Short video on simple Earned Value example

In one of my classes on Project Management Earned Value I discuss a simplified example of using CPI (cost performance index).

What Makes a Successful Project Manager?

Everyone agrees that delivering projects on-time, on budget, and meeting performance requirements (the "triple constraints") are critical to consistently successful project management.  Additionally, the following leadership/management attributes provide a solid foundation for achieving great PM success.  (I make no claim to originality for most of these - many you can find in a couple minutes of internet surfing).

Increasingly the business world is becoming more project based, largely driven by an organizations need to be competitive and profitable - therefore the skills and attributes necessary to achieve PM success are becoming more valuable.  These skills are far more valuable (and harder to develop) than any business project management software.  If you lack any of them, take time to foster and hone them - for yourself and those around you.

• Foresight;  being able to look down the road and make some reasonable predictions based upon practical assumptions.  I call it the converse of planning.

• Organization;  keeping information, schedules, and team members organized is critical. Being  detail-oriented, but without micro-managing is key.

• The ability to lead. Although there are some people who are natural leaders, basic leadership skills can be learned, practiced, and improved. It's not well covererd in the PMBOK, but there are mentors, leadership training, assessments, and books you can read if an honest evaluation of your leadership skills finds you lacking. Leadership and people skills are, IMHO, more important than methodology and tracking tools.

• Communication skills. It's important to be able to communicate with everyone involved in the project from peers, to team members, and stakeholders. Everyone needs different information couched in different terms, at different detail levels, at different times.  Many seasoned practitioners will say they spend more time in communication than any other single PM activity.

• Pragmatism. A pragmatic approach to problem-solving is a skill that is essential for a discipline as varied and mult-functional as project management.

• Empathy and Situational Leadership. In order to lead people, you need to understand them and what motivates them. Everyone is different and a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership is seldom the most successful approach.

• Delegation.  You can't do it all yourself, and most of the time, if you have the right people, the task can be done better by someone else.  Besides, if your always doing it you rob others of growth and can't invest in the organization's future.  Great project managers understand that successfully leading people is more than half the battle in managing any complex or large project.

• Pro-Active and Following Up.  Even the best folks need some follow up and reminders now and then, and you can never sit back and wait for stuff to happen on its own.

MBWA

"A desk can be a dangerous place from which to manage your Project." 

There is a lot of initiating, planning, executing, closing and monitoring/controlling that can be done in your office or desk, but nothing can quite replace the process of going out among the work centers to see for yourself what is going on.  That process is what we call MBWA, or managing by walking around.  We have to remember several things;
1. Reports represent a state at a point in time, which is rarely real time.  Information regarding cost, schedule and performance can be anywhere from days to weeks or even months old. 
2.  Even when work performance information in a report has just been collected, it may be based on old data.  This problem can be exacerbated even more when all personnel are not co-located.
3.  Some elements of this information may have it's own added time-late characteristics, such as when procurement updates cost accounts based on subcontracts and other P.O.s
4.  Reports usually do not provide a complete picture, and may address only those areas that fit into a preconceived format.
5. By personally visiting the various work sites, the PM can often get a heads up on problems appearing but not yet registered anywhere, and sometimes can even be prevented by some quick information sharing or actions on the part of the PM.
6.  Last but not least, it's easier to get the unvarnished truth during unofficial one-on-one conversations, before various management levels have a chance to insert potential "spin." However, one must always be aware of the information source and keep in mind that it may need added context to properly interpret.


- Stu Newman

A sample list of items for a Project Staffing Plan

The Staffing plan for a project might need, among other items:

 

1. Describe and Define what project is, requirements, etc.

 

- Team Mission, Vision, Goals/Objectives.

 

2. List key personnel positions that need to be staffed:

 

3. List required skills, experiences, special requirements (“Top Secret goverment clearance,” “600 lb Stationary plant engineer,” "Certified Novell Engineer (CNE),” etc.) for EACH position.

 

4. Identify their roles and functions:

         - Project Manager, lead systems engineer, etc. and what they need to be doing, who they report to, etc. Eliminate redundancy (where its not essential).

 

5. Identify the management structure (org chart)

 

6. Define the personnel requirements against the timeframes when they will be needed, and list full vs. % part time (you may lump together “3 mechanical engineers, full time, during T1-T2 period”).

 

7.  Generate cost “ROM,” in dollars or labor. Turn in write up.

 

A good team is more than the company it resides in; it has drive, identity and a common goal- it doesn’t snipe, pull each other down, or engage in destructive behavior.

 

Staffing plan: who do you need, what will they do, how will they interact, how many of each, when do you need who, what skills and experience is needed.

Summary of easy ways to earn PDUs for PMPs at no cost

To maintain your PMP, completing and documenting a minimum of 60 PDUs per cycle (three years from date of certificiation) are required by PMI.  There are several ways and methods for earning PDUs, some of which cost money, and many that cost nothing.  The summary below appeared in PMPhub.net;  click for complete link.http://www.pmhub.net/wp/2011/06/david-j-lanners-how-pmps-can-earn-pdu-for-free/

David J. Lanners PMP: How PMPs can earn PDU for FREE

Dear Friends,
The enclosed summary and attached one-page “printer-friendly” guide reflect the changes to the recertification program(s) implemented by PMI on March 1, 2011.
The guide was developed in response to the following question posed by a very successful executive: “If a PMP or PMP candidate will waste his/her own money on pedestrian education and/or training, how careful are they likely to be with somebody else’s money?”
——————————————–
Project Management Professionals earn PDUs without spending money…
.
To earn PDUs without spending money, we suggest you consider Category C, D, and E.
Category C Activities that we recommend are:
Self-Directed Learning. You may earn 1 PDU for every hour spent in self-directed learning such as reading articles, books, or instructional manuals, watching videos, using interactive CD-ROMs, podcasts, or other source material, having formal discussions with colleagues, co-workers, clients, or consultants, being coached.
Documentation required upon PMI audit/request: Evidence supporting reported learning such as dated notes.
Category D Activities that we recommend are:
Presenting in a webinar, developing course content for project management related courses, serving as a speaker or instructor for project management related courses and presentations.
You may have a series of “formal” presentations over lunch in your employee cafeteria scheduled by your training department. Keep a copy of the formal announcement, a copy of the AGENDA, and a list of the attendees. Both the time required to prepare or create this knowledge and the time to present it can be claimed for PDUs. If you spent 7.5 hours to create your presentation and 1 hour to deliver it, this would count for 8.5 PDUs.
Member or moderator of a panel discussion at a conference, symposium workshop or formal event at which you are serving as a subject matter expert in project management. 1 PDU earned per hour of prep and delivery.
Note: PDUs claimed in this category count against the maximum of 45 PDUs allowed for PMP credential holders in the “Giving Back to the Profession” categories (Categories D, E, and F).
Documentation required upon PMI audit/request: Copies of educational materials OR course agendas.
Category E Activities that we recommend are:
Volunteer (non-compensated) service to a non-profit organization (PMI or non-PMI). To claim PDUs for service as an elected or appointed PMI committee member, you must serve in that role for a minimum of three months. However, providing pro-bono (free) project management services to any non-profit community group earns 1.0 PDU for each full hour of volunteer (non-compensated) service regardless of elapsed months.
Delivering free PM-related services to a non-profit community group enables you to earn PDUs much faster than serving on a PMI Chapter committee which requires a minimum of three (3) months service to qualify.
Note: PDUs claimed in this category count against the maximum of 45 PDUs allowed for PMP credential holders in the “Giving Back to the Profession” categories (Categories D, E, and F).
Documentation required upon PMI audit/request: Letter or certificate from the organization served acknowledging you for your project management related service or role in coaching mentoring others.
Category F (Working as a Project Manager)
Working as a Professional in Project Management. You can earn a total of 5 PDUs per 12 month period or 15 total PDUs per cycle for credential holders.
Documentation required upon PMI audit/request: Proof of employment (Job description).
* Certification programs sponsored by non-profit organizations cannot require that only commercially sold (fee paid) courses qualify for certification or recertification. If you are a PMP, you have the designation that PMI promotes as being associated with professionalism in project management. That designation (or other similar certifications) likely qualify you to present material that is consistent with the PMBOK Guide in order to earn PDUs for helping educate others in the profession. Since the PMP designation is intended to promote professionalism in project management, you are doing so in an honorable way when you teach others in a manner consistent with the PMBOK Guide.
This summary reflects program changes implemented by PMI on March 1, 2011.

Example of Capital Budgeting using Payback Financial Criteria

http://watchdog.org/142784/santa-fe-solar

Students of PM know there are many different Financial selection criteria to determine the worth of a project, as well as numerous non-financial criteria.  A common financial selection criteria is pay-back period and discounted pay back period;  the amount of time (typically in months or years) required to pay back the investment in either simple terms or discounted by using Present Value.

College spends $5 million to save $200,000

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE, N.M. — Santa Fe Community College has just unveiled a solar array that, it says, will save the college at least $200,000 a year on its utility bills.
But the array, funded by taxpayers in a 2010 bond election, will cost $5 million.
You don’t have to be a math major at the college to figure out it would take 25 years of $200,000 cost savings per year to reach the $5 million mark for the project to just break even.
So is the solar array a good deal?
SFCC interim president Randy Grissom thinks so.
First off, Grissom told New Mexico Watchdog the college expects to save more than $200,000 a year on utility bills.
“We took a really conservative approach in doing our analysis,” Grissom said. “We anticipate it will be between $200,000 to $300,000 (a year in savings).”
But even at $300,000 a year, it would take almost 17 years to break even, right?
“We did a ‘net present value’ analysis of the project,” Grissom said, adding that the analysis showed “a gain of $1.5 million” over the life of the solar array, which, Grissom says, is guaranteed to last 25 years.
But given some of the solar industry’s problems in recent years, taxpayers have reason to be skeptical.
For example, in summer 2012, after getting $16 million in grants from the state, Schott Solar shut down its manufacturing plant in south Albuquerque and laid off 250 workers. New Mexico taxpayers had to eat more than $12 million because the administration of then-Gov. Bill Richardson did not include any clawback provisions in the deal with Schott.
Taxpayers also got stuck losing millions in 2009, when Advent Solar went belly-up, despite receiving nearly $17 million through the State Investment Council and its private equity arm.
Nationally, the Brookings Institution reported the U.S. government has allocated more than $150 billion to green initiatives since 2009, and the International Energy Agency estimates nations across the globe have made more than $2 trillion in renewable energy investments in the past 20 years.
“There’s too little to show from the investments, however,” Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman wrote in his book, “The Frackers,” about the oil and gas industry in the U.S.
“Cars don’t run on waste, and wind and solar aren’t yet ready to power the world,” Zuckerman said. “Instead, a group of frackers, relying on market cues rather than government direction, achieved dramatic advances by focusing on fossil fuels, of all things. It’s a stark reminder that breakthroughs in the business world usually are achieved through incremental advances, often in the face of deep skepticism, rather than government-inspired eureka moments.”
But SFCC’s Grissom, who said, “we worked on projects like this all the time” when he used to be a vice-president of a technology business at General Electric 14 years ago, said he’s confident of a positive return on investment in the $5 million solar array.
“We went through the whole process to make sure this was a good project for the college to do,” Grissom said. “Not only is it good for the college, but for the taxpayers.”
Grissom said analysis for the project included renewable energy credits the college will rack up from PNM, the state’s largest electric utility, and conservatively predicted modest 1 percent annual increases in energy rates. With energy increases usually higher than that, SFCC claims the project will be a financial winner.
In addition, Grissom said the solar array has an important educational element for SFCC students, who can earn certificates as solar installers, designers and sales people.
“This will save money the over the long-term, and that money can go back to the students, rather than paying utility bills,” Grissom said.
Earlier this year, the SFCC Governing Board came under fire for spending $500,000 in taxpayer money to oust former president Ana “Cha” Guzmán. Grissom has been named the school’s interim president and has expressed his desire to fill the job permanently.
Want to hear more? Rob Nikolewski discuses the costs and benefits

Strategic thinking strengthens intellectual capacity

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428094259.htm
Strategy-based cognitive training has the potential to enhance cognitive performance and spill over to real-life benefit according to a data-driven perspective article. The research-based perspective highlights cognitive, neural and real-life changes measured in randomized clinical trials that compared a gist-reasoning strategy-training program to memory training in populations ranging from teenagers to healthy older adults, individuals with brain injury to those at-risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Recent Lessons Learned from the PMP exam

The below LL is from a gentleman I do not personally know, but recently emailed with.  I am posting his LL since I have not seen many recent LL posts on the various PM sites...

Stu,

I'd be happy to share many lessons learned that come to the top of my mind:

-I approached the PMP training/exam with a lot of PM experience though little in the 'PMI PMP' realm (that is, PM in the Navy shares a whole bunch of the concepts but few of the actual terms used by PMI-PMP.)

-I wish I had a better appreciation of the overall process to PMI's PMP structure. E.g.better understanding of the interconnections that among the 47 processes and how outputs of one process tend to be inputs to others.
-If I were to 'do this all again' I would spend more attention to the inputs, tools & techniques and outputs of each of the 47 processes. I did not memorize any of those (inputs/t&t/outputs - with 2 exceptions, see below.) Point being, even though I would not recommend 'blanket memorization' of the inputs/t&t/outputs, I would pay more attention 'along the way' as one is learning, in order to help overall comprehension.
- The exam itself of course had many challenging questions (probably a 'duh' statement) and varieties and flavors of questions I hadn't seen. For me, I took an online prep course (36 modules, each about 1/5-2 hours long) was probably enough to pass the exam, though I spend a decent amount of extra time to 'make sure' I wouldn't have to take the exam again. So I bought and read the PMBOK (which I would recommend) another (somewhat pricey) exam prep book (recommended if you can get over the sticker shock) and two 'bargain priced' exam question books. See below for the details on the books.)
- While I can't of course divulge actual test questions (not that I really remember them a week later :-) I did find two questions very interesting (I have a B.S, and M.S. in mathematics) that I found really interesting and did not run across any similar examples in all my prep:

Scenario: Think of the network analysis questions (e.g. A has Start as a prerequisite and lasts 5 days. B has Start as a prerequisite and lasts 3 days. C has cannot start until A and B are both complete.)

Question 2 (note: NOT the question I saw on the exam!): Describe the relationship between activities B and C in terms of lead/lag:
a. Activity C has a lag of 2 days
b. Activity C has a lead of 2 days
c. Activity B has a lead of 2 days or,
d. Activity B has a lag of 2 days

My question may be a bit messed up (since C is on the critical path) but I hope you get my drift.

Question 1: How long would the project last if an additional activity, D, was added? Activity D lasts 4 days and cannot finish until B finishes. Point being, think of other activity relationships besides finish-start within such a question type.

Books:

I purchased the following books (and added some comments on each) ...

Book: PMP Exam Prep, Eighth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam
Comment: Pricy ($87 from Amazon) but probably worth it. Best was the 'tricks of the trade' (I think that's what they call it) observations that were very good (things like, 'Unless the exam question tells you otherwise, assume you're PM of a large {>200 people} organization.') The questions were also very good - more so because I got the feeling many of them were designed to trip you up (well, attack tricky subjects/points) if you didn't understand the nuance involved (and better to trip up on a practice question than the real thing.)

Book: PMP® Examination Practice Questions for the The PMBOK® Guide,5th edition. Paperback by Sean Whitaker
Comment: I thought this was a great resource and very reasonably priced ($12 from Amazon.) The explanations, I thought, were a bit lacking (maybe it was because the answers in Rita's guide and the book below were so good.) I also thought there were a bit too many questions of the type "Project Information is an input to all but which of the following processes?" -- that is, the frequency of these questions in this book was higher than I experienced on the exam (/what I was led to predict by the other sources.) Of course, knowing those inputs, T&T and outputs are a definite part of the exam, and spending more time on those will help answer questions on the actual exam, but nevertheless, it got a bit tedious as those questions (rather looking over the answers) didn't really help me (in many ways, learning those is pure memorization/familiarization.) Anyhow, a decent 'workhorse' book.

Book: PMP Exam Preparation: 600 Questions with Explanations Paperback
by Daud Nasir
Comment: This is actually 3 separate exams of 200 questions each. Again a great value, I thought ($15 from Amazon) and well thought-out questions (in particular, the answers were very valuable in helping me learn the many PMP nuances out there.) Distracting for me was that the grammar of many of the questions was a bit lacking (I don't know - little stuff like "You're Project Manager for big project" rather than "a big project") that threw me off a bit as I had to stop a lot and ask myself 'Is this what Duad is asking?' I hope that does not sound petty and on the VERY positive side, the answers were very well thought out and definitely helped me pinpoint places where my knowledge was lacking. I also only did 2 of the 3 exams so I can't comment on the 3rd one.

I'd also like to mention one website I found extremely helpful in preparing for the exam -- most specifically, it seemed to mimic very closely the actual screen look of the exam, and the 'review' page of the exam. I suppose there very well could be other similar resources out there that help mimic the actual test conditions, but I didn't run across any that were free (like this site.) There's a bank of 1000 questions and you randomly get 200 on an exam with a 4-hour time limit. Once complete you can have the system just print out the questions you missed (which was useful.) Also useful is the way the presented the answers (that is, repeated the whole question, with the correct answer highlighted -- very useful, I thought.) -- I took 2 exams and of course saw some repeat questions. I chose to do only 2 {exams}, as I thought that by the 3rd there be too many repeat questions. In any event, the site is: http://www.examcentral.net -- you have to register, but otherwise the exams are free.

Disclaimer on all the above is that I'm not affiliated with either Amazon, any of the authors or examcentral.net -- they were just the resources I used to prepare for my exam.

Best of luck:

John

On 03/21/14 4:34 PM, Stu N. wrote:
--------------------
Congrats, John!
If you don't mind, I would much appreciate any thoughts you may want to share regarding PMP exam lessons learned. I teach PM among other things and have a blog site where I share LL on the PMP exam from my students and other interested parties... You can either send me a note and I'll post it or make a comment on the site

10 Signs You are a Bad Employee

Understanding some of the top 10 signs that you're a bad employee, as described by Forbes, will help you thrive in a civilian team.
1. You're never on time. Timeliness is one of the most critical functions of any job. Someone who can't be relied upon to show up on time will be seen as a drag on morale and resources and will soon lose respect. It's one of the easiest, most manageable aspects of your career, so shirking it will lead to trouble.

2. You find yourself frequently excusing your actions. If you find yourself frequently explaining away your actions, you may have a problem. Even if you believe that all of your excuses are valid, repetitive and problematic behavior isn't easily forgotten. It's important to understand what it takes to finish a job and what's expected of you to get it done.
3. You aren't willing to handle unexpected assignments. The nature of any job is relatively fluid: rarely does paid work come with fixed, predictable schedules. If something unexpected falls on your lap, receiving it bitterly or refusing it outright will serve as a stark black mark on your reputation. Everyone in the office is in the same boat, and refusing the unexpected may be seen as a sign that you're unwilling to shoulder your share.
4. You are frequently gossiping. It may be very hard to resist, but gossip is toxic. Even lighthearted backbiting can damage your reputation. Workplaces are small, enclosed social environments, and contributing to the rumor mill doesn't do anyone any good. If you do it too frequently, not only will you potentially hurt those around you, but people will lack respect for you as a professional.
5. You believe you're the smartest person in the workplace, or don't respect your coworkers. It's not unusual to be frustrated by the faults in others: they're easy to see and allow you to shift criticism off of yourself. However, if you find yourself always complaining to yourself about how useless those around you are, then you have a problem to deal with. This type of attitude tends to bleed out in your interactions with others, so even if you don't say that everyone is incompetent, your body language, tone, and attitude eventually will.
6. You do not respect your company's mission or values. A company's mission and values aren't there for fun – the higher ups put plenty of thought into them and do try to ensure that their company embodies them. If you show open disdain for the mission and values, you'll most likely be seen as more of a drag than a boon to the company. Even if both seem fake or overbearing, a measured level of respect for their existence and purpose will go a long way.
7. You are unproductive compared to your coworkers. If you can get a solid read on the productivity of your coworkers, then it never hurts to compare your output to theirs. If you see a wide gap in how much they accomplish versus how much you get done, then you are most likely due for some introspection. If you aren't pulling your weight, eventually people will notice. It may take a while depending on how many people are affected by your work, but you should never underestimate how noticeable your contribution can be.
8. No one in the office likes to work with you. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it's tricky to read, but if people don't like to work with you then something needs to be addressed. It's one thing to butt heads with one coworker, but if everyone seems to shun you, then the issue is most likely with you. If you can't figure out why no one likes to work with you, it may be time to appeal to your boss on how you can be a stronger team player.
9. You or your boss frequently need to apologize to clients. It's normal to make a mistake once in a while, but if it isn't normal for your work to necessitate frequent apologies to clients. Whatever the reason, shoddy work damages not just your reputation as an employee, but the company's reputation as a whole. It's best to avoid this situation entirely by frequently examining your work and ensuring it meets or exceeds expectations.
10. You don't accept being told no. Whether from a coworker or boss, at some point in everyone's career, they will be said no to. It's normal to debate, sometimes vigorous conversation can be constructive and beneficial, but if you are absolutely stubborn about rejection, then you'll be a burden instead of an asset. Even if you're completely convinced that you're right, refusing to acknowledge a decision will only damage your reputation.

Earned Schedule

Earned Schedule is one of the newer metrics for Earned Value Management.  Here is a good link to get an overview.
http://www.earnedschedule.com/http://www.earnedschedule.com/

Vision Without Execution is Hallucination

This is a great quote by Thomas Edison, often considered one of the most prolific inventors in history...Thought for the month...

How to generate a Project Scope Statement

Project Scope Statement

Items to include as part of a project scope statement:

•     Why we are doing this project or Justification –How and why your project originated, business requirements and how any related activities will affect the project.

•     Objectives – Services, products, or results the project is expected to produce.  Specify the deliverables and define your project objectives.  Quantify as much as possible specific attributes, performance, timelines, features, etc.

•     Boundaries – Define the limits of the project. State what is out of scope or NOT included.

•     Product scope description – Outlines the functions and features of the services, products, and/or the results your project is expected to generate.

•     Product acceptance criteria –Conditions, Tests and processes needed for completion so that the customer has an objective basis to accept the services, products, or results.  Ask yourself the question; “How will I know I have achieved the objectives or how will I measure success?”

•     Constraints – Restrictions that limit what you can accomplish in your project, how and when you can finish it, and how much it will cost.

•     Assumptions – Highlight how information is dealt with as the scope plan is begun, planned, and performed.  List specific assumptions made.

Other considerations that need addressing that may not be covered above.

Be complete, specific and concise.  Test the Scope statement by having others read it and then describe back to you what the project is about to see if it is clear.

PMBOK 5 and PMP Exam

PMI is scheduled to publish the 5th Edition of the PMBOK® Guide on Jan 1, 2013.  Aug 1, 2013 is the scheduled date for when the Project Management Professional (PMP)® changes to PMBOK 5.

Summary of Major changes – Harmonization with other foundational standards (Ch. 1-2);  consistent terminology – Ch.3 (“the standard”) moved to an annex – New knowledge area: Stakeholder Management (ch.13) – Four Planning Processes were added: Plan Scope  Management, Plan Schedule Management, Plan Cost  Management and Plan Stakeholder Management. (This  change brings back the Scope Planning process from the  Third Edition and adds three new planning processes.) - The number of processes is now 47 vs 42 (in PMBOK 4).  http://newmanagestrat.blogspot.com/2012/11/reminder-upcoming-5th-ed-pmbok.html http://newmanagestrat.blogspot.com/2012/11/reminder-upcoming-5th-ed-pmbok.html

Reminder - upcoming 5th Ed. PMBOK

Most of you have heard that the 5th ed. of the PMBOKtm is scheduled for release around the end of this year, and that the PMPtm exam will likely reflect the 5th ed. sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2013 (note that both timeframes are subject to change).  Below are two of the major highlights of the upcoming edition (again, all subject to change):  

   • Traditional 5 major process groups of Initiating, Planning Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing are unchanged. 

   • 47 processes are in the 5th edition PMBOK draft, representing a 12% increase.

- Typically when editions change and when the new exam reflects those changes often period of "calibration" occurs, so I generally advise prospective test takers to either do the exam prior to a change, or wait a few months until after a new change is implemented...so plan accordingly...

Good Project Management is pro-active;  the moment you slack off, things start unraveling…