Web Seminar: Managing Risk Using Better Requirements

Web Seminar: Managing Risk Using Better Requirements

Join us for a Complimentary Web Seminar Plus Earn 1 PDU for Attending
Wednesday, December 9th from 2:00 PM -3:00PM EST

Please mention priority code: MWS0027BLOG

Space is limited.
Reserve your Web Seminar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/613727752

Incomplete or inaccurate requirements are often cited as one of the main causes of project failure. Whether you are 10 feet away from the user or an ocean away, it is imperative that you accurately elicit and document requirements in order to mitigate your project risk. Presenting a complete requirements picture early on and staying on course throughout the project life cycle is crucial to success. Managing your project risk through the use of business analysis best practices is a best practice in itself.

During this presentation, we will discuss the vital link between business analysis best practices and improvements in risk management and will present a tool to assess your project risks and opportunities early in the project life cycle.
This presentation provides a framework to discuss five best practices in business analysis.
Key Learning Points:
• Key components of managing risk on projects
• Proven techniques to define better user requirements
• How to leverage business analysis best practices to mitigate project risk

Featured Speaker
Glenn R. Brûlé, CSM, Executive Director of Client Solutions, ESI International brings more than two decades of focused business analysis experience to every ESI client engagement. As one of ESI’s subject matter experts, Glenn works directly with clients to build and mature their business analysis capabilities by drawing from the broad range of learning resources ESI offers.

A recognized expert in the creation and maturity of Business Analysis Centers or Excellence, Glenn has helped almost a dozen clients in the energy, financial services, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, insurance and automotive industries, as well as government agencies across the world. His approach to maturing requirements management and development capabilities focuses on short-term reductions in costs, resources and time to market while charting a path to long-term change that drives organizations competitively forward.

As a founding board member of IIBA® and Vice President, Chapters, Glenn drives the advancement of the BA profession globally. His personal commitment and involvement has resulted in the founding of chapters in more than a dozen countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

More Scientists Treat Experiments as a Team Sport

The Wall Street Journal reports that around the world, scientists are cutting across boundaries of place, organization and technical specialty to conduct ever more ambitious experiments. Inspired by such cooperative enterprises as Linux and Wikipedia, they are encouraging creative collaborations through networks of blogs, wikis, shared databases and crowd-sourcing...To gauge the rise of team science, management experts at Northwestern University recently analyzed 2.1 million U.S. patents filed since 1975 and all of the 19.9 million research papers archived in the Institute for Scientific Information database. "We looked at the recorded universe of all published papers across all fields, and we found that all fields were moving heavily toward teamwork," says Northwestern business sociologist Brian Uzzi.

What do you think of this new collaborative environment?

Live from ProjectWorld 2009!

The ProjectWorld event team had a chance to take some pictures Live from the conference. Take a look through as we will be adding more photos from the event. Enjoy!

Free Web Seminar: Managing Risk Using Better Requirements

Date/Time: Wed, Dec 9, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/613727752
Mention priority code MWS0027BLOG

Incomplete or inaccurate requirements are often cited as one of the main causes of project failure. Whether you are 10 feet away from the user or an ocean away, it is imperative that you accurately elicit and document requirements in order to mitigate your project risk. Presenting a complete requirements picture early on and staying on course throughout the project life cycle is crucial to success. Managing your project risk through the use of business analysis best practices is a best practice in itself.

During this presentation, we will discuss the vital link between business analysis best practices and improvements in risk management and will present a tool to assess your project risks and opportunities early in the project life cycle.
This presentation provides a framework to discuss five best practices in business analysis.

Key Learning Points:
• Key components of managing risk on projects
• Proven techniques to define better user requirements
• How to leverage business analysis best practices to mitigate project risk

Featured Speaker
Glenn R. Brûlé, CSM, Executive Director of Client Solutions, ESI International

How do you make project management work at your company?

Brad Egeland of Project Management Tips recently outlined several things that can help you make project management work for your company.

A few are:

- Get top management involved in the process and the projects. They should be asking questions about how projects are doing. In other words, show an interest in the subject.
- Build into performance appraisals items that evaluate a project manager’s use of the tools of effective project management. Reward people for practicing the methods. But be careful. Be sure upper management is not keeping managers from practicing good methodology.
- It helps to have the entire team trained in project management basics.
- Senior management need to understand the company’s PM process and methodology to effectively set their expectations. One of the ten most common causes of project failures is unrealistic expectations on the part of senior managers.

Read the full list here. What would you add?

Tips on Project Definition Documents

Dimitri Ivanenko recently posted on the PMI blog that even though document management holds a small chunk or the project management process, it is still necessary and important. The process detailed by Dimitri starts off with the project definition documents which are created in the planning phase.

A project definition document should include the following:

Basic project data: Goals, objectives and any business issues to be resolved

Project execution parameters: Definitions of project boundaries, key policies and procedures that are specific to the organization and that must be followed to integrate the project work and its result into the organization during and after the product delivery

Required project management methodology: Governs how the project is planned, how each phase is executed and what's required to move from one phase to another

What are some other tips that are not on this list on putting together project definition documents.

Less than 2 Weeks Away: ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts

PW & WCBA is right around the corner, November 16-18 in Anaheim, CA, and we’d like for you to take a look at the keynotes speaking at our upcoming West Coast Conference. Our featured keynotes include Vincent Cirel, SVP / CIO of Norwegian Cruise Line, David King, CIO of WellDyne, Inc., James A. DiMarzio, CIO of Mazda North American Operations, and Richard Baily, VP of Go To Market for Xerox just to name a few – over 40+ industry experts will be presenting. Make sure to check out the rest of the keynotes.

Also, take some time to view our complete lineup of speakers below, as well as a special priority code we’ve set up for our blog readers for 20% off the registration rate: PWWLINKEDIN. Hope to see you in Anaheim in less than 2 weeks!

Visit the ProjectWorld Homepage

View the ProjectWorld Brochure

View the ProjectWorld 2009 Speaker Roster

Register
Save 20% off the registration rate when you mention code PWWLINKEDIN

Key tips on managing change requests from PW&WCBA Guest Contributor

This week PW & WCBA would like to introduce to you speaker and guest blogger Gurpreet Singh Kanwar, PMP Manager, Custom Applications, NAV Canada. Take a look below at Gurpreet’s post on the PW blog “Project Change Request” in which he details a specific process to manage change requests in order to ensure that projects will be completed on time, within budget and with the expected feature set. We also have several posts below that the rest of the PW community has taken interest in:

Project Change Request
http://bit.ly/3psfCB

Preparing for the PMP exam
http://bit.ly/3dqWNU

CIO is critical to project management process
http://bit.ly/1EE2ud

The Annual PW&WCBA event is only 3 weeks away - Make sure not to miss Gurpreet’s session “Leveraging the Strengths of a PMO to Add Value in Your Organization” on Monday November 16. If you’re planning to attend make sure to mention PWWLINKEDIN when to receive a discount of 20% off the registration rate.

Event Details

Visit the ProjectWorld Homepage
http://bit.ly/3zhFpD

View the ProjectWorld Brochure
http://bit.ly/13YT9V

View the ProjectWorld 2009 Speaker Roster
http://bit.ly/Ba2VA

Register
Save 20% off the registration rate when you mention code PWWLINKEDIN
http://bit.ly/VDHTx

Zoho and Google Apps join forces

According to PC World, Zoho is joining forces with Google to provide project management tools to both audiences. By using their Google login and password, users will have access to features like:
-Assigning tasks to people
-Setting milestones and meetings
-Sharing documents and running forum discussions and wikis
-Online group chat sessions.

Read more about the collaboration here.

Companies Registered to Date for ProjectWorld

The companies registered to date page is now up on the ProjectWorld website! So far there's over 80 companies represented with the likes of Aramark Corporation, Trader Joe's Companies, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Shell International, Mazda of North America Inc, Merck & Company Inc, and Coca Cola just to name a few. Take a quick second to view these companies below.

http://bit.ly/NykoK

Project Change Request

Hi Everybody,


Recently I went through implementing Project Change Management Process. I think it is a must for every project. I think every change requests must be managed to ensure projects will be completed on time, within budget and with the expected feature set.

To guard against the risk of failure, organizations specially PMO need to define the project change management process that enables proper decision making.

The cost of changes introduced in a project increases as the project matures.
Ensuring solid requirements and managing changes will have the greatest impact on project success

Let us start this Post and enlighten ourself with this sweet feature which help PM more then anybody

Archived Web Seminar: Navigation Tips for Exploring the IIBA BABOK 2.0

You're now invited to watch the archived web seminar Navigation Tips for Exploring the IIBA BABOK 2.0 presented by Mary Gorman.

You can access it here, and mention priority code M2120W3BLOG
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/974065696.

Preparing for the PMP exam

The PM PrepCast has recently uploaded a video with tips to help you prepare for your PMP exam.

Training Tip Tuesdays: PM…What? - Developing an Enterprise Project Management Training Curriculum

Join us at ProjectWorld on November 17th at 2:30 for a special presentation by Ted Veterano, MBA, PMP, CGEIT, Senior Program Manager, Kindred Healthcare. During this presentation he will address challenges that organizations face in making sure that they are properly grooming and developing project managers within the organization. Additional challenges exist when the project management function expands to new functions within the organization and when
project participants and stakeholders need to develop skills to maximize their contributions
to project efforts.

Some key takeaways you can expect to get from this presentation are:

• Real Life Approaches & Lessons Learned from Developing a Project Management
Curriculum
• How to Address the Challenges Posed by Non-Traditional Project Management
Resources
• Sustaining and Improving the Project Management Training Curriculum

Don't miss the chance to see this presentation at ProjectWorld this November 16th- 18th at Anaheim, CA. Hope to see you all there!

Free Web Seminar - Navigation Tips for Exploring the IIBA BABOK 2.0

Date: Wed, Oct 7, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Have you ever gotten lost when traversing through the IIBA® BABOK® 2.0? How quickly can you find pathways through the Guide? How easily can you trace your way from one key element to another? Whether you are new to the discipline of business analysis, someone studying for the CBAP® or even a seasoned business analysis professional, navigating through the BABOK® can be a daunting task.

In this webinar we’ll explore a variety of pathways through the BABOK. Your navigator for the session is requirements guru Mary Gorman, a four year veteran of the IIBA Body of Knowledge Committee.

IIBA® International Institute of Business Analysis®
BABOK® Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®

What you will learn:

• Visualize the underlying foundation of the BABOK® (knowledge areas, tasks, techniques and requirements models)
• Trace foundation elements throughout the BABOK®
• Apply analysis modeling techniques to navigate the BABOK®

Speaker:
Mary Gorman, CBAP™, Senior Associate at EBG Consulting, assists teams to build the right product through exploring, analyzing and confirming their requirements. Mary has over 25 years experience as a consultant, mentor, trainer, facilitator, process engineer, developer, and analyst. In addition to serving on the IIBA Body of Knowledge Committee, Mary also helped create the certification exam for the Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP™).

Register below, mention priority code M2120W3BLOG
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/974065696.

This web seminar is presented to you by:

CIO is critical to project management process

A recent article at CIO Insight looks at the important role that CIOs play when it comes to project management. With project demands higher than ever, and not enough time or staff to properly manage them, proper project management is critical. CIOs can work with the project management team to come up with milestones to properly implement and also work with top management to ensure that the projects stay on schedule. Read the full article here.

Training Tip Tuesdays: Training and Orientation for the PM New Hire

Join us at ProjectWorld on November 17th at 2:30 for a special presentation by Randal Clark, PMP, LSSBB, Sr. Project Manager for Clinical Systems, Memorial Health Systems. During this presentation you will gain real world insight into what the cost of poor attention to the first 90 days can cause, including a brief overview of four years of watching the results of non-compliance to Best-Practice. Also from a unique angle of one PMs View for the ideal first 90 days of
Orientation. You will gain:

• Practical Templates for PM Orientation/Training
• Practical Appreciation for investing in the Human interface
• Team Building Exercises, Veterans vs. New Grads

Don't miss the chance to see this presentation at ProjectWorld this November 16th- 18th at Anaheim, CA. Hope to see you all there!

Project management group selected to build new building for Army

According to the St. Louis Business Journal, Project Management Solutions Group has been chosen to build a new behavioral medicine facility in Illinois. It will be housed at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Ill. Read more about this new project here.

Training Tip Tuesdays: Surfing the Sigmoid Curve: Engagement and Retention of the Best Employees

Join us at ProjectWorld on November 17th at 12 for a special presentation by Vera Teller, Director Systems and Programming, Trader Joe’s Companies. In this presentation, Teller will speak on to keep best employees within the organization engaged even with the struggle in the current economic climate. This presentation explains the Sigmoid Curve developed by Charles Handy. Knowledge of the Sigmoid Curve will help you retain your best employees within the organization. According to Handy, the energy to change is the driver when a disaster is upon us. Instead of reacting to employee loss, plan and develop retention techniques that will keep your best employees engaged.

Don't miss the chance to see this presentation at ProjectWorld this November 16th- 18th at Anaheim, CA. Hope to see you all there!

New Two-Part Hot Topic Session Just Announced – MGM Mirage, Safeway, Inc. and Grange Insurance

We hope that you’re planning to join us for the 2009 PW&WCBA November Event. Among the great speakers and companies in attendance, we’re pleased to announce a brand new hot topic session.

To find out more information about the PW&WCBA November event, please visit our event site. Save 20% off your registration when you use code PWWLINKEDIN

Event Site: http://bit.ly/3SEPCx
Brochure: http://bit.ly/HGV9X
Registration: http://bit.ly/13rRpD

Featured speakers:
San Retna, VP, Safeway, Inc.
Sarma Tekumalla, AVP, PMO & Procurement Grange Insurance
Mike Gosnear, Director, MGM Mirage

Part 1: Monday at 9:15 during the Annual PMO and ITPM Forum

Keynote: Project Portfolio Management (PPM) – Views from the management trenches

PPM leaders from three leading organizations – including Safeway and MGM Mirage - share their PPM journeys. This panel will be highly interactive, with continuous Q&A from the audience. Bring along your questions!

Key issues include:

What problem was PPM targeted to solve?
What were some key benefits and learnings?
What are the next opportunities?

Part 2: Wednesday at 11:30 during the General Session

Panel – Lessons Learned in Resource Management & Change Impact Management

Following their first day’s session, the PPM leaders will drill down into two core PPM areas –Resource Management and Change Impact Management. For each of these areas, they will explain how they got launched, what approaches were implemented, and the impact and lessons learned along the way.

Key issues include:

As prioritization is an emotive arena, how can one reduce the friction cost?
What approaches to resource optimization had the greatest success?
How does one better manage the impact unleashed by the project changes (processes, organizational, technology, etc.)?

Training Tip Tuesdays: Aligning Information Technology with Business Strategy & Goals

Join us for on Wednesday, November 18th at 9am for a special keynote presentation by James A. DiMarizo, CIO, Mazda North American Operations. In this presentation, DiMarizo will speak on how aligning IT with corporate goals and strategies may be the key to survival. IT teams who are good "service providers" cam be replaced with lower cost alternatives. But teams with align with the business in order to achieve the strategies and goals are valuable "partners." Alignment includes all aspects of IT from project prioritization to organizational structure. This session will cover:

• What is the culture needed to align with business
• How can the IT organization structure inhibit or help the alignment with business
• When to discuss business plans instead of projects

ProjectNews September Newsletter: The IT Key to Your Organization's Future Success

Challenge:
Right now, most IT executives are reducing spending to only the critical costs for day to day operations. Smart, effective IT leaders know that now is the time to prepare for the future, for when the economy turns around. But how can you prepare your organization now for success once things turn around?

Stakeholders:
CIOs and strategic decision makers within your organization

Overview:
According to Bob Riddell and Eric Ullman, IT Consultants with Alvarez & Marsal Business Consulting, there are 6 key areas to evaluate for success.

1. Evaluate applications that are being used in your business. Make sure that they are providing the level of service you need. If you need to, this is the time to look at lower cost options, or consolidate your current business applications.
2. Assess your current IT asset utilization. Are you using all of the services you are contracted for? Are you making the most of your network and server capacity? If not, now may be the perfect time to negotiate rates for new services and contracts.
3. Solidify your governance process. Take this time to review your organization's project approval process and make certain that your team members can create and successfully evaluate business cases.
4. Train your team to increase their skill-level. Take this time to add to your IT team's skill set. Define the skills that your organization needs and train or hire the right people to get the job done.
5. Review IT's value to your business. Figure out the level of IT processes and services that your organization actually uses - Are you spending enough or too much? Now is the time to do the research and review the value of IT to your business and make adjustments.
6. Create a plan that mitigates future risk. Success is a result of constant planning and assessment. If an IT project is not progressing in the way that it was expected , have a contingency plan as a back-up.

Overview:
Moving forward CIOs need to work together with their business leaders and IT executives to streamline and simplify the way projects and jobs are completed, to ensure project efficiency and success. By taking the time to assess your plans now, you are leaving your organization open to profitability when the economy turns around.


Conclusions based on the August 11th article, "Six Ways to Prepare for a Better Future" from www.baselinemag.com.

Visit the ProjectWorld homepage to find out more about the event and subscribe to the ProjectNews newsletter.

Reminder: Free Webinar Next Week, Creating the Vision and Making it Real: How to Leverage Project Management for Results

Join us Thursday, September 10
2-3PM EST
Priority Code: G1M2120W2BLOG

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/907235425


Want to enhance competency and performance in strategic thinking, strategic planning and project management? This program is specifically designed to promote the understanding and practice in the “Business Circle of Life”. Starting with strategic planning and concluding with plan execution, participants will learn how to take a step back, define their strategy, and make it real through successful execution. This program is ideal for business leaders who are responsible for creating and executing a business plan, but who are unsure how to do it.

What you will learn:

• Strategic Thinking: How to Assess the Environment
• Strategic Planning: How to Set the Direction
• Defining Targets: How to Set Goals and Establish Performance Measures
• Making the Plan Real: How to Leverage Project Management for Results

About the speaker: Lisa DiTullio

Lisa is principal of Lisa DiTullio & Associates, a practice dedicated to introducing project management as a business competency, enabling
organization to improve decision-making, instill accountability, and enhance communications.

She is the editor of ProjectBestPractices, a quarterly newsletter from ProjectWorld, a regular blogger for the Silicon ValleyPM and ProjectConnections sites, and a contributor to PM Network Magazine. She’s also the author of Simple Solutions: How "Enterprise Project Management" Supported Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Journey from Near Collapse to #1. Her second book, Project Team Dynamics: Increased Speed, Enhanced Performance is due out the end of this year.

Training Tip Tuesdays: The Journey to Formal PM and Portfolio Management

Join us on Monday, November 16 at PW&WCBA 2009 for a presentation by Michael Schertz, Senior Project Manager of Learning and Training Development at Boeing.

Currently, the PM team within LTD managed by Michael, addresses approximately 1000 to 1500 projects with life cycles of less than 200 hours. These projects touch all functional areas across the Boeing enterprise and requirement alignment to specialize programs and project management across the company. This is done with a PM team that is entirely virtual and with over 70% of the developmental work being outsourced to vendors, requiring the PM team to scope the requirements well, but craft statements of work quickly and effectively. This presentation will cover our journey of bringing Project Management and Portfolio Management to Boeing's Learning, Training and Development organization.

ProjectWorld & WCBA, The Premier Conference Brand For Advancing Collaboration through Practice

Good characteristics of a Project Management Office

In a recent article at the Leadership, Teams, and Project Management blog, they look at seven characteristics that make good project management offices great.

1. Projects Align with Organizational Goals
2. Project Success Rates Increase
3. Project Management Competence Increases
4. Standards and Templates are Developed and Improved
5. PMO Tone is Inviting
6. Training is Available
7. Learning is Embraced

For an in-depth look at these seven objectives, read the article here.

Rally Software Teams with Oracle to Extend Agile Development and Application Lifecycle Management

EarthTimes.org reports that Rally has teamed with Oracle deliver the Rally Connector for Oracle® JDeveloper, extending the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) functionality of Oracle Team Productivity Center to Agile development organizations. Oracle Team Productivity Center helps facilitate a productive team collaboration environment through the integration of existing ALM solutions, including Rally. is well-known for its leadership in Agile development, having won four Jolt awards for its Agile tools and with over 100,000 people downloading its Agile and Lean software tutorials. Oracle Team Productivity Center is an ALM tool for Oracle JDeveloper users. This combination of two market leading technologies for Agile ALM and Java Middleware brings a needed solution to teams leveraging Agile methods as part of their IT/SOA strategy.

Rally Software Teams with Oracle to Extend Agile Development and Application Lifecycle Management

Project World Speaker Profile: Adam Bricker, World Vision Internationa

Adam Bricker
Chief Information Officer
World Vision International

Adam Bricker has a BS in Aerospace Engineering and an MS in Engineering Mathematics and Applied Physics. Adam began his career as an aerospace engineer at General Dynamics, and held various leadership positions before accepting a position as Director of Purchasing and as Director of Information Systems at Southwest Airlines. Adam then worked for the global restaurant company, Yum!, as their VP of Information Technology and then worked for BearingPoint for almost six years as the partner/managing director focused on operational excellence and IT systems integration.

Bio courtesy of NetHope.org

Keeping Project Management Skills Sharp After Lay - Off

Alina Dizik of The Wall Street Journal writes that M.B.A's who find themselves laid-off often struggle with keeping their skills sharp. She advocates for individuals to participate in certification programs, meet-ups, conferences and valuable networking opportunities. You might also consider attending free web seminars, which we strive to bring to you frequently.

Dizik also offers other ideas:

* Stay connected to industry associations. Check out your membership rights with trade groups or unions. Many times, you can continue your membership for free or at a reduced rate if you’re out of work. “That means you get booklets, magazines, all the information that will help keep you up to date with what’s going on,” says Gerry Crispin, co-founder CareerXroads, a Kendall Park, N.J., consulting firm that helps companies recruit.

* Hit conferences. Attend industry or professional conferences by checking out association Web sites and groups on social media sites like Facebook. Often, associations will waive or reduce conference fees for members, or for those who are unemployed.

* Join local interest groups. Local organizations like the chamber of commerce provide good networking opportunities and sometimes offer skills classes. Offer to help run the program committee, which sets the agenda for speakers and events. You’ll get a say in who is invited and network with guests.

* Take classes—in person. Taking an online class is easy, but it eliminates that face-to-face networking that often lands jobs and opens doors, says Ms. O’Donnell. “You need something where you physically show up,” she says.

* Consider entry-level coursework. One of Ms. O’Donnell’s clients was laid off from a project management job in banking. He wanted to become a project manager at a software company, but didn’t know the lingo. He took a basic Web design class; his younger classmates taught him industry terminology. “He came back so excited about learning a new industry and was much better prepared for interviews,” she says.

What other ideas do you have for laid-off workers looking to keep their skills sharp? We'd like to hear your ideas.

Project Management Courses are Booming with Laid-Off Workers

Workers that have been recently laid-off are flocking to community colleges to hone their skills in web design, desktop publishing and project management. The New York Times reports that indivduals who already have degrees are looking for certification in project management to help boost their prospects for a new position. For example, Marc Vivian, 43, found a job right after he took a course at Borough of Manhattan Community College, doing information technology work for a federal contractor. He had often managed teams of I.T. workers and was sure that obtaining official certification in project management would help with future employers. “The course really fit my wheelhouse,” Mr. Vivian said. “It was perfect.”


More White-Collar Workers Turn to Community Colleges

Agile Project Management: Adapting over Conforming

Informit.com has an enlightening article with Jim Highsmith. Highsmith explains that developing great products requires exploration, not tracking against a plan. Having the courage to explore into the unknown and the humility to recognize mistakes and adapt to the situation is agile project management.

Here's an excerpt:

Teams must adapt, but they can’t lose track of the ultimate goals of the project. Teams should constantly evaluate progress, whether adapting or anticipating, by asking these four questions:

• Is value, in the form of a releasable product, being delivered?
• Is the quality goal of building a reliable, adaptable product being met?
• Is the project progressing satisfactorily within acceptable constraints?
• Is the team adapting effectively to changes imposed by management, customers, or technology?

For Highsmith's article, click here.

Project World November Keynote: James A. DiMarzio, Mazda

James A. DiMarzio
Chief Information Officer
Mazda North American Operations

Since joining Mazda, DiMarzio has helped to set the strategy to implement a partnership with the business areas of MNAO to ensure alignment of information technology projects with the company's business strategy and goals. This strategy also promotes the search for opportunities to improve the efficiency of business operations through the use of cost-effective new technologies. Prior to working at Mazda, DiMarzio spent 12 years at Subaru of America in various information technology staff and management positions. Before working at Subaru of America, he spent five years with Land Rover as the general manager of information technology and two years with Agency Insurance Company as senior vice president and chief information officer.

DiMarzio has a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Franklin and Marshall College, and an MBA from Rutgers University. He is married with three children and currently resides in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Biography courtesy of Mazda.

Keys to successful project management

Nick Mutt recently compiled a list of key traits that are required in a good project manager. Harmony in a team is the key to a successful finish to any project, but there are also a few other items that are a requirement for the task manager: self discipline and practice as well as being able to write and order any thoughts and opinion on paper. Read the full article here.

What are some of the other factors that are vital to finishing a project?

How to Strengthen the Office of the CIO

In his two part series on GovTech.com, Andy Blumenthal discusses ways that the office of the CIO can be changed to better serve the us population and the government body. Blumenthal's discussion focuses around to identifying, describing and linking the core elements that make up and support an Office of the CIO for the purpose of demonstrating how that will lead to improved IT operations. When the CIO is properly supported, program and project management can be executed with strategic intent and alignment.

We encourage you to check out both articles in Blumenthal's series and share your thoughts with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

How to Strengthen the Office of the CIO: Part 1
To Strengthen The Office of the CIO: Part 2

PW&WCBA November Event Keynote: Mark Morgan Lead Author Executing Your Strategy

Mark Morgan
Lead Author
Executing Your Strategy

Mark Morgan is an independent consultant and the former Chief Learning Officer at IP Solutions, LLC. (IPS) and former practice director of the Stanford Advanced Project Management curriculum offered by the Stanford Center for Professional Development. At IPS, he was responsible for the development of learning technology at IPS and has contributed extensively to courses including Converting Strategy into Action, Leadership for Strategic Execution, and Mastering the Integrated Program. He is the lead architect of the Strategic Execution Framework. Mark is a consultant, keynote speaker, educator, and master facilitator for diverse global audiences ranging from the program manager level to the board of directors level. His experience in converting strategy into action stems from twenty-five years of industry experience in project, program, portfolio, and organizational leadership and management. Mark has worked with global teams in top Fortune 50 companies to mobilize their strategy. Mark has an undergraduate degree in engineering, a master’s degree in business, and is Stanford and PMP certified in project management.

Mark's biography courtesy of executingyourstrategy.com

Free Web Seminar: Creating the Vision and Making it Real: How to Leverage Project Management for Results

Here is the first in a series of webinars that Project World will put together in anticipation for the event in November in Anaheim, California. Lisa DiTullio will be presenting this seminar on Thursday, September 10th from 2:00PM-3:00PM EDT. Here's a brief description of the webinar.

Want to enhance competency and performance in strategic thinking, strategic planning and project management? This program is specifically designed to promote the understanding and practice in the “Business Circle of Life”. Starting with strategic planning and concluding with plan execution, participants will learn how to take a step back, define their strategy, and make it real through successful execution. This program is ideal for business leaders who are responsible for creating and executing a business plan, but who are unsure how to do it.

What you will learn:

• Strategic Thinking: How to Assess the Environment
• Strategic Planning: How to Set the Direction
• Defining Targets: How to Set Goals and Establish Performance Measures
• Making the Plan Real: How to Leverage Project Management for Results

About the speaker: Lisa DiTullio

Lisa is principal of Lisa DiTullio & Associates, a practice dedicated to introducing project management as a business competency, enabling
organization to improve decision-making, instill accountability, and enhance communications.

She is the editor of ProjectBestPractices, a quarterly newsletter from ProjectWorld, a regular blogger for the Silicon ValleyPM and ProjectConnections sites, and a contributor to PM Network Magazine. She’s also the author of Simple Solutions: How "Enterprise Project Management" Supported Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Journey from Near Collapse to #1. Her second book, Project Team Dynamics: Increased Speed, Enhanced Performance is due out the end of this year.

Find out more about Lisa:
http://www.lisaditullio.com

Title: Creating the Vision and Making it Real: How to Leverage Project Management for Results

Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Mention priority code G1M2120W2BLOG
Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/907235425

A look at PMI

Project Shrink talks to Andrew Stitt about what PMI Educational Foundation is doing to make our world better.

ProjectWorld & The World Congress for Business Analysts News

As we look forward to the PW&WCBA November event, we’d like for you to take a look at the companies speaking at our upcoming West Coast PW&WCBA Conference that have recently been featured on national media and industry press:


Mazda North American Operations helping Ford increase production efficiency in Thailand:
In these challenging times, the United States has seen a drastic decline in the American auto industry. Recently industry leaders from Ford, parent company to Mazda, have opted against government aid and decided to change the way they do business on their own. Mazda just announced a joint venture with Ford, opening a new production plant in Thailand. The goals of this new endeavor is to increasing efficiency and production levels, as well as focusing more on environmental impact. For more information, read the complete article here.

http://bit.ly/4e5FLC

Boeing is overcoming project challenges to deliver their newest jet:
As a leader in the aerospace industry, Boeing is constantly working to innovate and effectively manage their projects to stay ahead of the competition. With the release of their newest jet, Boeing has hit several snags in their processes. While the project is currently 2 years behind schedule it seems like the challenges being faced are finally being overcome - testing of the plane should begin in the next couple of months. Interested in more? Read the complete article .here

http://bit.ly/1lgkRZ

What is Xerox doing to become more environmentally efficient?
Similar to many other organizations, Xerox is working to create a better, more eco-friendly process for their business. Their energy reduction program, "Energy Challenge 2012" was designed to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted from the company's operations, and so far it has been hugely successful. Having already met the goals set for 2012, Xerox is expanding their program with hopes to achieve long-term financial and environmental benefits. Interested in more about Xerox's green policy? Read the complete article here.

http://bit.ly/2S2Jo7

How Austin Energy earned their spot in the Top Green-IT Organizations:
Everyone is looking for sustainable power options that will help them conserve energy. Keeping this in mind, as well as their reputation as a green company, Austin Energy set out to be among the top in their industry to be energy efficient. Austin Energy starts their green process in their data centers. Their IT teams created a virtual server environment using a significantly less number of machines than they had in the past. But it doesn't end there - their hardware and software decisions were also made based on energy efficiency, and the centers are run on 100% green energy. To find our more information about how Austin Energy is staying green, read the complete article here.

http://bit.ly/S9kDD


Do you have a process for success you would like to share with your peers? Share your project management ideas, processes and thoughts on our blog and on Twitter!


Twitter: http://bit.ly/159Ge0
Event: http://bit.ly/31qoYB


Be sure to join our LinkedIn group for more news, exclusive discounts and valuable networking.

PW&WCBA Now on Twitter!

We invite you to follow us on our newly released Twitter account. Be sure to follow us @Project_World for the latest news, updates and information about upcoming PW&WCBA events and exclusive Twitter discounts.

We look forward to your follow!

Risk Management: The Pros And Cons Of Building Your Own System

Effective risk management requires that the firms establish culture, policies and procedures that are specific to their operating model. However, at its core risk management is a quantitative discipline that requires significant investment in data, systems and people. In an article written by Aleksey Matiychenko and Alexander Makeyenkov they discuss what it takes to develop internal risk management architecture.

In order to effectively develop a risk management structure, its important to have these four things ready:

1. Holding and trade level data
2. Historical pricing data for securities traded by the fund
3. Historical data for risk factors used in various analyses
4. Results of risk management analyses

To be truly reliable, the data used in risk management analysis should be housed in a relational database such as a MS SQL Server or Oracle.

For more information, please visit the original article.

Risk Management: The Pros And Cons Of Building Your Own System

Project World November Keynote: Vincent Cirel SVP / CIO Norwegian Cruise Line

Vincent Cirel
SVP / CIO
Norwegian Cruise Line

Vincent Cirel joined Norwegian Cruise Line in March 2008. As Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Cirel is responsible for all aspects of Business and Information Technology, including both tactical operations and strategic planning.

Before joining NCL, Cirel served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. After joining Regent as its first Chief Information Officer, Cirel built a world-class IT organization facilitating the systems and process requirements to fuel the Regent brand expansion. Cirel also served as a key member of the executive team facilitating the Apollo acquisition of Regent. Prior to joining Regent, Cirel served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Grand Expeditions (GEI). As VP/CIO, he was a key contributor to the M&A activities of GEI as a roll-up of eight global luxury travel brands.

Biography courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Lines

PW&WCBA June Event Round-Up

We invite you to join our PW&WCBA LinkedIn group offering networking, news and information about the PW&WCBA Conference. Join today!

Below is our most recent group announcement:


Last month we had the pleasure of being in Baltimore for our June 2009 PW&WCBA Event - It was an exciting experience and the new executive program format was a big hit. The extended sessions and immersion labs allowed attendees to dive-in, collaborate and ask personal questions pertaining to their specific challenges. All of the attendees walked away re-charged and re-energized.

A special thank you to those who attended! If you weren't able to attend, we hope you consider attending for our
November event – the NEW brochure is ready for download http://bit.ly/w60Cd .

For more information, please visit our website: http://bit.ly/YRDK1

Here’s a brief executive summary brought to you by Lisa DiTullio, Principal, Lisa DiTullio & Associates & Chair of the PMO Forum.

Within minutes of launching the program, it was clear that size does not matter. Our group was small but mighty. Everyone in the room was eager to be there, excited to learn, and enthusiastic about the program. Everyone clearly came to learn more about how to introduce and manage a PMO model. Our small size allowed everyone to engage in interactive discussion with the panel experts throughout the entire day.

James Randell, Director, PMO Department of Human Services (OKDHS), State of Oklahoma, kicked us off with an energetic presentation about the importance of cooperation and communication. In no time at all, James had the group constructing spider-webs, helping us all understand how the lack of sound communication can quickly place a team in crisis. He reminded us to rely upon our social awareness skills; he strongly suggested the value of Myers Briggs or knowing our colors to help understand differences among team members. What color are you - Blue, Gold, Green or Orange? Not sure, take a sample quiz at http://www.truecolorscareer.com/quiz.asp .

Mary Ann Burns, Senior Project Director, The Travelers taught us that yes, you may have more than one PMO in your organization and thrive. Mary Ann chronicled her 1st year journey as she designs and launches a new PMO in the Business Insurance Systems Division. She emphasized the need to really know your corporate culture before designing your PMO, scale your PMO to your industry and size, and be sure to adapt your methodology to your business needs - do not take a one-size-fits-all approach. I can't wait to hear about her continued journey in year two.

Heidi Boehringer was responsible for establishing and developing a PMO at the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). Today, NCCI has a mature project management culture and in fact has received many awards for their PMO accomplishments. Heidi provided terrific advice on how to mature your PMO through the application of lessons learned. She suggests you collect lessons learned at the end of each project phase rather than waiting until the completion of the project. She also advised that all project teams review previous lessons learned from the like - projects at project launch - a terrific way to gain insight as the project begins.

Jane Walton, an independent project management consultant, shared case studies from a variety of client engagements, showing best practices from PMO implementations. Jane reminded us that regardless of what type of PMO you need, you must always understand the impetus for launching a PMO model. The other two requirements necessary for a successful PMO launch is to focus on your constraints and objectives. Even if you have previous PMO launch experience, every PMO is different; remember, there are different solutions for different problems - be sure to correctly match the right solution to the right problem for guaranteed PMO success and longevity. The group left armed with actionable practices for immediate results. Just goes to show you - size doesn't matter.

Cheers,
PW&WCBA LinkedIn Group


November 2009 Event: http://bit.ly/YRDK1
Register: http://bit.ly/B1e2u
PW&WCBA Blog: http://bit.ly/GJAhZ

5 free project management applications you must try

DigitalArtsOnline writes that, "Putting together a project plan can sometimes seem more daunting than completing the project itself. When you need to track each step of a project, along with your costs, staff, and other factors, you probably need a project management application."

Five free alternatives to using Microsoft Office Project

Gantter.com

Although Gantter.com is Web-based, it has no online collaboration features. Rather, Gantter.com is meant to be used like a standalone desktop application.

GanttProject

GanttProject is an open-source application written in Java. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, as long as the Java Virtual Machine runtime is installed on your computer. It can be launched directly from the GanttProject site; or you can download the installation file for your specific operating system and install the Java code to run as a standalone desktop program.

jxProject

JxProject is another Java application. According to its creator, Peter Hawkins, it was borne from his frustration with other software that he felt was difficult to use when dealing with resources that were part-time or located in different time zones.


OpenProj

Like GanttProject, OpenProj is an open-source project, and has the potential to be the most popular among the project management software on this list, mainly because of its compatibility with Microsoft Office Project files


Open Workbench

As its name implies, Open Workbench is yet another open-source project management program. It runs only on a Windows computer with the Java Virtual Machine Runtime installed.

Of course, for a detailed account of these free programs, be sure to check out the original post.

5 free project management applications you must try

Any others missing on the list?

The Future of Project Management - From IIR ProjectWorld Workshop

Dan Rasmus was at last week's ProjectWorld in Baltimore. He documented a session called "The Future of Project Management." This is co-posted from his blog.

I conducted a workshop on the future of project management at IIR's ProjectWorld conference in Baltimore last week. Here is the brainstorming based on Microsoft's future of information work scenarios:

Proud Tower

• Project Management = science
• Rigid processes, only need to know what you need to know
• Single methodology
• Strong government influence on practice, but company ultimately decides on competitive issues
• Scope, cost, schedule (pick one)
• Very reliant on internal resources and capabilities
• Schedule is driven even if not realistic
• Low level of forgiveness for failure
• Control + Good Model = company existence
• Low innovation and freedom of thought
• Quality= Doing what the boss says

Continental Drift

• Project Management = discipline
• Reduced Innovation
• Government dictated methodology
• No outsourcing
• Resources only extend to region
• No worry about language (assumed)
• Divergent standards around the world (practices by region)
• Duplication of many companies doing the same thing
• Reduced specialization at the individual level – more “Jacks of All Trades”
• Projects are low risk
• Highly secure environment
• Less variation among projects
• Many compliance projects
• Virtualization of organization takes place within trusted core
• Quality=do what is least risky

Frontier Friction

• Project management=art
• All about people, trust and relationships
• Resources: use who and what is available
• Need to learn to negotiate with power (when power isn’t constrained by common law)
• Dependent on the luck of the skills that are in the pool
• No certifications or standards
• Skills taught by mentoring
• Quality = do the right thing

Freelance Planet

• Project Management = experiment (adventure)
• Team recruitment=Ocean’s 11 model (people I know and trust)
• Highly networked teams
• Only as good as your last job
• Strong peer pressure to succeed (last job reflects on team too)
• Either very honest or very dishonest, no room for gray
• Many projects, smaller in scope
• Projects are interesting
• No big firms (can’t gain critical mass among branded individuals)
• Negotiating with teams for credit, pay, etc.
• Methodology is determined by team, by project
• Communities of practice
• Less economies of scale
• Prima Donnas
• Meritocracy
• Highly personal knowledge, shared only with trusted individuals (including very private Associations)
• Learn by doing on teams (Take responsibility for your own learning)
• Quality= do what offers the most learning within time and budget constraints that delivers what the customer says they want (so my contract will get renewed)

ProjectWorld: Day 1, Afternoon Recap

As Kathleen Barret said in her seminar on Business Analysis, “We are the lucky few who are allowed to get out of our businesses. The conference is much smaller this year.” In the opening remarks yesterday morning, IIR also commented that most people attending ProjectWorld are wearing both their Project Management hats and their Business Analyst hats. Today is the time to be a jack of all trades. The seminars were definitely more sparsely attended then previous years (only a 110 registrants as opposed to 300-400 in previous years), but the content was still strong and practical.

More snippets from the afternoon’s sessions:

Business Analysis: Helping Business Do Business Better, Kathleen Barret

• Times like these are okay, because the deadwood falls off the tree. There are organizations that have lost their way, and they need to restructure.
• When your customer don’t know what to think of you, it’s hard to pull yourself up.
• Business analysis – identifying and articulating the need for change and facility that change. If you don’t need change in your org, you don’t need BA.
• There’s not one kind of Business Analyst: Project, Enterprise and Transition.
• Elicitation: The Art of BA. How you get people to think very clearly about the issues and what they need to solve the problem.

How Agile Reduces Requirements Risks, Ellen Gottesdiener

• Building software is like a knot—a big sticky, knotty problem.
• 28% to 42.5% of software development costs go to fixing faulty requirements.
• Top risks: scope creep, lack of customer involvement, unrealistic customer expectations, poor impact analysis, changing and practice tools.
• Scope creep is normal. Not having changing requirements is a symptom of poor communication. The issue is, how to we manage and contain it?

If you’d like more about the seminar, you can find some Agile goodies here.

ProjectWorld: Day 1, Keynote Sound Bites

This is a post from guest blogger, Jen Girdish, Editor of PM Boulevard. You can also follow her here.

Some sound bites from the two keynote speakers that kicked off the conference this morning.

Evolving Role of the CIO: Asif Ahmad, VP Diagnostic Services & CIO, Duke University Health Systems

• Building high performance teams in this economy is getting more and more difficult.
  Information and data is an enterprise asset, just like buildings.
• CIO as process leader – Embrace what the institution is driving, rather than what the technology is driving.
• Communication is critical to empowering and organization – you can never over communicate in large organization.
• Technology on a bad process just makes the bad process happen faster.

Improve and Achieve Greater Business Value: Pete Gibson, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Wyndham Hotel Group

• Project managers probably know it better than executives know it.
• It is rough out there—how do you add value? If you don’t add value your gone.
• 75% of the workforce is not engaged.
• Change is happening greater outside the organization than inside the organization. We have to keep up with the outside.
• How can you improve and achieve greater business value in these uncertain times? There is no silver bullet—it comes down to individual and team performances.
• People that understand the business and craft the solution are going to be the future.
• We’re the most un-automated group in the world.
  

Peter thinks that we're in the most exciting field there is right now. Do you agree?

Project Management Status Reports

At the PM Earth blog, they recently listed the five types of Project Management Status Reports:

1. Detailed Project Status Report.
2. Project Status Summary.
3. Program Status Summary.
4. Portfolio Status Summary.
5. External Project Status Summary.

For an in-depth look at all five of these reports click here.

PW&WCBA June Event

In just a few short days, we'll be in Baltimore at the June PW&WCBA 2009 event. This year, we're thrilled to welcome Peter Gibson of Wyndham Hotels, Asif Ahmad of Duke University
and Linda Jacobs Washington of USDOT among others.

Full Conference Details Now Available Download Now!

For more information on Project World & WCBA, please take the time to review some helpful resources that we've created just for you.

• ProjectNews Archives
• Web Seminars
• Ready-to-Use Templates
• Past Conference Presentations

See you on Wednesday!

Join Us Next Week in Baltimore!

We hope that you've registered to join us next week in Baltimore for the June PW&WCBA Event! This program is for PMs or BAs on the road to an advanced career path. We’ve added more content to address these current needs and for 2009 we will be providing the topics, skills and techniques you require for development within your profession. Including a full track on Knowledge Management.

As a special "Thank You" for your readership on our blog, We are offering you an exclusive one-day rate to attend ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts taking place June 24-26 in Baltimore. We know that it's difficult for you to take time out of the office so we've created a one-day package for your specific needs. Pick the single day you are most interested in attending for only $995. Plus earn 8 PDUs in only one day. View the final conference agenda for more details.

This offer is only available by calling 888.670.8200 and
mentioning priority code: PW1DAY

We'll be live-blogging at the event next week, so check back here often for great news, insights and information from the PW&WCBA Event.

Hope to see you in Baltimore!

Is project management too complicated?

I recently found this video at A Girl's Guide to Project Management. What do you think? Do we overcomplicate project management?

Meetings Drive Business

This is why companies need to continue to invest in business meetings. Not only will those who attend gain new and fresh perspectives from other attendees, but they'll hear from top companies who have lived by the same philosophy. Investment in yourself and innovation are the key to your business. What have you done recently to invest in your business?

Are you thinking of attending PW&WCBA this year? What would you expect to gain from the experience?

Meetings Drive Business

Earn up to 25 PDUs in only Three Days.

If you are interested in earning maximum PDU credit with less time out of the office then the June ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts is a perfect place to do so. Also, BAs working towards CBAP® certification you can use this event to gain Professional Development hours (PD) and previously certified CBAP® recipients can track their hours of education to earn CDUs for IIBA certification renewal.
You can find program and credit details here:

http://www.iirusa.com/projectworldjune/at-a-glance.xml

Project Management: Getting Your Team On Board

Not sure how to start the "buzz" about a new project for your team? Baseline.com offers some ideas on their recent article, "Project Management: Getting Your Team On Board."

Reporter Michelle LaBrosse writes, Project management boosts productivity and can ultimately generate triple-digit ROI. If you need to sell your team on PM, ROI is a good way to do it. That’s critical because the key to successful PM is building a standardized system that embeds best practices in how you manage your projects. If only one or two people are following standard PM procedures, your project is going to have a few broken wheels.

LaBrosse also offers five phases of a project that you want everyone on your team to follow and five ways that a well-planned project can transform your company.

Join us on LinkedIn and receive an discount to PW&WBCA in June!

We invite you to join us at our ProjectWorld & The World Congress for Business Analysts LinkedIn group to receive an exclusive $600 discount for the ProjectWorld event in Baltimore this June 24-26. This jam-packed three day summit filled with content will challenge you to work smarter and take your company to the next level of productivity. Because we know that taking time out of the office is a challenge, we are offering you the opportunity earn up to 25 PDUs during the summit enabling you to advance your career to the next level. Keynotes include several award winning CIOs.

Join our LinkedIn group by tomorrow, Friday, May 29th, for this exclusive discount!

Project World June Speaker: Linda Jacobs Washington, Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S Department of Transportation

On May 25, 2007, Linda Jacobs Washington was appointed as the Assistant Secretary for Administration. In this capacity, Ms. Washington serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Transportation on all matters relating to the organization and management of the Department and provides leadership in the delivery of centralized services to the Department's 10 operating administrations through a working capital fund. These services include human resources, security, transportation services, printing and graphics, mail, facilities, and procurement and grants programs. She was responsible for the planning and relocation of the Department to its new headquarters building in 2007. Ms. Washington joined the Department in May 2003 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration.

Ms. Washington came to DOT after spending 9 years at the Library of Congress as the Director of Integrated Support Services (ISS). She began her career at the Library of Congress in 1994 as Chief of the Photo duplication Service, which provides microfilming services for the preservation of all of the Library's collections. As Director of ISS, she managed support operations, which included contracts and logistics, printing and mail operations, health and safety services, and facilities operations. She was the Library of Congress Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) and the Library's Emergency Manager. As the DASHO, Ms. Washington managed critical incidents, including the 9/11 and anthrax emergencies.

In August 1997, she was asked to develop the Library's Internal University (IU) to provide training and education programs for the more than 4,000 employees of the Library of Congress. The IU's mission is to improve the Library's productivity, performance, and service to the Congress and the American public by developing management and work force knowledge and skills that promote individual and organizational excellence in support of the Library's strategic objectives. Since developing the IU, Ms. Washington implemented a Library-wide training program entitled "Facilitative Leadership", a methodology that empowers staff to work together to achieve common goals. She is also a trained facilitator and master trainer.

Prior to joining the Library of Congress, Ms. Washington spent 12 years with Xerox Corporation holding various sales and marketing positions, the last of which was in management with Xerox Business Services where she demonstrated skill at achieving customer satisfaction while meeting business goals. While at Xerox, Ms. Washington also received the President's Club Award and the Par Club Award. The team she led won one of the highest Xerox awards, "Team Excellence".

In 2003, Ms. Washington was appointed by Secretary Ann Veneman of the United States Department of Agriculture to the Board of the Department's Graduate School. Ms. Washington was honored by the Washington, DC, Chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), as the 2005 recipient of their Diversity Award, in Recognition of Outstanding Leadership in Transportation. The WTS, founded in 1977, is an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation. Ms. Washington is the Vice Chair of the Local Federal Coordinating Committee for the Combined Federal Campaign’s National Capital Region. Ms. Washington also represents the Secretary of Transportation on the Federal Council on Arts and Humanities.

In October 2007, Linda Washington was selected by the President as a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Rank Award for her leadership, professionalism and commitment to excellence in public service.

And most recently in March 2008, Ms. Washington was honored during Women’s History Month with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Ms. Washington holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Morgan State University and the University of North Texas, respectively. She is a native of Annapolis, Maryland and has been married for 37 years to former Dallas Cowboy defensive back, Mark Washington. The Washington’s have one daughter, Lisa, who is married to David Noguera. They also have two granddaughters: Kaiya Alexis, and Reece Gabriella.

Thank you to the Department of Transportation for their gracious biography.

Find out more about our Project World 2009 June Event.

Project Management Versus Change Management

The Lamarch and Associates, Inc, blog has recently put together a series of blogs looking at the differences between change management and project management.

Read the series here:
What Are the Differences Between Change Management and Project Management?
What Are the Differences Between Change Management and Project Management? (Con’t)
What Are the Differences Between Change Management and Project Management? (Con’t)
What Are the Differences Between Change Management and Project Management? (Con’t)

Innovation Spectrum in IT Project Management

Rick Freedman's post in yesterday on TechRepublic discusses the debate about project management methodologies with the IT world. Freedman writes, "Some project managers advocate following strict Project Management Institute (PMI) principles even for the smallest projects; others insist that qualified technicians should be able to manage their own efforts, and project managers should focus on team leadership and client relationships."

In his article he outlines the key criteria that drives the selection of a project approach: innovation. Innovation can be divided into three separate points, which he outlines on his post.

• The broad spectrum
• The various approaches to innovation
• The application of project management oversight

We encourage you to check out his article and let us know your thoughts.

Project management courses to be taught in Baghdad

Students in Iraq have graduated from the first Management, Projects, and Project Managements course offered in Iraq. As the projects get larger and larger in Iraq, citizens need to know how to manage the projects that come about in the growing country.

Robert Dorsey, MTDC infrastructure professor, stated “will help Iraq develop the capability to build large infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, water & electric facilities which will benefit the new Iraq.”

Read the full story here.

The key to success is excellent project management

The Franchise Magazine's article, "The key to success is excellent project management" reports that, first-rate organisational skills and an entrepreneurial spirit are the key attributes needed to become a successful franchise owner.

But knowing how to handle these skills and spirit are the keys to actually moving forward with the franchise. Successful implementation of processes and best practices will help the fledgling business become successful.

The article in The Franchise Magazine, tells the success story of Yannis Nicolaidis who joined a franchise and succeeded, we encourage you to read his story.

What Is the Main Benefit of Writing Test Cases?

Blogger Pawel Brodzinski writes in his post today, test cases for application functionality are the same as unit tests for application code. Except of one thing: it is way harder to write good and complete list of test cases. You may safely assume that’s impossible. This means the main value of test cases isn’t in covering full application functionality because you simply won’t achieve that, no matter how hard you try.

Read the rest of his post here.

What do you think are the benefits of writing test cases with project management? Do they waste time or save time? We'd like to hear your thoughts.

Operational management versus project management

Alex Chompoff recently wrote an article on his blog about the differences between operational management and project management. He states that operational management decisions are something that the manager and team has to live with forever, while those working in project management only have to deal with it for a short period of time, as many of the projects are completed and they move on to new projects. How do you feel about this? What are the differences?

Webinar Recording Available: Agile Requirements (Not an Oxymoron)

Complimentary webinar recording of, ‘Agile Requirements (Not an Oxymoron)’ with Ellen Gottesdiener, Principal Consultant and Founder of EBG Consulting is now available online:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/810361744

In this Webinar, requirements expert and agile coach Ellen Gottesdiener will describe how agile and requirements combine to form a sound and sensible union. You will learn how business analysis and requirements practices really work on agile projects; ways agile teams represent, verify and validate requirements; and how effective agile teams collaborate around requirements. Join us to learn how agile requirements provide the engine that drives successful delivery of business value.

What you will learn:
•Understand the agile method of developing requirements
•Describe business analysis and requirements practices that change on agile projects
•Understand agile adaptations to “traditional” requirements practices •Appreciate the value of requirements analysis on agile projects
•Enumerate the ways requirements form the basis for planning on agile projects

Five clues that your project is headed for trouble

Paul Glen of Computerworld.com, analyzes the five early warning signs that your project may be in trouble of cancellation. According to Glen, in these tough financial times its easy to blame the economy on the cancellation of so many projects; however, if you take proactive steps to make sure that your project solid and properly executed, you and your team may avoid getting your work axed.

Glen writes,

Here are five early warning signs that your project is in trouble:

1. Management direction is inconsistent or missing. If project leadership has gone AWOL, chances are that things are starting to go in a bad direction. Or, even worse, if the directives you get from management (or feel compelled to give if you are management) change frequently, there's a problem. If a project either lacks direction or can't maintain a reasonably consistent course, it's unlikely to get to any desirable destination.

2. Project management and business management seem disconnected. Even if a project does get consistent direction, if that direction seems to be at odds with business management's desires, there's a problem brewing. In political battles between IT and business management, business management usually wins, even if it takes a while. I don't hear too many stories about the great political triumphs of IT managers over their users or clients.

3. The team lacks a commitment to clearly articulated and commonly understood goals. Every project has a goal or two. They may be clearly stated or only vaguely discussed, but it's rare for any business to shell out lots of money for something that genuinely has no purpose. That said, it's common to presume that the purpose of a project is so obvious as to not be worth articulating. That's unfortunate. It typically leads to misunderstandings and inconsistent presumptions about priorities. Eventually, poor and inconsistent tactical decisions undermine project progress.

4. Team members don't listen to one another. Even when teams get along personally, team members don't always listen well to one another. This tends to lead to chaos as people fail to coordinate activities and make the compromises necessary to enable projects to move ahead.

5. The team is in a state of discord. Teams sometimes break into competing camps. These can form around honest-to-goodness differences over project direction. They can also form over petty loyalties and personality clashes. Sometimes teams just descend into chaos, with multiple factions or an every-person-for-himself ethos. The state of discord is destructive to progress. It needs to be rooted out. Sometimes, as a manager, you can engineer a reconciliation. Other times, you need to pick winners and losers.

PW&WCBA November Keynote: Vincent Cirel

Vincent Cirel

Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer

Norwegian Cruise Line

Vincent Cirel joined Norwegian Cruise Line in March 2008. As Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Cirel is responsible for all aspects of Business and Information Technology, including both tactical operations and strategic planning. Before joining NCL, Cirel served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. After joining Regent as its first Chief Information Officer, Cirel built a world-class IT organization facilitating the systems and process requirements to fuel the Regent brand expansion. Cirel also served as a key member of the executive team facilitating the Apollo acquisition of Regent. Prior to joining Regent, Cirel served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Grand Expeditions (GEI). As VP/CIO, he was a key contributor to the M&A activities of GEI as a roll-up of eight global luxury travel brands.

About PW&WCBA November 2009

ProjectWorld & the World Congress for Business Analysts - November Event
November 16-18, 2009
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel

www.projectworld.com

PW April Newsletter and Web Seminar

To continue our efforts to keep you up to date on the latest industry news, we’ve created a monthly newsletter that we invite you to view.

View the newsletter

Coming up next week is a complimentary webinar presentation by Ellen Gottesdiener who will describe how agile and requirements combine to form a sound and sensible union. You will learn how business analysis and requirements practices really work on agile projects; ways agile teams represent, verify and validate requirements; and how effective agile teams collaborate around requirements. Join us to learn how agile requirements provide the engine that drives successful delivery of business value.

Register for the webinar
Mention priority code: G1M2120W1BLOG