital planning and budgeting)

Administration Processes (including methodology management, training, tool development/ownership, and knowledge management)

To date, this series is an excellent primer on PMO startups. It's insightful and obviously written by someone who has had some varied experience in PMO implementation. I'm looking forward to the remaining two parts and will be sure to post the links here.

Kudos to the author, Ted Stephens, an associate principal at Intellilink.

http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/Articles/231627.cfm

IT Project Missing Ingredient: Professionalism?

UK computing leader sees genuine professionalism as key ingredient for transforming IT project success rates. This is a good thing, if interpreted as developing our talent in the industry. Is industry accreditation the answer? It should not be a substitute for creating leadership in achievement in an enterprise, where an environment of continuous improvement supports learning from lessons, improving processes, and expanding the knowledge of project management practitioners. ...

... "It would make my day if somebody brought me a failed IT project that had failed for novel reasons. Of course, nobody ever did, because his contention is that we understand why IT projects fail, and we keep making the same mistakes. " ...

Why IT must get more professional: Via ZDNet Asia ...

Management vs. Leadership - Revisited

From Bold Vision Business comes a great article on management vs. leadership.

I've written several times here on that topic, where I often say "there's no difference if either is done right." I mean that facetiously of course. Management and leadership are indeed two separate disciplines---but they need each other.

My point is that in order to manage well (assuming one is managing people), leadership skills are essential. And in order to lead well, knowlege of project management techniques (or at least the assistance of someone with that knowledge) is critical if those bold visions are to be realized safely.

In that sense, leadership and management are two-halves that make up a whole.

For an excellent writeup of the need for leadership, not just management, read on ...

Bold Vision Business!

Project Risk Assessment: Timesheet Data ...

Curt Finch, Journyx, discusses simple measures to assess project risk for short-duration projects where timesheet data is available. ...

... "If your projects are short-lived, technical or are mostly based on human labor or knowledge work, tracking employee time is probably all you'll ever need in terms of risk management. " ...

Project Risk Assessment: Timesheet Data: Via SmartBiz: Managing Project Risk–The Easy Way ...

Join the Project Management Revolution; The SOPM Model Takes Shape

OK, I've been fleshing out the Service-Oriented Project Management (SOPM)™ model, and have come up with a more memorable and catchy representation of the four steps, although the actual content is pretty much the same.

The acronym for the four phases is UP-IT (which can symbolize "upping" the level of customer service, saying "up yours" to old ways of doing things, or "upping" the success rates of IT projects---in which case the "it" stands for "IT").

Ready??? Drum roll please......

The four phases are:

• Understand
• Prepare
• Iterate
• Transform

Here's a revision of my previous post on the topic...

1) UNDERSTAND ... Develop an understanding of the problem being addressed, the goals, constraints, the internal environment, the external market, benchmarks, the people and subject matter involved, potential solutions, risks, benefits/justification, and any other knowledge necessary for success. Most of all, understand the customer and what they need to be successful.

2) PREPARE ... After helping the customer obtain approvals if needed, prepare the project organization (resources, roles & responsibilities), operating principles, the infrastructure and tools needed to run the project, organizational alignment, preliminary training needed, communication, and anything else needed for a smooth road ahead.

3) ITERATE... Using the axiom, "Think bold, implement safely," plan, design, build, test and pilot the solution before attempting a full scale implementation. Encourage innovation. Implement in phases to achieve quick wins, earlier benefits, and greater customer satisfaction. Consider iterative prototypes during the design phase. Don't forget additional training needed.

4) TRANSFORM... After each project phase and at the end of the project, evaluate and document lessons learned, customer satisfaction, and benefits achieved (vs expected) for the purpose of transforming yourself and the customer for the better. This includes guiding the customer to help them achieve maximum results with the product or service delivered, and laying the groundwork for their continued success.

Now that I have the framework locked in, I'll complete the model around these four phases. I am absolutely convinced that this model can help increase customer satisfaction and the general success rates of projects.

SOPM; A New Project Management Methodology

Service Oriented Project Management (SOPM) is taking shape as a methodology that fills the gaps in traditional project management, namely a RELENTLESS customer focus and the all-important analysis and benefits evaluation after the project has "completed."

As I fine tune the model, I'll post the iterations here, as a methodology in progress.

The four high-level steps in SOPM are as follows:

1) UNDERSTAND ... Develop an understanding of the problem being addressed, the goals, constraints, the internal environment, the external market, benchmarks, the people and subject matter involved, potential solutions, risks, benefits/justification, and any other knowledge necessary for success. Most of all, understand the customer.

2) ENABLE ... After helping the customer obtain approvals, prepare the project organization (resources, roles & responsibilities), operating principles, the infrastructure and tools needed to run the project, organizational alignment, preliminary training needed, communication, and anything else needed for a smooth road ahead.

3) ITERATE... Plan, design, build, test and pilot the solution before attempting a full scale implementation. Implement in phases to achieve quick wins, earlier benefits, and greater customer satisfaction. Consider iterative prototypes during the design phase. Don't forget additional training needed.

4) EVALUATE... After each project phase and at the end of the project, evaluate and document lessons learned, customer satisfaction, and benefits achieved (vs expected). This includes evaluating how the customer can achieve maximum results with the product of the project, and laying the groundwork for their continued success.

By using an UNDERSTAND, ENABLE, ITERATE, and EVALUATE process, with COMMUNICATE as an overarching activity that extends across all four steps, we adopt a much more holistic and customer-centered approach to project management.

A few key points... Customer satisfaction should be measured at milestones throughout the project, not just at the end. It's as important as monitoring cost and schedule (i.e. Earned Value performance).

Imagine seeing an S-Curve showing Planned Value, Earned Value, Actual Cost, and Customer Satisfaction. Maybe your project is on schedule and on budget, but the customer isn't satisfied with the results (or with the project communication, or a whole host of other issues).

A narrow focus on cost and schedule takes too much of an inward view. Besides, measuring customer satisfaction throughout a project allows for corrective action instead of managing in the rear view mirror.

More to come.

NOTE: I have since revised this model. See my updated entry.

Project Portfolio Risk Management ...

Intellilink shares method for calculating the overall risk on a project portfolio. It is critical to assess the risk of the project portfolio to understand trends and also to determine if additional risk is appropriate, as higher value opportunities are usually associated with greater risk. ...

... "Intellilink, a boutique consulting firm specializing in automating knowledge worker organizations, hosted a workshop outlining its innovative project portfolio risk calculation methodology at the 4th annual IT Financial Management Week 2006 conference at the Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, Miami Beach, Florida which ran from April 3 to April 6. The workshop, which was oversubscribed by nearly 40% of pre-conference registration, presented a simple and practical methodology for calculating the risk of an IT project portfolio. Titled IT Portfolio Risk Management: A Methodology for Calculating the Risk of Your IT Portfolio, the Intellilink workshop was jointly lead by Intellilink's CEO, Patrick Boylan, and Managing Director, Fumiko Kondo. The risk calculation methodology was developed in response to organizations expressing the need to improve their understanding of risk across the IT portfolio. " ...

Project Portfolio Risk Management: Via Intellilink: Intellilink Hosts Project Portfolio Risk Calculation Workshop at IT Financial Management Week 2006: The firm's innovative project portfolio risk calculation methodology was well received by a full house of senior IT financial executives ...

eProject Launches eLounge

There's another project management community on the internet, and this one's from eProject, the leading web-based "on demand" project management tool.

eLounge is eProject's online community, open to anyone with an interest in project management.

This is from their press release:

"We've created the premier destination site for portfolio, program and project managers who want to interact with industry peers, share knowledge, learn best practices, find out what's new, or just get up to speed quickly on the topics and issues most important to them," said Christian Smith, eProject vice president of sales and marketing. "eLounge is unmatched in the industry in terms of original content, downloads and the stature, knowledge and experience of our guest bloggers," continued Smith.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to be part of their expert panel of contributors, so I occasionally post there (so far, my posts have been a variation of my PMThink posts or similar material---my way of spreading good ideas more broadly). Are they competition? Someone once told me that on the internet, there is no competition, only cooperation. We're all in this together.

Dave Blumhorst, ex PMO Director for PeopleSoft and now CEO of Effective IT Group, is a regular contributor, and I must say I completely agree with his philosophies on PMOs. See his blog "Do PMs Really Hate PMOs" and "Common PMO Mistakes" in their Project Management Trendwatch section.

Here's the link to the eLounge home page...

eProject eLounge - Project Management User Community

Project Management Exam Prep ...

Upcoming PMP exam prep course ...

March 16-18: The Northeast Wisconsin Chapter of the Project Management Institute will conduct a three-day project management professional exam preparation course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 800 Eisenhower Drive, Kimberly. The course is designed to tutor attendees through the PMI Project Management knowledge areas and code of professional conduct with the focus of helping students prepare to pass the PMP exam.

Project Management Exam Prep: Via Appleton Post-Crescent: Business planner ...

Project Stage-Gates: NASA Improvement Opportunity ...

NASA receives recommendation to improve project management quality through stage-gate approach (knowledge points) to the project lifecycle and solution maturity. ...

... "A report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that additional decision reviews are needed to ensure that NASA's projects meet their performance, cost, and schedule goals. ...

GAO’s recommendations include requiring that NASA projects demonstrate: that key technologies have reached a high maturity level before approving the projects for transition from the formulation to the implementation phase, that the design is stable before approving the projects for transition from the design phase to the fabrication, assembly, and test phase; and that the design can be manufactured within cost and schedule and meet quality targets prior to any decision to enter into production. " ...

Project Stage-Gates: NASA Improvement Opportunity: Via Democratic Caucus, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Reps: Gordon, Udall Urge NASA to Heed GAO's Project Management Recommendations ...

PMP Exam Prep Course ...

PMP Exam Prep Course upcoming ...

... "March 16-18: The Northeast Wisconsin Chapter of the Project Management Institute will conduct a three day Project Management Professional exam preparation course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 800 Eisenhower Drive, Kimberly. The course is designed to tutor attendees through the PMI Project Management knowledge areas and Code of Professional Conduct with the focus of helping students prepare to pass the PMP Exam. " ...

PMP Exam Prep Course: Via Appleton Post-Crescent - Business planner

Agile Software Development: New Project Management Paradigm ...

According to article, traditional project management methods must be transformed to enable agile software development and service-oriented architectures. This new paradigm requires an organization that shares knowledge freely and quickly. An organization's readiness to work in the new paradigm of open collaboration is an indicator of success with agile software development methods. ...

... "Contrast that view with ASD, where scope creep is a given, changes happen often, developers respond quickly to those changes and, consequently, knowledge must be on hand at all times. Add in the service-oriented application method, where applications come together via units of work to be performed by a person, computer or team, and suddenly knowledge must not only be available, it needs to be shared freely and viewed as just one more piece to maneuver on the chess board. " ...

Agile Software Development: New Project Management Paradigm: Via Knowledge@W. P. Carey: Ready or Not, New IT Paradigm Requires Knowledge Sharing -- Part 2 ...

ITGovernance: Software Quality Assurance ...

Paul Krill reports on the next wave of software capabilities planned by Compuware and NextWave. ...

ITGovernance: Software Quality Assurance: Via Computerworld: Ajax, app quality enhancements are readied ...

... "CARS 5.1 has been integrated with the Compuware Changepoint IT governance solution. A subset of Changepoint capabilities for request management, knowledge management, and reporting are featured in CARS 5.1. " ...

Compuware introduces IT governance solution that provides metrics for software development: a quality index. ...

Via Compuware: CARS 5.0 Provides Maximum Business Value to QA Organizations Through the Implementation of Effective Governance Models to Deliver Reliable Business Applications ...

... "One of the major challenges facing CIOs today is maximizing the business value of IT investments. CIOs know that business value means shareholder value, and increased shareholder value means revenue growth and/or improved operating margins. Previously, these types of goals were left up to the business managers to accomplish through business initiatives. Now business is increasingly looking towards IT to not only be linked with these initiatives, but also to be an enabler to accomplish these goals. With CARS 5.0, Quality Governance™ enables IT organizations to deliver the processes, systems and metrics to accurately assess the value, cost, risk and performance of the services they provide. By integrating with Compuware IT Governance by Changepoint, project portfolios that contain development projects will benefit from new metrics that communicate a software quality index. This integration not only increases the accuracy of tracking and evaluating a project’s health and risk, it also reduces the administrative burden of collecting and entering data into multiple systems for reporting. CARS provides CIOs with more detailed metrics about the quality of the application portfolio. This improves decision-making, and allows for better alignment with the business. " ...

EPM Tip; Processes and Tools are Equally Important

Process and tools must be integrated.

I'll say it again.

Processes and tools must be integrated.

I just love when people talk about rolling out an EPM Tool and not expecting to have to revisit, reinvent, or recreate their project and portfolio management processes.

I also love when people take the opposite approach and try to define all their processes (i.e. "the what") in isolation from how they'll be implemented, and expect that any tools will fit nicely on top.

It's fine (and even beneficial) to define processes up front, but don't expect that they won't need to be changed a bit when an EPM tool is rolled out. Ideally, the "what" should be defined with the "how" in mind, as opposed to defining processes in isolation.

In fact, processes should include the "how" as part of the design, from a high level anyway. That's why IDEF (the de facto standard for process design, originally developed by the US Air Force and now maintained by Knowledge Based Systems, Inc.) stands for Integrated Definition.

The operative word is "integrated."

In fact, IDEF integrates Inputs, Outputs, Controls, and Mechanisms. If one of these is missing, it's not a complete process design.

Incidentally, this is also one of my beefs with the latest PMBOK (Third Edition), which lists the "tools and techniques" in the Knowledge Area section, totally separate from the "standard," which only contains inputs and outputs.

Let me repeat it one more time... Processes and tools must be integrated.

IDEF0 Overview

Theory of project management

There's a lot of meat in this paper that Peter Morris delivered as a lecture to the British Institute of Civil Engineers. The annual James Forrest Lecture presents contributions of science to civil engineering.
One of Morris' conclusions is there is, and cannot be, a single theory of project management - rather a collection of theories applying in different areas of project management. One reason for this is that managing a project demands such a wide range of capabilities and must address such broad issues that a single scientific theory can not be applicable. This reinforces the view of a project manager as an expert integrator and not an expert in all the detailed activities required for executing a project.
In discussing different definitions of 'what is a project', an interesting observation is that a project involves a life cycle. Relatively few definitions of a project include a specific reference to a 'cycle' although all methodologies refer heavily to a project life cycle.
This paper is well worth reading for thought provoking assertions and references. We shall be returning to it to pick out further discussion points.
Science, objective knowledge and the theory of project management

PMP 2005 Exam Information & PMBOK 3rd Edition Changes

If you haven't already heard, the exam to become a Project Management Professional changed in 2005. It is based on the new Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK 3rd Edition).

According to the link below, the passing score is now 81.7%, the number of processes increased from 39 to 44, process flow diagrams were added, there were several changes to existing processes and even more has changed (not to mention, the book is just BIGGER!).

For more info about what's new in the 3rd addition see: Link

Knowledge Management: IT Service Delivery Capability

Leverage of a strong knowledge base is a key component of IT service desk delivery. Partnership serves to integrate IT service desk solution with powerful knowledge management capability. ...

Knowledge Management: IT Service Delivery Capability: Via Axios Systems, the leading ITIL based Help Desk and IT Service Management solution: Axios leverages expert Knowledge to push boundaries in IT Service Management ...

... "Knowledge is the life blood of any organization. In today's complex business environments, managing the combination of legacy IT systems and increasing adoption of new technologies, the duties of the IT Service Desk have never been more challenging. Accurate knowledge of these business critical applications and systems is a necessity, with correct and swift knowledge retrieval essential to ensure customer satisfaction, business efficiency and profitability. Axios Systems partnership with Knowledge Powered Solutions (KPS) and Right Answers enables Axios to provide a fully-integrated Knowledge Management solution with RightAnswers knowledge content delivered through KPS leading-edge search technology. " ...

Can Leadership Be Taught?

This is an age old question, which I'll attempt to address. The short answer is yes, but with some caveats.

First, leadership is a combination of soft skills, self-awareness, and situational awareness. The soft skills and self-awareness can be taught, but it requires desire and effort on the part of the student to study diligently and practice (like the man who once asked how to get to Carnegie Hall ---- Practice, baby, Practice!). Scenario training is especially useful, and the next best thing to experience (albeit no substitute).

The remaining element of leadership--situational awareness--is a little trickier. Studies have shown that some people seem to have an inate ability to see both the forest and the trees. Yet we can come close to achieving this rare trait through:

• Avid research of our project's subject
• Constantly reading up on relevent internal and external events
• Being well connected to people in the organization (i.e. the grapevine)
• Better visibility (through EPM software)
• Critical thinking skills to be able to interpret what it is we're seeing
• Plenty of experience

This last one is critical. Without experience, it's truly difficult to gain situational awareness unless you are one of the few born with this gift (and even then, it takes study and knowledge). Thus, we can deduce that it's difficult to be an effective leader without experience. But we must start somewhere. So, to make our early leadership career successful, training is key--especially situational training. So are the other items on our list, as they can help get us by as we build experience.

So, yes. Leadership can be taught. But it's dependent on the following: "Are organizations ready to invest in leadership training for their managers and not expect overnight success?" and "Are managers ready to invest the time and effort to become good leaders?"

The key point is that putting someone in a management position does not make them a leader. And if they're not a leader, they're not fit for management. But that doesn't stop the majority of organizations from doing just that. For the minority of enlightened organizations that "get it," a wealth of rewards await.

OMB EVM Rules: Software Supports Capital Project Oversight ...

Software enables compliance with OMB earned value management EVM rules, which supports better oversight of capital projects ....

OMB EVM Rules: Software Supports Capital Project Oversight: Via xpdoffice - A Division of SSSI - Offering Web-Based Timesheet and Project Management Software

... "xpdient, Inc., a division of Scientific Systems and Software International (SSSI), announced the release of a new module of its successful xpdoffice solution to address new Earned Value Management (EVM) rules propagated by the federal government's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) via circular A-11, Part 7, titled Planning, Budgeting, Acquisition, and Management of Capital Assets. The release occurs as OMB officials are becoming increasingly persistent in urging agencies and agency contractors to adopt EVM oversight of major capital projects.

Becoming effective in the near future, rule changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulations will standardize EVM execution and use for all major federal government acquisitions, including information technology services. Widely used in commercial markets, earned value management is a standard way to measure a project's progress, forecast its completion date and final cost, and provide schedule and budget variances along the way. By integrating these capabilities, xpdoffice provides consistent indicators enabling project evaluation and comparison. " ...

xpdoffice is a web based Business Automation Software (BAS) solution that streamlines enterprise management and delivers improved project financial reporting. xpdoffice modules include HR, Contracts Administration, Time Management, Document Management, Knowledge Management, Purchase and Inventory, Project Management, and Expense Management.

PMP eLearning Alliance Drives Project Manager Development

PMP eLearning Alliance Drives Project Manager Development: Praxis and Measure Twice Announce Alliance: Via Praxis Learning Network

Praxis Learning Networks and Measure Twice, creator of the PM Final software testing tool for project managers, create alliance to advance project manager development for the PMP exam ...

... "Praxis will develop and maintain the question bank used in PM Final to test project managers in preparation for the Project Manager Professional (PMP) certification exam. Measure Twice will focus on further developing the PM Final tool to provide greater capability for individuals and training organizations to track exam results, test by knowledge area, and build comprehensive content exams. The Praxis question bank has been completely redeveloped and aligned with the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge, Version 3.0. " ...

Can't Retain Your Project Managers?; Here's why

Seems that an epidemic is sweeping the project management community; Project managers, frustrated with the lack of support, just aren't staying put in their place of employment.

According to ProjectMagazine, we can slow this exodus down by doing the following:

• Offer training opportunities to increase knowledge areas
• Assess the changing workforce culture
• Measure the company's turnover rate
• Become more employee oriented
• Hire the right people
• Set up effective [culture] Change Management

This excellent article from ProjectMagazine expands on this and offers great tips on how to retain project managers and drive a more employee-focused culture.

PROJECTmagazine - turnover

IT Research Projects: Google, NASA Join Forces

Google and NASA have agreed to collaborate on research projects that will synergize the knowledge of both organizations. Between Google's ability to organize information and NASA's supercomputing ability, some interesting advancements should result.

Check out the Computerworld report...

Google, NASA plan R&D partnership - Computerworld

Project Management: Open Source Compatible ...

Project Management: Open Source Compatible: Via Important Projects: Getting Things Done: Managing Software, People and Projects ...

Rob Purdie, PMP, posts about recent experience that demonstrates synergy between project management and open-source software projects ...

... "project management tools and techniques, traditional or otherwise, can be applied to community development and/or open source projects because project management is about just that --- the appropriate application of skills, knowledge, tools and techniques. " ...

Enable PMO ProjectManagementOffice Success ...

Enable PMO ProjectManagementOffice Success: Via eProject: Four Ways to Create a More Successful Project Management Office ...

Christian Smith, VP Sales & Marketing, eProject, makes recommendations to ensure the success of the project management office, or PMO, ranging from an emphasis on work process to implementation of simple enabling-tools ...

... "To get an entire enterprise focused on project success, the PMO must be designed, empowered, and equipped to serve the entire enterprise. It must be capable of solving big business problems like selecting the right projects, assigning the right resources to them, and then determining Return on Investment (ROI). It should also provide a collaborative environment for knowledge-sharing, document repository and communication horizontally across project teams and vertically across business line management. " ...

eProject delivers the only on-demand project and portfolio management solution for the extended enterprise. eProject is an intuitive, unified platform that enables users to maximize project ROI by compressing project cycle times, identifying best practices and optimizing resource allocations, with rapid deployment and quick adoption. eProject is used by more than 350 companies worldwide including BASF, BP, Cushman and Wakefield, Dow Chemical, Honeywell and T-Mobile.

Project Automation Solutions Provider: High-Growth Recognized ...

Project Automation Solutions Provider: High-Growth Recognized: Via OpenAir: OpenAir Named One of New England's Fastest Growing Technology Companies in Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 Program: Outstanding customer service coupled with technological innovation drives 1,185 Percent Revenue Growth ...

OpenAir's hyper-growth, using the project management software-as-a-service model, is recognized in the Deloitte Tech Fast 50 ...

... "OpenAir provides comprehensive automation solutions for services teams and consulting firms around the world. More than 200 companies and 18,000 subscribers use OpenAir to gain controls and insight on their financial best practices and to manage complex projects, deployments and consulting engagements. Users such as consulting firms and other service providers use OpenAir to improve employee utilization, capture more billable hours and streamline project management. " ...

OpenAir is the Web-native professional services automation solution that helps independent software vendors, marketing services companies, consulting firms, and internal corporate service organizations increase top-line growth, improve operations and enhance financial controls. OpenAir customers increase profits by capturing additional billable hours, increasing employee utilization, streamlining project management, accelerating revenue, enhancing collaboration, improving revenue recognition and project accounting, and sharing knowledge and best practices throughout the organization. OpenAir has helped leading services organizations across six continents increase profits through the subscription-based OpenAir® Complete solution.

Companies Wary of Outsourcing Strategic Projects

According to a recent Gartner study, financial services companies are fine outsourcing IT maintenance and call center functions, but are less likely to engage in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), which includes project management, business knowledge, data management, and vendor management. On the contrary, one of the reasons so many organizations struggle with outsourcing in general is a lack of in-house project management expertise to make the outsourcing engagements successful.

Read more in this article from Computerworld...

Gartner: Financial services still wary of BPO - Computerworld

Project Manager Salary Report

Looks like Project Managers are in high demand. Here's the latest from Global Knowledge.com:

Project Management is one of most in-demand skills sets in the market today. A recent search resulted in over 3,200 positions available on ComputerJobs.com alone. But the skills you possess do play a major role in the salary that you may expect to earn. According to a recent survey, the average salary for a Project Manager is $75,000. However, salaries ranged from a low of $30,000 to $160,000 annually. To learn more about what you're worth, view our free Project Management Skills Salary Report. Included are the high, low and average salary for 15 specific Project Management Skill sets.

NASA APPL: Project Management Lessons from the Galileo mission

NASA's ASK (Academy Sharing Knowledge) resource, part of their APPL (Academy of Program and Project Leadership) site, contains a wealth of valuable lessons learned. We'll be frequently featuring these lessons learned on PMThink, and I encourage everyone to explore NASA's site for additinal lessons. By bravely and openly sharing these lessons publicly, they are truly doing a service to the project management industry.

Oh, of course people will point to NASA's well-publicized tragedies. No doubt there were some huge errors in judgment (and/or communication gaps). But their projects are an order of magnitude more complex than what anyone else is attempting, so naturally the stakes and the impacts will be higher (not that it's an excuse for human tragedy). Of course, with big mistakes, come big lessons. With some of the most extraordinary achievements in humankind (and just as importantly, its extraordinary disasters), NASA is the ideal place to turn to for project management lessons.

Check out this story for example, with lessons from the Galileo project in 1982. In addition to the obvious lessons of the importance of the project manager, and the project manager's role in selling the project, another key lesson is the ability to recognize when tradeoffs must be made in time, scope, or cost in order to assure a more successful project.

In this case, NASA realized that the best way to get to Jupiter was via a "gravity assisted" loop around Venus. This extended the time it would take to get to Jupiter threefold, but the resulting launch energy would make the project more successful.

Here's the full writeup...

NASA - A New Spin

Best Practice Project Management Framework

I came across an excellent website for project management guidelines, templates, tools, knowledge articles, etc. and it's shared with the public - free! It's from the Tasmanian State Government no less.

Any PMO Director or leader would be wise to examine this best practice example of a project management infrastructure.

Project Management Home Page

Project Management ERP Integration: End-to-End Business Process

Project management tools provide an environment for project planning, scheduling, and tracking. Integration of project management tools with ERP and financial systems creates a powerful end-to-end business process for enterprise program management. Actual progress can meet actual costs in a hands-free manner for better visibility and decision making. Integrating systems is challenging business. Here is an interesting reference on third party middleware for project management and ERP integration ...

Via Impress Software: NB Power Goes Live with Impress Project Integration Application: Implementation of Impress Project I.App™ completed in record time to integrate Primavera® Project Management software with SAP® PLM Application ...

... "Project I.App integrates the business processes of project planning and enterprise resource planning (ERP) that would otherwise run independently of each other. Ensuring project data is consistent across all systems at all times, Project I.App eliminates the need for duplicate data entry and the risk of mismatched schedules and resources. Project I.App is a pre-packaged, out-of-the-box Integration Application that links SAP with major project scheduling and management products, such as Primavera, Microsoft Project, and TrackSoftware.NET. Accessible via a standard web interface, Project I.App includes a set-up wizard that is easy to use and administer and requires no programming knowledge. Project I.App was jointly developed by SAP and IMPRESS and is supported through SAP OSS. " ...

Impress Software provides packaged enterprise integration applications for SAP customers. Called I.Apps™, these applications enable quick and cost-effective deployment of streamlined business processes across multiple enterprise systems. Impress I.Apps are ready-made combinations of pre-defined integration elements. Coupled with tools that enable flexible implementation of custom and specific integration scenarios, Impress I.Apps allow integration to be completed at a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional EAI development platforms. Impress customers include global leaders such as Bayer, DuPont, Halliburton, Nebraska Public Power District, Ontario Power Generation, Valero, and Total.

Achieve Strategy Execution: Accelerate Plan Funding Support

Achieve Strategy Execution: Accelerate Plan Funding Support: Via Knowledge Infusion: Knowledge Infusion Announces HCM Accelerate; Packaged Service to Jumpstart Strategic HCM Technology Initiatives ...

Knowledge Infusion has distilled the key ingredients to accelerating the execution of strategy: The Plan, Funding, and Support; in their packaged service offering. These are critical factors when aligning a solution with the business strategy and spearheading a project through the demand management process to governance ...

... "The biggest hurdle organizations have to overcome in achieving their HCM strategy is organizational inertia—the inability to generate internal momentum around a project, says Heidi Spirgi, President of Knowledge Infusion. HCM Accelerate is designed to help transform HCM vision into execution both quickly and cost-effectively. At the end of the engagement, organizations will have a plan, the funding, and the executive support—the three prerequisites to execution. " ...

Knowledge Infusion is a strategic consulting organization dedicated to helping organizations realize the true value of Human Capital Management (HCM) technologies. Knowledge Infusion works with clients to map HCM technology strategies based on their unique business needs, optimize existing HCM applications, and tie HCM initiatives to specific, measurable business results.

A PMO Combined with EPM Tools Can Offer Great Benefits... But Don't Expect Overnight Success

According to this insightful article from INS, Enterprise Project Management (EPM) can be a vital part of organizational success, and a well-run PMO combined with EPM software is the best way to make that happen. But success doesn't come overnight. Read on...

The Project Management Office: Enterprise Project Management is a Vital Tool

Advanced Software Project Estimation: Parametric Algorithms Knowledge Bases

Advanced Software Project Estimation: Parametric Algorithms Knowledge Bases: Galorath Incorporated: Booz Allen Hamilton Case Study ...

Galorath Inc offers advanced parametric techniques to software project estimation that leverage sophisticated knowledge bases ...

... "A similar approach is used to estimate software development costs. The first step is to gather information about the project, such as the software development process, the use of object oriented or structured analysis development methods, the staff experience levels, the software module sizes (lines of code or function point count), and the schedule and price constraints. Again, Booz Allen estimators work with software engineers to begin building the SEER-SEM model by characterizing the software system and its modules using various technical and programmatic parameters. " ...

SEER-PPMC enables project managers to use software project plans for accurate tracking and forecasting. Because it is fully integrated with SEER-SEM™, users can create and track project plans in a single, easy to understand environment. Included with the SEER-SEM Project Manager Edition bundle, PPMC expands the SEER functionality to provide a complete solution for project managers and decision makers. SEER-PPMC is currently available from Galorath Incorporated. For more than 25 years, engineers, project managers and cost estimators throughout the world have turned to Galorath Incorporated for the industry’s most comprehensive set of decision-support and process management tools. Combined with extensive consulting and support services, Galorath’s SEER estimation and analysis tools derive cost, schedule and staffing estimates by assessing the interaction and impact of product, organizational and even operational variables. This parametric methodology, coupled with the industry’s most comprehensive knowledge bases, creates a rapid and powerful view of the critical factors driving program decisions and success from early concepts through upgrade and maintenance phases.

Virtual Program Management Office Software: Level 5 ...

Virtual Program Management Office Software: Via Level 5 Partners - vPMO: Portfolio Management Center

... "The Portfolio Management Center (PMC) component of the Virtual Program Management Office is designed to help organizations achieve optimal portfolio efficiency. The PMC supports a three-part process: Step #1: Inventory and identify technology initiatives, Step #2: Initiative Assessment and Evaluation, Step #3: Resource Allocation Optimization ... " ...

Level 5 Partners, Inc. is a privately held company whose mission is to enhance organizations project delivery capability. Founded in 2002, Level 5 Partners is headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey. Its primary product, the Virtual Program Management Office(vPMO) is a program management office portal that includes Portfolio Management (pre-project analysis), Product Development Centers (project realization), Project Continuum (post-project support), Resource Planning (project staffing optimization), and Knowledge Management (cross-initiative knowledge share). It is the first product of its kind to include a true full project lifecycle capability.

Project Management Conference Upcoming: PMI Global Congress 2005

Project Management Conference Upcoming: Via PMI > PMI Global Congress 2005 - North America

... "PMI Global Congress 2005: Toronto, Canada, 10-13 September 2005 It's ALL About ROI! Two of PMI's key program areas that focus on advancing the profession will host open working sessions at PMI Global Congress 2005-North America to access the collective knowledge and wisdom of those in the profession. " ...

Strategic Value Management: Fujitsu ProSight Partner

Strategic Value Management: Fujitsu ProSight Partner: Via Fujitsu: Fujitsu Consulting and ProSight to Combine Expertise in Technology Portfolio Management Consulting : FUJITSU United States

Fujitsu leverages portfolio management tool to support their IT value management service offering ...

... "Tools that support strategic value, while balancing factors such as value-at-risk, time horizon of benefits and strategic coverage help drive value creation. ProSight allows Fujitsu Consulting to more easily offer the full range of possibilities for its Value Management offering. Value Management is a suite of services from Fujitsu Consulting that helps its customers maximize value creation in their enterprise. " ...

ProSight, the experts in portfolio management software, combines software with services and knowledge resources to equip companies with effective oversight of investments, resources and performance, enhancing business results and strategic collaboration—enterprise wide. ProSight is headquartered in Portland, Ore.

Call For Papers: NASA PM Challenge ...

Call For Papers: NASA PM Challenge: Via PMFORUM, Connecting the World of Project Management PMFORUM Breaking News: CALL FOR SPEAKER PARTICIPATION ANNOUNCED FOR NASA'S PM CHALLENGE 2006

Papers needed at NASA project management challenge conference ...

... "Project Management Challenge 2006 is the third Annual NASA Project Management Conference established to further leadership, teamwork, knowledge sharing, training and lessons-learned in the areas of program and project management within the agency. It is sponsored by NASA's Academy of Program and Project Leadership (APPL) and is a centerpiece of NASA's Project Management training. " ...