VyrtuNet Offers FREE P3M3 Rapid Assessments

We’ve heard lots of positive talk for folks working in the technology infrastructure and software sectors with some predicting that 2010 will bring opportunity and growth as we emerge from the “Dismal Decade”.  For IT Project Managers, we are starting to see an uptick in new jobs as technology implementations put on hold in 2009 are now starting to move forward.  This is good news but it doesn’t come without skepticism where some companies still find it hard to see the value of PMO services and some do not see any return on IT investments.

If you deliver information technology or software development projects, ask yourself:

Does my Project Management Office directly link technology investments to corporate strategic and operational goals?

Are my project management processes capable of delivering complex technology and software without excessive corporate costs?

VyrtuNet is committed to helping clients provide exceptional project delivery services and now offers FREE P3M3 Rapid Assessments to help shape the future of your information technology delivery practices.  Approximately 30% to 50% of the cost to deliver technology projects relates to non-value added process activities or rework required to eliminate defects.  If you answered “no” to the questions above, you may want to consider the benefits of process capability progression as it will improve how you deliver projects to your customers.  This offer provides a quick evaluation of your portfolio, program and/or project management processes.  Moving through this assessment, you will discover best practice characteristics and the benefits of exploring P3M3 further.

When you are able to answer “yes” to the questions above, corporate skepticism surrounding PMO value and IT investment return will fade away.

P3M3 is a methodology for project, program and/or portfolio management capability maturity assessment and progression.  P3M3 structure is similar to the hierarchical structure of the SEI CMM, using a series of five progression levels to characterize capability maturity.  This model provides great flexibility for organizations that wants to pursue incremental improvement in specific areas because maturity levels may be measured and improved within any process area for any discipline (project, program and/or portfolio management).  Organizations have the flexibility to decide what level of maturity they need to reach in order to meet business objectives.  Some organizations find they can achieve great results without reaching the highest levels of the model across the board.  Some find they only need to achieve a certain number of quality characteristics within a given process area without moving to a higher level.

Contact VyrtuNet at info@vyrtunet.com if you would like to schedule a FREE P3M3 Rapid Assessment.

Click here to learn more about VyrtuNet’s results management and delivery excellence service offerings: http://www.vyrtunet.com/cgi-bin/vn/vyrtunet/services.html?id=GMxc5BuY

And don’t forget about that Project Workbook.  It’s a must tool for IT Project Managers.  Check out this blog for more information and images:   http://vyrtunet.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/a-project-managers-dream-tool-project-workbook/

Free Service respondents will be prioritized by the date that their email is received.  This free P3M3 Rapid Assessment offer is good through April 15, 2010 and applies to current or new VyrtuNet clients in the US only (for now).  If you are located outside the US, VyrtuNet may be able to connect you with organizations in your area that offer P3M3 Assessments (organizations not affiliated with this free offer).  Contact info@vyrtunet.com.

A Project Managers Dream Tool: Project Workbook

This is a great project management tool for IT infrastructure PMs and for only $10 is is quite a bargain.

The Project Workbook is a collection of project planning, tracking, and reporting tools designed in MS Excel®.  It is one workbook containing fifteen individual integrated spreadsheets and may be used as a template set for planning and managing any type of project.  The terms of use license you receive at purchase permits you to change the contents of any spreadsheet to suit your needs and requirements.  You can add content to any spreadsheet immediately.  The information you enter on one spreadsheet may auto-populate a cell in another spreadsheet so review the Workbook Guidelines to see which sheets and cells integrate.  Project managers agree this tool is simple to use and project team members appreciate the simplicity of it.  It’s great for technical team members who do not have access to or use MS Project® or other scheduling software.

Take a look inside…

Templates for detailed project and financial planning and reporting: Risk Management Plan, Communications Management Plan, Contact List, Business Case, Monthly Budget Forecast Planning and Reporting tool and Budget vs. Actuals Report.

Templates for project scoping, activity sequencing, scheduling, issues / action item management: Project Summary, WBS and Task List, Graphical Project Timeline Report, Issues and Action Items Register.

Templates for scope change management, status reporting, meeting minutes and post project review plus guidelines and instructions for using each spreadsheet in the workbook.

For the small price of $10.00 US you get an exceptional and all inclusive tool that is easy to use.  Payment through Visa or MasterCard is accepted.  You may download this product immediately after purchase.

Purchase and download from here:  http://www.vyrtunet.com/cgi-bin/vn/vn22101.html

Feedback, comments and suggestions are welcomed:  products@vyrtunet.com

MS Project ® and MS Excel ® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. VyrtuNet is not associated or affiliated with Microsoft ®.

BPMN for Business Process Modeling and Development

For some time, business process modeling professionals relied on flowcharting techniques and tools to define and develop roadmaps or graphical representations of business activities, tasks and information flow and over time we’ve discovered how to use these models to re-engineer or improve how we do business better to meet customer needs.   Business Process Management (BPM), when combined with BPM software (BPM Suites), allows organizations to align all business processes with customer needs, collect performance statistics, identify and correct problem areas, evaluate and improve processes to increase efficiency, and do this continuously throughout the business process management life cycle.  Very recently, Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) was developed and has become the standard graphical notation for business process modeling and many BPM Suites have or are in the process of adapting to this standard.

Given today’s economic challenges and with organizations striving to improve efficiency and align better with customer needs, BPM is an integral part of standard business operations for most innovative organizations.  Those organizations that manage business processes to improve and maintain efficiency and customer alignment will survive and possibly thrive during any economic downturn, now or in the future.  As more companies begin to realize these benefits, standardization is needed and we have adopted the BPMN standard for all of our business process modeling and development services.

BPMN is the product of a merger between the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) and the Object Management Group (OMG).  More information on BPMN is located here: http://www.bpmn.org/.  For those looking for good reference material, we recommend BPMN Modeling and Reference Guide by Stephen A. White, PhD and Derek Miers.  Although this reference covers BPMN v 1.1 it will suffice for users of the most recent version of BPMN 1.2 as the changes are not significant to warrant a new version.  BPMN version 2.0 is currently in beta and a new edition of this book is forthcoming with this release.  We have not been able to confirm whether or not version 2.0 is out of beta.  A list of current and planned BPMN implementations is located here: http://www.bpmn.org/BPMN_Supporters.htm.

BPMN is owned by BPMI and OMG and we are not able to determine if an official trademark applies at the time of this post.  Copyright does apply.

Sticker Shock: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly when Negotiating Registered Consultant Sponsorship Fees with P3M3 ACOs

If you are searching for sponsorship in order to become a P3M3 Registered Consultant, you may find the following information helpful.  Locating an ACO and requesting sponsorship is a challenge because some ACOs have unique requirements for sponsorship and most have additional fees.  Some of the fees we have seen are expensive and some are not.  Some ACO sponsors look for ways to build their business and some do not.

Protect yourself while you establish a win-win partnership with a sponsor ACO.  Understand the roles and responsibilities of an ACO and a Registered Consultant as described and required by APMG.  Spell out all details in writing with the ACO utilizing a Statement of Work or other legally binding contract before embarking on your project.  Be aware of currency exchange rates for your particular country and apply those into your contract.  Shop around and talk to multiple ACOs before entering into a sponsor partnership.

The Good

It is fair that some ACOs require some type of fee.  ACOs provide administrative and marketing support during your P3M3 engagement.  They are the liaison between the Registered Consultant and APMG and they will provide planning guidance and relevant correspondence with APMG.  Fees may be a percent of your bill rate on a time and materials basis or one time fee.  The size of your project and the ACOs level of involvement will determine the total cost to you, but beware of fees that must be paid in advance of the P3M3 project.  Follow up with AMPG to understand the role of the ACO as this knowledge will help you set expectations with your sponsor ACO.

The Bad

It is possible that some ACOs require annual and/or monthly fees and any such fees are based on the level of ACO participation during your client engagement.  As a Registered Consultant you perform the work, not the ACO.  Consider and compare your level of effort and theirs before committing to these fees.  Understanding the role of the ACO will help.

Beware of proposed affiliate relationships as these can be costly.  A Registered Consultant/ACO sponsorship relationship is not an affiliate relationship unless the two parties want that type of relationship.  As an RC, you should be concerned about ACO sponsorship as per the guidelines established by APMG.  An ACO is a liaison between the Registered Consultant and APMG.  An affiliate partnership is not required by APMG.

The Ugly

Be careful of misrepresentation when discussing fees with ACOs.  The APMG application fee for RC certification is £1000.00 or $1235.00 USD plus VAT.  There is an annual renewal fee of £360.50 or $445.00 USD plus VAT.  These are the only fees required by APMG and we verified this.

An ACO sponsor may require they participate during your P3M3 assessment.  This level of participation is at your discretion but be careful of those who want to lead the project.  Because you are an approved Registered Consultant, both APMG and your client expect you to lead the project.  Set and maintain a strong level of confidence with APMG and your client.

If your ACO sponsor requires they participate during the client assessment and you agree to this, the ACO may bill you for their time and expenses at their going bill rate.  Travel expenses may also apply.  Try to partner with an ACO offering bill rates that are compatible with your bill rates and keep travel requirements to a minimum.

P3M3 is the intellectual property of Crown and the trademark of the OGC.

Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3) Consultant Accreditation

At the conclusion of our initial review of the P3M3 model we committed to provide more details about the P3M3 consultancy accreditation and certification processes.  We collected information from sources in the US, UK and Australia for this blog and hope it inspires project professionals alike to consider P3M3 certification.

As we noted in the initial review, the P3M3 model is free for organizations wanting to perform a self-assessment and a download is available here http://www.p3m3-officialsite.com/home/home.asp.  A self-assessment is defined as performing a capability assessment within your organization to determine what works and identify areas for improvement.  Some project organizations benefit from receiving formal recognition in the form of certification for a given level of maturity and use professional consultants to guide them through a formal assessment and progression process to achieve these credentials.  With regard to P3M3, certain requirements apply to professional consultancies assisting their clients through this process.

The APM Group (APMG)

The APM Group Ltd (APMG), headquartered in the UK with a US office in Massachusetts, is the organization that sets requirements and governs the accreditation and registration processes for many disciplines including but not limited to: Programme and Project Management (PPM), PRINCE2, Management of Risk (M_o_R) and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP).  APMG accepted P3M3 as their preferred method for measuring portfolio, program and project management capability maturity and they set the eligibility requirements for those providing professional services for clients to acquire formal P3M3 maturity credentials.  APMG verifies assessment results and formally certifies project organizations at the recommended maturity level.

APMG developed a P3M3 Assessment Tool (remember there is no software application or automated tool to accompany P3M3 for individual organizations performing a self-assessment) that provides flexibility to assess portfolio, program and/or project management maturity independently against the standards and process perspectives defined in the P3M3 model.  This tool is available to Registered Consultants (RCs) only and not available to the general public.

The folks at APMG-UK and APMG-US provided the accreditation and registration information for this blog and we thank them for their assistance.  Contact APMG-UK at servicedesk@apmg-uk.com or Ronn Faigen, APMG-US Marketing Manager at 781-275-8604, Ronn.Faigen@APMG-Usa.com for more detailed information.

Registered Consultants

Formal P3M3 assessments are performed by Registered Consultants (RCs) certified through APMG.  RCs must be accredited in PPM and/or MSP and attend a maturity model briefing event.  Once RC designation is awarded, consultants are able to conduct formal P3M3 assessments using the APMG Assessment Tool, develop maturity level recommendations and request APMG verification of those findings.  APMG reviews RC recommendations and certifies the project organization at the recommended maturity level.  APMG offers a certificate to the project organization and lists it on the APMG website.  Project organizations pay a fee for formal certification credentials.

To become an RC and perform formal P3M3 assessments, individuals must meet certain eligibility requirements.  Listed below are the eligibility requirements for PPM RC certification.   Prospective PPM RCs must:

• Be sponsored by an Accredited Consulting Organization (ACO).
• Complete/submit application paperwork and pay the appropriate registration fee to APMG.
• Meet one of the following requirements:  (1) Have PRINCE2, P3O, MSP or M_o_R accreditation plus two years experience as a management consultant in program and project management.  (P3O is Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices certification which is fairly new); (2) Have a degree in Program or Project Management (or equivalent) plus more than five years work experience in project and/or program management consulting; (3) Demonstrate 10 years experience as a management consultant in project and/or program management.
• Have a minimum of four valid professional referees/references.
• Present evidence of one completed relevant management consultancy assignment.  This evidence must be presented orally to APMG.
• Provide a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that the required standards can be met.
• Demonstrate an ability to promote a professional image with clients.

(Management Consulting is helping organizations improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing business problems and development of plans for improvement.)

For more information on PRINCE2, P3O, MSP or M_o_R eligibility and certification, contact APMG-UK at servicedesk@apmg-uk.com, Ronn Faigen, APMG-US at 781-275-8604, Ronn.Faigen@APMG-Usa.com or visit the APMG website at www.apmgroupltd.com.

RCs must be sponsored by an ACO.  If you are not affiliated with an ACO, you may become an RC by locating an ACO and requesting sponsorship.  Some ACOs are willing to sponsor RCs that are not direct employees; however each ACO has unique requirements for sponsorship and may have additional fees.  To locate an ACO, you may contact APMG directly at servicedesk@apmg-uk.com or visit their website here:   http://www.apmgroup.co.uk/MSP/ConsultingOrganisations/MSPACOListing.asp.  Continue reading to find out how your organization can become an ACO.

Accredited Consulting Organizations

Consultancies must meet specific eligibility requirements defined by APMG in order achieve ACO certification.  ACOs sponsor RCs that perform P3M3 assessments and, in some cases are considered a middleman between the RCs and APMG.  An ACO must have at least one sponsored RC at all times and only the RC may lead any P3M3 client assessment.  Consultants without RC accreditation may participate in the assessment process as approved by the ACO.

Consultancies must meet and demonstrate the criteria listed below to achieve ACO certification:

1. A structured method for delivery and administration of assignments
2. A documented quality control / quality management system
3. Assignment and management review procedures
4. Complaint and appeals procedures
5. Documented quality control policies and procedures
6. Documented information on Registered Consultants and their qualifications
7. Documentation control policies and procedures
8. Administrative staff training and appraisal system
9. A consulting assignment and/or engagement management system to include: receipt of initial inquiry, decision to prepare proposals, proposal preparation and pricing, assignment award negotiation and conclusion, confirmation of assignment award, assignment launch, management of assignment/progress reporting, preparation and review of final report, handover and close-out report and assignments led by an APMG approved RC having in depth knowledge, experience, confidence, interpersonal skills and ability to work with executive leadership.

Prospective ACOs must complete an application that shows evidence of one project, program and/or risk management assignment within a 12 month period.  For consultancies less than two years old, evidence of three consulting assignments within a 36 month period is required.  Prospective ACOs must be a genuine legal business as per the laws of the country in which it is headquartered.

For more information on the ACO process contact APMG-UK at servicedesk@apmg-uk.com, Ronn Faigen, APMG-US at 781-275-8604, Ronn.Faigen@APMG-Usa.com or visit the APMG website at www.apmgroupltd.com.

Fees

The following fees are effective as of September, 2009 and are subject to change.  Fees vary depending on the country and applicable currency conversion rates.  We suggest contacting APMG directly for up-to-date rates at servicedesk@apmg-uk.com.

The application fee for RC certification is £1000.00 or $1235.00 USD plus VAT.  There is an annual renewal fee of £360.50 or $445.00 USD plus VAT.

The application fee for ACO accreditation is £5000.00 or $6175.00 USD plus VAT.  There is an annual renewal fee of £2060.00 or $2545.00 USD plus VAT.

VAT is a type of tax that is calculated at the time of payment.

Fees include access to APMG’s Assessment Tool and other APMG resources.  Additional expenses may apply if travel is required.  Some credentials require interviews and oral presentations.  Additional expenses may apply if assessments take place outside the UK.

Independent RCs in need of ACO sponsorship might have additional fees payable to the ACO.  Hint: Good negotiation skills are recommended.

Helpful Links:

For a copy of the P3M3 Model and Self-Assessment and for more details regarding its usage go to the P3M3 Website at http://www.p3m3-officialsite.com/home/home.asp.

The information herein is subject to change.  For up-to-date information visit the APMG website at www.apmgroupltd.com or contact APMG directly.

OGC ® is a registered trademark of the Office of Government Commerce in the UK, P3M3 is the intellectual property of Crown and the trademark of the OGC, PRINCE2 ® is a registered trademark of the OGC, MSP is a trademark of the OGC, M_o_R ® is a registered trademark of the OGC.

Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3) Review

P3M3 is a methodology for project, program and/or portfolio management capability maturity assessment and progression.  Owned by the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC), it is available in public consultation draft form as a free download and OGC is accepting feedback and comments. 

P3M3 is free for organizations wanting to perform a self-assessment and a download is available here http://www.p3m3-officialsite.com/home/home.asp.  We are in the process of examining the details of the consultancy accreditation process and will post information to this blog once we sort it all out.

P3M3 structure is similar to the hierarchical structure of the SEI CMM, using a series of five progression levels to characterize capability maturity, beginning with Level 1 (lowest level) and progressing up to Level 5 (highest level).  These include Level 5 Optimized, Level 4 Managed, Level 3 Defined, Level 2 Repeatable and Level 1 Awareness.

There are seven key process areas (called process perspectives) at each level.  These include Management Control, Benefits Management, Financial Management, Stakeholder Management, Risk Management, Organizational Governance and Resource Management.

Each area has unique quality characteristics (called attributes) for each level of maturity.  A maturity level is measured by how an organization meets or does not meet these characteristics.

Refer to the P3M3 Public Consultation Draft V2.0 document for more information regarding maturity levels, process perspectives and attributes http://www.p3m3-officialsite.com/home/home.asp

This model provides great flexibility for an organization that wants to pursue incremental improvement in specific areas because maturity levels may be measured and improved within any process area for any discipline (project, program and/or portfolio management).  Organizations have the flexibility to decide what level of maturity they need to reach in order to satisfy business needs.  Some organizations find they can achieve great results and meet business needs without reaching the highest levels of the model across the board.  Some find they only need to achieve a certain number of quality characteristics within a process area without moving to a higher level.

Regardless of the methodology used, all capability maturity modeling begins with an assessment to determine an organizations current level of maturity.  The extent and duration of any assessment is based on the assessment scope, resource availability, organizational commitment and size, complexity of the organization.

An introductory self-assessment questionnaire is provided with the P3M3 model but it is limited.  The intent of this self-assessment is just that – a quick self-assessment.  It is a starting point that may help collect some information to determine a basic level but it does not take full advantage of P3M3. 

What happens next?  How the organization wants to position itself, budget and resource considerations, priorities and level of organizational commitment are key factors to determine next steps.  An organization may accept its current level or it may decide to develop a progression plan or initiate a project to reach the next desired level of maturity in one or more process areas for one or all disciplines.  Any progression plan or improvement project should include a means to measure controls, progress and sustainability over time.  Metrics also help justify any monetary or time investment.  Having change control in place is critical because organizations are prone to change people and processes often.  People and process changes will impact maturity progression activities. 

If an organization decides to implement process changes to improve capability, a follow-up assessment is recommended to measure the impact of those changes.  The step validates whether or not an organization makes progress towards capability maturity improvement.

P3M3 is quite user friendly but it is important to note that it is not automated, meaning a software application does not accompany the model to record results, generate reports and progression roadmaps for individual organizations performing a self-assessment and improvement exercise.  

The P3M3 Model is used in the UK and Europe and accredited organizations from these areas are listed on their website.  Our next blog post will have more details about their accreditation process for consultants.

Helpful Links: 

For a copy of the P3M3 Model and Self-Assessment and for more details regarding its usage go to the P3M3 Website at http://www.p3m3-officialsite.com/home/home.asp

OGC ® is a registered trademark of the Office of Government Commerce in the UK and P3M3 is the intellectual property of Crown and the trademark of the OGC.

Why Care About P3M Process Capability Maturity Progression?

Some folks like it, some folks don’t.  For several reasons, probably too many to discuss.  We believe in it and hope the information and success stories we share increase awareness and promote the practice of it.

Before diving in, we want to mention that the information we share (along with the services we provide) focus on process capability, not people capability.  We leave the people part up to the practicing project-based organization as they know how to select the right people.

What is it?

The technique of process capability maturity modeling follows an organized framework for progressive improvement resulting in structured mature processes and collaborative teamwork that improve how work gets done.  The key advantages are cost savings and increased customer satisfaction through teamwork and value-added activities. 

There is a wealth of information on the Internet to define and interpret the capability maturity model concept and its origin so that will not be repeated here.  Many different techniques are widely used for capability maturity modeling.  What is not prevalent is how to select the model that works best for you and we hope to help you do just that.

Why use it?

You’ve probably noticed a shift in the way organizations want and need to do business today.  Current economic conditions are forcing all types of businesses to do more with less but doing more with less will not go away once the economy recovers.  Companies will continue to look for ways to lower operational expenses, forcing workers to take on more.  But there are other factors causing this shift.  What’s even more interesting is the fact that directness, clarity, precision and teamwork are making a come back.

For quite some time we have seen a push for individualism and competitiveness in the workplace, believing these characteristics result in higher productivity.  Slowly the art of teamwork has diminished over time.  We’ve seen lack of conformity and extreme competitive behavior resulting in failed projects and project managers are under more pressure than ever to build and sustain teamwork to meet critical success factors. 

Companies are beginning to think about and reconsider how:

• Chaos, inefficiency and resistance leads to less advancement and even job loss
• Knowledge is power but collaboration is greatness
• Socializing knowledge contributes to the growth of the whole
• People work smarter and produce more when part of a team
• Teamwork builds competitiveness as a group to win customer satisfaction
• Innovative teams seek ways to eliminate waste and do things better

Process capability progression helps organizations build and maintain a well oiled team over time, provided the organization as a whole commits to it.  The goal is synergy from start to finish in any value-added process.  But the challenge of reaching an ideal level of capability is difficult.  Some believe it is impossible to achieve — process means less flexibility, maintaining process change requires more resources and time commitment; we can’t reach our ideal level of capability if everything around us constantly changes.

It is possible to achieve greatness of any kind if you believe it is right and you have the ambition to do what it takes to achieve it.  With respect to process capability progression, organizational leadership must accept, prioritize and commit to it as part of their collection of standard business practices.  They must select an appropriate process capability model that quickly meets organizational needs with minimal overhead.  Each person involved in the start to finish processes must accept progression as a technique to achieve a desired capability level over time.  They must be flexible to accept change until the desired capability level is reached.  Leveling the progression technique into a phased approach with realistic goals, clear and concise planning, delivering achievements in the form of measurable results and frequent, continuous communication to maintain momentum increases the chance of success.

Accomplishing organizational commitment is a significant challenge and probably the most difficult part of this process.  The direction must start at the top and trickle down.  These techniques build teamwork and the quality level of organizational teamwork will increase as teams move through the progression process.  Teams transform into working smarter, building and implementing plans that deliver victory.

Next we will explore the most popular PM process capability models, starting with the P3M3, Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model by the UK Office of Government Commerce.  We will look at its structure, usage, benefits and consider the range of flexibility and change control with regard to sustainment requirements.  We will share this information in our next blog post.

The P3M Process Capability Maturity Model Challenge

With over 90 different project, program and portfolio management process capability maturity models available, how do you determine which model works best for your organizational needs and goals?

Today we launch a challenging exercise to compare and report on the most popular capability models.  We hope to produce a comprehensive collection of information to help individuals and project-based organizations:

• Learn about the practice of process capability modeling
• Compare and contrast different capability model processes
• Examine various types of modeling output
• Select and apply the best model

We will post most of our results to this blog with a comprehensive report made available at the end of this exercise.  Stay tuned for Part 1 of this series where we will examine the practice of process capability maturity modeling.