New Program Management Toolkit for Software Developers available from Finland
A new global resource for software developers and project managers is now available in English from Finland. Program Management Toolkit for software and systems development is a new book and CD kit authored and produced by Pekka Forselius, Carol Dekkers, Matti Karvinen, and Matti Kosonen. The Toolkit has been published in Finland by Talentum, but is available to interested professionals worldwide.
Throughout the world, software and systems projects are becoming increasingly important and, at the same time more complex. Software intensive system projects are considered successful only 1/3 of the time according to the annual Standish Group Chaos report, which leaves the majority of projects where the needs of stakeholders were unfulfilled. Often, problems lie in the (mis)communication of functional and quality requirements between customers and suppliers, the root cause being a lack of articulated, documented, and measured requirements – and ultimately a misunderstanding of what is really needed.
This book presents a set of scalable tools, templates, and program management techniques proven to remarkably increase success on software intensive systems.
According to the book’s reviewers, this toolkit offers an innovative and independent program and project management framework for use by all parties involved. Many publications already exist about project management, and even specifically for software and systems project management, but we have observed that the overall success on these projects has not significantly improved. Generally, the project scope issues have not been thoroughly addressed. Another deficiency has been simplicity: current literature typically offers precisely the same management guidance for every project in spite of the type or their industry. And third, a very common feature of guides for software and systems project management is that they seem to mix the issues of systems engineering and technology with management.
Pekka Forselius, MSc, MBA: is a business partner, CEO and project management consultant at 4SUM Partners Oy in Helsinki. He developed the Experience® Pro data-collection concept and is the product champion of Experience® Pro software. Pekka is a researcher and developer of project management methods and concepts, including northernSCOPE™ Scope Management and FiSMA 1.1 ISO/IEC 29881 Functional Size Measurement standard. As a research associate at INSEAD since 1996, and at the University of Brunel since 2003, his research specialty is organizational learning, in particular corporate memory and benchmarking.
Pekka holds a MSc in informatics and an executive MBA from the University of Jyväskylä. Since 2000, he has been the primary representative of the national body of Finland to ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 standardization working group WG12, Functional Size Measurement. Pekka is also the president of the international benchmarking organization (ISBSG), a member of the executive committee of the COSMIC consortium and past board member of the Finland Information Processing Association (FIPA). He is co-author of two other books: Tivi-projektien johtaminen (ICT project management, TTL, 2005) and Practical Project Estimation, 2nd Edition (ISBSG, 2005).
Carol Dekkers, PMP, P.Eng. CMC, CFPS, is President of Quality Plus Technologies, based in Florida, and is a business partner and seasoned northernSCOPE™ scope manager, as well as an internationally recognized expert on software measurement, estimating and international standards. Carol has been involved with ISO in Functional Size Measurement (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7 WG 12) and has been a U.S. delegate to ISO SC7 Software Engineering since 1994. She is a technical advisor to the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG), and a former President of the International Function Point Users Group (IFPUG), and a former Chair of PMI Metrics SIG. Carol sits on the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Software Division council, and is track chair for the division in the ASQ annual Congress.
Ms. Dekkers served as a visiting scientist for measurement with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University, and is a frequent presenter and instructor at international project management, metrics and quality conferences. Her system development and project management experience spans all phases of the systems development life cycle and includes a range of industries (including financial, judicial, MIS, engineering and scientific systems, in both private and public sectors). She is the author of Function Points – Tools for Project Management Metrics, and co-author of two other books: Practical software measurement: Advice from the experts, and Practical Project Estimation, 2nd Edition.
Matti Karvinen, MSc, is a senior consultant and partner at Quint Wellington Redwood Oy and many years of experience with different development programs and projects. Since he first started his ICT career in 1967, he has played almost all roles related to ICT program and project management. He has been an IT executive in the private financial sector, and also in public social security organizations, and consulting companies. He is co-author of three other books: Atk-hankinnat (ADP Acquisitions, Datacasa, 1992) and Tietotekniikkainvestoinnit (Information Technology Investments, Satku, 1994) and Tivi-projektien johtaminen (ICT project management, TTL, 2005). Matti was involved in leadership of the Finnish national development committees: ATK91, ATK94 and IT2000, which developed the national “Terms and Conditions for IT Procurement in Finland”.
Matti Kosonen is the Director of Business Development at Rautakirja Oy Press Distribution for Sanoma Corporation. He is responsible for major IT programs and IT management of the international press distribution division. Before Sanoma Corporation, Kosonen worked as a partner in Quint Wellington Redwood Oy, and other major corporations, where he has consulted to corporate and public organizations in the area of IT processes (ITIL), IT projects and Risk Management. Matti is the inventor of the unique Risk Adjusted Investment Analysis method and toolkit for improving the economic evaluation, risk management and control of IT programs. He is co-author of Tivi-projektien johtaminen (ICT project management, TTL, 2005).
For more information about Program Management Toolkit for software and systems development, visit www.4sumpartners.com or contact Pekka Forselius at pekka.forselius@4sumpartners.com or Carol Dekkers at dekkers@qualityplustech.com.
Top of Page
New ESI White Paper on Change Management available online
An important new white paper has been announced by ESI, the US-based project management consulting and training organization, which has made it available to the public a no cost online. "The Change Management Life Cycle: How to Involve Your People to Ensure Success at Every Stage" has been authored by Jonathan Gilbert, director of client solutions, ESI International
According to the abstract:
Every organization is affected by change. Still, organizational change initiatives fail at an alarming rate. This is because most initiatives fail to consider how changes affect the people in an organization. To successfully implement change initiatives, organizational leaders must ensure employees at all levels of the organization embrace the proposed changes.
This paper introduces a three-phase Organizational Change Management Life Cycle methodology (Identify, Engage, Implement) designed to help organizations successfully manage a change initiative. For each phase of the life cycle, the paper describes valuable techniques for involving the people within an organization. It also discusses the importance of developing a flexible, incremental implementation plan.
To read or download the paper, visit http://www.esi-intl.com/public/downloads/whitepaper/downloadwhitepaper.aspx?S=W&WPID=25
Jonathan B. Gilbert, PMP (pictured left) has more than 30 years of experience as educator, entrepreneur, chief executive officer, project manager, construction manager, management consultant, and engineer. In 1975, he began his career as a project engineer and construction manager, designing, building and operating environmental treatment facilities. Mr. Gilbert is currently Director of Client Solutions for ESI International.
Mr. Gilbert earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park, concentrating in project/construction management and environmental engineering.
ESI International ESI, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LSE:INF) helps people around the world improve the way they manage projects, contracts, requirements and vendors. In addition to ESI’s 100+ courses delivered in 18 languages at over 75 locations worldwide, ESI offers ten certificate programs through our educational partner The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Founded in 1981, ESI’s worldwide headquarters are in Arlington, VA, USA. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.esi-intl.com.
Top of Page
SharePoint for Project Management: New book from O'Reilly
O’Reilly Media has announced the release of a new book that may be of interest to many users of Microsoft’s SharePoint server system. The mew bppl. SharePoint for Project Management helps users better understand how to create a project management information system (PMIS) with SharePoint.
According to O’Reilly, the book also demonstrates how SharePoint can also help organize and manage complex projects. Readers will learn how to build a PMIS customized to a project that can efficiently coordinate communication and collaboration among team members.
Other features promoted – users will supposedly:
-
Learn to apply key project management techniques by leveraging SharePoint as a PMIS
-
Track a case study that illustrates the circumstances and processes of an effective SharePoint PMIS
-
Appropriately define access permissions for project stakeholders and team members
-
Centralize project documents and keep track of document history with version control
-
Automate project reporting mechanisms and generate on-demand status reports
-
Track project schedules, control changes, and manage project risks
-
Integrate project management tools such as Excel, Microsoft Project, PowerPoint, and Outlook
The author, Dux Raymond Sy has earned a reputation as among the leading experts in leveraging technology to enhance project management. He is currently a managing partner and the chief evangelist of Innovative-e, Inc., a Microsoft-certified, business technology consulting and services company that serves startups to Global 50 clients. He is also a sought after trainer for Learning Tree International, having developed and facilitated management and technology training to government organizations, Fortune 500 companies, non-profit institutions in the United States, Bahamas, Barbados, China , the United Kingdom and the Philippines.
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596520144
SharePoint for Project Management, by Dux Raymond Sy; ISBN: 9780596520144, 250 pages, Book Price: $44.99 USD, £31.99 GBP order@oreilly.com
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism. www.oreilly.com
Top of Page
Important new report recommends improvements in Federal Program Management in USA
The Program Management Steering Committee of the Council for Excellence in Government in the United States has released a new report entitled Improving Government Performance and Delivery. The study explores perceptions of federal program managers and makes legislative and policy recommendations for moving forward. The new report was announced in a press release in Washington, DC on 9 December 2008. The report can be found at http://ceg.files.cms-plus.com/usermedia/images/uploads/PDFs/
Improving%20Govt%20Performance%20and%20Delivery%20Rev.pdf.
The report is the culmination of a two-year initiative led by a public/private group of interested parties that met under the auspices of the Council, in partnership with Management Concepts and Robbins-Gioia, to discuss ways to improve government performance through program management.
In support of the Committee’s effort, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identified and invited 550 program mangers, of which 123 responded, to take an online survey in February 2008. The purpose of this survey was to gather data and opinions from a broad population of federal program managers about their daily experiences, including their program’s practices, professional development experiences and suggestions for how to best position the next generation of program managers.
From the results of this survey, the Committee has put together sets of legislative and policy recommendations for implementation by the Congress, the President’s Management Council, OMB, federal agencies and/or responsible bodies as appropriate. Key recommendations include:
-
Improve oversight and management of agency program performance through enactment of the Acquisition Management Reform Act of 2009;
-
Establish clarity of responsibility and accountability for delivery of program results;
-
Improve program performance and results by establishing the practice of program management;
-
Establish a program management career field to recruit, sustain and retain talent and expertise in program management; and
-
Improve the business effectiveness of government by creating an environment where federal program managers can share best practices and lessons learned.
Founded in 1983, the Council for Excellence in Government is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to improve the performance of government at all levels in the United States; and government's place in the lives and esteem of American citizens. With its experienced staff, network of experts and members, and diverse partners, the Council helps to create stronger public sector leadership and management, driven by innovation and focused on results; and increased citizen confidence and participation in government, through better understanding of government and its role. (www.excelgov.org)
Management Concepts is a company that focuses on an individual approach to organizational achievement through high impact training courses…custom learning and development…professional services… and publications. For over 35 years, Management Concepts has successfully worked with every major agency in the federal government, dozens of state and local government offices, numerous associations and non-profit organizations, and hundreds of large and mid-sized corporations throughout the country. (www.managementconcepts.com)
Robbins-Gioi, LLC has been dedicated to delivering management consulting solutions to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies for 25 years. Robbins-Gioia combines thought leadership, disciplined processes, industry-based knowledge, and integrated tools to help global customers optimize their business processes, accelerate change, and establish time, cost, and quality improvements to transform their businesses. For more information, please call Robbins-Gioia, LLC at 800-663-7138. (www.robbinsgioia.com)
Top of Page
Wideman PM Website updates announced for January 2009
Max Wideman has announced the latest updates to his popular project management website. According to the email from Max this month, here are the items that Max discusses or has added to his website this month.
Max' Guest this month, Mark Kozak-Holland, analyzes as a case study in project management, the documentation of The Great Escape, the story of how prisoners of war planned in detail their exodus from a German prison in WWII.
In Musings Max recites the classic, and true, tale of the rail road gauge to demonstrate how The Effects of Institutionalization can suffocate intellectual progress in project management.
In his Papers section this month, Max reviews the UK's Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Management of Risk: Guidance for Practitioners, a valuable and detailed how-to on corporate risk management for both project and non-project organizations.
Are you in charge of a project portfolio management office? Do you really know what reports are required by whom? If you are looking for answers, guidelines or templates, check out Max’s Issacons - "Issues and Considerations" that are presented in bullet form for quick and easy reference by project managers.
Have you seen Max’s book A Management Framework for Project, Program and Portfolio Integration? For information or to order a copy, visit http://www.maxwideman.com/papers/framework_book/intro.htm. Do you have a project management question? Find the answer at: http://www.maxwideman.com.
Max Wideman is one of the world’s best-known project management authorities. An engineer and professional project manager, his experience includes systems, social and environmental projects, as well as design and engineering projects. He is a Fellow of the Project Management Institute, of which he is past president and chairman and for which he led the development of the 1987 version of the Project Management Body of Knowledge. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering. His personal web site at http://www.maxwideman.com is a source of superior project management knowledge and information. It is free to the public. Max Wideman is also a global advisor to PMForum and PM World Today; additional information about Max can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/advisors.htm.
|
