WHEN YOU TAKE OVER A STALLED PROJECT

Unless a good reason exists, I like to share my lessons learned. There’s no point in repeating mistakes that can be avoided if only someone had told me so. I believe that strongly. If a better way exists, wouldn’t you like to know about it? I would, so the four steps outlined below are a succinct summary of points that I’ve learned work and, even better, work reliably.

A project is stalled if it is drifting along and nobody is working on it. Somebody decided that it needed to be dealt with. Kill it or finish it.

The author is a practicing PMP (Project Management Professional). For more information, visit the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Here are the steps and their order. Following the steps do not guarantee that you will successfully turn it around. The steps, however, are best practices that have been tested and proven to work and work well.

1. Take stock of the project. Determine the current status of the project against the schedule (time) and budget ($). Analyze the results. It will guide you to the items that need attention. Why it it behind schedule? Was the cause a process or resource?

2. Develop a plan. It may be that the original plan just stalled because the sponsors ran out of money. Or perhaps the sponsors changed their mind. Find out. If funding can resume then you may just need to restart the original plan. Start imagining the solutions as you uncover the reasons that stopped the project. Be creative but pragmatic in developing the plan. Your developed plan, when ready, should be presented to the stakeholders or the parties that have a stake in the outcome of the project. The stakeholders are often the same ones of the original stalled project.

3. Reducing the scope of the work or the desired outcome is the easiest way to restart a stalled project. For example, should less work be performed? Can the result or outcome be reduced in quantity (five instead of 10) and/or quality (two instead of three layers)? The sponsors who provide the resources (like money) may be more inclined to resume if they learn that a lesser version of the outcome is possible.

4. New sponsorship must be found. This is critical. The sponsors may be new or of the original group. Do as much as you can to ensure that the new sponsors are committed to the project. You must get this commitment in the form of a Project Charter. It formally creates a project. A true charter will include a section that authorizes the expenditure of resources on the project and explains how it will be done. The charter is signed by the sponsors. It is a legal document.

Congratulations! The charter marks the start of the un-stalling. It marks the start of a new project lifecycle. After your team receive the charter, start the planning in earnest.

PREPARING FOR AND TAKING THE PMP CERTIFICATION EXAM

The Project Management Professional (PMP) designation is one of today’s highly-sought and credible certification. It certifies that the person who possesses it has accumulated at least 4,500 hours of project experience—whether as a team member or project manager—within the past eight years. In addition, it certifies that the individual is sufficiently proficient with the best practices endorsed by the Project Management Institute. PMI is the dominant world body that oversees the profession.

In this post, I shall share some of the lessons I learned from preparing for and successfully passing the exam. For brevity, I shall omit many details (such as candidate requirements) that are easily found elsewhere.

Observations about the exam and testing facility:

Watch out for old nomenclature: several significant improvements were made in PMBOK-4 over PMBOK-3. Two processes, for instance, were deleted: Develop Preliminary Scope Statement and Plan Scope. To my surprise, I encountered two questions that involved the first deleted process. One question mentioned it in the body of the question. The other question provided it as one of the four possible answers to that question. Like many others, I was under the impression that PMI had completed the transition of nomenclature for several of the most important Earned Value (EV) measurement terms. The transition began in PMBOK-3. Since PMBOK-3 was the standard for five years, one would think that its successor, PMBOK-4, would complete the transition and refer to those important EV terms by their new names. I’m referring to these terms:

1. The new name of Planned Value (PV) instead of the old name of Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS).
2. The new name of Earned Value (EV) instead of Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP).
3. The new name of Actual Cost (AC) instead of Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP).

Well, to my surprise again, the old terms appeared in the exam. They had not been put to pasture yet!

The test uses an adaptive heuristic: I strongly suspect that the exam is adaptive. Expect the first 20 or so questions to probe your knowledge. If the testing algorithm detects incorrect answers in a certain area, expect more questions from that area to come your way. This is not my first certification exam. I took quite a few back in the 1990s. Back then, adaptive heuristics were already being applied. I had a study partner for this PMP. He took and passed it two weeks ago. He noted—with some annoyance—that he had to face a lot of questions about procurement and contracts. I did not. I’m fairly certain that the flood of procurement questions that he faced was not random at all. Rather, I suspect—as I told him—that he probably erred on several contract-related questions at the start of the exam. Those errors triggered the testing algorithm to dole out contract-related questions. The test designers did not adopt this heuristic in order to be mean. Rather, they want to ensure that the candidate will meet the minimum standard in all aspects of the knowledge being tested.

The testing facility: I took the exam at a Prometric center. You probably will as well. Do not bring a lot of things when you report to the facility. You will not be allowed to bring anything inside the testing room except your primary form of Identification (typically your Driver’s License). Pens, papers, mobile phones, watches, water bottles, and snacks cannot be brought inside. The testing facility I used had 20 seats (it was nearly full when I arrived). There were about 20 small lockers for personal belongings in the outside office. The Prometric staff will provide you with several sheets of scrap paper and two pencils. I asked for and received two sheets of tissue paper. They will require you to return everything including the tissue!

Perform a “brain dump.” As soon as you can, write down on the sheets of paper that were provided all of the formulas and tidbits that you memorized as part of the exam. While it is essential to understand the subject matter, some pieces need to be memorized. The latter is the purpose of the brain dump. The brain dump helps ensure that you don’t freeze over questions that require those memorized pieces during the exam simply because you could not retrieve these bits due to tension.

Do your best to calm down as soon as possible. Test center procedures were described in order to set your expectations. Take my study partner for example. To drink from his bottle of water, he had to sign out. To re-enter the testing room, he had to show his ID card and sign in. This protocol flustered my study partner. It hindered his ability to calm down and focus on the questions.

It will take several questions to get into the groove. All test questions follow a multiple-choice format. There are always four choices. The wording is tricky. Read the questions carefully. Read all of the answers even if you’re sure that you’ve already identified the answer. Ensure that you really comprehend the question. Assume nothing. Some questions are lengthy and end abruptly. Some end ambiguously and leave you perplexed. The four answer choices may give you a clue but it may take some time for your mind to pick up the theme of the question. When I was stumped, I selected my best guess and marked the question for later review. When I returned, most of the questions made sense. (Some of them never did though and all you can do is tell yourself that you tried.) My study partner said that most of his questions were situational. I think that only about 40% of mine were. Situational questions are challenging. The situation that is described may or may not be relevant to the real question. Either way, this type of question is more difficult because it will take up more time.

Today’s Prometric experience was better than the one I recall. First, the cubicle is larger and, thus, more comfortable. Second, the flat screen gives you more elbow space than the CRTs of old. Third, the typeface is easy on the eyes. I did dislike one thing. It was the red color of the scratch paper (which, by the way, consists of two large sheets that are folded in the middle, stapled, and, thus, is turned into a booklet). The pencil marks do not show up well against the red background.

At the end of the exam, you will receive an official test result. Ensure that it is embossed by the testing staff. Your proficiency level will be noted for each domain name. These domains are the five process groups of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing. The sixth domain is Professional & Social Responsibility.

The proficiency levels are rather vague but that may have been intentional. Your results are either Proficient, Moderately Proficient, or Below Proficient for each domain.

• “Proficient indicates that your performance is above the average level of knowledge in this domain.”
• “Moderately Proficient indicates that your performance is at the average level of knowledge in this domain.”
• “Below Proficient indicates that your performance is below the average level of knowledge in this domain.”

My experience: I was very pleased with my results. I attribute that to extensive preparation in addition to significant personal experience, of course. I knew it was going to end well because I was comfortably ahead of the schedule. I was 40 minutes ahead of schedule by the time I finished the last question. After taking a brief break, I spent the next 20 minutes reviewing the 17 questions that I had marked (for review) earlier. After the review I submitted it (still a good 15 minutes ahead of the four-hour mark). This experience took place two hours ago.

I hope this helped. Good luck!

PROJECT MANAGERS NEED BUSINESS ANALYSTS TO SUCCEED. WHY?

I was fortunate to have started as a Business Analyst before becoming a Project Manager. In many ways I think it’s an ideal career path to project management and, eventually, program or portfolio management. In this entry, I explain the reason for that.

Projects are everywhere. We work on them constantly even though we don’t realize it.

Typically, three types are found in anyone’s list of things-to-do. Tasks. Projects. And goals.

Tasks are straightforward activities. Clean the room. Replace the car battery. Walk the dog.

Projects consist of several tasks. Prepare the car for the long trip may consist of tasks like making an appointment with the mechanic, waiting for the mechanic to identify the parts that need to be replaced, tuned up, or repaired, and arranging an alternative means of transportation while the car is being prepared.

Goals are objectives, broadly speaking. Join the family reunion is a goal. Among its projects may be preparing the car for the long trip as well as scheduling time off from work. In this example goal, the explicit objective is to drive a safe and tuned car for the long trip. The idea is to reach the destination safely and minimize the possibility of developing car trouble during the trip.

It’s no different in business. A goal is established and projects emerge to accomplish the goal. Projects, therefore, are essential to the fulfillment of goals and, broadly speaking again, goals are established to either cut costs or increase revenue. All organizations have goals. Therefore, all organizations engage in projects. Projects, therefore, are everywhere. We work on them constantly even while we don't realize it.

ACCELERATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Today, technology has sped up the pace of life. Consequently, competition is more intense. Imagine a company with a better-designed product. It must generate revenue from that product with a sense of urgency. Why? Because it’ll only be a matter of time before competitors introduce their own improved product. The very website that markets the product (technology) is also the window that alerts competitors. There are several ways for competitors to come up with an improved product. For example, it can engineer its own and do so with the same people who created the original. The competitor simply hires the company’s employees. Whether the competitor hires them directly or through a recruiter, technology in the form of email or the mobile phone enables it quickly and discreetly.

This holds true even for a company that possesses a strategic advantage—“strategic” in the sense that its advantage is major or more permanent. Take a company with a grocery store in a better location. Perhaps, it may even be the only grocery in a rural area. The combination of human intelligence augmented by technology—this time for example, in the form of targeted direct mail—can level the field.

MAKING BUSINESS PROCESSES MORE EFFECTIVE

Today, goals tend to revolve around making the organization more competitive. For example, if a hospital can forecast the peak times of its Emergency Department (more commonly known to the public as “ER,” for Emergency Room), then it can schedule its personnel more effectively. Why have four ER personnel during the Tuesday morning shift when it knows that more cases are more likely to arrive that evening? Is it possible to do this? After all, how can it predict the future? Sure, it can and with a high level of accuracy. The majority of hospitals have never applied the statistical principles of forecasting that airlines use. Even long-established methods of manufacturing (like quality control) can contribute to the forecasting.

More effective processes create cost savings, a better bottom line, and a competitive advantage. Most goals, therefore, revolve around improving these processes—re-engineering them to make them more efficient and, ultimately, more effective.

EFFICIENT & EFFECTIVE

What’s the difference between efficient and effective? The best definitions I’ve encountered are succinct: efficient means doing things right (the first time) but effective means doing the right things.

To continue, business processes are frequently a combination of workflows and IT processes. A workflow combines human action and practices. When a patient arrives at the ER, the patient’s information must be collected. Will the workflow consist of the admission clerk writing the information on a paper form or keying it into a computer?

Today, it’s mostly the latter. Data and information, therefore, are two critical components of business processes. Many projects, therefore, are IT-based.

DATA & INFORMATION

What’s the difference between data and information? This is the distinction I prefer: data becomes information when data is put in context. The numeral 2, for example, is data. However, if 1 is the code for male and 2 is the code for female, then the numeral 2, in that context, becomes information.

To continue, projects, especially ones that tinker with processes, must be carefully implemented. An important factor that improves the success rate of projects is careful preparation. In particular, the early phases of any project must be focused on understanding the requirements of the project. Requirements must be clarified in order to ensure that the objective of the project is satisfactorily met.

If the project created an accurate ER forecasting system but the project manager (and his sponsors) failed to ensure the availability of the right combination of medical staff, then the hospital may even be worse off than before. A similar situation may arise if the hospital did not adjust its resources to equip the ER with enough equipment to handle the forecast.

THE COLLABORATION OF THE PROJECT MANAGER AND BUSINESS ANALYST

Successfully implementing a project requires two persons. First is the Project Manager (PM). He focuses on leading the project to its successful completion. However, to ensure that the project’s objective delivers the intended benefit, another person is necessary. This is the Business Analyst (BA). The BA is concerned with managing the business requirements of the project. The business requirements refer to the business benefit of the objective (e.g., cost savings) and to the things necessary to achieve that objective. Poor business analysis leads to inadequate information that, in turn, generates incorrect requirements. Incorrect requirements lead to inaccurate estimates and any project that begins with an inaccurate baseline will likely fall short of its objective.

A project’s requirements span the range from understanding the business case to identifying the processes that will be affected to defining the exact outcome. The last may seem strange but it’s critical to know how the outcome will look like. Will the project objective be met when the forecasting system is in place? Or will it be considered met after the budget has been changed and approved?

Now, isn’t it obvious that a project’s requirements must be captured and fully understood before the project plan is finalized?

The BA has the responsibility of bridging the gap between the user community and the IT personnel. From the former, the BA uncovers their requirements. From the latter, the BA collaborates to design the solution.

In some ways, the BA is more essential to a project’s success than the IT experts. Technical skills can be outsourced but the BA and his skills need to be present in order to uncover the project’s requirements. With that in mind, doesn’t it appear that business analysis should not be treated as subordinate to technical expertise? Many IT experts do not possess the temperament or personality to gather, understand, and analyze business requirements from the user community. Fewer still are able to create realistic solutions that address these requirements since many solutions are a combination of technology and processes.

Many processes involve workflows and, as mentioned earlier, people are typically involved in workflows. Persuading people to change their habits is not an easy task. Changing work habits is especially difficult since workers naturally do not want to be blamed for undesirable results. So delicate and important is this that change, in today’s environment, has evolved into its own management discipline—called, appropriately enough, change management.

Many projects that fail share this condition. The project is initiated, planned, and implemented before the project team and project stakeholders understand the business requirements clearly. This is due, in large part, to our natural belief in technical wizardry and our impatience in old-fashioned techniques of surveys and brainstorming. Too often, the latter activities are rushed. Capable PMs that take over failing projects will realize the problem and force mid-course corrections. Unfortunately, even if the project eventually meets its objective, it will invariably have exceeded its original budget and schedule.

A BA makes valuable contributions in numerous ways. He has created sub-objectives from the primary objective based on a clear understanding of the business case for the project. He has gathered the requirements that the project must meet. He has analyzed these requirements with respect to risk, resources, and time. He has shared these with the PM and project team and assisted them with devise the solution.

This blogpost, I trust, should have made it clear why I think that Project Managers need Business Analysts to succeed.

Business Analysts have a professional organization of their own, like Project Managers. BAs have the International Institute of Business Analysis. PMs have the Project Management Institute.


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