Developing a Project Management Standard for Your Organization Francine DiMicele, PMP June 08, 2015 NC Piedmont Triad Chapter

Why a PM Standard? Business Needs Objectives Benefits Approach to Developing a PM Standard Key Elements of the Standard Stakeholder Alignment Implementation & Communication Maintenance & Updates Final Thoughts Table of Contents

Why a PM Standard? Standardize project management discipline Drive consistency Adhere to compliance Reduce overall project cost Reusable project information Our focus today is around the best practices and considerations for “Developing a Project Management Standard for Your Organization”.

Business Needs It’s important to identify the business needs driving the development of a Project Management Standard for your organization. Understanding these needs will help determine what to include in the new standard. Here are a few examples of business needs which may drive a new project management standard. Consistency Need consistent application of the project management discipline across the organization Consistency Need consistent application of the project management discipline across the organization Industry Standards Need better alignment with industry project management standards Industry Standards Need better alignment with industry project management standards Utilize Capabilities Need to fully utilize the capabilities of project management and financial tools to automate and enhance current processes & procedures Utilize Capabilities Need to fully utilize the capabilities of project management and financial tools to automate and enhance current processes & procedures Reduce Time & Cost Need to reduce time- to-market and cost of projects Reduce Time & Cost Need to reduce time- to-market and cost of projects Compliance Need to ensure projects adhere to regulatory and company compliance Compliance Need to ensure projects adhere to regulatory and company compliance Documentation Need standardize project templates and centralized artifact storage Documentation Need standardize project templates and centralized artifact storage

Promote the standardization for the project management discipline Mandate specific project management methodologies (i.e., Agile, Waterfall, Lean) and criteria for using them Better alignment with project management industry standards Set project management expectations for project managers Fully utilize the best-in-class capabilities of internal tools to facilitate core (project, portfolio and resource management) functionality Reduce project setup error rate and audit failures Provide project management training including curriculum, materials and certification Stating the objectives of a new Project Management standard will ensure that key stakeholders understand what the new standard is trying to accomplish, but also they are used to define the scope. Objectives

An organization may realize many benefits by implementing a Project Management Standard. Identifying the important benefits for your organization is key to gaining stakeholder support and alignment. Consistent Project Management Consistent Project Management Focus on Business Value Focus on Business Value Maximize Tool Capabilities Maximize Tool Capabilities Reduce Time-To-Market Reduce Time-To-Market Manage Risk Reduce Project Cost Reduce Project Cost Benefits

Approach Perform external research and search internally for potential content. Consider piloting the new PM standard to specific business units or teams and incorporate feedback into the standard for a rollout to a wider audience. It’s difficult to know the potential impacts a new standard will have on your various businesses and teams. Industry ResearchInternal ContentPilots/Training Perform industry research on other project management standards Jot down ideas from the research Create initial outline for new PM Standard based on research findings Create initial table of contents and document template Identify internal content sources for consideration Pull content into a draft standard and supplemental documentation such as a guide Solicit stakeholder feedback on content and potential impacts Finalize the new standard and documentation Identify teams or business units to pilot the new standard Prepare training materials and visuals Communicate new standard and associated training Publish/Roll Out new standard Collect and prioritize a back log of new content ideas to evolve the standard FAQs Forums Newsletters Training Materials Presentations Quick Reference Guides

Key Elements It’s best to begin with focusing on the key elements from the business needs for overall project management. As the PM Standard evolves, add more detailed elements to meet your business needs such as methodologies, financial adjustments, etc. Roles & Responsibilities Project SetupProject HierarchyProject Types Baselining Time TrackingProject ClosureReporting Project Funding ForecastingCompliancePlan/WBS

Stakeholder Alignment Socializing the approach and draft standard with key stakeholders will facilitate alignment of the new PM Standard. This activity will also help identify potential issues and concerns that can be addressed early on before the new standard is ready for publication. Continue socializing until stakeholder alignment is reached. Solicit Stakeholder Feedback Update PM Standard with Feedback Analyze Issues & Concerns Address Issues & Concerns in PM Standard

Implementation & Communication Who is impacted by the new PM Standard? –New projects only –New projects; Project underway must comply before project ends –New projects in specific business units or teams What is the process for a team working towards compliance with the PM Standard? –List of non-compliant teams with action plan and alert schedule –Perform an audit on selected projects or teams to check on their progress Where will the new standard be housed? Are the supplemental documents and training available including hyperlinks, training schedule, etc? Which internal users will receive the communication about the new PM Standard? –Leaders, project managers, or all internal users How to best ‘market’ the PM Standard to your audience? A few things to consider when implementing a new standard include the immediate impacts on teams and projects and the course of action needed for teams to work towards compliance. When you communicate the new standard, you will need to ensure that the standard, supplemental documentation and training is available.

Maintenance & Updates Your new PM standard will evolve based upon changing conditions and impacts such as strategic business, organizational, regulatory and economic. You will need to decide on how often to make changes and the process for approval, as well as, updated artifacts and training materials. Track and prioritize content updates Research for potential impacts and risks Collect Content Updates Review / Alignment Finalize Content & Training Publish Updated Standard Publish standard Send communication Implement training schedule, computer-based training, etc. Execute stakeholder review (existing process if available) Incorporate feedback Update content with feedback Design/Update training materials Finalize documents

Final Thoughts Identify the business needs for a new PM Standard Develop your approach / plan Prioritize the key elements to include in the standard Solicit stakeholder feedback and alignment Implement your standard – don’t forget supplemental documents and training materials Determine the review cycle and collect potential content ideas