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Support-Level Positions Every project manager has to start somewhere. The organization can use support-level career positions to identify professional potential in individuals and to provide for further skill and knowledge development. Activities at this level will prepare individuals for expanded responsibilities in project management and for progression along the project management career path. Participants at this career level could include those with recently completed formal education who are just beginning their professional careers in a business environment. It also could include individuals with varying levels of business experience who are transitioning into a professional project management environment or who find the project management environment growing around them. The focus of activities at this career level is on supporting project management efforts. The following are representative support-level positions that the organization can consider for inclusion in its project management career advancement model: Project Assistant--Performs traditional administrative duties to include graphics design and document preparation and reproduction; schedules and arranges meeting facilities and participant attendance; maintains telephone and visitor logs; prepares and manages project correspondence and shipping of project deliverables. Project Coordinator--Facilitates collaboration among project team members and across project teams, business units, and other project stakeholders; manages project team information and knowledge exchange, including the project team online knowledge space; manages project facilities, equipment, and supplies (acquisition and assignment). Project Administrator--Monitors, receives, and com piles reports from project team members to the project manager; manages change control, project plan updates, project document storage and control, and project issues and action logs; monitors and manages project deliverable due dates, risk mitigation actions, and contractual obligations; manages customer and vendor/contractor invoices and payments. Project Business Analyst--Performs specialized project management activities such as schedule development and management, budget preparation and oversight, and resource workload management; provides project estimating and planning support and expertise; analyzes cost, schedule, and resource utilization performance and variations; contributes expertise to project management planning in areas of specialty, e.g., risk, quality, procurement, etc. The positions just highlighted are appropriate entry-level positions in many organizations because they provide a starting role for individuals with only fundamental project management skills. Conversely, a support position designation may sometimes warrant a fully qualified individual on larger- or higher-value projects. In some cases, even qualified level professionals may need to be assigned in support roles on larger projects. The organization should recognize that a support-level position is not necessarily a junior or entry-level role on the project, and it should consider that in its development of a project management career advancement model. Qualified-Level Positions The capabilities identified in the foregoing text for positions at the support level are presumed for qualified-level project managers who will likely perform many of those duties themselves, as needed, on small- to medium-size projects. Therefore, they don’t have to be repeated for this level in career progression. However, there can be several distinct roles at the qualified level. The following are representative qualified-level positions that the organization can consider for inclusion in its project management career advancement model: Project Technical Staff Member--Performs technical or skilled work to achieve project objectives. Includes such roles as engineer, scientist, analyst, researcher, developer, etc. Technical Task Leader--Leads technical task efforts; supervises work of other project technical staff members and ensures quality in the timely development of project deliverables. Project Leader--Performs in a manner similar to the technical task leader but with an emphasis on completion of essential project management actions in addition to technical performance management. This position may be assigned to lead smaller project efforts. Assistant Project Manager--Monitors and guides project and team performance; represents the project manager in meetings and communication with internal and customer managers; performs other project management activities as assigned by the project manager. An individual in this position may be a qualified project manager but is assigned an assistant capacity because of the size, value, or complexity of the project. Project Manager -- Conducts project management activities using preferred organizational practices and established processes as contained in the project management methodology; demonstrates leadership in the project management environment; holds accountability for project cost, schedule, and resource utilization performance and the achievement of project and business objectives. Senior Project Manager --Performs in the same manner as the project manager but is recognized for achievement of advanced training and education credentials, extended project management experience, or demonstrated success on previous projects. Also, this professional level represents competency to oversee the larger project efforts conducted by the organization. Project team members and task leaders may be assigned to roles on multiple projects, requiring them to be effective task and time managers. Project managers and senior project managers are also likely to have multiple project responsibilities in small- to medium-size organizations. The capability to handle this type of responsibility should be considered by the organization when defining position designations for the project management career advancement model. Business-Level Positions Ideally, the capabilities described for the previous two levels of the project management career path are readily demonstrated by individuals serving in positions at the business level. Business-level roles in project management represent a wider management perspective, usually including responsibility for oversight of multiple projects or management of large and extended project engagements. Therefore, some capability and comprehension of modern project management concepts and practices is distinctly needed. However, in some organizations, the perceived need to assign relatively senior managers to these roles sometimes precludes the completion of formal project management education and training, and the associated experience gained at the qualified level. To that end, business experience or identified individual business management potential is a prime qualifier. To be successful at the business level, qualification must include some hands-on capability and experience in understanding modern project management concepts, applying project management methods, using common project management tools and terminology, and leading project teams. Also, the organization should recognize that technical expertise and advancement does not necessarily imply advanced project management capability. The following are business-level positions that the organization can consider for inclusion in the project management career advancement model: Program Manager--Manages the performance of multiple project managers, oversees multiple project performance, and lends business guidance to collections of related projects. Alternatively, a program manager may be assigned to oversee a long-term program characterized by multiple-discipline technical task performance requirements, large and evolving program/ project team compositions, and usually a single customer with participation of the customer's several and diverse business units. Program Director -- Manages the performance of program managers and possibly some project managers, usually on a regional, national, or global basis. Responsibility may focus on a product line or market segment. The director position ensures that business interests are appropriately addressed in project and program technical solution deliveries and in associated customer relationships. PMO Director -- Holds responsibilities that may include those of a program director, but also includes responsibility for establishing a centralized project oversight, control, and support capability within the relevant organization. The PMO director should also demonstrate capability to manage the PMO as a separate business unit if PMO maturity and business needs warrant such an entity within the relevant organization. The positions aligned with the business level of the project management career path are focused on (a) identifying, developing, and implementing processes and practices that enhance and expand project management effectiveness and capability within the organization, and (b) guiding and managing project performance to achieve strategic business objectives. Executive-Level Opportunities Executive roles in project management-involving vice presidents, CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, and others at the strategic decision level-are catching on. It would be nice to have the discipline represented by a prevalent cross-industry need for chief project officers (CPOs). They do exist in some organizations, particularly those having global reach, but the term "CPO" is rarely used. Nevertheless, there is now a precedent for elevating the professional project manager to the executive level in an organization, and the organizations that do so appear to be those generally at the higher levels of project management maturity. Executives distinctly need business competencies, but they also need to understand and apply project management competencies. A home-grown vice president who emerges from the project management career path is desirable, but not essential. More important is that executives associate their professional background and experience to the project management environment they are joining, and perhaps leading. The following are executive-level positions that the organization can consider for inclusion in the project management career advancement model: Vice President of Project Management --Heads the relevant organization's project management center of competence (i.e., an advanced-stage PMO) that serves business interests on a regional, national, or global scale; lends leadership and guidance to PMO development initiatives and to the infusion of modern project management tools and practices; and often holds associated responsibility for achieving strategic business objectives. Director of Project Management--Holds responsibilities and authority similar to that of vice president of project management but is so named when an executive-level position cannot be established. Vice President of Business Unit Operations--The project management career advancement model should provide for cross-functional professional position opportunities. Project managers at senior levels gain tremendous business experience that, along with relevant education and training, prepares them to lead business unit operations. The organization should examine how opportunities outside the project management environment can be incorporated into the project management career advancement model. Executives will be introduced from within the organization and from external sources. The organization should facilitate collaboration with current executives to develop future roles and responsibilities of executives aligned with the project management career advancement model. THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE Project management practices can account for a large part of business performance. In particular, if projects are the means by which the organization's products and services are delivered to the marketplace, the contribution of project management to business performance is significantly increased. It would seem appropriate then for executives and senior managers in the organization to be well informed regarding project performance and associated project accomplishments, as that represents the pursuit of business for which they have responsibility. As projects enable the delivery of the organization's products and services, they also represent a business activity that should be controlled at the highest management levels in the organization. Executives have ultimate responsibility for the achievement of strategic business objectives and interests, and that suggests they should have significant interest and participation in key project decisions-that is, project selection, continuation, and termination-that are the primary activities of project portfolio management. To that end, executives and senior managers need to monitor project performance as a key indicator of business performance. If they are responsible for revenue, and projects are the means to that revenue, then they should be involved in "managing" projects from a strategic perspective. The following are a few areas the organization can examine to create executive-level awareness and support for project management. To a large extent, most of these recommendations imply or prescribe the establishment and use of a PMO that serves executive-level business interests. Business Decisions--Executives need access to fundamental project information in a timely manner in order to make accurate business decisions. This type of information is not generated solely from business man ager advice and guidance; in some instances, that is just speculation and conjecture, and business units that are part-time or inactive project stakeholders cannot be expected to generate this information about projects. Rather, this type of information is generated at the project team level, tracked at the project management level, compiled across all projects and analyzed at the PMO level, and then presented for executive review and deliberation. Project information used at the executive level has business relevance. Executives need to sup port, endorse, and fund the development and implementation of processes, procedures, and tools needed to provide this type of business solution. Strategy Implementation--Executives need to convey business strategies and decisions to the project management environment for implementation. This is readily achieved when the PMO's role and responsibilities extend into the business environment, where strategy is initially communicated. In turn, the PMO can focus on the people and processes affected by executive decisions, recognize business performance impacts, and serve as a single point of strategy implementation rather than having the project management environment bombarded from all sides by multiple business-unit managers attempting to introduce executive guidance from a variety of perspectives. Executives need to recognize the benefits of the PMO not only serving as a representative of the project management environment but also as an entity serving as a business performance leader conveying executive decisions to the project management environment. Resource Acquisition and Allocation--Executives need to have an ongoing awareness of project resource requirements. Possibly the largest expense in the project management environment, project resources need to be managed at mid-levels according to the decisions made at the executive level. Therefore, executives need to understand the implications of their resource allocation decisions as a function of business performance. Fundamentally, this means ensuring that necessary resources are available to conduct each project that is pursued in conjunction with the prescribed business strategy. It also means attending to peripheral considerations such as resource training, qualification, assignment selection, performance management, professional development, recognition, and termination. The processes created for resource management on projects can well serve the business needs of executives. The PMO, serving as a project resource clearinghouse, can compile resource information that is needed to make resource acquisition and allocation decisions at the executive level. It can identify current resource strength and utilization, and prepare resource requirement forecasts-information the executive needs to ensure that business pursuits are not impaired by gaps in resource availability or resource management issues. Executives should use PMO expertise and established capability in the project management environment to examine resource requirements relative to business performance. Technical Performance--Executives need to review and recognize the effectiveness and value associated with technical performance from a perspective of customer satisfaction and from a perspective of business advantage or industry competitiveness. The alignment of technical processes and project management practices can provide for such business performance insight. The PMO can establish functionality to capture and analyze technical performance results across all projects internally and to compare them to industry-wide results. In turn, analysis results can be conveyed to executives for examination relative to business interests that include:
Again, this is business information that has its origins in the project management environment. Executives need to recognize that the PMO, at an interim management level, can establish functionality to evaluate technical performance conditions and provide routine and exception reports that will bring value to executive business deliberations and decision making. Centralized Oversight, Control, and Support--Executives need to understand the formal and informal boundaries of the project management environment and then maximize the effectiveness of that condition on business performance. The formal project management environment that conducts project management under PMO guidance is normally an efficient and effective means for conducting business. In contrast, the informal project management environment, usually rep resented by business unit oversight and intervention, is not always aligned with central PMO guidance or preferred practices. Therefore, such part-time interventions in project management could introduce opposing business perspectives and possibly target business objectives that are different from planned. In a sense, project management processes can be used to manage business performance, but business processes cannot necessarily be used to manage projects, particularly when there are variations for each business unit having influence. The PMO can be instrumental in coordinating a common approach to managing project contributions to business performance, integrating multiple business unit processes and procedures into a standard approach, and leading collaboration among business unit participants in their ongoing contributions to the formal project management environment. Executives should establish the PMO as a single point of reference that enables their decisions on oversight, control, and support to be implemented not only in the project management environment but also across the business units within the organization. THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE During the past few decades or so, modern project management precepts have emerged to instill a vitalized, professional approach to project management across countless organizations and industries. Individual capabilities in project management have been strengthened and enlarged through a combination of project management process and technique development, training program implementation, and automated tools that use advanced design concepts and technology. As a result, project managers who practice these principles will find themselves in the dual roles of technical expert and business leader for the project. Organizations are extending these modern project management concepts and considerations into the scope of project management oversight, control, and support. They recognize the need for an organizational entity-the PMO-to perform in a capacity that achieves one or more of these three operational objectives. They often position the PMO as a business integrator-whether in a role that is limited to managing multiple projects as a program or expanded to serve as a business unit representing the organization's project management environment-to encompass all the people (project stakeholders), processes (methodologies and practices), and tools (automated systems and work aids) that manage or influence project performance. In any logical role assigned, the PMO helps both the project manager and the organization to understand and apply professional practices of project management and to adapt and integrate business interests into the project management efforts with which they are associated. Project Management Office Roles The following are the three primary roles of the PMO: Oversight--Knowing and reporting what is going on in the project management environment in order for collaborative decisions to be made; Control--Intervening to ensure that: Established standards and preferred practices are followed Problems are identified and corrective actions are taken Business objectives are achieved; Support--Helping project managers and their teams to succeed in achieving project and project management objectives These roles can be described in appropriate ways that are consistent with the organization's business culture in order to achieve necessary acceptance in the organization. However, the purpose and essence of the PMO's roles should be maintained as best can be done. The PMO Competency Continuum The PMO competency continuum provides a vehicle that defines a series of PMO stages that can be examined for application in an organization. The naming convention is relatively simple and somewhat consistent with PMO implementation efforts across most industries. However, these names provide only a frame of reference; other names can be applied as appropriate to the nature of PMO responsibilities and the business environment in which it operates. Five general stages of PMO competency are prescribed. Table 2 presents an overview of the PMO competency continuum and a description of each of its stages. These five PMO stages represent a progressive competency and advancement of functionality that can be attained to meet project management environment needs and associated relevant organizational business objectives. It’s presumed that a higher-stage PMO will have achieved the competencies prescribed for any lower-stage PMOs. That is, if an organization wants to establish a Stage 3 Standard PMO, it will also have to ensure it has first realized the competencies prescribed for Stage 1 and Stage 2 PMOs. It’s also suggested that a PMO at any stage can pursue activities at any level to address the needs within the relevant organization, which is far more important than stepping through levels of competency in sequence. Moreover, discerning the approximate level of PMO competency that the relevant organization needs is critical. Not every organization needs to have a PMO at Stage 5. In fact, for most organizations, some adaptation of the Stage 3 Standard PMO is probably more than adequate. The PMO Functions A PMO can be viewed as having 20 functions for the practical application of oversight, control, and support solutions in the project management environment. These functions have a combined influence on the business environment and on the project management environment, and there are inter relationships among many of the PMO functions: some functional processes or procedures overlap, and some cross function references will be apparent. The 20 PMO functions are aligned with five function areas, and are summarized as follows. Practice Management-- Provides a common approach and frame of reference for conducting project management activities within an organization. This function area establishes project management processes, tools, and practices; specifies project performance standards and metrics; and creates a collaborative project management environment that includes project archives and a reference library. It concentrates on developing effective organizational project management capability at the project level. Infrastructure Management--Facilitates establishing a professional project management environment. This function area examines the current state of project management, prompts collaboration of plans for the future state, and introduces the policies and oversight mechanisms needed to achieve organizational competency and maturity goals. It helps to define the project structure and stakeholder involvement necessary to support successful project performance and provides for administration of facilities and equipment needed to accomplish project objectives. Resource Integration-- Manages the competency, avail ability, and performance of project resources. This function area enables the PMO to collaborate with resource managers to acquire, assign, and manage project managers and project team members, and it allows the PMO to administer training in the project management environment. It also enables the PMO to influence project manager career progression and sup port aspects of project team development. Technical Support-- Provides project management advice, counsel, and support to project managers and project teams. This function area leverages the skill, knowledge, and experience of available project management experts to provide mentoring in the project management environment, and it provides a range of project planning, facilitation, and support activities. It plans and conducts routine and special project audits and project management reviews, and provides appropriate project recovery support as needed. Business Alignment-- Introduces the organization's business perspective into the project environment. This function area oversees project portfolio management and facilitates executive involvement in project management to include overseeing project management contributions to business performance. It also conducts customer and vendor/contractor relationship management and facilitates their project roles. These function areas are in turn further divided into specific PMO functions prescribed for comprehensive and complete coverage: Overview of PMO Capabilities; Across the PMO Competency Continuum: Project Oversight Stage 1 PROJECT OFFICE: Achieve project deliverables and objectives for cost, schedule, and resource utilization; 1 or more projects; 1 Project Manager Process Control Stage 2 BASIC PMO: Provide a standard and repeatable PM methodology for use across all projects; Multiple projects; Multiple PMs Program Manager; Part-time PMO support staff Process Support Stage 3 STANDARD PMO: Establish capability and infrastructure to support and govern a cohesive project environment; Multiple projects; Multiple PMs Program Managers; Director or Senior Program Manager; Full-time and part-time PMO staff Business Maturity Stage 4 ADVANCED PMO: Apply an integrated and comprehensive project management capability to achieve business objectives; Multiple projects; Multiple PMs; Program Managers; PMO Director or Vice President Dedicated PMO support staff Strategic Alignment Stage 5 CENTER OF EXCELLENCE: Manage continuous improvement and cross-department collaboration to achieve strategic business goals; Multiple programs; Vice President or Director of Project Management; Dedicated PMO support staff; Enterprise-wide support staff ----- Practice Management PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY Establish basis for project management methodology Develop methodology solution Conduct methodology implementation Manage methodology maturity PROJECT TOOLS Select project management tools Implement project management tools Evaluate tool performance STANDARDS and METRICS: Implement project management standards Determine project metrics requirements Introduce and use project metrics PROJECT KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Establish knowledge management framework Introduce knowledge management system Implement knowledge management system -- Infrastructure Management PROJECT GOVERNANCE: Prepare and maintain PMO charter Develop project management policies Develop project classification guidance Establish project manager authority; Establish executive control board; Align business and technical committees ASSESSMENT: Conduct competency assessments; Conduct capability assessments; Conduct maturity assessments ORGANIZATION and STRUCTURE: Set up the PMO structure; Establish project structure; Develop stakeholder participation FACILITIES and EQUIPMENT Establish project team requirements Manage project facilities Management project equipment -- Resource Integration RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Acquire project resources; Assign project resources; Deploy project resources; Manage resource performance; Close project resource assignments TRAINING and EDUCATION: Establish training program; Manage training program; Evaluate training program CAREER DEVELOPMENT: Develop project management career path; Support project management career planning Establish professional certification TEAM DEVELOPMENT: Facilitate cohesive team formation; Facilitate virtual team management; Enable project team development; Monitor project team performance -- Technical Support MENTORING: Establish project management mentoring program; Engage project management mentors Conduct project management mentoring Evaluate mentoring program PLANNING SUPPORT: Establish project planning capability Facilitate project planning workshop Administer project planning PROJECT AUDITING: Set up project auditing capability Conduct project auditing Manage project auditing results PROJECT RECOVERY: Develop recovery assessment process; Plan and conduct project recovery Capture recovery lessons learned -- Business Alignment PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: Set up project portfolio management Perform project selection Integrate projects in the portfolio Conduct project and portfolio reviews Manage portfolio attrition CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: Manage customer relationships Manage customer contracts Manage customer satisfaction VENDOR RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: Manage vendor/ contractor relationships Manage vendor/ contractor acquisition Manage vendor/ contractor performance BUSINESS PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: Develop integrated business solutions Manage business collaboration Manage PMO business fulfillment |
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