Welcome
From the Editor:
If you can sum up the year-end edition of PM News in a single word, you would fail the word association test if you failed to drop this eye-inducing active verb - looking.
Whatever the case for December 2008 and PM News, it all comes back to what we are looking at. And with the whirlwind year we've seen and experienced ourselves, the word is most apt: Not unlike most publications, you will find PM News joining in with a year-in-review meme, the traditional manner of publications is one of looking backward, mostly for trends that emerged, issues that were raised, problems that were or were not solved, and, ultimately, lessons learned from everything that took place.
We are also looking forward. If 2008 has taught us anything, we have learned that poor economic status and project management dependency are just as intertwined as they were in other historically black financial eras. As a result, you seek advice and information, and perhaps some examples of what be ready for. You'll even turn to us for a way out of the struggles that have emerged this year. Another variation of our orignal verb is to look, or see, and we endeavour to provide you all with some advice and consultancy know-how straight from several renowned external advisors. They are professionals I like to call The Seers Of 2009.
You may be wondering: Why all the external advice and writings? Simple: Our talented writing staff/project management consultants from Arras People have the month off, a break I'm sure they have been looking forward to! (Cheap joke, my apologies.) But they'll be refreshed and rejuvenated, as January rolls around just as quickly as the post-Christmas highs look ahead to a rollicking New Year's celebration.
 They have also been using their time to help produce the Granddaddy of them all - the 2009 Arras People Project Management Survey. The fourth annual edition of this renowned study is now available online and hoping to provide revealing answers about the project management industry as it stands today. More on this key resource below.
While I remain on board this month, I'm happy as ever to write and talk with you, as it were. For lately, I've found myself to be looking on the bright side. As ever, when I see the Holiday lights dot the dwellings and businesses throughout the landscape, I realise that in spite of all that may frustrate us, this time of year continues its tradition, one that is inspiring, renewing and - in a phrase I'd like Oxford Dictionary to recognise by next December - happifying. I've gone out and found other resources that would make good stocking stuffers, such as helpful advice books in our Suggested Readings and Links section, that may be of importance as tools and guides to 2009 and the principles we discuss this month.
Our guests know no
bounds when it comes to great expertise. Maven Training CEO Melanie Franklin is
here to talk about how rough things will get in the PM sector in 2009. Vodafone's
Chris Walters, on the other hand, has a hip and uplifting take for PPSO's
reasoning for professionalism (though he used his own word to describe it!) and
confidence in 2009. John Zachar of CITI Limited drops by for a quick breakdown
of the differences between PSO and PMO. And ESI International provides us with
PM veteran Peter O'Neill, who reflects on the struggles of 2008 that
nonetheless provided ammo for optimism in 2009.
As always, I encourage you to drop me a line at dan.strayer@arraspeople.co.uk.
And remember: Take it all in, and absorb it while it's there. Because during
the Holiday season, it will be there next year. And won't that anticipation be
well worth the wait, too?
You might even look forward to it!
Dan Strayer, Editor |
| Professionalism, Confidence Highlight An Interesting 2009 for PPSO organisations |
By Chris Walters, Vodafone
2009 looks to be a very interesting year for PPSO organisations
for a couple of reasons:
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The credit crunch means that
there will be less projects, or that projects will have less money, or most
likely both. This means that scope management, planning, control and risk
management will be key to ensure that budgets absolutely don't overrun - that
can be dealt with in the main by the traditional PSO with some help from a
CoE-type organisation. A real opportunity is for portfolio management to be "wheeled in". With the impetus of the eagerly-awaited OGC guidance refresh, and
the focus on only doing a few strategically-aligned projects, there's a real
need now for portfolio management techniques to be introduced, reinforced and
mandated within the organisations that still have the spare cash to do discretionary
investment projects.
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The P3O guidance is going to
start changing a number of things about PPSOs:
a. Professionalisation (just made up
that word!) - there will be recognition that to get the best out of a new P3O world, professional status needs to be conferred to PPSO practitioners, and the PPSO will no longer be seen just as a career stepping-stone to being a project manager, but increasingly as a worthwhile career move for the experienced project or programme manager.
b. Confidence - the stuff that we've been talking about in the PPSO SIG (and reflecting what happens daily in our organisations) over the last few years has now got a formal framework which has been published in a proper manual! It has immediate credibility, and we can use it to get organisational traction on the things we've been trying to get done for a while.
c. Moving from "support" to "leadership" - we are ready to take that step, and there is now the clarity
that if we do make that leap of faith, then there are rewards in terms of
better and cheaper project delivery.
d. Can you hear the buzz in the
industry? I certainly can! I'm sure that buzz was always there, but muffled by
the blanket of Prince2 and MSP. Now we're out in the open, and ready to kick a-er, collective backside!
So amid all the doom and gloom of the current economic situation, remember that we in PPSOs have a huge role to play, and an even bigger opportunity to take our profession to new heights - if we prove the value of our profession during hard times, we will reap the rewards as the economy recovers!
Chris Walters is currently the Chairman of the PPSO SIG, and has a wealth of project management and PMO management experience in the IT and Telecoms sectors.
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| Despite Some Reasons For Optimism, 2009 Is Going To Be A Difficult Year |
By
Melanie Franklin, CEO, Maven
Training Ltd.
2009
is going to be a difficult year - and anyone who says differently isn't
thinking hard enough! Throughout the year, the media are going to be running
stories every day of corporate hardship - small businesses forced to close
through cash flow problems, larger firms announcing job losses of hundreds of
staff, human interest stories on how the recession is affecting individuals.
All of this will have an impact on confidence, which may ultimately affect
contract daily rates and permanent salaries. I am already hearing from
colleagues in many firms that if someone doesn't like the rate offered then
they should go elsewhere. That is a sharp contrast to this time last year, when
lots of conversations were about the 'war for talent' and the fight to get
people to pick your job rather than one from another organisation.
Despite
this gloom however, I do think that there is optimism for the project
management sector of the economy. This is because so many of the initiatives
that larger firms and the public sector are planning to take in 2009 require a
structured and systematic approach to the work, to virtually guarantee that the
projects will be delivered on time and on budget. No organisation can afford to
be late in delivering new products or services to the market place and risk
losing potential new revenue. The public sector will need to clearly
demonstrate that it is tackling costs and improving services in order to justify
council tax bills.
I
also see a continued strong demand for programme management. Again, I think
this is a pragmatic approach to organising the work required to ensure that
only valid projects get the go ahead and that the work is coordinated effectively.
Organising work as a programme is a clever way of knitting together disparate
projects to ensure that taken together they will deliver something of value. At
the same time, it forces senior management to ensure that only those projects
that are absolutely necessary will get the go ahead.
It is interesting to see those senior project
managers who do not yet know much about programme management losing the
opportunity to get involved in shaping the work at a strategic level. Being
outside of this loop is a dangerous place to be when jobs are being allocated,
and it is imperative that project managers keep up skilling. A great track
record is not enough any more. Organisations expect project managers to bring a
more strategic viewpoint, understanding the impact of not only their project to
the bottom line, but also the impact of not doing other projects in favour of
theirs.
I
think that the cycle of approval for projects will probably get longer but that
once they are approved the pressure for delivery to unrealistic deadlines will
be immense. Project managers and their teams will need to ensure that they have
the will and the ability to negotiate appropriate levels of scope to match the
available deadlines, rather than agreeing to anything to get the project off
the ground, believing that they can tackle the fundamental problems of timing
and scope later in the project lifecycle. Interpersonal skills in
influencing, persuading and motivating staff are all key to success and are
essential tools in this era of uncertainty.
Joanna Burigo works in Marketing & Strategic Planning for Maven Training. |
| PSO & PMO: What Is The Difference Between These Renowned Office Methodologies? |
By John Zachar, CITI Limited
For many, there
is no difference; however, for many others, the differences are substantial,
yet often subtle. Assuming the "p" in
PSO is for projects, then the PSO is all about supporting projects, usually in
a multiple-project environment. This
environment is frequently called a portfolio.
Whether this is
the case or not, a PSO offers support to projects in a number of useful
ways. Helping to identify, acquire and
record appropriate project data for reporting purposes is only the start. In many cases PSOs help to identify and
supply staff to projects, including project managers. Usually specific support for the project
management methods in use is provided as well.
This may be in the form of workshop facilitation, or the provision of
templates or other useful information.
If the "p" in PSO
is for a portfolio, then a different perspective is taken. Questions like what is the portfolio position
on risk? For example, if the same risk
appears in each project's risk log, it really is an organisational issue, and
appropriate action should be taken by the PSO.
The obvious
difference between PSO and PMO is the "s" for support, moves to "m" for
management; and of course the "p" now stands for programme. This is appropriate as active management is
involved from a programme perspective.
As each project is commissioned by the programme manager / director, he
or she becomes the sponsor for each project within the programme. As such, and as a part of providing support
to the programme manager, managing benefits at a programme level becomes one of
the many aspects requiring management, rather than just support.
In this case, the
move from PSO to PMO is entirely appropriate. For further information about PSOs and PMOs, contact...
John Zachar is a Principal Consultant for CITI Limited.
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| Economy That Shattered Our Assumptions Creates Uncertain Management Future |
By Peter O'Neill, ESI International
2008 - The Year of Shattered Assumptions
It is impossible to reflect on our profession of
project management in the last year without reference to the wider economic
disasters which have impacted so many sectors and organisations. Any
organisation must base its strategy - and the plans designed to achieve that
strategy - on a range of assumptions about the general economy, values of
revenue, prices of goods and services and cost of credit. In 2008, many of
those assumptions proved to be massively inaccurate - in some cases, by orders
of magnitude, and in others, over a period measured in weeks or days, rather than
in months or quarters.
This has resulted in large numbers of projects needing
at best a speedy - yet very difficult - reassessment of viability, and in many
cases, in projects being put on hold, renegotiated or cancelled. The process of 'change management' has taken on a radically new significance for many of us in
recent months.
As an example, consider the plight of the numerous
organisations' project managers involved in staging the 2012 Olympics. Almost
all of the assumptions used in the initiation and preliminary planning of this
project (particularly the availability of both public and private funding) need
major revisions just as construction gets under way and after large commitments
have been made. These paradigm changes
are of such a scale that even the underlying principle that most of us have
taken as read - that it was good news for Britain to have won the bid - has
been recently challenged by a Cabinet member!
On a different (but still depressing) note, the EDS /
BSkyB legal action has dragged on through 2008, with costs predicted to
approach £100 million. Hopefully, we should soon know if moving forward on a
project where the client has not clearly specified their requirements (sounds
familiar, doesn't it?) may leave a supplier open to claims of misrepresentation
and liable for damages significantly outside contractual limits.
2009 - The Year of Uncertainty Management
If you want to find a brighter side to the impact of
the globally mismanaged economy for project management, look ahead to the
coming renaissance of uncertainty management (or risk management to those of us
long in the tooth).
Those of us who don't look for alternative career
options will at least be rewarded by a change of heart in the majority of
senior management with regard to the unpopular message that most projects in
their early stages do not support accurate single point estimates. Hopefully at
least, gone are the days when an estimate of '£10 million, plus or minus 50%'
is reinterpreted at higher levels as 'not more than £10 million', if it refers
to cost and 'at least £10 million' for revenue estimates.
2009 will be the year when project managers can
confidently discuss estimate ranges, scenario planning, risk-sharing
contracting strategy options and careful use of stage gate methodologies - and
be sure of a more receptive audience among internal sponsors and customers
alike!
On a smaller scale, we can also look forward to using
the new (and harmonised) editions of four of the Project Management Institute's
standards. The standards for Program and Portfolio Management will include
significant - and welcome - additions in the areas of governance and risk. The
2nd Edition of the Organisational Project Management Maturity Model® has been simplified and brought more into alignment with the PMBoK ® Guide -
which is also shortly to be released in its 4th Edition which now
includes examples of good practice in project documentation.
Peter O'Neill is a senior instructor with ESI
International with more than 25 years of experience in the project management
and project leadership arena. He earned an MBA from Warwick Business School and a degree in technology and
systems. For more information please visit www.esi-intl.co.uk.
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| Suggested Readings and Links |
Edited by Dan Strayer
With each issue of PM News, we endeavour to find some web sites and relevant books for your perusal and study with the month's theme. With a combination of a year in review and a look ahead serving as this month's theme, we point you to three books and several web sites that can address the issues surrounding the topic.
PM NEWS' BOOKS OF THE MONTH
 The New Paradigm For Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means
George Soros
Reviews: "This was a book that George Soros badly wanted to write. It is probably not what
many of its readers expect to read. But it shows that in his deeper thinking
about the way markets operate, Soros was several decades ahead of his time...
His insights are clear and concisely expressed. They are worth reading for
anyone interested in the topic." Financial Times - Available at amazon.co.uk
 Project Scope Management Study Guide
Frank V. Payne, Brandon McCormick
Product Description: "A study guide for the Project Scope Management area of knowledge as listed in
the PMBOK. This study guide provides a road map for what you can expect to find
on the PMP certification exam. Complete with a practice test for this subject,
our series is the best way to prepare for your exam." - Available at amazon.co.uk
 Portfolio, Programme and Project Office: P30
Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
Customer Review: "This new core guidance from OGC describes why, when and how to use portfolio,
programme and project Offices (P3O) models. It describes what a P3O is, defining
the two key types of P3O, and goes on to answer the question posed by Senior
Management: 'Why have P3Os and what value-add do they bring to the
organisation?' It also includes business cases, funding models for set-up and
ongoing costs and performance measures." - Available at amazon.co.uk
PM NEWS' LINKS OF THE MONTH
NASA PM Challenge 2009 - Commencing 24-25 February in Daytona Beach, Florida, NASA, partnered with the Project Management Institute, will be hosting this training, networking and lesson-sharing session. Organised by the NASA Academy of Program, Project & Engineering Leadership, this event is geared toward professional engineers with a PM background.
APMGroup's page on the P3O Guidance - The final word on accreditation for programme, portfolio and project accreditation, APMGroup's page for Portfolio, Programme and Project Office accreditation is another must-read for those affected/interested in the new guidance.
ProjectSmart.co.uk- It was also mentioned in a link above, but it is simply too good to not bring to your attention twice. In a time where confidence is king, ProjectSmart have some tips on being just.
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| Arras People Update
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Edited by Dan Strayer
 In the words of the late Jim Morrison, "this is the end, beautiful friend."
Arras People's resident graduate, Zoe, completed her volunteer project assistant post with Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale last week, ending a memorable 13 week scheme that sought to develop her skills as a burgeoning member of the project management landscape. More information about Arras in the Community's Groundwork Volunteer Project is available here.
Yet in keeping with the popular lyrics theme, we borrow the words of A-Ha: "Take Me On." Cheesy, but relevant: Zoe's efforts with Groundwork Oldham &
Rochdale as a volunteer led to her attainment of a full-time paid position with the North West-based voluntary organisation as
NEET Project Officer Assistant for the Youth Department.
In her week 13 diary entry for Arras People's Arras in the Community, Zoe described her new job.
"This job (involves) working on a project with young people that are not in employment,
education or training, and helping them pursue any plans they may have for their
future," she wrote.
 The thirteen weeks Zoe served as a volunteer seemed to fly by, as her weekly contributions to the webpage with diary entries about her experience have
given insight to both us as consultants and her interested online readers. In turn, Arras' Co-Managing Director Lindsay Scott interpreted Zoe's experience each week by breaking down most of Zoe's work into recognised project management terminology.
Overall, the page sought to emphasise the importance for budding project management standouts to take notice of the voluntary sector. Also known as the third sector, groups such as Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale have a consistent demand to fill voluntary roles, and being that it serves as a great way for novices to learn about project management, the sector is often more than welcoming to those interested in such a career.
Arras People plans to sponsor another voluntary assistant in the future, so
be sure to stay tuned to all forms of Arras Services Media (including blog,
website, and newsletter) for any upcoming events. As someone who can attest, Zoe has nothing but high praise for the volunteer experience.
"The experience was very beneficial and interesting, and it provided me with
many opportunities and experiences," she wrote. "I would recommend this scheme
to any individual that would like experience in a similar field."
In other news...
- If you wanted to find project management agencies in the UK on Google, and typed in 'project management vacancies', you can't do any better than Arras People. You'd also find us to be quite solid on the search terms 'programme management recruitment', 'pmo recruitment', 'project office support', and 'IT project management vacancies', among many others.
- Just take a look at Arras People's continually-updated job board. You'd never believe there was economic downturn given all the possibilities! After taking a look at it, take five minutes out to register with us to be informed of new opportunities and to take advantage of our highly popular Project Management Careers Clinics. You might just be our 800th clinic, and win our lucky grand-prize!
-
Vacancies on the Arras
People job board come from all over Great Britain, especially for those looking to work in the Home Counties. Have a look at this Project Manager - Systems Intergration position in Redhill. Or this permanent M & E Project Manager vacancy in London & the South East. And don't forget about the Automotive/CRM Project Manager role in Hertfordshire.
- The Project Management Careers Clinics are going strong as ever. Sign up for one now, and you might become our 800th clinic, with a special prize to boot! Book a slot at one of our clinics today.
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| Project Management Blog |
How to Manage a Camel
The blog we at Arras People created is an online gathering spot for professionals in project management. It is a place for project managers, programme managers and other project-related professionals to address issues in this growing sector. We are raising questions and concerns about the field, and it is our hope to continue that trend. But we need something else - you!
Drop by How to Manage a Camel today, and add your comments to existing posts, or simply let us know about your thoughts on the issues surrounding this month's theme about change management. Or just change in general (as we've said earlier, there seems to be a lot of it going on at the moment!)
We'd love to hear your opinions about our
predictions for 2009 and reflections on 2008 with regards to the project
management marketplace.
As always, you are always welcome at the Camel!
> Visit the blog
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New Candidates
at Arras People |
55160
IT Programme/ Project Manager - Flexible - £75-100k or £400-450 Daily - Home Counties or London
Qualified IT professional with 18 years experience delivering real business
benefits through programme and project management, technology consulting and
service management in the UK and internationally.
Available Now
55277
Programme/ Project Consultant -
Fleixble - £50-60k or £250 - £300 Daily - Home Counties
A highly motivated, focused and organised project manager with a proven track
record of ensuring projects succeed to deadlines within highly respected global
organisations for over five years.
Available Now
54913
Business/ Systems Analyst - Flexible -
£30-40k or £150-200 Daily - London South East
I am Prince 2 professionally trained and I have a proven track record of
coordinating and producing the project support documentation on large and
cross- functional change programs. I gained considerable experience of every
stage of IT system delivery lifecycle as a business analyst along with excellent
inter-personal skills.
Available Now
55280
Environment Manager & Team/ Project Leader - Permanent - £50-50k or £150 - £199
daily - South East/ Southern/ London
Central/West End
Project Manager for the development and implementation of Health, Safety and
Environmental Management Systems for Taxi and Private Hire (PCO), London River
Services (LRS), Victoria Coach Station (VCS) and London Streets.
Available Now
55293
Project/ Programme Support Officer - Contractor - £350-400 Daily - Worldwide
Responsible for creating an integrated programme for the largest of the work
streams delivering the new advertising regime for LUL. Instrumental in
organising the inventory requirements/delivery to suit the programme. Also
responsible for maintaining and reporting on two of the other four work streams.
Available Now
55257
IT/Technical Project/ Product Manager - £350-£400 Daily - London East
Over 6 years of experience in the IT Industry - specialization in Mobile Domain
with current experience in Entertainment and Gambling arena. Expertise in varied roles across the full lifecycle of projects as Technical
Architect, Technical Project Manager, Project Leader, Product Manager, Delivery
Manager with both onshore and offshore development teams.
Available 1 Jan 2009
55255
Project/ Programme Support Officer - Permanent - £30-40k - Home Counties
Provide governance and support for development lifecycles and associated
processes. Assurance of accurate contractor billing against purchase
orders for development and test groups. Advise and report upon live
project activity.
Responsibilities include creation of OLA statistics on
performance and throughput. Produce KPIs and statistical evidence for the
IS Senior Management team.
Available 8 Jan 2009
55268
Project Manager - Permanent - £40-50k - London South East
My success as a project manager can be attributed to my ability to work
effectively with stakeholders at all levels and in different fields. My
technical background and practical management experience provide a great basis
for working with anyone from end users to technical staff to board members.
Available
Now
53209
Project Office Manager - Contractor - £250-300 Daily - Greater London/South East
Has a broad range of skills which he applies to delivering successful project
management. These skills range from Prince2 Foundation & Practitioner,
Managing Successful Programmes, Planning, Risk Management, Change Control,
Microsoft Office, MS Project & Visio. His other training includes
architecture, Autocad, photoshop, and management.
Available Now
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| 2009 PM Survey Now Online |
Back by popular demand and now in its fourth year, the Project Management 2009 Report remains the most comprehensive report available for the project management market in the UK.
Renowned and cited worldwide for its detailed research and statistical analysis, the Report - courtesy of the 2009 Arras People Project Management Survey - has become a resource no project management company or professional can do without. This is mainly due to the fact that it relies solely on the responses of so many project management professionals in the industry today.
As an individual PM pro, your input will allow us to once again create a snapshot and
provide a current picture of what is happening in the project management field. Whether job seeking or settled in your current position, this data
will provide an insight into the market and how you rate against your peers.
Upon completion of this six-minute survey, Individual respondents can fill in their details to receive a copy of the report in January 2009. You will also be registered for our prize draw with a first prize of £150 in
M&S vouchers
Take the survey online today at this address. |
'Professional'
links
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The popular pm4girls project management blog has some insight on the P3O Guidance issues awaiting PPSO in 2009. Click here for the post.
For the official P3O homepage, click here.
Lindsay Scott has had a lot to say about the P30 process. Click here to choose among her 16 blog entries on the category thus far. |
"Difficult" links
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For a solid article about the importance of confidence in PM, check on this
projectsmart.co.uk piece.
For more information about courses and project management training available from Maven Training Ltd., click here.
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"PSO & PMO" links
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Hey, we know a thing or two about PMOs and PSOs! To find out more from Arras People about them and other Office Support jobs, click here.
To find out more about CITI Limited, click here
To learn more about PPSO SIG, click here. |
"Assumptions"
links
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Olympics minister Tessa Jowell's recent comments about the economic woes in conjunction in line with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London have caused a bit of stir. Here is there latest on the story from the BBC.
PMI has several different updates to their popular resources on project management, including the PMBok Guide and Organisational Project Management Maturity Model. Click here for a look at 2008 Standards Updates.
For more information please visit www.esi-intl.co.uk. |
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