When developing a Project Management Office keep in mind the following items:
PMO Need - Why are you setting up a PMO? What are the Pros and Cons?
Cultural Change - What barriers will there be to setting up PMO? How will the PMO overcome these barriers?
Organizational Assessment - What is the Project Management Maturity of your project managers and the organization?
Methodologies - What Methodoligies will you use in the PMO? Templates? Business Processes?
Resources - How many people will comprise the PMO staff and what are their roles and responsibilities?
Training - What type of training does the staff require? What type of training does the organization require to support the PMO?
Metrics - What type of metrics will the PMO be responsible for collecting?
Lines of Authority - Who runs the PMO and why?
PMO Type - What type of PMO are you going to setup? Strategic? Business Unit Focus? Project Control Office?
Executive Buy-In - How are you going to get your company executives to buy-in to and then support the PMO?
Setting up a PMO is a daunting challenge that all to often ends up in failure. If your organization is seriously considering starting up a PMO make sure they have done their homework.
There are several excellent books that will help you and your company setup and operate a successfull PMO.
Take a look at:
The Strategic Project Office - A Guide to Improving Organizational Performance - J. Kent Crawford
Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO - Multiplying ROI at Warp Speed - Gerald I Kendall, PMP and Steven C. Rollins, PMP
One final thought, don't be afraid to bring in an outside consulting company to help you through the process of setting up your PMO. Most PMOs are shutdown within the first few years due to the lack of perceived value by senior executives.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Are you Trustworthy?
As I get ready to develop an internal training course entitled "Introduction to Project Management" I'm reminded of my past Project Management training. Invariably all Project Management training courses talk about the triple constraints, baselines, critical paths, scope, risk, cost management etc. While all these things, and more, are important to manage on every project, I think a lot of my training has been lacking in “What Matters Most” when it comes to successfully managing projects.
In my career I have found that the ability to work well with others, show empathy towards their needs, and being trustworthy have done more for my successes than being overly reliant on tools such as pert charts, resource loaded histograms, and quantitative risk analysis discussions. Granted, I haven't managed very large (over $10M) or overly complex projects, but I don’t think that matters when it boils down to what is important when managing projects. When managing any size project the project manager needs to focus on what is most important to that project. Only you, your sponsor, and stakeholders can answer that question. Is the most important thing getting the project done on time, coming in at or under budget, delivering at a high level of quality, or having a big WOW factor? (See Tom Peter's – “The Project 50” book for more on the WOW factor). You must decide what the Project “Driver” is before you begin your planning.
Don't get caught in the trap of believing that if you meet your Time, Cost, and Scope objectives your project is a success. If your users and/or sponsor aren't satisfied with the project's results YOUR PROJECT IS A FAILURE!
Every project needs a project sponsor, charter, a budget, a realistic agreed upon schedule, competent resources, a list of valid assumptions, a list of the project’s constraints, dependencies, and people assigned to your team that are dedicated and personally committed to seeing the project succeed. However, you as the project manager must have the trust of all stakeholders and demonstrate that your are committed to doing your best and delivering on your promises.
To get back to my initial point, your internal Project Management training (you don't just rely on external vendors do you?) must put a heavy emphasis on Project Communications and teaching your audience how to be TRUSTWORTHY Project Managers. Without the trust of your peers, management, and customers your project management career won't last very long.
In my career I have found that the ability to work well with others, show empathy towards their needs, and being trustworthy have done more for my successes than being overly reliant on tools such as pert charts, resource loaded histograms, and quantitative risk analysis discussions. Granted, I haven't managed very large (over $10M) or overly complex projects, but I don’t think that matters when it boils down to what is important when managing projects. When managing any size project the project manager needs to focus on what is most important to that project. Only you, your sponsor, and stakeholders can answer that question. Is the most important thing getting the project done on time, coming in at or under budget, delivering at a high level of quality, or having a big WOW factor? (See Tom Peter's – “The Project 50” book for more on the WOW factor). You must decide what the Project “Driver” is before you begin your planning.
Don't get caught in the trap of believing that if you meet your Time, Cost, and Scope objectives your project is a success. If your users and/or sponsor aren't satisfied with the project's results YOUR PROJECT IS A FAILURE!
Every project needs a project sponsor, charter, a budget, a realistic agreed upon schedule, competent resources, a list of valid assumptions, a list of the project’s constraints, dependencies, and people assigned to your team that are dedicated and personally committed to seeing the project succeed. However, you as the project manager must have the trust of all stakeholders and demonstrate that your are committed to doing your best and delivering on your promises.
To get back to my initial point, your internal Project Management training (you don't just rely on external vendors do you?) must put a heavy emphasis on Project Communications and teaching your audience how to be TRUSTWORTHY Project Managers. Without the trust of your peers, management, and customers your project management career won't last very long.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
PMI 2004 World Congress
I'm in Anaheim, California this week for the Project Management Institute's (PMI) Annual World Congress. This year's event has been well organized, and I have gained a lot of new knowledge that I can use on my projects. Stay tuned for more information.
The Keynote Speaker for this years event was Tim Sanders. Tim authored the book "Love is the Killer App" and gave a great keynote presentation. I have purchased his book (you can also by clicking the link on this page) and when I finish reading it I will write my thoughts here. Suffice it to say that Tim left a big impression on me and I'm sure all the other attendees that listened to his presentation. Tim is a smart man that has some great insights that all project managers can use when working with members of their team. Check out his website by clicking here.
I will provide new links, hints, and tips in the coming weeks that I acquired while attending this years conference. Check back in the next few days.
The Keynote Speaker for this years event was Tim Sanders. Tim authored the book "Love is the Killer App" and gave a great keynote presentation. I have purchased his book (you can also by clicking the link on this page) and when I finish reading it I will write my thoughts here. Suffice it to say that Tim left a big impression on me and I'm sure all the other attendees that listened to his presentation. Tim is a smart man that has some great insights that all project managers can use when working with members of their team. Check out his website by clicking here.
I will provide new links, hints, and tips in the coming weeks that I acquired while attending this years conference. Check back in the next few days.