Standards Based Project Management

Every client I work with has unique measurable attributes given their business sector, and they in turn have customer relationships which provide valuable experiences that we have worked together to assess via post-mortem walk throughs and reviews. The value add for this type of task is not to enforce a standard rigidly on any enterprise, but to tailor it subtlety to achieve the baselined project management objectives and goals as evidenced in the original project charter without hindering either the enterprise values or culture. The primary standards I often advise my customers to implement include but are not limited to:

· Project Management Institute (PMI) – Organizational Project Management Maturity Model, (OPM3),

· PMI Portfolio Management Standard, version 2,

· Project Management Institute Body of Knowledge (a de facto standard derived from the membership’s best practices and lessons learned)

· ISO 9000 Quality management system in production environments,

· ISO 9001 Quality management,

· ISO 10006 Quality management – Guidelines to quality in project management,

· ISO 9126 - Software quality model

· ISO 10007 Quality management – Guidelines for configuration management

· ISO 15288 Systems engineering – System life cycle processes

· ISO/IEC 17799 Information technology: Code of practice for information security management

· ISO/IEC 20000:2005 IT Service Management System (based on BS15000)

· Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL version 3)

Teambuilding 101: The Old Fashioned Way

As Project Managers we have seen our share of PMO teams, both "dream teams", and the "Bad-News Bears"! These days when we are recruiting project teams and doing team building, what should be our criteria, and our metrics for fielding the best PMO this side of "project heaven"?


Any ideas? I would love to hear from other Project Managers and PMO team members as well.


My team building analogy goes back to the 1967 Stallions little league baseball team I played on for 2 seasons. We finished in first place both seasons. The first season we won ALL of our games. The second season we lost a few but still finished in first place.


What was the secret of that success? I think in one word, coaching! The coach was Mr. Manual Sisson. He was a Vince Lombardi type coach to all of the boys on the team including me. He made us practice a lot. He taught us the rules of the game including sportsmanship (remember that?!). He shouted encouragement, rather than expletives. He brought out the best in all of the team mates.


And, his radical policy in today's sports world was: EVERYONE PLAYS and HAS FUN!


So Coach Sisson taught me that teambuilding should have some cross-training to backup their team mates. Fun begins with a smile, so ask yourself often when you are on your project if it makes you smile. If not, find a project that puts a smile on your face and pass it on! Coach Sisson always had a smile for the Stallions!

Needed in Singapore: Mandarin Speaking Project Manager Needed

Please send me your resume if you are interested in this permanent position with a MNC with Software Development Project Management Office based in Singapore:

Project Manager Job Description

COMPETENCIES

Project /Practice Management
• Creates and executes project work plans and revises as appropriate to meet
changing needs and requirements.
• Identifies resources needed and assigns individual responsibilities.
• Manages day-to-day operational aspects of a project and scope.
• Reviews deliverables prepared by team before passing to client.
• Effectively applies Project Path methodology and enforces project standards.
• Prepares for engagement reviews and quality assurance procedures.
• Minimizes exposure to risks on project.
• Ensures project documents are complete, current, and stored appropriately.
• Organizes quarterly Change Control Board meetings to prioritize and decide on
enhancements for quarterly releases.
Project Accounting
• Tracks and reports team hours and expenses on a weekly basis.
• Manages project budget.
• Provide weekly, monthly, quarterly and half yearly status reports to program
manager.
Communication
• Facilitates team and client meetings effectively.
• Holds regular status meetings with project team.
• Keeps project team well informed of changes within the organization.
• Effectively communicates relevant project information to superiors.
• Delivers engaging, informative, well-organized presentations.
• Resolves and/or escalates issues in a timely fashion.
• Understands how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully.
Technical Understanding
• Possesses general understanding in the areas of application programming,
database and system design.
• Understands Internet, Intranet, Extranet and client/server architectures.
• Possesses a thorough understanding of our capabilities.
• Maintains awareness of new and emerging technologies and the potential
application on client engagements.
• Possesses insurance domain knowledge.
Teamwork
• Consistently acknowledges and appreciates each team member's contributions.
• Effectively utilizes each team member to his/her fullest potential.
• Motivates team to work together in the most efficient manner.
• Keeps track of lessons learned and shares those lessons with team members.
• Mitigates team conflict and communication problems.
• Plans and facilitates regular team activities outside of the office.
Internal Client Management
• Manages day-to-day client interaction.
• Sets and manages client expectations.
• Develops lasting relationships with client personnel that foster client ties.
• Communicates effectively with clients to identify needs and evaluate alternative
business solutions.
• Continually seeks opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and deepen
client relationships.
• Builds a knowledge base of each client's business, organization and objectives.
Taskforce Management
• Suggests areas for improvement in internal processes along with possible
solutions.
• Leads internal teams/task forces to deliver Best Practices projects.
Project Path / Corporate Dashboard
• Compiles a month status report for high visibility projects.
• Attends a monthly conference call on process board matters.
• Reviews the status reports of Project Path domain teams and addresses issues as
appropriate.
• Complies with and helps to enforce standard policies and procedures.
• Organizes local Tech talks and symposiums where appropriate.

For more information please contact: Rick Price, +65 6728 0840 or rick@eprojectsource.com

Project Crisis, What Crisis?!

Today's topic reminds me of an old carpenter's saying: "Measure twice and saw once."

Keeping a project on time and on budget is a lot like that.

I think a lot of senior managers in corporate project shops today are wondering how much budget they have left to get their projects done before the end of the world. They are having their direct reports do data collection in a quick and dirty scramble to get a guesstimate to kick upstairs...and so it goes.

How do you get the right number and stay on it until project completion? Always a salient question, but especially now as the money belt tightens around your neck! And a few more?

Where do they find the capability? - In their Project Management Office?

What technique(s) can they use? - Earned Value Analysis? Balanced Scorecard? Project Dashboard? Portfolio Management?

How can they afford it? - Offshore the work? - Asia? India? China?

When will the assessments and reviews be complete? - Who will scope the work? How will they scope it?

When can they get us back on track? - How do we get buy-in now so we can start to get well?!

These are just some of the questions I am asked on a daily basis from prospects and clients who are seeking a project management solution, coaching, training. I have been working on projects for over 25 years now, recessions come and go, projects fail all the time, projects are turned around all the time. You can succeed and I know how to help you to be successful today!

eProject Source is competitive, cost-effective, and we provide service that begins with us listening to your requirements.

Please let me know how my team can help you.

Rick Price, MBA, PMP
eProject Source
Singapore
http://www.eprojectsource.com/
SKYPE: rickpricebangkok