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Project Management Training for Technical Teams

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Written by Dr. Andrew Makar   
The majority of articles on project management training are targeted toward students already motivated to learn project management. Selling project management to a project management-hungry audience is an easy sell. A greater challenge is motivating a team of technical gurus to embrace project management processes to help deliver their projects. This article will describe one success story of how a PMO successfully implemented PM training in a technology-heavy and process-light organization.

A few years ago, I joined an organization that needed significant help delivering infrastructure projects. The organization was comprised of brilliant IT engineers and solution developers that could talk ad nauseam about the delicate intricacies of VMware server virtualization and the latest dot release of Websphere in a Linux environment. However, the organization struggled with scope creep, schedule overruns and sporadic project start-up.

The organization implemented a PMO to provide project management support and training to the team of technical leads. Teaching the techies was a challenge since technical innovation and project management processes don't always peacefully co-exist. The PMO focused on the following content, training approaches and reinforcement techniques to help the organization adopt PM processes with technical infrastructure work.

Content

Since the target audience wasn't motivated to learn about project management and had little if any PM process background, the PMO's approach focused on the high-level project management process lifecycle and the core documents needed to successfully deliver the project. The PMO recognized approaching the organization with the IEEE 12207 standard or the PMBOK would overwhelm the audience. The organization was already resisting the company's SDLC, and additional processes were perceived as wasted overhead.

A 30-minute presentation was developed to align the company's SDLC with project management processes. The presentation focused on the fundamental initiate, plan, execute, control and close phases of the project lifecycle. Within each phase, the presentation highlighted the critical documents within each phase. Table 1 includes the key documents for the organization:

 

Phase Document
Initiate Project Charter
Plan Project Schedule
Execute System Requirements document

Technical Architecture document

Test Cases
Control Issue/Risk/Change Request Log

Status Report
Close Lessons Learned

 

CMM specialists and PMBOK enthusiasts would criticize the list as being too short; however, the PMO needed to start with PM basics in order to gain adoption. With each document, the PMO explained the importance of the document and how it supported the process.

The project charter was a summary of the project's scope and context. It was limited to two pages and was augmented as needed. The project schedule was introduced to identify key dates for delivery rather than weekly "best guesses" when technical teams thought the project would be completed. The technical team liked the system requirements and technical architecture document since it explained what was needed for the project.

The concept of test cases was new to the team members. Structured testing was non-existent; however, the team eventually migrated to Excel to track test cases and their results. An integrated issue, risk and change request document was implemented to identify critical issues, risk and scope changes. The team liked the idea of change control since it controlled the gold platting and the incremental scope creep.

The greater challenge was collecting a status report document on a periodic basis. The PMO implemented a Web-based project tracking tool for technical teams to update their project status. By provided the tools without the bureaucracy, the process was adopted easier. Finally, at the end of the project, documenting the lessons learned provided a reminder of what worked well and what failed for future reuse.

Training Approach

Obviously, the adoption of PM processes didn't happen automatically. The PMO spent 18 months working with the technical teams to implement process and eventually realize the benefits of project management. The PMO adopted the following approaches:
1. PM Staffing
2. Lunch and Learns
3. Team Presentations
4. 1:1 Coaching and PM Mentoring

Initially, the PMO staffed knowledgeable project managers to manage the technical projects and execute the PM processes. By integrating PMs within the server and infrastructure management environment, the technical teams were able to leverage the PM's knowledge and learn through observation. As knowledge transfer occurred, PMs were reallocated to high-priority projects and the technical resources were knowledgeable enough to play the PM role on smaller scoped projects.


The PMO also hosted lunch-and-learn sessions that were sporadically attended. However, the PM concept was being adopted in other departments within the infrastructure division. Awareness was raised and the technical teams recognized they should learn a little bit about the subject. In order to further integrate process with technical development, the PMO presented at various staff meetings on how PM processes actually benefit projects. The PMO also partnered PMs with team supervisors and team leads to coach and mentor on PM processes.

Reinforcement

Training and awareness are only effective if it is reinforced. The department experienced significant organizational change as the PM processes were implemented. The PMO managed the portfolio and prioritization of projects with senior management. If team leads wanted resource for a project, they needed to follow the project initiation process and provide a project charter.
If internal application teams wanted Web hosting space or wanted to implement a new piece of technology, the requestor had to follow the PMO's engineering review process and provide a technical architecture document. The key to implementing project management processes was funneling the work requests through the PMO and expecting requestors to provide the PM documents.

The required documentation was tailored for efficiency and didn't waste reams of paper to convey a project's scope and requirements. A clear indicator of success was when the department manager directed other IT directors to follow the request process to initiate new projects. The process worked, and it was refreshing knowing senior management supported the processes instead of defaulting the usual "just get it done" approach. The visibility and urgency to respond quickly still existed, but the PMO had visibility to the request and could respond accordingly.

Teaching PM processes to techies can be a daunting task; however, by scaling the scope, customizing the content and providing the appropriate knowledge transfer, it can be accomplished. Senior leadership still needs to sponsor the effort and set expectations for processes to be followed. The key to implementing project management within a technical organization was making the project management processes nimble enough that they delivered value without the non-value added overhead.

Now if I could only get the techies to understand earned value...

 

 

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Career Corner: 5 Concerns Joining a PMO

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Written by Dr. Andrew Makar   

All project management offices are not created equal, and the perception of a PMO's value within an organization will greatly influence a project manager's decision to pursue a position in it. Here are five concerns that could discourage a project manager from seeking a PMO-related role, and why these unappealing factors still might provide opportunities to grow.
There are solid reasons to seek a position in a project management office. As the previous 6 Reasons to Join a PMO article indicated, an assignment in a PMO can offer project managers hands-on experience in enterprise-level risk, change and issues management; expand their awareness of business issues; and provide an environment to develop leadership skills. Perhaps most appealing, it can also offer the opportunity to become part of the solution to project management processes in need of fixing.

All PMOs are not created equal, however, and the perception of a PMO within an organization will greatly influence a project manager's decision to take a PMO assignment. Here are five less-than-enticing perceptions that could, on the surface, persuade a project manager to say, "Thanks, but no thanks."

1. The PMO is a staff function

Ineffective PMOs are perceived as providing low value at high administrative costs without actually improving the delivery of projects. Valid or not, a PMO assignment is typically a staff assignment that focuses on the management of a portfolio of projects rather than specific project delivery. A staff role does not carry the glamour or excitement that the project management role provides on a daily basis.

In project management roles, the project manager is the key integrator ensuring all work streams and activities complete on time. Senior managers and executives depend on you to deliver their project on time, with high quality, and of course under or on budget. Staff functions don't necessarily provide the same reward and recognition, though they are critical to the portfolio's operations. Depending on the company's organizational culture, high performers are typically recognized in delivery roles rather than staff or maintenance roles. Employees often hear about the hero who rescued a troubled project but rarely about the PMO manager who streamlined the financial approval process.

2. The focus is on process and methodology

Working in a PMO shifts the focus from project delivery to process management. Instead of delivering a project, the process or methodology is the project. A PMO manager succeeds when projects are funded, prioritized and initiated correctly, and the in-flight projects are executing according to the project management process. This is a significant shift for project managers who are accustomed to taking business requirements and transforming them into solutions for their business partners.

Understandably, some project managers don't want to become process professionals, in which the main responsibility is to ensure that others are following the prescribed process, auditing projects or developing organizational improvements. But depending on how the PMO is structured, the PMO manager can adopt project delivery responsibility.

I worked in one organizational PMO where all the project managers reported directly to the PMO manager. Each project manager and cross-functional team were responsible for delivery, but the PMO manager also had responsibility to ensure the projects were delivered, and high level risks and issues were communicated.

3. PMO = Administrative Work

PMOs have a tendency to be the target for administrative work. If clerical staff is unavailable, the PMO is often tasked with reassigning cubes, ordering supplies or managing facilities. The PMO becomes an easy target when there is a perception that it has excess capacity and is not delivering actual projects. PMOs are also often responsible for organizing portfolio management or senior management reviews. When PMO is an extension of the program manager or business unit head, administrative tasks are part of the job. Effective PMOs handle the administrative work efficiently.

4. Loss of PM delivery skill set

When a project manager is no longer directly managing projects, losing touch with day-to-day project management skills is a common concern. In reality, PMO roles can provide new opportunities to apply project management skills across a wide variety of projects. It may take some time to gain other project managers' confidence that the PMO actually knows something about project delivery. Once the PMO is recognized as a contributor rather than an inhibitor, the opportunity to develop project management skills across a portfolio rather than one project becomes an attractive opportunity.

5. The PMO is part of a troubled program

If the PMO opportunity involves a poorly performing program or troubled organization, the PMO assignment may appear to be an unattractive assignment. In fact, joining a struggling situation can provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate leadership opportunities. But beware. Experienced project managers know when to avoid failing project. It may seem noble to take on a troubled project and rescue it, but some project opportunities are to be avoided at all cost. Project managers should still listen to WII-FM (What's In It For Me) before accepting a new assignment.

Recommendation

A PMO role can be an important stepping-stone in a project manager's career path. The experience provides more breadth across program and project management processes that support delivery solutions to meet organizational goals. As project managers review PMO opportunities, they also need to consider the type of PMO and its level in the organization. If it is a program-level PMO, the opportunity will develop program management skills. If it is an organizational PMO, the role will be heavily staff focused, but could also provide opportunities to influence an organization's project management delivery and portfolio management capability. In an executive-level PMO, project managers will have visibility to top projects and programs in the company and be able to observe how management deals with strategic problems. In the right situations, all three types of PMOs can improve a project manager's skill set and overall marketability.

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Does a PMO Help or Hinder?

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Written by Dr. Andrew Makar   
In theory, project management offices and project managers work together to deliver value to the organization in a consistent manner. In practice, PMOs and project managers often step on each other's toes in a clash between results and processes. Here are five best practices for how the PMO can improve harmony, from the project manager perspective.

Do project management offices help or hinder the project managers in your organization? In theory, PMOs and project managers interact in a two-step tango that rivals the latest "Dancing with the Stars" reality show. In practice, PMOs and project managers can often step on each other's toes and stumble all in the name of following project management process.

Different Project Management Perspectives

From the project manager viewpoint, the project manager's role is to deliver results. The project management processes are tools for project managers to deliver work consistently. If a process is too overwhelming, the project manager will short cut the process to deliver the project. Does it really matter if the third approved at the tollgate didn't sign off at the gate review but the project was delivered on time?

From a PMO perspective, all the projects should be delivering according to a common project management process. Ensuring project teams following consistent processes ensures repeatable results and uniform communication. The project needs to be delivered on time, but it also needs to follow the prescribed process.

5 Actions for PMOs to Help Project Managers

The two different perspectives of "project versus process" can often cause friction between the two groups. The PMO can quickly be perceived as non-value add overhead and project managers can be viewed as non-compliant and resisting process. Having worked in each group, I've found PMOs and project managers can achieve harmony, starting with these five practices.

1. Reuse project status reports

Don't ask the project manager to fill out another form. Processes become overbearing when the same information is requested multiple times and needs to be populated in different formats. Status reporting is the frequent offender that causes project management friction. Each month, the PMO Governance function requires a status update for each project in the portfolio. Instead of reusing the project-level status report, the project manager is asked to fill out a summary form.

A simple solution is to adopt a common status-reporting format that accurately conveys status at the project level and can be rolled up into a portfolio summary. Organizations can develop scorecard templates that allow data to be extracted and integrated into a PMO-level summary report. If the organization doesn't have the technical capability to roll up project data, a simpler process is to have the PMO review the status report and create the consolidate PMO-level status report.

2. Staff the PMO with experience

Effective PMOs are staffed with resources who are experts in both process and delivery. Rotating experienced project managers into PMO roles will help transfer PM experience across the organization. The PMO gains credibility with the delivery teams when members of the PMO have dealt with similar complex project experiences. Staffing the PMO with administrative resources to track documents only provides value in process audits instead of project delivery. Finding skilled project managers within the PMO who have real work experience is invaluable to novice project or program managers. The PMO should act as coach and guide to avoid project management disasters.

3. Actively participate in project delivery

A PMO doesn't need to confine itself to staff roles. Financials, portfolio reviews, resource management and milestone tracking are administrative; however, the PMO adds more value to the project when it understands the projects within the portfolio. Inquiring why a project hasn't launched within the company's 180-day average when it launched in 182 days doesn't add value; understanding a project's key issues and risks and helping raise the visibility does.

An effective PMO that understands the project goals, impact to the business, and status within the portfolio is a useful resource. A PMO can provide better insight into available portfolio resources and can be a point of escalation for issue and risk management. The PMO doesn't manage the project but provides the expertise to guide the project manager along.

4. Proactively respond to process requests

PMOs want project managers to follow process. Project managers are willing to follow the process as long as the process is responsive and timely. A PMO's credibility is undermined when a form or request is submitted and the project manager has to wait weeks for the PMO's response. If the PMO takes two to three weeks for a new project request to be processed, the process becomes a roadblock. The PMO cannot hinder project delivery. It needs to act as a catalyst for the project and respond effectively.

5. Champion a community of practice

PMOs have an excellent opportunity to improve the level of project management within an organization. The PMO is an independent and dedicated resource that can invest resources into project management improvement. Effective PMOs foster a learning environment for project management across the organization. One approach to developing a learning environment is to sponsor a community of practice. A community of practice is simply a group of project managers who share lessons learned and best practices. The best practices emerge from the people actually doing the work rather than a top-down process.

PMOs still need to implement process with a top-down approach. By incorporating the standards and practices into the community of practice, change management and process adoption become easier. Both the PMO and project managers are part of the solution to improve project delivery within the organization.

These five tips, from a project manager perspective, on how to improve PMO involvement in project delivery are just the start. As project managers and PMOs openly discuss better project management processes, additional best practices can and will be identified.

5 Actions for Project Managers to Help PMOs

Project management offices have administrative processes that can be misconstrued as overhead or potential roadblocks to project delivery. Effective PMOs are able to integrate these processes into the delivery cycle without causing bureaucratic drag. An effective PMO is a resource for project managers to leverage. But project managers need to understand the role of the PMO in portfolio governance, process quality assurance and project management coaching. The following five tips will help project managers improve their interaction with the PMO.

1. Support the PMO requests for information

Communications management and portfolio governance are key functions within a PMO. The project doesn't operate in a vacuum and needs to report out across the portfolio. Project managers need to recognize the PMO's obligation to communicate project status and performance for portfolio reviews. Both project managers and the PMO need to work together to avoid replicating project information in different formats. Aligning report expectations with the project artifacts produced by the project will minimize the burden to communicate repeatedly to various management levels.

2. Follow the process to deliver the project

Project teams need to follow an organization's established project management procedures to ensure consistent results. The PMO's role for process assurance is a quality management function. Project managers should recognize the PMO's responsibility to audit project deliverables. The PMO isn't a malicious entity bent on inhibiting project progress when a deliverable isn't signed off. However, it is the PMO's role to ensure process is followed.
Problems arise when the process becomes too cumbersome and the PMO doesn't listen to project manager feedback. Process improvement is an ongoing activity with any organization and both groups need to work together to iteratively refine and improve the process.

3. Communicate key issues and risks to the PMO

Project managers should view the PMO as a project asset instead of a project liability. At the program level, the PMO is the central resource to monitor and track program level issues, risks and change requests. At the organization level, the PMO often reports directly to senior or executive management and can help communicate top-level issues across the portfolio. At the enterprise level, the enterprise PMO is a critical success factor for successful portfolio management. All of these roles require interaction and communication with the project teams.

Instead of creatively shaping a troubled project status to the PMO, the project manager should report the objective status and leverage the PMO to request assistance. The PMO wants to know the problems within the portfolio and may be able to provide additional resources or propose alternative solutions. Since the PMO monitors the portfolio, it has a broader perspective of all the projects and can help prioritize issues and problems accordingly.

4. Engage the PMO in the tollgate process

Since the PMO often inquires about status within the portfolio, involving them in the project's gate review process is an effective approach to communicate status on a regular basis. In some organizations, PMOs manage the tollgate process for the project manager and proactively monitor approaching tollgates and help the project manager facilitate the approval process. Engaging the PMO in a tollgate will also provide an objective assessment of the project and provide additional insight into issues and risks not perceived by the project manager. Since the PMO is engaged in multiple projects, similar issues and lessons learned can be shared.

Project managers can view the tollgate as a low-value-add activity since scheduling a tollgate and maintaining the project schedule often conflict. Due to scheduling conflicts and required sign-offs, the project often progresses beyond the tollgate and resolves any issues once the tollgate has been conducted. The PMO can assist with this process by scheduling and coordinating the tollgate process while project manager can focus on project delivery.

5. Be an active participant in portfolio governance

A PMO cannot effectively support projects outside their visibility. Project managers need to communicate project start-up early and initiation requests through the PMO. Unstructured organizations often have projects initiate without sufficient resources or skills needed for the project success. The PMO can help assign resources and support the project, but it needs to know the project exists.

If the PMO is viewed as too bureaucratic, project managers may minimize the size of the project to the PMO. I've seen several projects that quickly lose control of scope and need to be rescued or cancelled all because they didn't initiate the project correctly and assign appropriate resources. The PMO can be a champion for project success, but the PMO needs to know about the emerging projects in the portfolio. Project managers need to work with the PMO to ensure proper governance is in place.

An effective PMO is designed to help not hinder project development. PMOs need to be a catalyst for project success and project managers need to leverage the PMO as a tool for project delivery. The balance between PMO process requirements and project delivery can be difficult to maintain. Both groups need to view each other as a critical success factors to deliver the project for the customer and need to communicate their needs to refine the process.

During the project lifecycle, projects have enough of their own issues that PMO and project management alignment shouldn't be one of them. Review these tips from both perspectives and share them to improve PMO and project management interaction!

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Microsoft Project Tutorial Resource Management - Decomission a Base Camp

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Written by Dr. Andrew Makar   
I received an email from a United States Central Command inquiring about how to use Microsoft Project to track personnel on the military base and monitor resource levels as units deactivate during a base closing. The goal was to measure the total number of personnel at any given point of time and track the resources as the base downsizes. I thought about the issue and developed a quick resource management model in Microsoft Project. Since Microsoft Project supports resource assignments and resource pools, developing an ongoing model was relatively easy to do.

This example creates a work breakdown structure that is comprised of teams or units that are allocated to different tasks.

Microsoft Project Tutorial Resource Management Model

The actual tutorial on creating the decomission base camp resource management model is available on TechRepublic.com

 

 

Attachments:
FileDescriptionFile size
Download this file (baseShutDown.mpp)baseShutdown.mppMicrosoft Project Tutorial for a Base Camp Decomission191 Kb
Download this file (baseShutDownWithCosts.mpp)baseShutDownWithCosts.mppResource Model with Costs201 Kb
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What is the difference between Contact Hours and PDUs?

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By Cornelius Fichtner, PMP

If you are working toward a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, you may have wondered “What is the difference between Contact Hours and Professional Development Units (PDUs)?”

The main difference between Contact Hour and PDU is that Contact Hours are accumulated prior and PDUs after your PMP Exam. Before the exam you need 35 Contact Hours and after you become a certified PMP, you will need to accumulate 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) every three years to keep your certification current. However the content of the training can be identical.

The Contact Hours Requirement:


Only 35 Contact Hours are a required to apply for the PMP certificate. One Contact Hour is equivalent to 60 minutes of relevant project management instruction, related to the concepts presented in the PMBOK Guide. You must complete all 35 hours prior to submitting your PMP Certification application. In order to be “relevant,” the training must cover one or more of the following:
  • Project Quality
  • Project Scope
  • Project Schedule
  • Project Budget
  • Project Communications
  • Project Risk
  • Project Procurement
  • Project Integration Management

Accumulating and Tracking Your Contact Hours:


Contact Hours are earned by attending Project Management relevant instruction. Unlike the Project Management Experience hours, there is no specified time period prior to your PMP application in which you had to complete your 35 Contact Hours. Any class you took at any age could be counted as Contact Hour so long as it had some project management practices

For example, if your company provided training to use their project management software such as MS Project, Primavera, QTask, or Prolog, you could claim Contact Hours.

Ideally, it is easier to track Contact Hours accumulated from “Project Management” focused instruction. However, any course that includes some project management instruction, the time spent specifically on project management concepts and practices, is eligible, even if it was not the main theme of the course.

Remember that anything on your PMP Exam Application is subject to audit. So, it is a good practice to only include training for which you are prepared to submit proof. As you accumulate training, document the training’s relevance by retaining copies of the course syllabus, class catalog page and other materials. For each course claimed, also document your successful completion by retaining copies of certificates, exam results, and/or class transcripts.

Contact Hours Education Providers:


Training is available in many formats. The course work might be presented in live classes, workshops or webinars. They might also include prerecorded podcasts or video.

In the PMP Handbook, the Project Management Institute (PMI) suggests that Contact Hours be obtained from one of the following types of education providers:
  • PMI Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s)*
  • PMI component organizations *
  • Employer/company-sponsored programs
  • Training companies or consultants (e.g., training schools)
  • Distance-learning companies which include end-of-course assessments
  • University/college academic and continuing education programs

Preapproved Sources:


Contact Hour eligible training courses are preapproved when they are provided by PMI R.E.P.s, PMI components organizations (e.g. local PMI chapters, specific interest groups), or PMI itself.

However, there are caveats. For example, PMI chapter meetings are not Contact Hours. Only the portion of the meeting that conducts a learning activity can be counted toward Contact Hours.

Basically, any resource offering relevant subject matter qualifies so long as it’s not “self-directed learning.” For example, reading books, watching instructional videos or sessions with coaches or mentors, are not eligible as Contact Hours.

Contact Hour programs:


PMP Prep Workshops are offered in a mix of timelines, media and sources. Most PMI Chapters and many training companies offer instructor-led PMP Exam workshops. There is a variety of self study programs which are delivered via the internet, DVD and Podcast. What most of these courses have in common is that they are specifically designed to give you the best preparation for your PMP Exam as well as your 35 Contact Hours in one offering.

Online PMP Exam Prep Classes with Contact Hours:


Here is probably the most important tip for you when it comes to earning your pre-exam Contact Hours online: If you take an online class, live or prerecorded, the provider must give you an "End of course assessment" exam before they give you the certificate for the hours. If they don't test you then any certificate or other proof of completion is worthless for your PMP Exam.

About the author

Cornelius Fichtner, PMP is a noted PMP expert. He has helped over 10,000 students prepare for the PMP Exam with The Project Management PrepCast at http://www.pm-prepcast.com and he guides PMI credential holders on earning PDUs with The PDU Insider at http://www.pdu-insider.com

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