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