PMcrunch

I’m not happy. The printer has still not been fixed and now my chair is broken. The problem with the company is that it is going to the dogs. My boss is okay but has no clue what is going on.

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There are certainly many lessons from the American presidential election, but I simply want to focus on one idea that I have believed in for a long time. That idea is very simple — change is good. While Barack Obama’s campaign was all about change, I would argue that the entire election was about change. Let’s take a look at how this change theme is important to project and program managers.

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Whatever performance review system is in place, the important thing for project management is that the line organization that holds ultimate responsibility for the project should be the primary input and judge of a project manager’s performance. Performance evaluation is often difficult in matrix-type organizations, such as those that include a PMO. Let’s take a look at some of the challenges.

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There are many ways to earn the 60 PDUs required to maintain PMP certification. Many PMPs consider this to be a challenge. However, with proper planning (remember, we are PMPs!), earning those PDUs can become a part of your regular professional life and can be a breeze. Here’s how.

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How does the emergence of Web 2.0 collaborative capabilities and networks effect the organizational landscape, and how does that effect project and program managers? I think the key to answering this question is to look at what is happening to interpersonal relationships, power centers, and influence within organizations to see how this is changing as a result of this emerging development. I find that we can gain insights into this by observing from the following point of view: a. Organization charts are the way the organization is “supposed” to be, and b. Web 2.0 collaboration reveals relationships, and hence organization structure, as it really is. Let’s explore…

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There has been a tremendous amount of buzz more recently about PMOs, otherwise known as Project Management Offices. Here is what a select group of experts are saying about PMOs today.

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Without Instant Messaging, the use of the internet and broadband technology would be greatly under valued. Thanks to this method of communication, contact between individuals using the internet may be conducted in real time, regardless of their location. Without Instant Messaging, it wouldn’t be impossible for someone in Calcutta to communicate with someone in Prague and talk business, close deals, handle project management issues, discuss personal issues, even gossip.

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There are many project management templates out there in the marketplace. Project Management consulting firms, training companies, large government organizations, and educational institutions are among those who produce and often sell project management tools and templates. These are generally geared toward implementing particular methodology and addressing a particular common problem space. There also are template providers – firms who produce many templates to service the open market. Some of these might be free, but generally the best cost some money. Here is a list of the more notable template providers I have found. The list gives a flavor for what is out there to support project management processes.

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The US Army CIO/G6 organization faces a lot of challenges and, as a large organization, uses a wide range of management tools. However, like many IT organizations, it does not have full control over IT assets throughout the organization.

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Online Project Management is part of an interesting trend. The ASP - Application Service Provider - model has been heating up for several years now and seems to be gaining more momentum on a consistent basis. Here are some reasons why the model is particularly well-suited to the application of project management.

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