From Zero to One:

1
From Zero to One

• Building Effective PM Practices in an
  Organization with Little Experience in Project
  Management

2
Background Who am I

• Neil Sanderson
• Mgr of Software Services at SAIT Polytechnic
• Leader of a cross-organization initiative to
  standardize and improve project mgmt and delivery
• Instructor of over 100 PM courses to open
  audiences and corporate clients
• President of PMI-SAC, serving 1900 PMs in
  Southern Alberta

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Background Organizations Familiar with Project
Management

• Traditional users of PM include
• Engineering
• Large scale construction
• Telecom
• Information Technology

• Workers and management have become familiar with
  Project Management
• Accept benefits, costs, challenges

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Background Organizations New to Project
Management

• Education
• Architecture and Design
• Arts Organisations
• Residential construction
• Not-for-Profit
• Manufacturing

• New users of PM include
• Health Care
• Event Management
• Sales and Public Relations
• Hospitality

• Workers are seeking better organization and
  performance
• Management with limited PM background
• Benefits, costs, challenges are foreign

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Background The Challenge

• In many of my courses, Ive been told,
• This PMBOK stuff is really nice, but I am too
  busy already to use any of it.
• Can you boil it down to the key ingredients that
  I need to know?
• Its not realistic that my boss would let me
  spend the time to do any of this.

6
The Challenge

• How can we translate enthusiasm for Project
  Management and its benefits into reality in these
  organizations that are unfamiliar with Project
  Management?

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Where to Start Assessing Maturity
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CMMI Maturity Model
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CMMI Maturity Level
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What is the PM Maturity in your Organization?

• Take 3 minutes to consider what maturity level
  your organization is at. What is evidence that
  you are operating at this level? Are there
  inconsistencies?
• Discuss your answer at your table.

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Organizational Maturity in Project Management
You are Here
Portfolio Management
Program Management
Project Management
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Moving up in Maturity Level

• Assess Best Practices
• Identify Navigation Paths
• Assess Capabilities
• Plan for Improvements
• Implement Changes
• Repeat the Process

13
The Special Situation of Level 0 Organizations

• Some good things are being done by some people
  some of the time

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Chaotic Project Mgmt Culture

• Too many projects in progress beyond our
  capacity
• Lacking process to allow creation and acceptance
  of new projects
• Too many restrictive processes that prohibit
  accomplishment of work
• Not having clearly defined or communicated goals
• Priorities that are always changing or are
  incorrect or no priority
• Lacking process follow-through
• Working amid unresolved resource conflicts
• Unstable projects and work schedules
• Too many meetings
• No metrics to make good decisions
• Involving leaders in too many details
• Encountering dissatisfied customers and
  stakeholders

Handbook of Program Management James T. Brown
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Benefits to Level 0 Organizations

• Isnt it obvious?
• Skills applicable to ALL new initiatives
• More predictable and repeatable success in
  projects
• Greater project control
• Comparable data from different projects
• Opportunity for more informed management
  decision-making about projects
• Less dependency on heroic efforts for project
  success

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Challenges to Typical Level 0 Organizations

• Often extremely lean environments
• Any documented process is overhead
• Success still exists in the absence of process
• Executive may not have been exposed to good
  project delivery practices
• Processes can be personal with little
  documentation
• Highly operational-focused management
• Success is achieved through relationships,
  know-how, and sheer effort rather than
  efficiency, processes, and tools

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What is especially challenging in an organization
new to Project Management?

• At your table in groups of four, identify the
  person that works at the organization with the
  lowest familiarity with Project Management.
• Ask that person about the greatest challenges
  that they have promoting PM in their
  organization. Brainstorm some approaches to
  improving their influence.

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Case Study of an Educational Institution
Exhibiting all of the characteristics and
opportunities of a PM Maturity Level 0
Organization
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SAIT Polytechnic

• This is a very successful post-secondary !
• Well established technical institution with a
  great brand, successful and growing
• Over 12,000 FLEs, 2,000 staff, will touch 70,000
  learners per year
• Major areas of project work include construction,
  facilities mgmt, information systems, curriculum
  development, event management
• An institution with strong business ties and
  pride in acting entrepreneurial
• Runs a significant surplus and is an industry
  leader

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The Case Study at SAIT

• Educational institutions are significantly siloed
  with limited standardization of processes
• Change by decree is typically difficult and often
  inappropriate
• Lack of delivery standards means that many
  projects are managed as one-offs, and guidance
  and comparison at the program level is very
  difficult

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How the Initiative Started

• In 2005, Information Systems project delivery was
  largely based on heroic efforts
• All cross-department initiatives required an
  up-front exercise to decide on tools and methods
• Other managers experiencing same issues
• Another manager in Institutional Planning wanted
  to improve her delivery capability
• and so did I

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Goals of the Overall Program

• Develop a base set of tools and language for good
  project delivery
• Gain executive mandate to improve PM outcomes
• Standardize practices across the organization
• Level 0 to Level 1 get all projects to use a
  very simple but valuable process and set of tools
  every time

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Picture of the Future at SAIT

• Losing projects never get started

• Process is clear and manageable

• Management is well informed about latest
  initiatives

• Fewer unpleasant surprises

• The right stakeholders are always included

• Staff speaks the same language, focused on
  delivery

• We really understand our commitments to clients

• We evaluate our success

• We continue to improve

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Approach

• Assess PM practices from departments within SAIT
• Customize practical methodology based on PMBOK
• Toolkit, training, and implementation
• Skunkworks a grassroots initiative
• Build traction through department implementations
• Sell business case to exec for funding for a
  small pilot
• Gain momentum and mandate thru success

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Participants

• Led by mgrs of IPA and IS (both with
  business consulting backgrounds)
• Asst VP champion with great credibility (had
  implemented PM in his previous dept)
• Grass roots core group of managers
• Contract trainers and designers
• Contract senior PM and support for 9 mths

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Roadmap Phase 1

• Develop very practical, light weight methodology
• Build training program
• Develop core support from across the organization
• Develop implementation plan for 3 supportive
  departments
• Dare to dream

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Phase 1 What Actually Happened

• Started with PMBOK process groups and a set of
  key artifacts (status, lightweight charter, plan
  document, issue log)
• Co-opted existing SAIT tools and templates
• Assembled an eager core team with varying levels
  of availability
• The group got a little pre-occupied with
  perfecting the material as a course
• Pace and progress was choppy

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Phase 1 Outcomes

• The methodology package, tools and techniques
  were really cohesive by the time staff started
  using them
• Trained over 100 staff
• Implemented tool use in
  three key departments
• Participants were very enthusiastic and started
  using the tools
• Questions arose about governance and about
  sponsor-PM interaction

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Phase 1 Lessons

• Champion was very helpful to give the program
  credibility
• Training and support are essential
• Setting an example of good delivery is essential
• On their own, staff were looking for better
  delivery tools
• A big success, but still a very long way from
  Level 1

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Developing a Lightweight Methodology

• Start with a framework like PMBOK
• MUST BE PRACTICAL
• For Level 0, the simplest tools bring value
• Adopt tools and language already in use
• Somebody has to drive this as the expert
• EVERY tool and process you add is overhead
• Test your tools very skeptically and answer WIIFM
  from the viewpoint of your project teams

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PMI Process Groups Model
Based on PMBOK? Guide Figure 1-2
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SAITs Project Management Process
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School of Energy Model for Projects
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Stage Gate Process

• Stages (Where the work gets done)
• Gates (Where decisions are made)

• Go
• Stop
• Hold
• Rework

Quality and reality check to ensure that the
project is still on track and aligned with
business priorities
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What is essential to PM in your organization?

• If you were forced to implement a very
  lightweight PM function in your organization,
  what would it include?
• Take 5 minutes to consider what a barebones
  approach might look like in your organization. If
  you were limited to 5-6 tools, what would they
  be?
• Discuss your answer at your table.

36
Getting Executive Support

• Remember YOU are already sold on PM
• Dont expect your business case to turn on the
  light bulb
• Some execs may not have used PM practices
• Find a champion (to the exec team) and engage
  them
• PMO spells overhead and needless layers of
  oversight

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What are the keys to selling new ideas to your
executive?

• Come up with three tips for success when selling
  new ideas to your executive.
• Discuss your answer at your table.

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Developing Training

• Have a dedicated effort to produce professional
  materials and have effective trainers
• Include relevant samples and case studies
• Use the training opportunity to mix groups that
  should be working better together

39
Not getting bogged down

• Your team leaders that are excited and want to
  have change already have full time jobs
• Make your core team large enough to overcome
  workload challenges
• Dont get too complicated with tools or processes

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Mobilizing the Grass Roots

• Recognize that your teams are very successful
  getting things done in their own way
• Read up on some change management basics
• Have a core team

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SAIT After Phase 1

• Lightweight methodology loosely based on PMBOK
  and a phase gate process
• Three active departments using PM
• Solid training program with over 100 grads
• Established leader group of managers
• Some recognition of accomplishment by the exec
  and a small funding extension
• Could not demonstrate obtaining the benefits of
  the program

42
Tips and traps

• Dont get distracted by the possibilities of
  attention by the execs
• Take what the organization will give you
• Path of least resistance
• SAIT wanted to focus a lot on the course aspect
• All of your initiators are probably full time
  PMs within your organization
• Your people and managers are already being
  successful
• EVERYTHING you propose carries additional
  overhead

43
Revisiting the Goals of the Overall Program

• Develop a base set of tools and language for good
  project delivery
• Gain executive mandate to improve PM outcomes
• Standardize practices across the organization
• Level 0 to Level 1 get all projects to use a
  very simple but valuable process and set of tools
  every time

44
Adjusting our Approach

• Resolve the question of sponsor/PM relationship
• Get the initiative out of skunkworks status
• Follow through on department implementations
• Get mandate for SAIT-wide use
• Fully engage all levels of management in better
  delivery practices

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Roadmap Phase 2

• Engage full executive
• Make PM adoption an organizational priority
• Gain support of Director-level management
• Standardize role and expectations of project
  sponsors
• Run training sessions for all supporting
  departments
• Develop a set of strong success stories from a
  variety of departments
• Start implementation with all departments

46
A chance for a home run

• Immediately invited to present to the full
  executive
• Altered plans to focus on the executive
  presentation
• Very difficult to schedule full executive
• Even though we had the two most influential VPs
  as sponsors, we had difficulty articulating the
  key message
• We got very distracted by the executive and
  accommodating their agenda

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Phase 2 - What Actually Happened

• We spent a long period of time getting derailed
  by the wishes and involvement of the exec
• We brought in a senior PMO manager for
  credibility
• The department training kept chugging along
  thanks to a dedicated training pgm
• Implementation within departments was patchy
• Lost traction with the core working group and
  department implementations because of the focus
  on the exec
• A lot of attention and energy was directed to
  Project Governance

48
Phase 2 Outcomes

• Over 350 staff trained and growing
• Incorporation into regular staff training at SAIT
• General use is growing in many departments and in
  cross-departmental projects
• Clear executive support
• Creation of a management training program and
  clear roles and processes for PMs and their
  sponsors
• A mandate to develop our emerging model for
  project governance
• Lite training for management (sponsors)

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Phase 2 Lessons

• Dont underestimate the time that it can take to
  develop executive mandate
• Make sure to continue to nurture your ground
  level support
• Keep your core group of experts engaged and
  active in the program
• Keep up the support ! every week!

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Building Executive Support

• Sometimes you just have to wait for them to be
  ready
• Compare and support their themes and experience
  (make it easy to support your initiative)
• An external expert helped with credibility and
  support
• Tie in to existing strat themes
• Tie in to existing management themes
• Be prepared to handle executive requests to scope
  change
• Be prepared to make progress when you are on the
  back burner

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Helps to Execute Initiatives

• Learner Experience

Stakeholder/Market Focus
Academic Excellence 1.1 Teaching
Excellence 1.2 Curriculum Excellence
Community Connections
Infrastructure Management 5.1 Capacity and
Renewal
People Culture 6.2 Employee Engagement
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SAITs Project Execution Culture Framework
Project norms common to a grouping of projects
(e.g., curriculum)
Core process, tools and language
Directing and managing the portfolio of projects
Project Management Methodology
Project Delivery Methodology
Project Governance
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Level of Involvement
Macro Status Strategic Decisions
Leadership/Priority Direction
Executive Management
Steering Committee
Project Champion
Micro Status Tactical Decisions
Business Lead
Status Decisions
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How effective is your project governance process?

• In your organization, how structured and
  effective is your process for selecting and
  tracking projects?
• Where are the disconnects between projects and
  executive in your organization? What could be
  done about this?
• Discuss your answer at your table.

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Keeping your Core Team Engaged

• This is a journey, not a single project
• Ensure that the core team has new targets and
  goals

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Keeping your Core Team Engaged

• Give the core team a chance to renew, but keep it
  well stocked
• Support and reward the team
• Lean on executive to promote the pgm

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SAIT Roadmap
Year 1 2008-09
Year 2 2009-10

• Create an understanding of good project
  governance
• Establish portfolio management and improve
  transparency at the right levels
• Ensure timely collection and accessibility of
  management information on projects
• Improve project selection and prioritization
  approaches
• Resolve delegation of authority issues

Project Governance
Project Management Methodology

• Sustain Project Management at SAIT training for
  employees
• Provide overview of Project Management at SAIT
  for Management Council
• Provide ongoing support for Project Managers
• Embed in culture through support and use of
  language

Project Delivery Methodology

• Identify groups that could benefit from project
  delivery methodology
• Review current project delivery methodology
• Establish good practice, within each group, for
  project delivery methodology

Immediate next steps
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Overall Conclusions

• Tremendous opportunity for value in organizations
  new to PM
• Moving to Level 1 is a substantial journey
• Be practical and co-opt existing organizational
  assets
• Be flexible to go where you get support
• Pursue multiple tracks of improvement activities

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Your takeaways?

• Its all about continuous improvement.
• Take five minutes to describe an initiave that
  you can drive in your organization to improve
  project management and delivery.
• Prepare 5-6 steps as to how you can do this in
  your organization. Share your answer with a
  partner.

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Questions?
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Thank You !
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Contact

• Neil Sanderson
• nsanderson_at_shaw.ca