Strategic Project Management

Last week, I posted about a CA Clarity ^TM presentation on how “Project and Program Management Key to IT Efficiency”.  One of the main points in the first presentation is that executives can look at the list of projects to see how well they align with company strategy.  The need is to work on the right things.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) Information Systems Special Interest Group (ISSIG) has also posted a webinar on “Strategic Project Management”.  If you are a member of ISSIG, then viewing the webinar is free.  Otherwise, you will need to purchase access.

Project management is often used as a tactical tool.  It isn’t normally viewed by businesses as a strategic tool.  Don J Wessels argues that 60% of the projects should be strategically aligned.  Strategic project management is a new process that comes between strategic planning and project execution.

Similar to the Clarity presentation, Wessels goes out of his way to note that executive championship is key to successful project-program management.  While Clarity mentioned that CIOs should sit on governance boards, Wessels’ angle points out that executive championship underlies the real challenge to many organizations in regards to project management and now strategic project management.  Attrition of executive champions has taken its toll on project management in general.

Wessels has a slide on “Without Strategic Emphasis” that lists symptoms of an organization that doesn’t have strategic project emphasis.  Boy!  Have I been in this organization!

This webinar is worth 1 PDU.

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Ethics Problems in Project Management

Please note my new Helium article on project management ethics:

What are the challenges a project manager faces?

What do Bernie Madoff, Enron, WorldCom and AIG have in common?  If you said, “Investigations into accounting fraud”, you would be correct.  There have been numerous accusations of fraudulent activity of large corporations since 2000.¹

Our entire economy is run on at least a basic level of trust.  We trust that our money will be accepted.  We trust that public corporations will have oversight and comply with the law.  The stock market indicates the level of trust that investors have in our economy.  When news is good, the stock market usually goes up.  When the news is bad, the stock market usually goes down.  The strength of the US dollar overseas is an indication of the level of trust that other economies have in our own.

Customers trust companies to provide the goods and services contracted and paid for.  Companies trust customers to pay on time.  Likewise, vendors trust companies to pay them on time, and companies trust the vendor to deliver on time.  Many times in the middle of these affairs will be a project manager (PM).

You can read the rest here.

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PMBOK 4, Anyone?

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Well, I have had to live frugally lately, and, looking at some of the economic statistics, I’m certainly not alone.  So, I have to think hard about purchases a lot more than I used to.  This includes even membership in the Project Management Institute (PMI).  Frankly, I hesitated, but then I went ahead and did it.

So, has anyone who is already PMP certified purchased the new PMBOK?  I have heard PMI expanded the ethics section and changed the triple constraint so its no longer a triangle.  Any other worthwhile changes?

Normally, I wouldn’t even ask; I would just run over to pmi.org and buy it and see for myself.  However, I’m interested in what you have to say about it.  So, project managers, let’s discuss:

1. Have you bought the new PMBOK?
2. Why or why not?
3. If you did, was it worth it?  Why or why not?

If you are PMP certified, then let us know your reasoning.  If you are not a PMP, would you have bought it if it didn’t mean a change in the test?

Mind you, I’m not interested in criticizing anyone’s decision, but let others hear your thoughts.