January - February 2005 Featured Papers
Linking Program Management to Business Strategy
Russell Martinelli and Jim Waddell
Program management is designed to be used strategically by business management. Although all projects and programs deliver the tactical and operational deliverables, the real power of program management is its ability to link similarly aligned projects, creating programs that are chartered to achieve specific strategic objectives and business results. Linking Program Management to Business Strategy will describe how program management is utilized as a strategic business process in the high technology product development industry. A simple model will be used to demonstrate how strategic objectives, the program strategy, multiple project plans and resulting outputs are tightly integrated to focus a product development organization toward achieving desired business results.
Read the full text of Linking Program Management to Business Strategy
We define program management as “the coordinated management of interdependent projects over a finite period of time in order to achieve a set of business objectives”.In the high-technology, aerospace and automotive industries, program management is a critical business function that provides the means by which new products are conceived, developed and brought to market in order to achieve a major share in the profit .Outside of these core industries however, program management is not well understood.In fact, there is much confusion between the disciplines of program and project management.
This completes our six-part series on program management. Throughout this series, we have tried to demystify program management by providing a clear definition for program management and explaining the direct link between business strategy and program management. Additionally, we characterized the relationship between program and project management while explaining some of the key differences between them. We further explained how program managers can effectively identify and manage the critical business success factors, as well as manage program level risk on product development efforts. Lastly, we touched on the primary roles and core competencies for highly successful program managers, and how a program management office can provide the critical support needed for the program managers within an organization. We hope you have enjoyed reading this series as much as we have enjoyed writing it!
Abstract on the entire 6 part Program Management Series
About the Authors:
Russ
Martinelli, Manager of Program Management Methods at Intel, has many years
of experience in System Engineering, General Management, and Project and
Program Management in the high-technology and aerospace industries. Russ
is the chairman of Intel's Program Management Community of Practice, and
an Adjunct Professor for IT Business Systems at the University of Phoenix
in Portland, Oregon.
russell.martinelli@intel.com
Jim
Waddell, independent consultant and former Director of Program Management
for Tektronix, Inc. Jim has held a wide spectrum of managerial and operational
roles ranging across engineering, marketing, systems and manufacturing in
the high tech, energy and construction industries. Jim has taught classes
at various universities, and has been a speaker at numerous conferences
nationwide.
james.w.waddell@exgate.tek.com
Opportunities for Professional Development in Acquisition Management
J Davidson Frame
Men and women employed in the defense community are facing tremendous career opportunities in the acquisition management field. Acquisition management is hot! This is triggered by three facts:
- Key decision makers recognize that the effectiveness of the Department of Defense is based on the effectiveness of its acquisition workforce – Congress has even passed laws to require government agencies to strengthen the capabilities of their acquisition personnel (Clinger-Cohen Act, 1996; Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA), 1990).
- Workforce projections show that there will be a tremendous shortfall of qualified acquisition professionals to help DoD achieve its mission. Other agencies as well as private sector companies are also eagerly seeking acquisition professionals to help them in their work efforts. Right now, acquisition professionals find themselves in a seller’s market.
- DoD experienced major reforms in its acquisition processes that have just recently been implemented. The old processes are largely out of date. A large number of people – government workers and defense contractors alike – need to get up to speed quickly to understand the new ways of doing business.
The University of Management and Technology (UMT) has prepared this brief summary of career opportunities in acquisition management to help potential acquisition professionals develop a better sense of what the opportunities are. As a strategic partner of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), UMT is committed to promoting competence among acquisition workers through education and training (go to http://www.dau.mil/about-dau/umt.asp). It offers degrees and executive development courses that can help acquisition managers move forward in their careers.
Just-In-Time Training: Using a Model of Project Results versus Team Enablers to Identify Post-PMP® Training
Authors : Bryan R. McConachy, PMP, PMI Fellow
Cynthia A. Caine, M.A., PMP
Can Project Results can be predicted by assessing the degree of competence in project management skills? This two-dimensional model splits the nine knowledge areas of the PMBOK® into two dimensions: Project Results and Enablers with the basic premise that there is a cause – effect relationship between the two dimensions. The paper confirms the importance of “soft” project management skills and concludes that for these skills, the profession needs to train the appropriate people (those with some experience) at the appropriate time (when they have the need and interest) in the appropriate way (old-fashioned low tech methods). Does the PM profession require a certification of competency beyond the PMP and if so, who will provide such certification?
Read the full text of the "Just-In-Time Training".
Copyright 2004 Bramcon Project Consultants Ltd.
About the Authors:
Bryan
R. McConachy, PMP, PMI Fellow
After graduating from the University of British Columbia, Bryan McConachy spent 10 years as a project manager in the industrial and transportation sectors before establishing Bramcon Project Consultants Ltd. As a project management consultant, he has evolved through project control systems and project organization specialties to his current interest in measuring the impact of training on project performance. He has been certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and has been training students to prepare for the PMP exam for the past 15 years. He has been active in the Project Management Institute since 1981. He was twice recognized as an Outstanding Chapter President, received a Distinguished Contribution Award in 1986 and was elected a Fellow of PMI in 1996.
Cynthia Caine, MA, PMP
Cynthia Caine has over 20 years of experience in the fields of education, marketing, economics, accounting and project management. She has been certified by the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Professional (PMP). One of her key strengths is her ability to communicate and work effectively with a wide range of people. Her strong interest in using her training skills in the project management field has led to an association with Bramcon Project Consultants who offer their unique two-dimensional approach to project management training and performance measurement.
Successful Innovation Management: System or Serendipity?
by Edward Fern and Vladimir Liberzon
To be successful in innovation management, any company [shall] establish the corporate culture that motivates project teams to maximize potential business benefits of project success and minimize potential negative impacts of project failure. Managing innovation is inherently risky.
Many uncertainties about future events arise from both internal and external sources. Active Risk Management (ARM) recognizes that these uncertainties can be either threats or opportunities, and ARM endeavors to position the enterprise so that it enjoys most of the benefits of opportunity while avoiding most of the pain associated with threats.
This new culture has several differences compared with the traditional approach:
Traditional
Time to market
Every project must succeed
Failed projects = failed project managers
Risk avoidanceInnovative
Time to profit
Most projects should fail
Failed projects = valuable corporate learning
Active Risk Management
Read the full text of "Successful Innovation: System or Serendipity"
Copyright 2004 Edward Fern All rights reserved