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MP NETWORKMAKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT INDISPENSABLE FOR BUSINESS RESULTS.JULY 2010 VOLUME 24, No. 7

TOPTALENT

SHAKE-UP

> Rebuilding War-Torn Iraq> Iterative Scheduling:Go With the Flow

> Holding SocialResponsibility Accountable

Murray Duke, PMP,Datacraft,Tokyo, Japan


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Salmon were thriving on the 70-mile(113-kilometer) Elwha Riveruntil a pair of dams got in the way. Built in theearly 1900s, the dams restricted salmon

and other fish to the lowest 5 miles (8 kilometers)of the river. Now the waterway could becomespawning central again, as a project team launchesthe largest dam-removal ever undertaken.

This will require more than a few strategically placed tons of dynamite, however. In February, theteam broke ground on a hatchery to help maintainfish stocks while the dams are removed. Water-treatment plants must also be built to filter out thesediment that has accumulated behind the dams.

Destroying the structures means breaking upand recycling 35,000 cubic yards (26,759 cubicmeters) of concrete, along with hundreds of tonsof metal, according to Popular Mechanics . We want to use as much of the material onsite as possible, fisheries biologist Brian Winter told themagazine. Earth fill and crushed bedrock willhelp restore the slopes around the dams to theiroriginal contours.

Once the barriers come down, biologistspredict the number of fish will return to about400,000 within 20 to 30 years. For this projectteam, at least, swimming upstream soundspretty good.

Elwha River,Washington,

USA

>>>OPENINGSHOT

When the light is right, you cansee them down thereadultsalmon, waiting to swim upriver,waiting for the dam to be gone.Brian Winter to Popular Mechanics


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http://www.4pmti.com/mailto:[email protected]


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26

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56

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THE GREAT TALENT EXODUS

As the economy perks up, star performers may be tempted to move on.by Sandra A. Swanson

JUSTIFY THE MEANS

Social responsibility projects survived the slump, butnow they come with some strings attached: accountability and alignment. by Sarah Fister Gale

UP FOR ADAPTATION

When requirements change or resources get pulled, iterativescheduling can help keep a project on track.by Malcolm Wheatley

BREAKING THE MOLD

The rapidly changing demands of war make a defensecompany rethink how its vehicles are developed. by Donovan Burba

MYSTIC RIVER

Battling naysayers, a project team tries to clean up an ancient Moroccancity and the river that runs through it. by Jenn Danko

CAREER TRACK

HIRE POWER

To recruit the right project talent, companies are joining the socialmedia scene. by Jenn Danko

pg.28

contents

Tending Your Flock If employers dont take steps right now,employees who have been on the receiving end of salary freezes, through no fault of

their own, will be more than happy to look for greener pastures.Murray Duke, PMP, Datacraft, Tokyo, Japan

features

A CLOSERLOOK:TELUS,VANCOUVER,BRITISHCOLUMBIA,CANADA

A telecomcompany doesnt let therecession getin the way of a project thathelps deaf childrenandshowcases itstechnology.

pg.40

july10

cover photo by MAKOTO ISHIDA


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Vijay Prasad, MS, PMP(+91 98490 06070, [email protected])Kathleen Romero, MBA, PMP(+1 804 855 3299,[email protected])Ricardo Triana, PMP(+1 954 854 2355, [email protected])

Staff Executives

StaffExecutives President & Chief Executive OfficerGregory Balestrero(+1 610 355 1610,[email protected])Executive Vice President & ChiefOperating Officer

Mark Langley (+1 610 355 1645,[email protected])
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9/76JULY 2010 PM NETWORK 7

In The Great Talent Exodus,MURRAY DUKE, PMP, a projectmanager at Datacraft, a global ITconsultancy in Tokyo, Japan, sayscompanies need to think aboutpeople as much as they think about deliverables. If they dont,they may be seeing their bestproject managers and their teamsdefect to the competition. Its the talent of the project teamthat decides the success of a project, Mr. Duke says.Attracting and keeping such talent becomes a prerequisitefor success.

>>>BEHIND THE SCENESHeres a peek at some of the project professionals providing an insiders vin this months features:

Prior to joining Oshkosh Defensein Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA in2007, KEN JUERGENS served inthe U.S. Army for 25 years. Col. Juergens tapped into that military experience in his role as seniorprogram director for a project todevelop the next generation of vehicles resistant to IEDs (impro-

vised explosive devices) in Afghanistan. In Breaking theMold, he sheds light on how his team met a strict projectdeadline with its streamlined approach.

JAVED IQBAL, PMP, is a mechanical engineer and a retired colonel in the Pakistan Army. He has also worked ondefense projects in Saudi Arabia and is now a projectdirector for the government of Pakistan in Islamabad. In Upfor Adaptation, Col. Iqbal details how iterative sched-uling can benefit a project, especially one with tasks thatarent immediate.

In Hire Power, DAVIDCHRISTIANSEN, PMP, weighs inon the benefits of using socialmedia to attract top project talent. After a decade in corporate IT, Mr.Christiansen moved to the software

industry to explore differentapproaches, including lean andagile. The support manager at Portland, Oregon, USA-based Collaborative Software Initiative, he says projectmanagers are at the forefront of social media recruiting thanks to an active blogging and Twitter community.

As vice president of community affairs, JILL SCHNARR leadsthe national community invest-ment and engagement strategy at Telus, Vancouver, British

Columbia, Canada. In A Closer Look, Ms. Schnarrexplains how the telecomprovider aligns its social responsibility projects with itsorganizational goals. She highlights one project thathelped hearing-impaired children while showcasing thecompanys technology.

In Justify the Means,KISHOR CHAUKAR, managing director of Tata Industries Ltd.,Mumbai, India, stresses theimportance of corporate socialresponsibility (CSR) projects,no matter the current financialclimate: To withdraw from

community projects because of one economic downturnis counter-productive. He warns that companies aban-doning their CSR responsibilities might save money, buttheir brand will suffer in the long term.


10/768 PM NETWORK MAY 2008 WWW.PMI.ORG

WEDDINGS ARENT ALL thatdifferent from any other big project.Theres a finite deadline, broadscope, strict budget, extreme stress,high risk potential and nervous

stakeholders.So it only makes sense that moreproject managers are walking downthe aisle, so to speak.

Project management can definitely strengthen the wedding planning pro-fession, says Heather Fleming, PMP,director of project management atThe Knot Inc., a wedding plan-ning conglomerate in New York,New York, USA. Each wedding can be treated as a project with a

schedule, budget, resources andtasks that need to be executed andcontrolled.

Melissa Wagner-Gens, PMP,considers herself a modern wedding planner with fresh ideasone of which is using her Project Man-agement Professional (PMP) cre-dential to set her apart from thecompetition.

Dodging Bullets Data on the Go Mixed Prognosis

IN THESE PAGES

buzztheHERE COMESTHE PROJECTMANAGER

I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y K E I T H N E G L E Y

SEE THE LATEST NEWS about project, program andportfolio management online at www.PMI.org/PMport.

S u b m i t n e w s t o p m n e t w o r k @ i m a g i n e p u b

. c o m

. A l l m o n e t a r y f i g u r e s a r e i n U

. S .

d o l l a r s u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d

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Most brides have no project back-ground and panic at the amount of ven-dors, decisions and tasks necessary to

pull off a wedding, says Ms. Wagner-Gens, owner and senior coordinator atEmerald Events & Weddings, Allen,Texas, USA. Although I had been using basic project management skills to plan weddings [before earning my] PMP

credential, I found that I was able tomanage a better event post-certification.I enhanced my control of the budgetand schedule. I learned to keep a tighterrein on the scope creep, which happensconstantly in weddings. And I improvedsuggestions of backup plans for wedding day emergencies.

A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE

As with other sectors new to projectmanagement, the high-gloss wedding industry may not immediately see theadvantages. Yet the same basics apply,Ms. Wagner-Gens says.

Instead of viewing event planning asmostly style and design with just enough

management to get through the day, Iapproach each event as a project withpizzazz. All the style in the world wont helpyou as a wedding planner if you dont have a solid grasp on time, expense and vendor man-agement, she says. In placing the project man-agement ideals foremost, you can streamline theentire planning and design process.

An average wedding, for example, takes morethan 100 hours of planning, according to Ms. Wagner-Gens. So as soon as a date is set, plan-ners can tap into their time management skills

to ensure everything the couple wants to accom-plish is feasible in that timeframe.

Setting milestones such as booking thereception space, photographer, music andflorist will help set goals for the schedule as theplan is executed, Ms. Fleming says.

As with any other project, not everything always goes according to planand wedding planners arent always prepared.

Risk assessment is one area in which mostevent planners are lacking. They are reactive to

emergencies, not proactive. Using critical think-ing to assess major and minor impacts anddevelop contingency plans is an essential projectmanagement skill, Ms. Wagner-Gens says.Having solutions prepped ahead of time letsthe planner move swiftly.

Take the cake, for exampleit could bedamaged in transit or never show up. The proj-ect manager needs a backup plan, whether itsbringing along a repair kit or having an alterna-

tive bakery on speed dial.It can also be helpful to implement a post-

project review. While no one can predict every disaster or issue, holding a lessons-learned sessionafter the event with their employees to discussissues and possible solutions to implement couldcut down on the issues these wedding plannersare dealing with on a recurring basis, Ms. Wagner-Gens says.

And the project manager and stakeholderscan all live happily ever after. Rachel Zupek

JULY 2010 PM NETWORK9

>>GREEN IS THE NEW WHITE

White may be the dominant color in most Western weddings, but manybridal parties are adding a shade of green to the mix.

A traditional wedding produces 63 tons of carbon dioxide and 400to 600 pounds (181 to 272 kilograms) of trash, according to the GreenBride Guide. With approximately 2.4 million weddings in the UnitedStates alone each year, thats a lot of garbage. And its a big reasonwhy eco-friendly weddings are becoming all the rage.

There are no h ard statistics, but bridal magazines and the veritableindustry of green wedding websites and online stores clearly seepotential.

Even so, its difficult to define what constitutes a green wedding.Project practices range from cutting back on power needs to usinglocally grown flowers instead of, say, having orchids flown in fromoverseas and refrigerated overnight.

As with many wedding traditions, interest in environmentally friendlypractices varies from country to country. In Estonia, for example, sus-tainability comes at too steep a price, says Kadri Kalle, project managerat Eesti Maalikool, a university in Tartu, Estonia.

In the United States, green weddings are becoming a trend, but inEstonia, weddings in general are so expensive that people cannotafford to take extra things into account, she says.


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THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ has beena long, expensive, complicated slog that has yield-ed far more lessons learned than actual results.

Seven years have passed since the United Statesand its allies invaded the Middle Eastern republic,and in that time billions of dollars have beenspent on projects to rebuild the country. From oilrefineries and power plants to schools, hospitals,

roads and prisons, projects funded by internationalgovernments and relief organizations alike havebeen launched around Iraq. The United Statesalone has committed nearly $53 billion for recon-struction, with $11.48 billion devoted to infra-structure projects.

But political conflicts, safety risks and lan-guage barriers, combined with financial fraudand poor planning, have left many of theseprojects delayed, canceled or woefully overbudget. Investigations by the U.S. governmentsOffice of the Special Inspector General for Iraq

Reconstruction have led to 35 indictments and27 convictions for fraud.

Several multimillion-dollar initiatives fundedby the U.S. government have been proclaimedcomplete failures. That dubious list includes a $40 million half-finished prison project north of Baghdad that was canceled in 2006 because of security issues and poor construction.

Dodging Bullets

buzzthe

10 PM NETWORK JULY 2010 WWW.PMI.ORG

nearly$53 billion

The amount the U.S.government has allotted for

Iraqi reconstruction, with$11.48 billion devoted to

infrastructure projects P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F U

. S .

N A V Y M A S S C O M M U N I C A T

I O N

S P E C I A L I S T 2 N D C L A S S D E M E T R I U S K E N N O N

U.S. Navy Builder 3rd Class Shawn Laborde works on a reconstruction project in Iraq.
http://www.pmi.org/http://www.pmi.org/


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Its better to have a large number of discreetmodular projects so that you can demonstrateactivity quickly and deliver early successes, Mr.Ries says.

As progress in the country continues, locals aretaking a much stronger leadership role in running and funding projects.

Were shifting from doing things for them toletting them take responsibility, even if they eventu-

ally struggle or even fall down on occasion, Rusty Barber, director of Iraq programs at the UnitedStates Institute of Peace, told USA Today in March.

Among those projects still being run by theU.S. government, teams are making efforts toinvolve local personnel whenever possible. TheU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf RegionDistrict, for example, just completed construc-tion of a new correctional facility in Nasiriyahas part of the Iraq Relief and ReconstructionFund. The three-phase project relied on area

workers throughout construction, which helpedfoster goodwill in the community.

This phase of the contract has employedover 120 Iraqi workers daily for the past twoyears and has stimulated the economic develop-ment for the local vendors near the facility, said Air Force Maj. Justin Tyree at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April.

That lesson isnt unique to Iraq. The need

to involve local stakeholders extends to proj-ects being conducted in any environment where the major players arent operating ontheir home turf, Mr. Ries says. The same issuesare playing out in Haiti, for example, wherehes working on state-building activities follow-ing the devastating earthquake earlier this year.

Its tempting to think all you have to do isunderstand the requirements of the agency funding a project, but experience shows thatyou gain a competitive advantage when you

understand the local market-

place, customs and local author-ities, Mr. Ries says. The mostimportant rule for project man-agers in these situations is toresearch the local scene ahead of time and know what the peoplehope to get out of the project. When you make sure theirneeds are met, you are seen asan ally. Otherwise you are justsomeone coming in to take their jobs. Sarah Fister Gale

buzzthe

PM

>>Things blow up all the time,and the security situation isconstantly changing.Matt Bouldin, Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C., USA
http://www.rapidresponsepm.com/


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ALL THOSE JETSETTERS packing smart-

phones are doing more than staying connected.Theyre also sending outwhether they know itor notcheap, ubiquitous data that can be usedto reduce wait times, ensure flights get out onschedule and even cut costs at airports.

There are vast numbers of these devices outthere chirping information that we can capture,says Darcy Bullock, professor of civil engineering atPurdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

Airports just have to figure out the best way for doing that without invading peoples privacy.

Copenhagen Airport in Denmark was one of

the first to try out traveler-tracking technology.The goal of the project was to show airport

management that knowing where people are locatedin the airport will help them manage queuebuildups at security and alert people if they are latefor departure, says John Paulin Hansen, researchproject leader, IT University of Copenhagen.

A three-year trial initiative that ended in mid-2009, the project compared two tracking tech-nologies: Bluetooth signals from passenger phonesand RFID (radio frequency identification) tagshanded out at check-in and collected at boarding.

Although both technologies proved equally

reliable, the project team quickly discovered onekey drawback to the RFID tags. We had to be100 percent sure that we collected every tag at thegate so they wouldnt be transmitting from air-planes as they took off, Mr. Hansen says.

That one small step required extra personnel, which made the initiative cost-prohibitive.

The Bluetooth technology, on the other hand, was deemed viable. The data came for free frompassenger phones, and the antennas were able toeasily detect passengers and track their movements.

EXTRA BAGGAGESome passengers might be understandably wary of being tracked as they make their way throughthe airport, so project managers have to addressconcerns about privacy.

Mr. Bullock and other researchers at PurdueUniversity worked with the Indianapolis Airport Authority to run a test project that anonymously monitored passengers as they passed through secu-rity lines at the airport in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Similar to Copenhagens initiative, this projectalso relied on Bluetooth technologyand the

Data on the Go

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>>There areast numbersof passenger

electronicdevices out

ere chirpinginformationthat we can

capture.

Darcy Bullock,Purdue University,

West Lafayette,Indiana, USA


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team was careful about just how much data itgleaned from travelers.

Starting in May 2009, the team began calcu-lating the time it took travelers to move throughsecurity. Two electronic readers captured signalsfrom Bluetooth-enabled devices, recording thetime when a passenger entered the security lineand the time when the same person cleared thecheckpoint.

But the readers only captured a portion of each signal, which consists of a string of numbersand characters. Once the data were evaluated, theaddresses were deleted.

Its like writing down only part of someoneslicense plate, Mr. Bullock says. You cant iden-tify people by tracking only a portion of theiraddresses.

In Copenhagen, Mr. Hansens team found thattravelers were open to being tracked because of what they were getting out of the system. Forone, they could sync their Bluetooth to receivealerts if their plane was boarding, along with a map to their gate. The data were then used tobalance the staff at security so lines didnt buildup and to post wait times at each check-in gate.

To educate travelers about the project, theteam put up instructions on the airport website as well as at the venue itself. Some people helped without even knowing it by simply toting a device emitting Bluetooth signals.

We could track them not as individuals butas a random sample of passengers, Mr. Hansensays. It allowed us to monitor the general flow of passengers through the airport.

USEWHAT YOU GOT

Enhancing the traveling experience is a fine goal

on its own, but the technology can also cut secu-rity costs.

Mr. Bullock estimates the U.S. TransportationSecurity Administration employs approximately 45,000 screeners. If the security system operatorscan measure the time it takes to move throughsecurity, they can allocate resources more effi-ciently and shorten wait times.

Another bonus is that the tracking projectsdont come with a massive price tag. In mostcases, teams are simply leveraging pre-existing technology. The two electronic readers used in the

Indianapolis study, for example, are the size of thumbnails and cost $30 each, making the entiresystem simple and inexpensive.

Of course, not every passenger has a smartphoneconfigured to emit signals. But the Indianapolisteam was able to track about 7 percent of peoplepassing by in its test project.

It was a wonderful random sample and the

technology worked beautifully, Mr. Bullock says.This is a prototype, but I think the system couldbe put in every airport in the country.

Copenhagen Airport is also continuing to usethe technology and is working on expanding theservice. The data are currently helping airportmanagement determine which shops and loca-tions receive the most traffic, and will be used to justify future build-outs and manage traffic flow during construction.

Around the globe, traveler-tracking projectslook ready for takeoff. Sarah Fister Gale

buzzthe

JULY 2010 PM NETWORK 15

Knowing where people are located

in the airport will help manage

queue buildups at security and alert

people if they are late for departure.John Paulin Hansen, IT University of Copenhagen,Copenhagen, Denmark


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METR1CS


IN DEMAND

SOURCE: 2010 IT Skills and Salary Report , Global Knowledge and TechRepublic.Results based on a November 2009 survey released in January of 19,529 primarilyNorth American IT professionals.

PRODUCTIVITY BOOM OR BUST?

501 2 34 5

SOURCE: Workplace Redefined: Shifting Generational Attitudes DuringEconomic Change , Robert Half. Results based on a survey released in 2010of 502 hiring managers in North America.

TRILLIONS IN TECHINR46.4 trillionThe amount India plans to spend oninfrastructure between 2013 and 2017

22%The rate Indias infrastructure industry grewbetween 2008 and 2009

41%The portion of infrastructure projects completedin India between April 1992 and March 2009 thatfaced cost overruns

82%The portion of projects in that time period thatmissed their deadlines

The shortage ofproject managersThe main factor influencing infrastructure projectdelivery, according to 74% of respondents

SOURCE: Study on Drivers for Success in Infrastructure Projects 2010 ,PMI and KPMG. Results based on a survey of 109 senior projectmanagers and CEOs in India conducted between November 2009 andFebruary 2010.

>US$2.4trillionThe amount of worldwideenterprise IT spending expectedacross all industry markets in2010a 4.1 percent jump overlast year, according to Gartner

2010 will see IT spending in all major industriesreturning to growth, although that growth will varyby individual sector. Government will show thestrongest growth in 2010, as IT spending is forecastto grow 6.2 percent worldwide.Kenneth Brant, research director, Gartner, in a May statement

INDIAS INFRASTRUCTURE BLITZ

The percent of hiring managers who saidthey expect team productivity levels toincrease as the economy recovers, with41 percent crediting the uptick toemployees working smarter

Among those hiring managers who expect team productivity levelsto drop, the top reasons cited were:

Burnout | Staff cutbacks | Turnover

Top 5 Tech Skills for 2010

Projectmanagement

Security

Networkadministration

Cloud

virtualization Businessanalysis
http://www.pmi.org/http://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/Gilbert/2010_salaryreport.pdfhttp://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/Gilbert/2010_salaryreport.pdfhttp://www.roberthalf.us/WorkplaceRedefinedhttp://www.roberthalf.us/WorkplaceRedefinedhttp://www.roberthalf.us/WorkplaceRedefinedhttp://www.kpmg.com/IN/en/Press%20Release/KPMG-PMI-Report.pdfhttp://www.kpmg.com/IN/en/Press%20Release/KPMG-PMI-Report.pdfhttp://www.roberthalf.us/WorkplaceRedefinedhttp://www.roberthalf.us/WorkplaceRedefinedhttp://www.kpmg.com/IN/en/Press%20Release/KPMG-PMI-Report.pdfhttp://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/Gilbert/2010_salaryreport.pdfhttp://www.pmi.org/


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Working on cutting-edgeinteractive marketing proj-ects, MRM London findsitself in the great unknownquite a bit.

The fast-moving paceof our industry energizesour teams, but with thatcomes risks, says IanMcDowall, the agencyshead of technology. Weoften work with novel,unproven or beta technolo-gies. Combine this withmarketing clients sometimesconstrained by annually planned campaign budgetsor deadlines, yet looking forfixed-cost solutions at the

start of a project, and youhave a real financial andrelationship risk.

Innovation is nice, butthe projects still have todeliver. And to ensure thatdelicate balance, MRMrelies on strong projectmanagement processes.

What is your companys approach to project man-

agement?MRM London has a projectmanagement office (PMO)of around 25 people, rang-ing from junior project man-agers through project direc-tor and program manager.

Our strategy for manag-ing projects includes tradi-tional techniques for risk,issue, and change manage-ment and planning. With

large clients such asMicrosoft or GeneralMotors, which have existing processes, we either tailorour approach to integrate with theirs at key contactpoints or adopt theirmethodology fully for dedi-cated engagement teams. We have also used formalagile approaches such asscrum when project attrib-utes and client organizationshave been able to support it.

How do you ensure every-one understands the goals and methods of these approaches? Any MRM staff membermay work across a widerange of project types onany given day, so its criticalour overall delivery method-ology is understood andbought into by all in the

company. We use languagebased around a generalizeddelivery framework calledEESEE, which stands forengage, explore, specify,execute and evaluate. Thisgives the project manger a common language, com-bined with the freedom touse appropriate documen-tation, templates andchecklists from our PMOknowledge center, depend-ing on the complexity andneeds of their project.

Whats the key elementof your companys methodologies?

Where MRMs projectmanagement team really shines is adaptability. Todeliver in our marketrequires a disciplinedapproach combined withthe ability to pragmatically roll your sleeves up and geton with the task.

The sheer rate of change, combined with the wide range of agency disci-

plines and technologiesthat a project managerneeds to understand andcoordinate, means continuallearning and a thirst for per-sonal development.

You were head of projectmanagement for five years before taking onthis role. How has thathelped you?

My project managementexperience gives me a unique overview of all thedepartments in the organi-

zation and, crucially, how they fit together. It pro-vides invaluable insightinto how to get the bestresults from the organiza-tion, as well as how toavoid many potential con-flicts and issues.

Project managementexperience equips execu-tives with a wide under-standing of the disparate

specialties in our industry,allowing them to commu-nicate with authority across a wide range of areas. The project manage-ment skill set also equipsexecutives with strong client understanding andcommunication and nego-tiation skills, all of whichare critical to a senior man-agement role. PM

FROMTHE

TOPRisks Worth Taking

Ian McDowall, MRM London, London, England


My projectmanagement

experience givesme a uniqueoverview of

all the depart-ments in the

organization and,crucially, how

they fit together.


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VIEWPOINTS

Project failure has always been a hot topic. Yet the mystery behind what drives projectsoff track is starting to fade. Organizationshave come a long way when it comes to fer-

reting out the root causes of failure.Here are some of the top reasons projects fall

shortand tips for how you can use that knowledgeto stop making the same mistakes over and over again:

1. Poor alignment The right project isnt always the most profitable one,but it does have to align with the organizationsvision. If not, a lack of executive backing will mostlikely doom it. If the project will deliver value to cus-tomers and users, though, stakeholder support andownership should be strong.

2. Bad planningThe old adage tells us, If you fail to plan, you plan tofail. The planning stage of the project has to be taken seri-ously. Project managers must identify key risks, dependen-cies, stakeholders, and communication and quality needs.Consulting team members and subject matter experts willhelp ensure the teams buy-in and commitment.

3. Lack of executive support The gap between project managers and executives has alwaysbeen there. All too often, a senior manager is made the projectsponsor without enough knowledge of the projector even a

basic knowledge of a project managers role.Project managers can find themselves alone when

it comes to wrestling with project issues, stakeholder

conflicts, and lack of cooperation from resource man-agers, system users, team members and other support

departments.The sponsor must agree to study the project charterand have a full understanding of each and every section.Once the charter is formally accepted and signed, thesponsor should then send a notice asking all stakeholdersto give full support to the project manager. This can leadto great results in organizations that are not projectized.Executive support must be continuously given to empowerthe project manager during all stages of the project andshould be on the agenda of steering committee meetings.

4. Incomplete requirements

One issue that haunts IT projects in particular is the highlevel of uncertainty. To avoid drastic changes during laterstages, project managers should follow a robust requirements

WHY DO PROJECThose who forget history are doomed to repeat it.B Y K A R E E M S H A K E R , P M P

V O I C E S

O N

P R O J E C T

M A N A G E M E N T


Join the discussion on PMI.org/Voices

In her post, Developing Swift Trust, Lynda Bourne, DPM, PMP, explains, Swift trust occurs whena diverse group of experts are brought together in a temporary organization such as a virtual teamcreated for an urgent project. Ahmad Al-Ani, MD, PMP, commented that project managers shouldbuild (rather than have) such a skill, since many projects are short-term ones involving strangersfrom outside the comfort zone.
http://www.pmi.org/http://pmi.org/Voiceshttp://www.pmi.org/http://pmi.org/Voices


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TS REALLY FAIL?

analysis process and build a consensus among conflicting stakeholders from the start.

5. Unclear expectationsDifferent stakeholders may perceive a project in different ways, and each has his or her own ideas about its dura-tion, cost and quality. Make sure to set expectations andestablish that some deviation is inevitable. Without thatstep, a key stakeholder is likely to wield undue power andcould easily get the project canceled. Throughout theproject, continue to anticipate and monitor stakeholderattitudes, demands and actions.

6. Scope creepUncontrolled changes can bust a budget. Project managersmust institute a robust change-management process that canhandle both minor and major shifts. Beware of gold plat-

ing, another form of scope creep, where some extravagantadditions are included by a project team in an attempt toindulge stakeholders.

A project manager has to promote a culture of changemanagement and protect the boundaries of the project soit remains consistent with its charter. Ideally, all changesshould be assessed for their impacts on cost, time, risk andquality.

7. Lack of resourcesThe recession fundamentally altered the way organizations work: Projects come with fewer resources, stricter dead-

lines, higher expectations and smaller budgets. Working ina weak-matrix environment only compounds mattersbecause resources are shared among more than one project,

and the functional manager often defines priorities. Tosecure resources and gain executive support, project man-agers should be well-versed in people skills.

8. Choice of technology With new technology comes risk. Selecting the wrong tech-nology, incapable system integrators and inadequate productscan all lead to trouble. Vendors are going to oversell theirproducts, and many project managers have been duped.Project managers and their teams must conduct robustdue diligence and demand that vendors present relevantcase studies and proof the technology does what the com-pany says it will.

9. InexperienceThough theyre loath to admit it, project professionalsthemselves can be the main reason projects fail. Some

lack education or experience, while others adopt animproper management style. Few project managers will accept accountability when a project doesnt work outbut its the first step in learning from theirmistakes. PM

VIEWPOINTS


RAISE YOUR VOICE No one knows project management better than you, the prac-titioners in the trenches. So PM Network launched its Voices on Project Management column.Every month, project managers share ideas, experiences and opinions on everything from sus-tainability to talent management, and all points in between. If youre interested in contributing,please send your idea to [email protected].

Kareem Shaker, PMP, is a

project manager at Dubai

World, Dubai, United Arab

Emirates. He has over 10

years of experience in IT

projects, consulting and

pre-sales. Read his blog

at www.kareemshaker.com.
mailto:[email protected]://kareemshaker.com/mailto:[email protected]://kareemshaker.com/


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VIEWPOINTS

As leaders, we face new adventures each andevery day. Before we venture into the project jungle, lets measure our readiness by answer-ing some true-or-false statements.

While at work, your main focus should be on whatsbest for your own career. False. Do whats best for thebusiness and it will ultimately benefit your career.

Never allow one event or experience to dampen yourdreams. True. There will be obstacles and there may befailures, but you must continually move forward.

Focus predominately on your strengths.True. However, you should understand and address your weaknesses, too.

Most problems arent nearly as monumental as they first appear. True. Once understood, most issues are farless ominous.

Taking things personally at work is harmful. True. Itdamages your effectiveness, business judgment and rela-tionships with co-workers.

Its always a good idea to take on additional opportunities.False. First, make sure youre performing your primary responsibilities well.

Peoplewhomake themost mistakes accomplish the least.False. The more you achieve, the more mistakes you havelikely made.

Bad news should immediately be communicated to yourboss. False. In most cases, due diligence should be per-formed first. Once the importance and urgency of the prob-lem is understood, share the news your boss needs to know.

You should try to solve every problem before youcomplain. False. Zero in on those issues that affect yourcommitments and your domain of responsibility.

Youre not a victim unless you choose to be. True. Although no one has absolute control over the outcome of events, we have far more influence than many peoplechoose to believe.

Dont make a commitment unless you can achieve it.True. You are accountable for making good on your promises.

Its more important to do whats best for the businessthan to be liked. True. Its always about the business.However, when you demonstrate integrity in making theright business decisions, youre also likely to gain the

respect and affection of those around you. Your boss doesnt define your job. True. Although yoursupervisor may ultimately approve your assigned duties, youcan take the initiative and negotiate your responsibilities.

You should keep your views to yourself when they runcounter to those of your boss. False. Constructively anddiscreetly share your opinion. Your value increases whenyour interest, honesty and passion are apparent.

Actions speak louder than intentions. True. Good inten-

tions arent what get the job done.

As project managers, many people depend on us directly or indirectly, and we are ultimately accountable for whathappens on our watch. Yet most people doubt themselvesand hesitate to be the great leader that lies within them. Are you ready to be the best? PM

Neal Whitten, PMP, president of The Neal Whitten Group, is a speaker, trainer and con-sultant. He is also the author of Neal WhittensNo-Nonsense Advice for Successful Projects.

TRUTH OR

CONSEQUENCESTake this quiz to see if you have the right mindset for action.B Y N E A L W H I T T E N , P M P , C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R

T A K E T

H E

L E A D


>>Most people doubt themselves and hesitateto be the great leader that lies within them.


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Im growing weary of project managers whining aboutbad requirements. The truth is, no one can possibly besurprised. From research studies to high-profile disasters, we hear over and over that incorrect requirements and

poor scope management are key reasons projects fail. If weknow this is a recurring problem in our profession, why do we mindlessly continue engaging in the rote repetition of what doesnt work?

Id like to share some suggestions to keep us from stum-bling over the same mistakes:

Surrender the pipe dream of complete requirements.Theres always going to be one dependency missed, onestakeholder we didnt interview, one nuance hidden, onemore thing we wished we had known. Dont fall into thetrap that more is better or youll never get started.

Always assume the initial requirements are wrong.Sometimes the scope is inappropriately slanted toward one

stakeholder or hasnt been properly vetted. Sometimes thebulk of the requirements are actually nice-to-haves.Todays project manager is expected to have the organiza-tional savvy and facilitation skills to get to the root of theseproblems. To ensure that you yield the right priorities atthe right time, take the initial scope statement as a starting point, then work with the sponsor to refine it.

Accept that all requirements change. Traditional proj-ect management culture portrays change as a necessary evil,like traffic laws: If drivers did everything right, we wouldntneed them. To mitigate the risk of change, we install

intimidating change-control boards and financial penalties.But what if the scope youve been implementing for the lasttwo years is no longer relevant to the market? Does it makesense to have your sponsor continue paying for what is now essentially a useless deliverable? Not in my estimation.

If we accept that our requirements are incomplete andincorrect, then we need to edit them to reflect reality.Indeed, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide ) warns: Because of thepotential for change, the project management plan is iter-ative and goes through progressive elaboration throughoutthe projects life cycle.

Simplify your change-management approach. Agileproject managers explicitly embrace the value of respond-

ing to change and institute project policies accordingly.Start by implementing a contract structure that supportsauthorized change rather than penalizes it. At the start of each iteration, mandate a high-level yet thorough revisionof scope priorities. If your sponsor has difficulty deter-mining priorities, coach him or her through the tradeoffs.Once changes are accepted, re-baseline earned value met-rics at least every three to four iterations to match the lat-est scope. And while youre at it, proactively communicatethe latest scope to all stakeholders.

If you consistently find your requirements getting you intotrouble, do something about it. Its your responsibility as theproject manager to be adaptable to your sponsors needs.Stop taking the requirements for granted and start equip-ping your sponsor to make the right scope choices. PM

Jesse Fewell, CST, PMP, is the managing director for offshore agile projects at RippleRock India and founder of the PMI Agile Community of Practice. He can be reached at [email protected].

THE BLAME GAME

VIEWPOINTS

Bad requirements? Actually, thats your own fault.B Y J E S S E F E W E L L , C S T , P M P


>>Todays project manager isexpected to have the organiza-tional savvy and facilitationskills to get to the root of these

problems. To ensure you yield theright priorities at the right time,take the initial scope statementas a starting point, then workwith the sponsor to refine it.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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VIEWPOINTS

Ive worked with a lot of projectteams over the years. And nomatter what organizationtheyre working for or where

they are in the world, Ive noticedthe most successful project man-agers are always ready for action.

Instead of waiting for an oppor-tunity to come their way, theyreconstantly on the lookout. Theyre willing to act on instinct, withoutendlessly analyzing everything.They make mistakes but never quit.

Here are some other qualities of project managers who take initiative:

1. They know what they want. Author Napoleon Hill once said,The starting point of all achieve-

ment is desire. I never start a new project without a clear purpose,mission, scope and list of objec-tives. When Ive asked projectmanagers from all across Europe why they believe theyre successful, their answer is thesame: At the outset of a project, they have clear expecta-tions, so theyre positioned to move forward.

2. They push themselves to act.I follow the principle, You can if you will. In my case, what motivates me every day is a belief in my profession.

Effective project managers make it a regular practice topush beyond their comfort zone.

3. They take more risks.Proactive people push themselves to act. Theyre willing totake a gamble now and then. They also know when to walk away from a situation thats just not worth it.

4. They make more mistakes.The good news is that those project managers willing totake initiative make things happen. The bad news is thatthey also tend to make a lot of mistakes. IBM founder

Thomas J. Watson recognizedthat when he remarked, The way to succeed is to doubleyour failure rate.

Are you the type whotakes initiative? If you haventpushed yourself lately, youmay need a jump-start. Try the following:

Change your mindset.Determine why you hesitateto take action. Does risk scare you? Are you discour-aged by past failures? Do youfail to see the potential thatan opportunity offers? You

wont be able to move forward until you identify the

source of your hesitation andaddress it.

Dont wait for opportunity to knock. Take stock of your

assets, talents and resources. Then, be on the lookout forpeople or teams in need of your skills. Who could really benefit from your expertise? Opportunity is everywhere.

Make the jump. Its one thing to see opportunity; itsanother to actually do something about it. Pick thebest one and pursue it as far as you can. Chances are

your project, your organization and your career will allbenefit. PM

Alfonso Bucero, MSc, PMP, is an independent consultant who manages projects throughout Europe and Asia. He is the author of Project ManagementA New Visionand Today Is a Good Day: Attitudes for Achieving Project Success, coauthor of ProjectSponsorship: Achieving ManagementCommitment for Project Success and con-tributor to Creating the Project Office and Project Management Circa 2025.

TAKE CHARGEInstead of getting mired in minutiae, make things happen.B Y A L F O N S O B U C E R O , M S c , P M P , C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R

TH

NK

NG

POS

T

VE



27/76JULY 2010 PM NETWORK25

INBRIEF JULY201026 THE GREAT TALENT EXODUS* As the economy recovers, talented project managers could be tempted to seek employmentelsewhere.

* Creating fulfilling career paths for top performers can be an even more effective retentiontool than money.

* If employers dont take action to keep talent, they risk losing their best intellectual capital.

34 JUSTIFY THE MEANS* Corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects didnt fall by the wayside during the recession,

but compa nies are now building in accountability measures.

* Companies are also focusing on CSR projects that align with their corporate brands andstrategies.

* Executives now hold project managers more accountable for CSR projects and expectmeasurable goals.

44 UP FOR ADAPTATION* Iterative scheduling is gaining favor for the flexibility it offers, but it isnt appropriate for

every project or industry.

* The iterative approach can be an effective way to secure client buy-in to changes.50 BREAKING THE MOLD* Oshkosh Defense had to design a combat-ready vehicle tailored to handle the tough

Afghanistan terrainand had only months to deliver.

* To speed up the process, the project team leveraged existing technology and tested thevehicle parallel to development.

* Oshkoshs streamlined approach could serve as a model for future defense projects withcompressed timelines.

56 MYSTIC RIVER* The Bureau of Ecological Architecture & Systems of Tomorrow launched a project to cleanup a polluted river and the ancient medina it runs through in Fez, Morocco.* Facing stakeholder skepticism that the historic site can actually be restored, the

organization developed a 20-year plan.

* The ambitious project focuses on facilitating traffic flow, improving water quality andcreating green public spaces in an area home to toxic tanneries.

60 HIRE POWER* Organizations looking for project management talent are increasingly turning to social media

as a recruiting strategy.

* Companies can zero in on candidates with the specific skills they need by participating inconversations in online forums.

> Make sure thatpeople arent usingiterative schedulingbecause they dont

want structure interms of budgetsand estimates andbecause they dowant the ability tomake undocumentedchanges. PG. 49, KEITH MATHIS, PhD, PMP,THE MATHIS GROUP INC., EUREKA,MISSOURI, USA

THE MEDIAN ANNUAL

SALARY OF PROJECTPROFESSIONALS

US$90,260

PG. 30

Source: PMI Project Management Salary SurveySixth Edition


28/7626 PM NETWORK JULY 2010 WWW.PMI.ORG

EX

Murray Duke, PMP,Datacraft,

okyo, Japan


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receiving end of salary freezes, throughno fault of their own, will be morethan happy to look for greener pas-tures, he says.

A LOT TO LOSE

With all the resource cuts, teams havebeen expected to do more with less. And that means losing even one personto the competition could have a seriousimpact.

Im currently running a few projects where one key team member is absolutely pivotal to each projects success, Mr.Duke says. I fear daily that these people will leave and jeopardize the project if

the company doesnt recognize their con-tributions.

There may be even larger riskslike the defection of entire project

teams lured by new upstart companiesentering the market as the economy picks up.

To prevent talent mutinies, compa-nies need to get back to the basics, Mr.Duke says. The first step is to remem-ber that people are people, and notresources.

An obvious place to start is with a generous salary and benefits package,says John Mingione, CEO of Omni-build LLC, a construction management


For decades, the flow of project management talent has moved in a distinct

direction: from emerging markets to developed ones. The United States has

proven particularly adept at attracting top-tier project professionals from less-

established areas where opportunities havent been as strong.

But that dynamic has shifted in the wake of a still-sputtering economy. Now,

some project managers are returning to their homelands, including up-and-comers

such as Brazil, South Africa, Hungary, Serbia, Russia and India.

Within the past couple of years, Wendy Franklin Muhammad has seen several

expatriates heading back home. They each expressed that the market there was

more accepting of project management practitioners and have felt that there

were more opportunities, says Ms. Franklin Muhammad, project manager and

coach at leadership training and business consultancy The Authentic You LLC,

Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Ms. Franklin Muham mad recently spoke with one healthcare IT professionalwho was much more optimistic about job growth potential in her native country

of India: There are more businesses to be built and the need for project man-

agement is greater there.

Some project professionals, especially in IT and telecom, are also discover-

ing that once theyve picked up some international experience, theyre worth

more at home, says Sylvia MacArthur, president of IRC Global Executive Search

Partners, a staffing and recruiting network in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

We have seen a pick-up in people who have worked in North America for sev-

eral years and subsequently moved back to their home country, she says. People

considering a move back have commented that, with much of the talent from theirhome country having emigrated elsewhere, those returning are extremely well-

positioned to get key jobs when they return. This typically affords them the oppor-

tunity to out-earn their local peers and a perceived better lifestyle.

REVERSE MIGRATION


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and contracting firm in New York,New York, USA. His company, forexample, provides 100 percenthealthcare coverage.

But holding on to your prize playersdoesnt always come down to cold, hardcash. One way to make sure top per-formers stick around is to let them work on the projects that interest them most.

The benefit is twofold: The employee will say, Hey, this organization caresabout me, and I can see myself doing this job two or three years from now,Mr. Mills says.

To keep your star players, focus on a strategic triad, advises Manoj K. Gupta,

PMP, partner and co-founder of Pariyojana Consulting Services, a pro-gram and project management, IT andtelecom consultancy in New Delhi,

India. Promise career, benefits andmoneyin that order, says Mr.Gupta, who is also secretary and CFOof the PMI North India Chapter.

Project managers are a passionatebunch, and money is not a prime moti-vator for most, Mr. Duke says.Establishing a career path and recogni-tion of ones accomplishments willoften go much further than a pay raise.

Companies may also want to offertheir employees some good, old-fash-


Last year wasnt exactly a great time to ask for a raiseunless you were a project

manager, according to a PMI survey of 34,800 project management practitioners

from 19 countries.

Fifty-one percent of respondents reported an increase in total pay (including

salary, bonuses and other compensation) over 2008, according to the PMI Project

Management Salary Survey Sixth Edition, released in April. Seventeen percent

reported an increase of at least 5 percent.

The median an nual salary was US$90,260, although individual numbers vary

significantly due to a number of factors, including country, experience, role and

project size. Not surprisingly, the more years spent in project management, the

higher the salary. Likewise, those managing larger projects tend to get paid more.

Earning a Project Management Professional (PMP) credential can boost a

salary, too. In the United States, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, France, Australia and

the United Arab Emirates, PMP credential holders took home an average of

US$10,000 more per year than their counterparts without one.

As far as countries go, Australia leads the pack, with a median salary of

US$116,625. Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Canada

followed. In contrast, the median project management salary was only US$27,072

in India and US$21,975 in China.

But dont pack up those bags and move to Australia expecting to land a lucra-

tive drea m job.

We have a highly competitive labor market due to a continuingand rather

unrelentingskilled migration policy, says William Forrester, PMP, an independ-

ent IT project manager in Melbourne, Australia. I have recent anecdotes from anumber of sources citing hundreds of applications being received for advertised

project management positions, and many of those applicants are highly qualified

and unemployed.

PAY DAY

US$90,260The median annual

salary of projectmanagement practitioners

US$10,000The average annual

amount in somecountries that Project

ManagementProfessional (PMP)

credential holders earnedover those without

Source: PMI Project Management Salary Survey Sixth Edition
http://www.pmi.org/http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00101206401http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00101206401http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00101206401http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00101206401http://www.pmi.org/Marketplace/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00101206401http://www.pmi.org/


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ioned independence, Mr. Mingionesuggests.

Let them be their own boss and

dont micromanage, he says. Letthem solve problems on their own.To groom that autonomy, execu-

tives need to take a back seat and letproject managers develop their ownrelationships.

If I make myself readily availableto every client, then they will alwaysleapfrog my project manager, Mr.Mingione says.

And that makes the project managerfeel less valued.

INDIVIDUAL APPEAL

Rewarding a job well done can go a long way in encouraging people tostick around. Some companies pay foreducation or treat top players to a year-end overseas vacation with theirfamily.

Instead of implementing a blanketplan, though, companies should zeroin on individual needs. For some proj-ect managers, it might be something as

* AS A PMIMEMBER, you canaccess a self-directedonline Salary Survey query. This service letsyou compare salarydata by position,Project ManagementProfessional (PMP)

status (for certaincountries) and geo-graphic location.

Because of samplingconstraints, salary infor-mation is not availablefor all positions in everygeographic location.

Bellevue University gives you career-relevant learning opportunities to help you show the world what you can do.

Enhance your knowledge, earn PDUs andprepare for the PMP exam.

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Take Advantage of PM Network sPass-Along Value!Have you found an article in PM Network youd like to useas a presentation tool? Would you like to distribute a projectmanagement article as part of a newsletter? Contact theProject Management Institute (PMI) for information onreprinting articles ([email protected] ) and permission to

distribute them ([email protected] ).
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Watch interviews with the authors, share your visiof the future and more at PMI.org/FutureofPM.

ProjectManagementCirca 2025Edited by David I. Cleland, PhD and Bopaya Bidanda, PhDProject Management Institute, 2009.

PMI member price: $39.95 | ISBN: 9781933890968

What is the likely future of project management?How will you manage projects in the future?

2009. Project Management Institute Inc. All rights reserved.PMI, the PMI logo, and Making project management indispensable for business results are registered marks of Project Management IFor a comprehensive list of PMImarks, contact thePMI legal department.

Making project management indispensable for business results.

031-006-2009

Join project management luminaries David I. Cleland, PhD , Bopaya Bidanda, PhDand 39 contributing authors from around the world as they envision and describethe practice of project management across regions and industries, in the year 2025.

Order today at PMI.org/Marketplaceor from your favorite local or onlinebookstore.

Project managers are absolutely necessary inorganizations today because of change.

And organizations that do not study the future and develop strategies simply will not survive.

David I. Cleland, PhD, Editor and co-author,Project Management Circa 2025
http://pmi.org/FutureofPMhttp://pmi.org/Marketplacehttp://pmi.org/Marketplacehttp://pmi.org/FutureofPM


36/7634 PM NETWORK JULY 2010 WWW.PMI.ORG

Social responsibility projects survived the slump, but nowthey come


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justifythemeans

by Sarah Fister Gale // illustration by Matt Kenyon


with some strings attached: accountability and alignment.


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ith their often-hazy ROI, cor-porate social responsibility (CSR) projects can be a tempting target for the ax,even in the best of times. So

when the recession hit, theassumption was that CSR investments would be the firston the chopping block. Yetthese projects are thrivingalbeit with a few caveats.

As companies obsess overevery expenditure, theyre notgoing to fund some feel-good

project just because its nice or its theright thing to do. CSR projects haveto align with the corporate brand andstrategyand there needs to be a way to prove rock-solid results.

We havent cut back on CSR sincethe recession, but we have addedaccountability, says Jane Lazgin, spokes-woman for Nestl Waters North America Inc., Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.Funds have become more precious, sothey are given more consideration. Whenwe can define how many people a projecttouched, we can measure whether that

project made a difference.It might be building schools inimpoverished neighborhoods or tap-ping into technology to decide whereto send disaster relief. Chosen properly,CSR projects can help define the brandand foster goodwill. Of the 224 globalexecutives surveyed by IBM, 60 per-

cent said CSR investments were moreimportant in 2009 than the yearbefore.

Media attention, customer supportand expectations from clients and

stakeholders all contribute to the driveto invest in CSR projects, regardless of the state of the economy.

In the European Union especially,the triple bottom lineeconomic,environmental and social aspectsisrelevant for markets and customers,says Sara Brandimarti, Milan, Italy-based European CSR project managerat TV SD, a global industrial test-ing and certification company. Youneed to demonstrate that you are a good corporate citizen, particularly if you have higher-priced products.

TV SD worked with an Italianwool producer over the years to obtainsocial and environmental ISO certifi-cations. Last year they teamed up againto run a project to reduce carbon diox-ide emissions.

Once an organization starts a socialresponsibility program, it should bevery wary about pulling the plug, no

matter how dire the economic circum-stances.CSR is a long-term strategy, Ms.

Brandimarti says. It cant be some-thing you do for one year to demon-strate you are a good company, thenquit. You have to create a system forCSR and monitor your progress to


W

The strategic planning process gave

us parameters for investing inprojects and crystallized what isimportant to us as a company. Now,if a great project comes along thatdoesnt align with one of our focusareas, we know we should decline.Gina Goff, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, New Hampshire, USA


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ensure you are achieving the goals youset forth.

CSR projects may indeed be evenmore important now, when so many people are in need of support, says

Kishor Chaukar, managing director of Tata Industries Ltd., the managementconsulting division of business con-glomerate Tata, Mumbai, India.

To withdraw from community projects because of one economicdownturn is counter-productive, hesays. It may save you money for thatyear, but you will lose the publics pos-itive perception of your brand, andtheir faith in you will be shaken.

Mr. Chaukar serves as chairman of Tatas Council for Community Initiatives. Forty of the companysCEOs use the informal forum to shareideas about how the organization canmore effectively invest in society. Theidea is to help foster investment ideasacross the organization and spur any CEOs who are lagging to get moreinvolved.

All of Tatas more than 100 com-panies around the world are required

to support CSR projects. Each one isexpected to report on its CSR proj-ects annually, including a discussionof the long-term benefits to the com-munity. To reinforce the importanceof CSR, CEOs and companies arerated on the size and success of theseinitiatives.

We expect them to actively con-tribute to society, but they are free tochoose which projects they believe areimportant to their communities, Mr.

Chaukar says.Tata Interactive Systems, for exam-

ple, hosts an annual learning disability forum. Last years focused on projectsurging educational institutions andfamilies to work toward detecting andproviding remediation to disabled chil-dren at a younger age.

PROVE IT

As with other projects, CSR efforts were put under the microscope.

Feeling the economic squeeze, many companies started rethinking theirCSR decision-making strategies toensure the targeted audience and thebusiness both achieve the greatest

benefit.That includes setting greater expecta-

tions for measurable goals and outcomesfrom CSR projects, says Dave Nielsen,PMP, founding partner of ThreeOProject Solutions, a project manage-ment training and consulting company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

CSR projects should have goalsand objectives just as for-profit projectshave, he says. How else will youknow if youve succeeded?


>TIP Companies shouldencourage employees to volunteertheir time to social causes.It can have a dramatic impact for little to no cost,says Kishor Chaukar , Tata Industries Ltd., Mumbai,India. Currently, 30,000 of the organizations staff vol-unteer an average of four hours a week. Employeesoffer their expertise and mobilize local communityprojects, such as educating teachers about nutritiouscooking in neighborhoods with high rates of child

malnutrition. The organization also lets team mem-bers tap into office resources like printers.


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Companies may also want to offertheir project management expertise tothe community organizations they partner with.

The typical agencies applying forCSR funding have a good grasp of what they want to do, but they do a poor job of defining their goals andobjectives, Mr. Nielsen says. Whilethose goals wont be tied to profits, youcan still identify quantifiable measures,such as number of people reached or

amount of resources brought into thecommunity.

Seeking tangible, measurable out-comes for its CSR projects, C&S Wholesale Grocers launched a strategicinitiative in 2008 to define the focusareas the company supports. The goal was to more efficiently identify projectsthat align with the companys values andgoals. Through that process, C&Szeroed in on global hunger, local impov-erished children and the environment.

The strategic planning processgave us parameters for investing inprojects and crystallized what is impor-tant to us as a company, says Gina Goff, director of community involve-ment at the Keene, New Hampshire,USA-based company. Now, if a greatproject comes along that doesnt align with one of our focus areas, we know we should decline.

The company also put greateremphasis on employee involvement in

the decision-making process for smallerdonations. Groups of local workersvolunteer to evaluate community grantrequests for CSR projects and choosethose they think will bring the mostvalue to the communities where they work and live. Staffers in UpperMarlboro, Maryland, for example,recently supported a project throughthe local Humane Society to pair dogsin shelters with veterans for obediencetraining.


%To make the most of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, companies

should zero in on the areas that align with their strategy, says Jane Lazgin, Nestl

Waters North America Inc., Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.

You dont want to fund isolated random projects, she explains. You want to find

long-term initiatives that reflect the way you do business and create shared value in

the community.

The Swiss food conglomerate ties its brandand its CSR projectsto water, well-

ness, nutrition, sustainability and economic vitality.

A major element of the companys CSR strategy is preparing at-risk areas for

potential disasters. Having resources at the ready, Nestl was able to help

AmeriCares, a global health and disaster-response not-for-profit, provide 2.5 mil-

lion bottles of water to victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Part of our CSR process is knowing the unexpected will happen and planning for

it, Ms. Lazgin says.Project managers tasked with Nestls CSR initiatives are required to report on how

much money and how many people are involved as well as feedback from participants

on the value of the project. Such metrics help the CSR team prove the value of their

investments to stakeholders.

Its a driver for greater transparency, goal-setting and reporting for CSR proj-

ects, Ms. Lazgin says. It adds value to the company and it helps us determine

what projects to support in the future.

Healthy Returns


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The corporate team handles largerrequests by invitation only. Pre-selectedorganizations that fit in with the com-panys CSR strategy can submit propos-als for specific projects. The plans mustinclude objectives and goals, deadlines,the size and experience of the teammanaging the project, and how it tiesinto one of C&S focus areas.

The company is currently partner-ing with Feeding America, for exam-ple, to expand its program to hand outbackpacks filled with food to under-privileged children.

C&S quantifies its goalsin thiscase, the company aims to reach 50 per-

cent more children over the nextthree years. As part of the funding criteria for any of the CSR programs,project managers must provideprogress reports.

The best projects are ones that areclearly defined with measurable out-comes, Ms. Goff says. Grantees canonly apply for one project, so those con-versations help them choose and shapethe one that makes the most sense.

A faltering economy raises the profileand the pressure for CSR projects. Itsnot the end of corporate citizenshipthere just has to be a solid payoff for boththe company and the community. PM

60percent

The portion of global executiveswho said CSR projects weremore important in 2009 than in

the previous year Source: IBM
mailto:[email protected]://www.alpha-consultoria.com/


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A project from Childrens Hearing &Speech Centre of BC seemed to fit the billand the organization had a history withTelus. Would that be enough now?

GOING THE DISTANCE

Last year, Telus had worked with the locallybased Childrens Hearing & Speech Centreon a pilot project aimed at helping deaf chil-dren in small towns and remote communi-ties around Canada.

In smaller cities, there might be six deafchildren, which is not enough to support ahearing professional such as a teacher oran auditory-verbal therapist full-time, saysEsther Rausenberg, project and fund devel-opment manager at the center. Not havingaccess to speech-therapy services in theirformative years can be devastating to chil-dren with hearing loss, she explains.

Looking for ways to expand coverage,Ms. Rausenbergs team traveled to Australiato observe several programs that hadimplemented distance-learning technologyto teach deaf children and students.

We were mostly interested in observingthe outcomes, she says. We wanted to seeif distance learning paralleled face-to-facelearning.

At the time, such programs were a rarity,but the anecdotal results were promising.Ms. Rausenbergs team returned home anddevised a pilot project called A Sound Movefor newborns to 5-year-olds at screeningcenters in four remote communities.

The problem came down to money andtechnology. As an independent school andclinic, the center receives provincial gov-ernment funding. However, it doesnt haveaccess to public school or health facilitiesor their broadband networks.

The government wasnt keen on anunproven project, so Ms. Rausenberglooked to the corporate community for helpand zeroed in on Telus.

We approached Telus because thisproject was a good fit for them, she says.Its about sound, communication and tech-nology, which is what they do.

The Telus Vancouver Community Boardagreed to back the project. One of nine com-munity boards across Canada, it reviews localgrant applications for community projects.Spotting alignment with the corporate goalsand brand, the board donated CA$16,000enough for Ms. Rausenberg to purchasefour teleconferencing systems, broadbandconnections and training materials.

There were a few snags along the way.Stakeholders had to adapt to a new way ofprovidi

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