Volume X - Issue I - January 2008
Featured Papers
A Sustainability Checklist for Managers of Projects By Tom Taylor Introduction Everyone in the world is aware that Planet Earth is in peril – especially to the continuing existence of many of its species – not least the human race. We are all aware of the concerns and apprehension associated with global warming, climate change, competition for and consumption of finite resources, pressures on biodiversity, toxic legacies, waste and the like. These issues may collectively be described as “Sustainability, Green Issues and the Environment”. For many political and social issues the opinions and interests of stakeholders – in this case the public, business and government may be described in three groups: 1. those for doing something on the topic, 2. those against doing something on the topic and 3. those who are apathetic to the situation.
Value Delivery in Systems Engineering By Tom Gilb Abstract. Sponsors who order and pay for systems engineering projects, must justify their money spent based on the expected consequential effects (hereafter called ‘value’) of the systems. At one extreme if a system met all technical requirements, but was never deployed in practice – it might have no possibility of delivering the value expected. This paper will argue that the definition of the expected value should form an integral part of the high level requirements of the system. It will argue that we need specific design and implementation planning to improve the probability that the value will be delivered and will be maintained. The Value Delivery ProblemSponsors who order and pay for systems engineering projects, must justify their money spent based on the expected consequential effects (hereafter called ‘value’) of the systems. The value of the technical system is often expressed in presentation slides and requirements documents as a set of nice-sounding words, under various titles such as “System Objectives”, and “Business Problem Definition”. But the problem with these is that:
Churchill's Team - Beaverbrook By Mark Kozak-Holland Most people are very familiar with Winston Churchill but may not be familiar with his “agile” approach to project management and his skills as a PM in the summer of 1940. Part 16 looked at how Churchill’s organization prepared itself for the air battle to meet his short term objectives of staving off the invasion. This article looks at how Beaverbrook and his leadership style made an immediate impact at the Ministry of Aircraft production (MAP). The U.K. economy in spite of all efforts was still on a civilian footing. Household goods and new automobiles were still being built and diverting critical manufacturing resources and raw materials. Churchill had to prioritize fighter production over everything, even bomber production which the Air Ministry had been prioritizing. The fighter production rate was still well under the target of 200 fighters per month. Even the boost of a new Spitfire fighter factory was plagued by the complexity of the Spitfire’s elliptical wings and had failed to produce anything in 6 months. So how did Churchill address this situation? Churchill believed that the Air Ministry had to relinquish fighter production because it had failed to meet its targets. Churchill wrestled fighter production out of its control by creating the Ministry of Aircraft production. He then made one of the earliest and most important decisions in the running of war production, and appointed Canadian Lord Beaverbrook as its minister.
The Project/Program Management Office (PMO) By TD Jainendrukumar The Project/Program Management Office (PMO) is the fastest growing concept in project management today and is key to effective implementation of project management across the organization. To keep pace with customer expectations, competition, and economic conditions in the fast-paced global economy, organizations must do more using fewer resources. Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO shows you how to turn your PMO into a value machine. PMO Functions Probably the best known, and the most widely used, description of the functions of a PMO would include only those functions that are intended to assist individual projects. However, if these functions are complemented by organization-oriented functions, then the resulting PMO will be an exceptionally effective unit in achieving organizational project management maturity, and more importantly, in facilitating higher profits and in maintaining the competitive advantage of the organization. Project-focused functions include staff augmentation, consulting, and mentoring. Enterprise-oriented functions include training, clear housing, project historical data, issuing best practices, and promoting the project management profession. The main areas under this are: 1. Practice Management; 2. Infrastructure Management; 3. Resource Integration Management; 4. Technical Support Management; and 5. Business Alignment.
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