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Vol. XI Issue III - March 2009
Project Management eJournal
The Power of Independent PM Reviews for Global Programs The GTRI Example
By David L. Pells, Wayne Abba, Russell Archibald,
and
Miles Shepherd
Editor’s note: This paper was originally presented at the 22nd IPMA World Congress on Project Management, “Project Management to Run”, during 9-11 November 2008 in Roma, Italy (http://www.ipmaroma2008.it/). This paper is included here with the consent of the authors and permission of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), who is the copyright holder of the conference proceedings. All conditions and disclaimers of the copyright holders pertain.
Abstract
The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) is a large, important global program financed by the U.S. government. It includes more than 340 projects in 90 countries, and has a critical global mission – to protect society from the malevolent use of nuclear or radiological materials that could be used in an improvised nuclear device (IND) or radiological dispersal device (RDD), commonly referred to as a radiological “dirty bomb.” Global initiatives such as the GTRI comprise portfolios of programs and projects involving many countries and organizational entities, both public and private. A broad perspective is needed during development of the management processes to be used for planning, authorizing, executing, monitoring and controlling such global programs. In the case of the GTRI, the Senior Executive in charge decided to address this broad perspective by engaging a small team of experienced executives and experts from 1) the headquarters of the agency holding the lead responsibility, 2) within the organizations (the national nuclear laboratories of the USA in this case) holding prime responsibilities for executing specific projects, and 3) the global project management professional community. The charge to this diverse, experienced, independent team was to critically evaluate the management concepts, processes, systems and tools in use and being developed for the GTRI, to participate actively in detailed discussions and open exchanges regarding these topics, and to provide practical guidance for both the near- and longer-term improvements in how this global initiative is managed. This paper describes this independent expert review initiative, describes some of the challenges that have been encountered, and draws some conclusions for guidance to others who are -- or perhaps will be -- involved in similar large scale programs.
Lead Author
David L. Pells is the Managing Editor of PM World Today and of www.pmforum.org, one of the world’s leading online sources of project management news and information. David is an internationally recognized leader in the field of professional project management, with over thirty years’ experience in project management. His professional experience includes a wide variety of programs and projects, including engineering, construction, transit, defense and high technology, and project sizes ranging from several thousand to ten billion dollars. He served on the board of directors of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) twice, and was awarded PMI’s Person of the Year award in 1998 and Fellow Award in 1999. He has published widely and speaks at PM conferences and events worldwide. David can be reached via email at: editor@pmforum.org
Co-Author
Wayne F. Abba is an executive advisor and principal of Abba Consulting, a management consulting firm based in Virginia, USA. Mr. Abba is an Internationally-recognized spokesperson for program management using Earned Value Management (EVM). With over 30 years’ experience in program analysis and a worldwide reputation as a leader in acquisition improvement, he was integrally involved in the complete reengineering of US Department of Defence (DoD) contract cost and schedule management policies and implementation. Wayne retired in 1999 from his position as Senior Program Analyst in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Technology at The Pentagon, Washington, DC. Currently an independent consultant specializing in EVM in the Public Sector, Mr. Abba’s recent clients include the US Federal Aviation Administration, the US Agency for International Development and the US Navy. He has been an advisor to the Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and other US and foreign government agencies. He is a corporate member of the National Defence Industrial Association (NDIA) and an officer of the NDIA Program Management Systems Committee. Wayne Abba has a Masters degree in Public Administration from The American University, Washington, DC, and a B.S. degree from the University of the State of New York, Albany, New York. He lives in Falls Church, Virginia, USA and can be contacted at abbaconsulting@cox.net.
Co-Author
Russell Archibald, PhD (Hon), PMI Fellow has more than 50 years of broad international experience in program and project management, as well as in operations and engineering management. Over the last 25 years, he has consulted in 12 countries on 4 continents to large and small companies in a wide variety of industries, including government agencies and international development banks. Russ is a co-founder, Fellow and Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) of the Project Management Institute (He was member No. 6 & one of the five original trustees), an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM) in the U.K., and is listed in Who's Who in the World. One of the world’s most widely respected authorities on modern project and program management, Russ is the author of the widely-acclaimed book Managing High Technology Programs & Projects (3rd edition, 2003, John Wiley & Sons). Russ is a Global Advisor for PMForum. Additional information about Russ Archibald can be found at www.russarchibald.com and at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/advisors.htm#3.
Co-Author
Miles Shepherd is managing director for MS Projects Ltd, a consulting company supporting various UK Government agencies, nuclear industry organisations and other businesses. Miles has over 30 years’ experience on a variety of projects in UK, Eastern Europe and Russia. His PM experience includes defence, major IT projects, decommissioning of nuclear reactors, rail and business projects for the UK Government and EU. Past Chair and Fellow of the Association for Project Management (APM), Miles is also past president and chair of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Miles is also a PM Ambassador™, Global Advisor and International Correspondent for PMForum in the United Kingdom. Additional information about Miles Shepherd can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/ambassadors/ambassadors.htm. Miles is based near London and can be reached at miles.shepherd@msp-ltd.co.uk.
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