A FEW THINGS WE LEARNED ON THE WAY…

(Tips/Tools for Success in your Project Environment)

Presenter: Wally Johnson PMP©, CBM©wjohnson@adcs.com

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

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My Project Environment

Transforming the U.S. Customs Service

Enhancing and protect the supply chain

Replacing the aging Automated Commercial System (ACS), with the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

Enhancing our capability to protect America

Adm

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tra

tion

U.S.Customs

Imp

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Enf

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P

asse

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ers

Managing emerging technologies (i.e. PerfectWave) R&D efforts

Establishing a PM competency & culture

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Outline

Project Initiation

Integrated Baseline Reviews (IBRs)

“Hu-namics”

Reports

Information Station (Web Portal)

Lessons Learned / Project Closeout

Project Manager

Q & A

Project Initiation Tips

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Questions Are Tools

Bringing Order to Chaos Begins as soon as you start asking QUESTIONS

Questions can be your friends; Questions create dialogueo “What are the parameters of the project or problem?”o “What are the known risks of this project?” o “If all goes well, what does success look like?”o “Who’s a player? Who should play?”o “What is the history?”o “What agreements should we establish?”Lessons Learned /

Project Closeout

SUCCESS begins as soon as answers to questions are implemented

Questions are the foundation to planning

“Plans are nothing, planning is everything.”

General Eisenhower

“Plans are nothing, planning is everything.”

General Eisenhower

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1. DEFINE THE WORK AND ORGANIZE TEAMS

100

4060

1525

3030

2. SCHEDULE THE WORK

3. ALLOCATE BUDGETS

$

CONTRACT BUDGET BASE

TIMEIN

TEG

RATED B

ASELINE

Planning is a 3-Step Process

Integrated BaselineReview

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What Is An IBR?

Schedule

Technical

Cos

t

Baseline

Evaluation of performance measurement baseline Baseline realism - Identify inherent risks

Continuous Part of integrated project management Should be seen as "Process" Not a stand alone

"Event“

Joint assessment o We jointly need to be able to answer this basic question:

“Can we execute this contract (technical work scope), given the available schedule and budget resources?”

o “Show Me” - prove to all this possible !

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Some IBR Goals

Establish clear definition of work prior to beginning that work

Show how the plan / baseline was established

To ensure that the technical content of work packages and control accounts is consistent with the contract scope, the WBS, and the WBS dictionary

To ensure that there is a logical sequence of effort planned consistent with the contract schedule

To assess the validity of allocated control account and summary level planning package budgets, both in terms of total resources and time-phasing

To conduct a technical assessment of the:o Earned value methods that will be used o To measure progress to assure that objective and meaningful

performance data will be provided

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The IBR - What Do We Look at?

“Rule of thumb”o Strive to review ~80% of contract value

Identified risks and their mitigations

Reviewo Significant elementso Risk areaso Elements on critical path

A show of a good understanding of the technical, schedule and cost risks involved in completing the assigned work

The earned value system planned to be used to manage day to day activities

The evidence that the work can completed within the schedule and budget constraints?

Technical team should agree on coverage

“Hu-namics”(Human Dynamics)

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Sponsor

Players

Stakeholders

PM

Every Environment Contains People

“Help me, help you …”

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Causes of Project Human Dynamics?

Projects have a defined start and finish

Projects also have an undefined amount of Stress and Pressure

Project resources interact and may form teams

Projects need/have leader(s)

Innovators

Ea rly M

a jor ity

Late A

dopters

Laggards

Early A

dopters

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Project Human Dynamics

Stress/Pressureo Outlets needed

Workout / Sports Laugh Network of peers Breaks, vacations

o Deflectors Milestones / “Inchstones” Offsite (meetings, lunch, …)

Teamo Know them (Psychometrics e.g. Myers-Briggs)o Know their strengths & weaknesseso Learn their motivators

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Human Dynamics (Cont.)

Leader (PM) o Be Real

No time for being fake No time to play politics Acquire a deputy or clone Know self

o Rewards Earn them Receive them Give them

o Stay Fresh Seminars Training Beware the ‘Death March’

A LIFE outside of work is REQUIRED

Reporting

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Artifacts of the project support most maturity models

Chapters in the project ‘book’

Provide the most relevant information that will assist in making decisions and/or providing guidance.

Provide structure for the information/knowledge presentation(s)

Objectives of Snapshots

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Customs Modernization Weekly Report

Project ID: JCE Report Period: 12 Aug 02 – 16 Aug 02

Project: TO2, Enterprise Architecture and Engineering Acquisition Director: Luke McCormack, 703-921-6710

ScopeTask Order 2 performs the enterprise architecture and engineering planning necessary tocoordinate Modernization activities.

Headlines

+ SME coordination mtg. To support Mini-ConOps: 8/12+ TO2 Phase 1 & 2 financial reconciliation mtg.: 8/14+ EA HTML Demo: 8/14+ TO2 Phase II Kick-off mtg.: 8/14+ “Target Infrastructure” PDD reviewed: 8/14+ TO2 Phase II Kick-off mtg.: 8/15+ ELCM Lessons Learned Report delivered: 8/15+ TO2 PDDs for Work Products delivered: 8/16

- No buy-in from ISD and SDD for participation in TIWG

Acquisition Director’s AssessmentStatusCategory

eCP CMO

Assessment Summary

Overall Project Y Y TO2 kickoff held, a few actions raisedFinancial Y Y Phase 1 /2 reconciliation almost complete; work continuing on

cleaning up the monthly CPR information.Schedule Y Y Subtask 2-1 needs dates and dependencies revisited. Schedule not

baselined yet.Process G G Processes being followed.Team Health G Y More MITRE resources need to be allocated to support eCP efforts.

MITRE resources split between TO5 & TO2 not able to coverreviews. Also, TAG resources are stretched thin across manyefforts. Not enough resources to complete CMO Portalfunctionality (~4 FTE needed).

Scope G G SOW to be baselined 8/22/02Stakeholders G GTechnical G G PDDs delivered being reviewed by MITREDependencies G G SME dependencies need to be embedded in schedule.Risk Posture G G Risks identified and being managed

Schedule Details*StatusKey Milestone Baseline Current

Estimate eCP CMO

2 Phase II Start Date 13 Feb 02 13 Feb 02 G GO Web Portal (Release 1) 22 Jun 02 22 Jun 02 G G Environment and Repository Training Material - Final 01 Apr 02 01 Apr 02 G Gterprise Transition & Sequencing Plan - Final 12 Apr 02 12 Apr 02 G Gterprise Infrastructure Plan - Final 12 Apr 02 12 Apr 02 G Gterprise Technology Insertion Plan - Final 12 Apr 02 12 Apr 02 G GT ELCM Change Process - Final 28 May 02 28 May 02 G GLC References Change Request Form - Final 11 Jun 02 11 Jun 02 G G Certification 21 Jun 02 26 Jun 02 G G2 Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) 24 Jul 02 24 Jul 02 G G

Sample Report

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Sample Gantt View

Task Progress (% complete)

Task Baseline Task Estimate to Complete

Milestone Non Contractual Baseline

Milestone Contract Baseline

Milestone Estimate to Complete

Milestone Completed

ID Task Name BL ST BL FN1 Task Order XX 10/14/03 12/31/04

2 Milestones NA NA

3 Contractual Milestone - Completed on schedule 10/14/03 10/14/03

4 Contractual Milestone - Not Completed on schedule 10/14/03 10/14/03

5 Future Contractual Milestone - Projected Behind Baseline 11/22/04 11/22/04

6 Non Contractual Milestone - Projected Behind Baseline 12/1/03 12/1/03

7 Future Non Contractual Milestone - On schedule 6/15/04 6/15/04

8 Future Non Contractual Milestone - Projected Ahead Baseline 8/10/04 8/10/04

9 Level of Effort NA NA

10 LOE Line Item Full POP - Always on Schedule 10/14/03 12/31/04

11 LOE Line Item Partial POP - Always on Schedule 10/14/03 8/30/04

12 Baselined Tasks 10/14/03 5/17/04

13 Task - Completed before Baseline 10/14/03 11/10/03

14 Task - Started Early Completed on schedule 11/11/03 12/22/03

15 Task - Started Late, projected finish late & behind current plan 12/23/03 3/15/04

16 Task - In the future yet projected behind baseline 3/16/04 5/17/04

17 Task - In the future yet projected ahead of baseline 9/21/04 11/22/04

18 Task - Completed on schedule 10/14/03 11/10/03

19 Task - Started late and completed on schedule 10/28/03 12/15/03

20 Task - Started late and completed late 10/14/03 12/22/03

21 Task - Started late, projected to finish late, ahead of current plan 12/23/03 3/22/04

22 Non Baselined Tasks 10/14/03 3/22/04

23 Non baselined Task - Completed On Schedule NA NA

24 Non Baselined tasks - behind schedule NA NA

25 Non Baselined task in the future NA NA

10/14

12/8

12/31

3/14

6/15

7/23

10/14 12/31

10/14 8/30

10/14 11/3

11/4 12/22

1/19 4/9

4/12 6/11

7/26 9/24

10/14 11/10

11/4 12/15

11/7 1/15

1/16 4/15

10/14 11/14

10/14 3/12

7/26 9/24

1/29/04

Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb2003 2004 2005

*** LEGENDS ARE IMPORTANT ****** LEGENDS ARE IMPORTANT ***

Information Station

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Repositories / Web Portals

Portal allows easy access to program information and tools

Portal is a good place to store project artifacts

Portal provides a means of supporting content sharing with teams

Portal provides Web based access to documents and Tools

Content and/or application sharing

Intended for use by project participants (i.e. stakeholders)

Sample Callout in 12-point type

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Sample Callout in 12-point type

V1468

Sample Callout in 12-point type

V1468

Lessons Learned Meeting

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Why ?

All good things must come to an end…o “Official” Project closeout

Share with the next generationo “Those who do not know the past may be doomed to repeat it”

Process improvement

One captured idea can save thousands …o Repeat successes & avoid pitfalls

Endings are also new beginnings

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What It Looks Like?

“Pre-Meeting distributed” survey – capture knowledge / experience from those who will not attend a meeting

Use survey findings as catalyst

Agenda

Refreshments (i.e. pizza & coke)

Live engagemento Facilitatoro Video (audio record mtg.)o Scribe

Capture subjective & objective comments

The Project Manger

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Know: worth, value, strengths, & weaknesses Resume current (within 6 months) Periodic “objective”, confidential reviews of resume

Monster.com, Hotjobs.com, etc… Friends and relatives

Be open to New Opportunities (internal & external) 1 yr. view of horizon 5 yr. plan 10 yr. vision

Find a mentor

Be a mentor and/or coach

The Project Manager – After Hours

Resources:1. “Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever

2. “The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels” by Michael Watkins

Time for Questions & Answers