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Dear Fellow Project Management Professionals,

I hope you all are having a great start to 2011. The PMI-DVC Board of Directors are

currently pursuing a lot of exciting opportunities to bring more value to our existing

members while hoping to attract new members to our chapter.

Our chapter has over 2,700 members, with about 65% holding a PMI certification. We

offer many different ways in which our certified members can maintain their

certification by earning PDUs. Examples include: attending breakfast network meetings,

monthly dinner meetings, Professional Development Days, educational classes, and our

trademark Annual Tools Conference/Seminar Day. You can also volunteer to help fulfill

the chapter’s strategic objectives while meeting new people, gaining valuable

experience, earning PDUs and so much more.

In November 2010, our Board convened for our Annual Strategy Meeting. This is an all

day meeting where we look at our Vision and Mission statements to ensure that our

strategic and operational goals are in alignment with those statements. As a result of

the Strategy Meeting, we developed the following Strategic Objectives for the next 3

years:

Increase awareness of PMI-DVC through relationships with local companies, educational organizations, not-for-profit organizations and other chapters

PMI – Delaware Valley Chapter Times Volume 1, April 2011

Inside this Issue:

From the President’s desk

Get to know your volunteer – Jim Snyder

Business Case – a foundational element for effective projects

Allaying the fears raised by Project Manager competency assessment

Congratulations new PMP certified members

Welcome new PMI-DVC members

2011 calendar of events

“Determine that the

thing can and shall be

done, and then we shall

find the way.”

- Abraham Lincoln

From the President’s desk

Connect with us:

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Deliver increased value to membership through high quality programs

Drive Membership Growth and Retention

Improve Operational Effectiveness of the Board of Directors

Promote Leadership Development for the Board of Directors

To help ensure that we continually strive to meet these objectives, we have developed

an Operations Plan, where each Board member has developed tactical objectives for

their respective areas. Examples of these objectives are as follows:

Deliver a series of breakfast networking meetings and dinner meetings

Develop relationships and programs with key Academic Institutions in the Delaware Valley

Provide project management training at corporate locations in the Delaware Valley

Develop a process to showcase volunteer accomplishments, current and future volunteer opportunities, and articles developed by chapter members

Start a CAPM Certification program

Develop a PMI-DVC Newsletter

These are just a few of the operational objectives we have developed. If you have interest in learning more about these objectives, please feel free to contact any member of the Board of Directors. In our attempt to fulfill the chapter’s vision and mission statement, there is a key theme

that our Board members mention in one form or another at our meetings throughout

the year: This chapter cannot and will not be successful without our volunteers!

Volunteers are the backbone of this chapter. On behalf of the 2011 Board, I would like

to thank all of our volunteers who have contributed their time, hard work and expertise

to the current state of the chapter. We truly appreciate their dedication and loyalty.

If you have not served as a volunteer for the chapter, please consider doing so as it will

be a very rewarding experience for yourself and for your fellow project management

colleagues.

In closing, we are always looking for new ideas which will enhance the membership

experience. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board with your

ideas.

Sincerely, Fred D. Hammond, PMP President, PMI – Delaware Valley Chapter

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It all started because there was no e-mail, facebook, virtual meetings, cell phones or other social media. It was not that long ago! PMI and PMI-DVC sprang out of a need to communicate knowledge and share experiences related to managing projects. I was around when it all got started and was trying to manage a few small construction projects and some very large research and development projects for the old Smith Kline and French Laboratories. I was interested in applying the new tools call PERT and CPM and, after a short course at Ga Tech., I partnered with four others to provide a way for people who were managing projects to learn and share experiences. Our vehicle was an annual Seminar/Symposium. From those early days in 1969 has grown the Project Management Institute. I have been an active participant for the last 42 years and held almost every job there is including volunteer Executive Director for the first 15 years. It has been, and continues to be, a great ride. If you are not on the PMI-DVC train now is the time to get active! In the early years of PMI, the Philadelphia area was a hot bed of project management

activity. Leaders were emerging from a number of large companies such as Day &

Zimmerman, INA, Amtrak, McNeil Labs, SK&F, The city of Philadelphia, MDC Systems,

and Arthur Anderson. Representatives of these companies worked through 1978 to

receive a Chapter Charter from PMI in January of 1979 with incorporation in

Pennsylvania following in 2000 making PMI-DVC the fifth chapter chartered by PMI.

From 1979 it has been full speed ahead for the Chapter. Very early on the Chapter has

emphasized the importance of education for project managers through its course

offerings at Villanova and the annual Tools Conference.

I have been an active member of the Chapter from the first days and think that it is my

involvement in Chapter activities that gave me the tools, techniques, and contacts to be

a successful project manager. I have served as a founder and an officer of the Chapter

and have been an active participant in most of our activities. It is the volunteer

participation that has been most meaningful to me.

Project Management is a dynamic, growing, and evolving profession and the very best

way to be on top of your professional skills is to be an active PMI-DVC member. While

Get to know your volunteer James R. Snyder, PMI founder and active DVC member

Active involvement – a key to professional growth

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social networking and cell phones have made communications instantaneous, project

managers still need the face to face sharing of knowledge and “war stories” to build

their professional knowledge and experience base. Social networking is an indispensable

tool but must be supplemented with social interaction and our meetings and events

offer that opportunity. The sooner you become an active PMI-DVC member the sooner

you will benefit from the knowledge and experience of the PMI-DVC community. See

you at the next meeting!

While project criteria will normally include being on-time, within budget, and meeting

the desired quality levels, more than ever, a project’s effectiveness is defined through

the lens of value delivered. In today’s difficult economy, budgets and project proposals

are being scrutinized and executives are rightfully asking – what is the return on

investment?

A strong business case is not only essential to defining the value proposition for your

project – it can also help obtain and sustain leadership support, enhance project

execution, and provide a foundation to track whether the project has achieved the

business objectives.

Justify your investment and determine alignment with business strategy

The fundamental reason business cases are developed is to provide the rationale for

executives to release required funds for a specific project. The business case provides an

overview of the projected financial return for the proposed initiative, more popularly

referred to as the cost/benefit analysis, as well as the identification of intangible

benefits.

It provides specifics around the timing and magnitude of costs incurred and benefits

realized, enabling executives to make strategic fund allocation decisions based on well-

documented quantitative information. And while financial return is important, the value

of a project is also closely linked to the options it provides for the future and alignment

The business case - a foundational element for effective projects by Amy Peterson and Baisali Sarkar Deloitte Consulting LLP

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with overall company strategy and business objectives. The business case provides a

short- and long-term view of the value to be delivered by the project.

Assess risk in context of rewards

Projects have varying degrees of risk. A good business case clearly illustrates the

potential risks associated with the project. “Risks” are sometimes a “necessary evil” that

companies need to accommodate, especially if the project relates to fulfilling a statutory

requirement and/or the associated reward of the project is highly likely to outweigh the

risk.

Clear documentation of associated project risks in a business case can lay the ground

work for the company to plan a strong mitigation strategy and techniques around

benefits realization. Risk documentation within business cases allows executive

management and stakeholders to assess the potential risks in light of the rewards.

Communicate to key stakeholders

A well-designed business case summarizes specific findings in an executive level

summary that is crisp, concise, and communicates the high-level findings and expected

benefits. This executive summary should be focused on communicating project value to

key stakeholders – including individuals who may not necessarily be supporting the

project funding, but will have a role in helping to realize the project benefits.

The executive summary influences others through a clear understanding of the benefits

to the broader organization and provides the basis for commitment to the project’s

desired results. As many projects span the course of years, it is not uncommon for the

rationale for a particular project to be revisited. Whether there is a change in company

leadership or the organization conducts periodic project portfolio assessments, the

executive summary is a useful tool to develop stakeholder alignment and provide a clear

understanding of the value and expected benefits for the project.

Improve planning and execution

Although the business case is developed before a project begins, it lays out important

information which helps immensely with planning and executing projects. This includes:

financial assumptions, specific benefits, the timeframe in which these benefits are

expected to be realized, costs, strategic and operational metrics that will be impacted by

the project, current baseline values for these metrics, and targeted improvements for

these metrics.

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Knowing this information in advance can give organization and project management

teams better visibility into stakeholder expectations and helps to design strategic

project management plans, budgets, and practical risk mitigation strategies enabling

stronger project execution.

Stay focused on business results

In many organizations, a business case is developed and is not used after project kick-

off. Savvy project managers use the business case as a tool to increase the likelihood

that the project stays focused on business objectives. The business case complements

the project charter in helping to facilitate project management decision making and

manage scope discussions.

The project team should establish checkpoints during the project to determine if it is on

track to deliver the expected benefits. If conditions have changed and the project is not

going to achieve the specific benefits defined in the business case, the priority of the

benefits should be evaluated and if required, an action plan should be developed to

bring the project back on track.

Similarly, scope changes should be evaluated against the business case to determine if

they threaten the project’s ability to deliver desired financial and strategic results.

Business case checkpoints can help to steer the project team back toward the original

project objectives, if necessary.

Set the foundation for benefit tracking and accountability

A strong business case can serve as the foundational reference for tracking benefits

realization after the project’s implementation. Companies are putting more emphasis

on tracking whether projects have achieved the expected value goals after deployment.

The business case identifies the key measures for strategic and operational

performance, which are expected to be improved by the project. It documents baseline

performance, improvement targets, timing of benefits, and any associated assumptions.

This information becomes the platform to form a benefits tracking approach. When

implemented properly, a benefit tracking process provides executives with the

opportunity to measure progress and take corrective actions if the benefits are not

being achieved. This results in a higher level of accountability across benefit owners and

the organization, which helps to achieve results.

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In summary, the business case is much more than just a way to obtain sign-off on

project initiation. As important at the beginning of the project, as it is at the end, the

business case can be used as a tool to help steer the project, facilitate decision making,

plan for, and realize benefits. Treat your business case as a ‘living’ document that is

referenced throughout the project life cycle and you can further enhance your project

management skills and facilitate overall project effectiveness.

When you first mention project manager competency assessment, fear can spread

throughout the team: Why are they measuring competency? What if I don’t measure

up? What should I do to prepare? What will happen to me if I am NOT competent?

Assigning a level of competency seems to have a negative connotation, because the

inference is that on the flip side, there is some sort of “incompetence.” So speaking to

your project management team about “competency” measurement may not be the best

way to communicate your end goals. Ask yourself this: “Why do you want them to be

“competent?” Don’t you really just want them to be “better” at project management?

We know that better project management competency leads to better business

outcomes; qualitative research described in the 2010 PM College white paper Building

Project Manager Competency Improves Business Outcomes pinpointed a number of

ways in which improved skills bolstered the bottom lines of a number of top

corporations.

So what you really want isn’t so much individual “competency” – it’s better project

performance. And that is a goal that all team members share. To get there without

setting off alarms, you must keep team members’ attention not on the process

(competency assessment) but on the goal (better project management outcomes).

Here’s a five-step plan for communicating about competency assessment that can help.

Allaying the fears raised by Project Manager competency assessment by Joni Brown-Irons PM College

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No Fear! Five Steps to Team Buy-in for Measuring Project Management Competency

STEP ONE: Focus on Professional Development. Our choice of words is important,

because words can carry negative or positive connotations. Using the phrase

“professional development”:

Focuses on the individual in a positive way (“development” not “measurement”)

Sends the message that “my company wants to invest in my development”

Sends the message that “they aren’t trying to get rid of me – they are investing

in me to improve the project management process.”

STEP TWO: The First Theory in Adult Learning – “Tell Them Why.” Tell your team you

are interested in building a professional development plan to improve overall project

performance across the team or organization. Tell them that identifying strengths helps

you focus on where the improvements are needed. Be specific. Tell them why and how

this will help them professionally and personally. Some examples:

Leads to commonality of practices across the team, which leads to improved

efficiencies

Leads to a common language and expectations so everyone is on the same page

Creates targeted training goals for the team

Provides an opportunity for personal growth

STEP THREE: Establish a Baseline. A competency assessment helps to tell us what you

already know, so we don’t waste your time and our money training in areas that the

team has already mastered. Competency assessment helps identify the strengths,

opportunities and challenges and so leads to targeted training solutions. Baselines also

help to establish where you are so you can more effectively plan where you are going.

STEP FOUR: Communicate – Communicate – Communicate. Treat your competency

assessment and professional development program like any other project. Respect what

your project managers know, and work with them in a way they buy into: provide a

Project Charter, Project Plan, Project Status Updates, Communication Plans, etc.

Develop a comprehensive communication strategy around the competency assessment

and professional development program. They won’t fear what they know.

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Engage the managerial team so they can help communicate and reinforce the “whys”

around the competency assessment project. Executive support is one of the key

elements in creating an organizational “buzz” around any improvement project.

STEP FIVE: Reporting on the Competency Assessment Outcomes. Most important is: Do

NOT gloss over the results! Provide trending for the group. Identify the areas for

knowledge, skill and behavioral improvements. Identify the strengths first. Identify the

commonalities, and then identify the opportunities for growth. When reporting on the

competency assessment outcomes, have your strategy in hand for the targeted training

or process improvements for improving overall performance

Don’t use the word “fix” when you are talking about competencies or skills that you

want to “build.” “Fix” indicates something is broken. Use positive language to

communicate the upside of the program: “We will identify and celebrate strengths,

discover areas where we need to grow; and develop the skills we need to excel.”

Communicate your personal expectations and the organization’s expectations for

improving project management performance. Most of the stakeholders that I work with

have a passion for good project management, and are proud of their profession. Project

managers like to understand the sequence of events and where they are headed.

Treating a competency assessment as a project helps to remove the fear around

assessment and moves it into an arena project managers can understand and

appreciate.

For more information, see the PM College Resource Center for Project Manager

Competency.

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Adam Thomas Maria Ficchi

Adam Sharp Matthew Medici

Anthony Meluskey Melissa Bevins

Baljinder Kamboj Poorni Harish

Barbara Cadmus Robert Hackett

Barbara Hyatt Srinivas Vadiguri

Craig Schulte Stephen House

Derek Sethachutkul Steve Corrado

Eileen McMonagle Suzanne Milne

Hara Totapally Suzanne Hughson

Jason Conrad Therese Spitz

Jeffrey Brown Tim Weaver

Jeffrey Lowden

Julius Nery

Kevin Hallinan

Victoria Sama

Vijaya Sudhkar

Congratulations new PMP certified members

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Adel Elgoneimy David Reed Gary Moulder Kelly Zychowski Michael McCabe Samuel Crisino

Albert Cox Deanna Rybicki Gary Wojcik Kenneth Gestel Michael Ceralde Sean Shappell

Alisa Monteiro Debbie Buchwald George Rears Kevin Hallinan Michael Brophy Sean Miller

Amanda Walker Deirdre Avant Godson Aduamah Kevin Stewart Michael Cotton Sebastian Muah

Andrew Ferguson Deirdre Albertson Gregory Desrosiers Krista Baker Michael

Giovanniello Selda Kazanci

Andrew Hamilton Denise Ziegler Griffin Affel Kumar Sista Michael Bassett Sharon Ryan

Angela Lee Dennis Westhafer Ian McShane Laura Losani Michael Harris Shelina Thomas

Anil Malhotra Diana Goldin J. Tomaski Lauren Pearson Michael Pytlik Sherrilyn Chiu

Anthonise Fields Dolly Dennery James Muldoon Laurie Lewonski Nadine Gerhard Shiju Vadakot

Antony Clark Donald Burk James Masotti Laverne Bou Nataraj Ashok J. Sibi Sukumaran

Armand Martino Donald Scott

Smith Jasmine Rochon Liam Sullivan Nicole Saunders Srinivas Vadiguri

Ashisha Butala Doris Pierce Jennifer Wills Lisa Tull Norman Coffey Stacey Bailey

Bradford Kelly Edith Druktenis Joanne Welsh Lisa Crandall Ofer Tal Stephen Perry

Bridget Peezick Edward Kohl Johanna Mickel Lori Gee Owen Trickey Steve Rosso

Brigitte DeForrest Eileen Spanicciati John Kowalski Mandi Lermond Patti Malinowski Steve Dalton

Bruce McMahon Elaine Johnson John Washington Marguerite

D'Agostino

Paul White Steven Lindner

Bruce Bard Elisha Stewart John Conrad Mariama Von Thenen Peter Vuong Surbhi Sharma

Carl Rio Emilio Buitrago John O'Donnell Mark Long Philip Whitehurst Tamiera Harris

Cheryl Lewis Erica Wilfrid John Warlo Mark Steele Pushpa Seelam Tara Porrey

Chunhui Jiang Erica Young John Beck Mark Murmello Rajan Gidwani Thomas Nevinger

Cilla Manning Ernest Hartnett John Dennis Mark Grosset Raji Kandan Timothy Murphy

Cindy Liddy Fang Zhou Jonathan Sloyer Mark Wilson Ram Ganesan Timothy Mason

Craig Lowe Fiona King Joseph Feindt Mary Anne Augustine Raymond Cwenar Todd Turbedsky

Cynthia Bazin Francis Corkery Jude Sweeney Matthew Mills Reebu George Tracy Oxner

Damon Anderson Francis Stein Judith Golderer Matthew Beard Rich Carrello Troy Schrader

Dana Giovinetti Frank Febbo Judith Allison Maureen DeOrio Richard Kuchan Vijaya Rao

Dana Courtine Franz Cabrales Juliana Feener-Craig Maureen Gross Robert Peppelman Vincent Calkins

David Bulkin Fred Lamborn Juliet McQuillan Megan Watson Robert Cunningham Vivek Inamdar

David Stauffer Fredrick Dande Karen Close Melissa Bevins Robert Devine William Schmidt

David Clymer G Uhuru Karole Meade Michael Pezzano Roberta Kresky Yadaiah Pathkula

David Gruber Gale Gartling Katherine Lajoie Malik Michael Arcuri Roberta Yarrusso

David Herwig Gani Adegoke Kelly Molen Michael Lubragge Rupesh Naick

Welcome new PMI-DVC members

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Month

Month

Event Date

January Board Meeting 1/6/11

Breakfast Meeting 1/12/11

Board Transition Dinner 1/14/11

Dinner Mtg W/IIBA 1/26/11

February Board Meeting 2/3/11

Breakfast Meeting 2/23/11

Dinner Meeting 2/24/11

March Board Meeting 3/3/11

Annual Biz Mtg 3/24/11

April Breakfast Meeting 4/6/11

Board Meeting 4/7/11

Dinner Meeting 4/14/11

Volunteer Appreciation 4/28/11

May Board Meeting 5/5/11

Dinner Mtg W/IIBA 5/11/11

Breakfast Meeting DE 5/25/11

PDD #1 5/19/11 - 5/20/11

June Board Meeting 6/2/11

Region 4 Meeting - Sarasota, NY 6/10/11

Dinner Mtg 6/23/11

July Board Meeting 7/7/11

August Board Meeting 8/4/11

PMI Cert Night 8/18/11 or 8/25/11

September Board Meeting 9/1/11

Dinner Mtg 9/15/11

Breakfast Meeting 9/21/11

PDD #2 9/17/11

October Board Meeting 10/6/11

Dinner Mtg (DE) 10/13/11

November Board Meeting N/A

Tools Conference 11/3/11 - 11/5/11

Dinner Mtg 11/3/11

2012 Planning Meeting 11/19/11

December Board Meeting 12/1/11

Breakfast Meeting 12/7/11

2011 calendar of events

Please click here to access the 2011 calendar of events on the PMI-DVC website

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