Public Sector PM

Advertisement [Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( November 8, 2017 As our month-long look at Government PM begins, we explore the public sector and procurement. Also in store: the four pillars of portfolio management, the importance of business management and the advantage of independent testing. The Knowledge Shelf has its designs on your work environment, while our blogs help you manage stakeholder attitudes, harness ambiguity and embrace ownership. And in our forums, a reader asks how you became a PM! Advertisement [Looking to optimize the value contributed by your PMO?]( Check out the latest Gartner Report: How to Avoid the 'seven deadly sins' of a Level 2 PMO to learn the recommendations for PMO leads looking to optimize the value contributed by their PMO. Whether you are currently working on becoming a level 2 PMO, or just reached Level 2 maturity, it is important to be aware and avoid the most common challenges you'll encounter. [Download Now!]( "Your voice dries up if you don't use it." - Patti Page []PM HEADLINES [Public Sector vs. Private Sector PM]( Differences in culture and focus are the leading reason why government projects differ from their private sector counterparts. Understanding the cultural differences—and how they impact project success—can help project managers moving from the private sector into the public sector (and vice versa) make a more successful transition. [Why Government IT Procurement is Broken]( Government procurement for major technology projects often goes wrong—and it’s really not surprising because the entire process is broken. What is it about these initiatives that causes more difficulties than other types of projects? [The 4 Pillars of Portfolio Management]( Portfolio managers that develop a detailed understanding of four fundamental aspects will be better positioned to manage their portfolios—and be able to answer the specific questions that executive managers are fond of asking. [Portfolio Management: More Business, Less Project]( Portfolio management in today’s world has little to do with project management and everything to do with business management. Is that how your organization operates? A Look Back at PMI Global Conference! There are a slew of resources about situational awareness. It’s a fairly straightforward theory: Pay attention to what’s going on around you. Mercedes Ramirez Johnson added new depth to the topic in her closing keynote at PMI Global Conference. [Don’t Put Projects on Autopilot — No Matter How Busy You Are]( is one of many Conference reports from our [Voices on Project Management blog](. Plus, check out [PMI Global Insights]( for more, including daily recaps and lessons learned! "I knew everything and received everything. But real happiness is giving." - Alain Delon SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SPECIAL OFFERS Fast and Easy PMI® PDUs for $149 The PDUnow site offers [PDU subscriptions for $149.99](. A PDU subscription will allow you to earn 60 or more PDUs for 1 year (365 days days) from the day of purchase. A PDU subscription package includes everything you need to earn the PDUs required to renew your PMI credential including: Access to 50, easy to complete PMI Registered PDU courses with over 400 PDUs available, final exam grading, and certificates of completion. All courses are available in English and Spanish! [PPM Tool or PPM Process: Which Comes First?]( While portfolio tools may be nice and shiny and promise great things, you should not be taken in by their enticing appearance. Instead, look at the root levels of what they can do. Can it help with existing or undeveloped functions? Do you really need one at all? [Independent Testing: Reducing the Risk of Project Shortcomings]( Most project teams test their own projects when it comes to component, system and regression testing instead of having a third set of independent eyes do it. But is this the best idea? []KNOWLEDGE SHELF [Integrating Vaastu and Feng Shui Principles in the Decision Model for Optimal Facility Layout]( Organizations have started to recognize the benefits of having a Vaastu- or Feng Shui-compliant work environment. A decision tool that enables optimal balance of technical and Vaastu/Feng Shui factors is provided to achieve this objective along with a case study. The mission of [Knowledge Shelf]( is to help project professionals advance our practice by sharing their experiences and viewpoints. It is comprised of practitioners from a wide range of fields, covering both popular and niche topics. From lessons learned and case studies to opinion pieces and articles, this platform gives a voice to peers new to our online community, and allows for longer form contributions. For more information on how to submit your own article, please see our [Editorial Guidelines](. []THE PM POLL Is there a question you've been itching to ask? [Create a poll]( today to get some PM help from your peers! [Q: What was your favorite keynote presentation at the 2017 PMI Global Conference in Chicago?]( - 'A Look Ahead into the Future of Tech' by Sir Tim Berners-Lee - 'Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think Believe, Feel, Want' by Nicholas Epley - 'Get it Right Today, Not Tomorrow' by Mercedes Ramirez Johnson - I loved all of them! - I wasn't able to attend, but hope to next year! TOOL SPOTLIGHT Deltek’s Project & Portfolio Management suite helps businesses and organizations of all sizes drive project & portfolio management through informed project selection, realistic planning, reliable execution and, ultimately-consistent project success. [Learn More]( [Search for your solution on our Tool Finder]( []BLOG IT Voices on Project Management by Linda Bourne and Kevin Korterud A person’s attitude is derived from their perceptions of a person or situation. In the project context, it is often the stakeholder’s perception of your project and how its outcomes will affect the stakeholder’s interests. Linda helps with [Managing Stakeholder Attitudes](. Plus, Kevin shares [3 Metrics For Project Manager Performance](. Project Managers Without Borders by Deanna Landers//www.projectmanagement.com/blog-post/32750/Are-You-Ready-for-Your-Next-Project-- More often than we’d like, we face ambiguity in goals, requirements and a variety of other areas within the project and work environment. We need to accept that with the ever-changing business landscape, ambiguity is something we have to deal with. We take a trip to Africa for a look at [The Opportunity in Ambiguity](. I Wish I Had Me When I Was You... by Laura Barnard Have you ever heard a stakeholder on your project say, “I’m completing the template you guys asked me to complete"? Or maybe you’ve heard, “I’m completing the steps in your process.” Do you know what’s wrong with both of those sentences? Laura shares a [lesson on ownership](. The Money Files by Elizabeth Harrin Elizabeth recently wrote about the differences between project accounting and financial accounting. One of the big challenges of juggling the two is the issue of [Securing Ongoing Funding for Your Project]( over multiple financial years. People, Planet, Profits & Projects by Richard Maltzman Inspired by a presentation from Dr. Harold Kerzner, [Part 2 of Harvesting Project Value]( points out that a project should be concerned with "the beyond": the sustained view of the project. That is, the way in which its outcome (hopefully) starts to realize business value—in a sustained way. Game Theory in Management by Michael Hatfield Michael examines what it is that sets portfolio managers apart from other types of managers—and some of the ensuing implications—in [Rule #2: Go Back and Learn Rule #1](. Plus, [PM Technology is Advancing...Are We?]( PM Network by Dan Goldfischer Some projects just scream out “RISK” in capital letters and blinking neon. Such was the case with the AY-102 Recovery Project—an effort to prevent radioactive waste in a leaking tank from escaping and contaminating the nearby Columbia River, the source of drinking water for many residents of Washington and Oregon. The PMI Project of the Year is one of the [highlights of the latest issue](. []Q & A Did you know that help is just a click away? Our discussion forums give you access to the ProjectManagement.com community: more than 500,000 experienced minds and growing! Ask your question today or stop by to help out other members in need of advice, including these recent and ongoing discussions on... [Accidental PM?]( "Did you aspire to be a project manager or did you fall into the work?" [Rejoining the Workforce]( "I am joining the workforce after a seven-year break. I have an IT background, but since I am out of the technical field for so long, joining the PM stream seems a good option. I have the PMP certification. Any pointers?" [Risk Management]( "What’s different in the initiating and planning phases of the project as compared to how risk is managed in the executing phase of the project? What are some best practices when it comes to monitoring and controlling risks? How are risks communicated/discussed with key stakeholders?" [Monitoring Research Projects]( "I work in a PMO supporting technology research and development projects. Often we have questions about what would be the best practical way to track and monitor search project progress. It is highly flexible and hard on value estimation. Any thoughts and experience to share?" [Implementing PM]( "My organization has very little project management structure in place. We do not have the position of a project manager. Projects are 'managed' by the VP of the business unit that is implementing the change. The VPs have very little knowledge of PM methodologies. We would like to create some structure for project management or encourage use of some methodologies. Any recommendations on where to start?" "The minute you start compromising for the sake of massaging somebody's ego, that's it, game over." - Gordon Ramsay []PREMIUM PICKS Did you know that we have an extensive library of PDU-earning webinars? Here's just one of the latest valuable offerings you can check out! [Agile Portfolio Management]( When the enterprise is compelled to be adaptive, who is supposed to orchestrate an agile way of working? Enter the agile portfolio manager. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome. How can we make your experience better? Is there something you haven't been able to find? Something you want to see that we don't have yet? [Let us know](mailto:cameron@projectmanagement.com). We'll handle it. 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