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3Blending Project and Meeting ManagementLynn R. Reed, MSPMProject Management ConsultantL. R. Reed & Associates
B. J. Reed, EdD, CMPProfessor, Media StudiesDirector, Teaching & Learning CenterUniversity of Wisconsin–Platteville
Main Topics
• PersonnelRolesinProjectManagement• ProjectManagementasaProcess• ProjectManagementKnowledgeAreas
Learner Outcomes
Uponthecompletionofthischapter,thestudentshouldbeableto:
1. Compareandcontrastthemajorrolesinaprojectmanagement-basedorganization.
2. Identifytheprojectmanagementprocessgroupsandknowledgeareas.
3. Differentiatetheappropriateresponsesforaprojectthreat.
4. Differentiatetheappropriateresponsesforaprojectopportunity.
5. Describethedifferencesbetweenthemeetingplanningrole,meeting/projectmanagerrole,andmeeting/programmanagerrole.
CMP INTERNATIONAL STANDARDSDomain A. Strategic PlanningSkill 1. Manage Strategic Plan for Meeting or Event
SubSkill. 1.05Skill 2. Develop Sustainability Plan for Meeting or Event
SubSkills. 2.01, 2.02Domain B. Project ManagementSkill 4. Plan Meeting or Event Project
SubSkills. 4.01, 4.02, 4.05
Skill 5. Manage Meeting or Event ProjectSubSkill. 5.01
Domain C. Risk ManagementSkill 6. Manage Risk Management Plan
SubSkills. 6.01, 6.02Domain F. Stakeholder ManagementSkill 13. Manage Stakeholder Relationships
SubSkill. 13.01
34 CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
Project management (PM)isabusinesstool,process,andcareerpath.Basedonthesystemstheoryoforganizationalstructure(“TheCen-ter,”2014),PMprovidesaroadmapforcollaboration,communication,andactionacrosstheorganizationforsuccessfulprojectdevelopment,implementation,andevaluation.“Project,” in thiscontext,couldbeanitem,acollectionofitems,anactivity,orevenaninitiative.Project managersleadaproject teamandworkinhealthcare,manufactur-ing,government,insurance,highereducation,construction,informa-tion technology, andmany other fields. Virtually any enterprise ofsufficientsizecanutilizetheexpertiseofaprojectmanager.
Incomparisontothemeetingsindustry,whichhasasignificanthis-toricalpresence,PMisrelativelynewandisusedprimarilyasatoolandformalprocess toenhancemeetingsuccess.Worldwide, thepre-miereorganizationforPMistheProjectManagementInstitute(PMI);ithaspublishedatextonPMprinciples,techniques,andtools,knownastheProject Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide, 2013).PMIalsoprovidesnumerousconferencesforprofessionaldevelopmentandcertificationsforaspiringandcurrentprojectmanagers.
In some cases, ameeting professional serves as projectmanag-er, but that is not true for allmeetings. Themeeting professionalinanassociation, for instance,mightrelyonavolunteerplanningcommittee, i.e., key external stakeholders, for the annualmeetingand convention, while the projectmanager organizes the variousdepartmentmanagers, i.e., key internal stakeholders,who have asignificantinvestmentinthemeeting’ssuccess.Thepurchasing(orprocurement), accounting, membership, public relations and/ormarketing,humanresources, travel,andriskmanagementdepart-ments for the associationwould have a significant investment oftime,employees,andotherresources.
Personnel Roles in Project Management Projectmanagers utilize various tools and techniques to accomplishproject goals andobjectives.Akey responsibility is to lead theproj-ectteam,usuallyconsistingofotherdepartmentmanagerswhohavedirect influence on project success. The project manager is respon-sibleforaligningthestrategicprojectoutcomeswiththosesetbythevariousdepartments,andmustensurethoseoutcomesalignwiththeorganization’smissionandgoals.Whentheenterpriseislargeenough,multipleprojectmanagersworkforaprogram manager,whooverseesmanyactivitiesthatfitintoaspecificdomain,e.g.,multiplemeetingsheldaroundthecountryforregionalchaptersofanassociation,orsalesmeetingsheldinmultiplelocationsforthelargeenterprise.Theportfo-lio managerisnextinthisbusinesshierarchy,whereaspecificmanageroverseesmultipleprogramsandprojects that seem independent,yetareconnectedbytheirroleinfulfillinganorganization’sgoals.
Important Definitions
• Project—Atemporaryanduniqueproduct,service,orinitiative.Fromtheper-spectiveofthemeetingsindustry,aprojectcouldbeanymeetingorevent.
• Projectmanagement—Theprocessofplanning,organizing,directing,andcontrollingresourcesforaproject.
35CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
Forexample,inalargeuniversity,astrategicgoalmightbetofosterinclusiveness,aswellasdiverseopinionsandknowledge.Theport-foliocouldincludeaprojectinstudentaffairsthatencouragesinter-nationalstudentstonetworkwiththeirlocalhosts,aprogramfromthechiefdiversityofficerthathelpstrainprofessorsoninclusivenesstechniques,andareviewofeventsacrosscampusthathaveavarietyofparticipants,e.g.,homecoming.
In themeetings industry, PCMAmight haveastrategicgoalofestablishingitselfasapremiermeetings organization in higher education. Aproject for thatgoalwouldbe thedevelopmentof this book.Another projectwould be the de-velopment of partnerships with universitiesofferingmeeting-managementdegreeprograms.Additionally, the Convening Leaders meetingeachJanuarycouldbeaddedtotheportfolioaswell as variousmember services. The portfoliomanagerevaluatesthevariousinitiativesandde-terminesiftheinitiativesaretakingPCMAintherightdirectionforachievingthisstrategicgoal.
Enterprisesarecharacterizedbyinfinitevari-etysoastrictdescriptionoftermslike“meetingprofessional” or “projectmanager” is difficult.Since thePMdisciplineevolvedfromdifferentfields (e.g., engineering) than themeetings in-dustry(thehealthcarefieldwasanearlyadopterofmeetingmanage-mentprinciples), the roles and tools that eachdisciplineuseshaveunique titlesbutoverlap in function.Dependingon the sizeof theorganization,ameetingprofessionalcouldsupervisemultiplemeet-ingprofessionalsorhavea“hands-on”functionintheproject.Inthiscase, themeetingprofessionaldoesnotholdthesamepositionasaprojectmanager.Inotherwords,ameetingprofessionalcouldbetheequivalentofaportfolio,program,orprojectmanager(seeFigure3.1).Ononeendofthespectrum,someoneishandlinglogisticalplanning,e.g.,blockinghotelrooms,whileanotherpersonhandlespolicyde-velopment,e.g.,creatinginternalpolicythatguidespurchasingdeci-sions.Inthesmallorganization,thiscouldbeoneperson.
Project Management as a ProcessWhen an enterprise uses the principles of PM, the process flowsacross theproject’s lifecycle.Thebasicstructureof the lifecycle is:starting,planning,doing,andending.Duringallpointsoftheproj-ect’slifecycle,theprojectmanagercanusetoolsandtechniquesfromthefiveprocessgroups:initiating,planning,executing,monitoring/controlling,andclosing.Theseprocessgroupseachhavepredictable
Meeting Planner
Meeting/Project Manager
Meeting/Program Manager
Assigns tasks
Supervises planners & managers
Informs key stakeholders
Monitors multiple
meetings
Requests resources
Monitors budget
Commits resources
Sets policy
Performs discrete
tasks
Adheres to budget
limits
Follows policy
Reports to manager
Figure 3.1 Meeting Planners, Project Managers, and Program Managers The definitions for some terms in this chapter are not universally accepted, but the definitions do provide one perspective on project manage-ment and how it relates to the meetings industry.
36 CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
timeframes,butdonotoccurinaclear,consecutiveorder.PMisaniterative process.Often changes in the project, anticipated or not,cause shifts in tasks, timelines, or budgets.These changes requiretheprojectmanager to re-evaluateallof theplansand implementnewitems.ThePMprocesswillidentifyacriticalpathofnecessarytasksforprojectcompletion,whichguidestheprojectteamthrough-outtheproject’slifecycle(seeFigure3.2).
InItIatIng
Intheinitiatingprocess,theorganizationmustmakeadecisiononthebasis of incomplete data. Budget informationwill be estimated andquitebrief.Attendanceforthemeetingwillbeestimated,basedonei-therpreviousmeetingsthataresimilaroraneedsanalysis.PMdeci-sionsaremadeonthebasisoffacts,butintheinitiatingphase,thosefactsarefluid.Thekeydecisionmadeintheinitiatingphaseiswhetherthemeetingwilloccur.Inthisphase,theprojectmanagerdevelopstheproject charter,whichincludesbasicinformationabouttheprojectandleadstoadecision.Apositivedecisionauthorizestheprojectmanagertocommitvariousorganizationalresourcestotheproject.
PlannIng
Onceapositivedecisionhasbeenmade,theplanningprocessbegins.TheprojectmanagerdevelopsthePMplaninthisphase,anddefinestheproject scope.The scope indicateswhat theproject is, aswell aswhat theproject isnot.Thisscopedefinition is imperativewhentheorganizationmonitorsandcontrolsproject-associatedtasks.Toprotectvaluableresourcesdedicatedtotheproject,theprojectmanagermustavoidscope creep.Scopecreepoccurswhenadditionaltasksareaddedtoaproject’splanthatwouldresultinunrelatedoutcomes.
Anexamplewillillustratetheconceptofscopecreep.Anon-profitassociationdecidestohostameetingthatofferstraininginnewEnvi-ronmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)standardsforaspecificindustry.TheEPAwillprovidespeakersforthiseventatnocosttotheasso-ciation.Theassociation,though,reliesonmembershipstoachieveitsmission;therefore,theboardofdirectorsdecidestousethemeetingasamembershiprecruitmentforum.BesidessomeethicalconcernsfortheEPA,whichisnotinthehabitofendorsingoneassociationoveranother,themembershipdriveconstitutesscopecreepfortheproject.
Figure 3.2 Project Management as a Process The Project Management Insti-tute has been instrumental in defining project management terms and suggesting best prac-tices for the industry since 1969 (PMI, 2014).
Monitoring/Controlling
ClosingExecutingPlanningInitiating
37CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
ExEcutIng
Theexecutingprocessillustratesadifferenceofperspectivebetweenprojectandmeetingprofessionals.Forthemeetingsindustry,plan-ning occurs constantly from the initiatingphase all of theway toholding the meeting, which would be considered the executingphase. However, a project manager would consider the planningphaseas strictlypreparing to execute.When contracts are signed,tasksarecompleted(e.g.,creatingawebsitetopromotetheevent),andcostsareencountered, theprojectmanager is intheexecutingphaseoftheproject.Differencesdoexistbetweenthemeetingpro-fessional’sperspectiveoftheproject’slifecycleandtheprojectman-ager’sperspective.
MonItorIng/controllIng
The project manager and project team are given responsibility formonitoringandcontrollingresourcesthroughoutthelifeoftheproj-ect.Monitoringincludesthecollectionofdatainordertodeterminethe statusof assigned tasks.Controlling includesmakingdecisionsand takingsteps tomeet theprojectdeadlineandbudget limits,asnecessary.Projectmanagersmakethesedecisionsbasedonthefactsaccumulated, so communication is critical during themonitoring/controllingprocess.Asmentionedpreviously, actions takenduringthisphasemayresultinare-evaluationofthevariousplans(scope,time,andrisk),updatesinthedocumentation,andnewtasksbeingcreatedandassigned.
closIng
Projectsmustbeconcluded,andtheclosingprocessishandledwiththe same attention to detail and data collection used throughoutthe previous processes.Closing for projectmanagers is similar tothe post-convention tasks encountered by meeting professionals,e.g.,payingbills, thankingattendees,andconductingevaluations.In this phase, theprojectmanagerwill find thepost-event report (PER)providedbytheConventionIndustryCouncil (CIC)tobeahelpfultool(“APEXPost-Event,”2005).Theprojectmanagerwouldincludeasectionknownas“lessonslearned,”whichexplainsuniqueaspectsof themeetingandwhattheproject teamrecommendsforfuturemeetingsofthistype.
IdEntIfyIng thE ProcEss grouP
Sincetheprojectlifecycleisbothuniquetotheprojectandfluiduptoapoint,membersoftheprojectteamcanfindthemselvesindiffer-entphasesofthelifecycleatdifferenttimes(seeFigure3.3,p.38).Iftheprojectteamconsistsofmanagersfromofficessuchasprocure-ment,travel,risk,andmemberservices,theprocurementmanagercouldbeworkingonstrategiccontractnegotiationswithanaccom-
38 CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
modationprovider,i.e.,executing,whilethedirectorofmemberser-vicesisdeterminingtheappropriatetypeofspeakers,i.e.,planning,andtheriskmanageriswaitingformoreinformationsotheprocessofdeterminingresponsepreferencestothreatsoropportunitiescanbegin,i.e.,initiating.
The project lifecycle phases, then, are defined in terms ofwhichtasksoccur,notintermsofwhenaphasebeginsandends.Theproj-ectmanagercommunicateseffectivelywithteammemberstomoni-torwhattasksarenecessarytoprojectsuccess,whentheyneedtobestarted/concluded,andbywhomtheyneedtobedone.BecausePMhasevolvedtohandlecomplexprojectsacrossmanydisciplines,theprocessisrobustaswellasflexible—themanagementprocessmustfitthetemporaryanduniqueneedsassociatedwithaspecificproject.Inthisway,projectmanagementisausefulapproachtoorganizingacomplexmeeting.
Project Management Knowledge AreasPMI has identified knowledge areas for its discipline, just as themeetings industry has done through the CIC’s CertifiedMeetingProfessionalStandards (CMP-IS),which isusedasaguide for thecompilation of this text. Some of these knowledge areas overlapbetween the disciplines (see Figure 3.4). The knowledge areas forPMasdefinedbyPMIareintegration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communication, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management(PMBOK®,2013).
All of these areas have specific inputs (the information and/orresourcesrequiredtocompletetasksordocumentation),tools,tech-niques,andoutputs(plansanddocumentation).Eachknowledgeareausesbasicbusinessskills,aswell.Settingobjectivesandkeyperfor-manceindicatorsarenecessarystepstheprojectteamwillcompleteacrosstheknowledgeareas.
Figure 3.3 Project Management Team in Action This photo represents a project management team working together while representing various units or departments in the organization.
39CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
Strategic management principles suggest that the project teamwillmaximize theuseofresourcesandoutcomes. Inotherwords,theprojectteammustusecriticalanalysistodetermineifthisappli-cationofresourcesisappropriatetotheorganizationandpreferredprojectoutcomes,orifthosesameresourcescouldbeutilizedmoreproductivelyelsewhere.
ProjEct IntEgratIon ManagEMEnt
Typically,aprojectbeginswithaprojectcharter.Thismaybeaformalprocess insomeenterpriseswhereacommitteeorenterprise leadermakesadeclarationthattheprojectwillbeundertaken.Thisprojectcharterauthorizestheprojectmanagertostarttheprojectandcommitenterpriseresourcestotheproject.Resourcelimitsmaybesetatthispoint,buttheyareusuallypreliminaryestimates,ratherthanspecificlineitemsforbudgetingpurposes.TheintegrationofresourcesacrosstheenterpriseiscompletedthroughthePMplan,whichspringsfromtheprojectcharter.
ProjEct scoPE ManagEMEnt
Theprojectmanagerwillberequiredtodefinetheprojectscope.Thisstep is critical to successfulproject completion,because ithelps setlimitstoresourcecommitmentandutilizesprojectobjectivestoguidetheprojectlifecyclephases.Inthescopemanagementarea,theprojectteamwillcreateawork breakdown structure (WBS),whichidenti-fiestasksandcreatesaframeworkforatimelineorschedule(whichisfoundinProjectTimeManagement)foreachoftheidentifiedtasks.In addition, theWBSwill suggestwhowill be responsible for taskcompletionandinwhatordertaskshavetobecompleted.
ProjEct tIME ManagEMEnt
Theprojectmanagerisresponsiblefordevelopingtheprojectschedule,whichcanbeacomplexendeavor.Onceallkeyinternalstakeholdershavebeenidentified,theprojectmanagermustdeterminewheneach
Project Time Management
Project Cost Management
Project Communication
Management
Project Risk Management
Project Stakeholder Management
Project Scope Management
Project Integration
Management
Project Human Resource
Management
Project Quality Management
Project Procurement Management
Figure 3.4 Project Management Knowledge Areas The project manage-ment discipline has identi-fied 10 knowledge areas that define project management practice. This is an evolving discipline, so emerging knowl-edge areas are anticipated (PMBOK®, 2013).
Example of Task List for Work Breakdown Structure
• Registration• Audiovisual• Exhibition• Marketing• Riskmanagement• Onsitemanagement
40 CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
departmentneedsresources,whoisinchargeofeachtask,whichtasksareindependentofothers,andwhentasksareco-dependent.Allofthisischartedcarefullytomaximizetheapplicationofenterpriseresources,tominimize“down”times,andtocompletetheprojectontime.
An example illustrates this time management challenge. In amedium-size organization, themeetingsdepartment requests thatemployeetravelplansbecompletedinthefirstweekofJulyfortheannualmeeting scheduled inmid-August.The traveldepartment,however,isonaretreatthefirstweekofJuly.Theyinformtheprojectmanager,whoconsultsthescheduleanddeterminesthatthetravelplansmustbemadeearlierthanoriginallyrequested.However,thekeyinternalstakeholdersareextremelybusyduringthe lastweekofJuneandsuggestthefirstweekofthatmonthasthetargetdatefortravelplans.Thetraveldepartmentconcurs;theprojectmanagercommunicates this information to the budgetmanager and othermembersoftheprojectteam.Theaccountingofficemustmakead-justmentstotheirsystem,sincethenewtargetdatechangeswhenthe cost for travel is encumbered—from the next fiscal year (JulythroughJune)tothecurrentfiscalyear.
Commontoolstoanalyzethescheduleandanynotablevariationsinclude(butarenotlimitedto)theGanttchart(namedafteranengi-neer andmanagement consultant) andprogramevaluation and re-viewtechnique(PERT).AwebsitehasbeendevotedtoGanttcharts,anditexplainsthataGanttchartidentifiesrequiredtasks,andwhentheymustbestartedandconcludedtomeettheprojectdeadline.AsimpleGanttchartcanbecreatedinMicrosoft®Excel,butproprietarysoftwarefordevelopingPMchartsisavailablefromnumeroussourc-es,aswell.
Theprogramevaluationandreviewtechnique(PERT),createdbytheUSNavyinthe1950s,isusedtoconveyrelationshipsbetweentasksandhowtasksarescheduled.ThevalueofPERTcharting istoassistinschedulingtaskswhenonlysomeoftheelementsofthetaskareknown.Theprojectmanagerusesformulasforfindingtheexpectedamountoftimespentonataskbyestimatingtogethertheleast amount of time, themost amount of time, and the probableamountoftimeeachtaskwilltake.Anotableevent(thoughcertain-lynotthemostrecent)tousePERTwasthe1968WinterOlympicsinGrenoble,France.PERTwasusedextensivelytoplan,implement,andassessthatproject.Microsoft®providesanapplication,knownasVisio,tocreatePERTchartswithotheronlineappsavailableforthischartingprocess.
Inadigitalera,mostprojectmanagersreporttokeypersonnelviaanIntranet.Whenthereportingsystemcontainsmultiplechartsandgraphs,theprojectmanagertypicallycreatesadashboard.Thiscouldbedescribedasanelaborate,interactivetableofcontents.
The critical pathmethod (CPM) is an essential process utilizedbyprojectmanagers.CPMisoftendiscussedwhenPERTchartsare
Common Time Management Tools
• Ganttchart• Programevaluation&
reviewtechnique(PERT)• Criticalpathmethod
(CPM)
41CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
mentioned, although theyare alsoapplicable toGantt charts.TheCPMprovidesatimeline,thetasks,andtheirrelationships,andmayevolveastheprojectlifecycleadvances.Tasks,inotherwords,canbealtered,shiftedintime,added,orsubtracted.Schedulechanges,though, should go through a formal process designed to providedocumentationastowhy,when,andhowtasksshift.
ProjEct cost ManagEMEnt
Theconceptof costmanagementgoesbeyonda simplebudget.Theproject manager must follow contract obligations, accounts payableand receivable, and the timingof cashflow throughout theproject’s
Sustainability requires the use of high-level project management
skills at every stage of event planning, from initiation through
implementation, monitoring, and closing. This graphic represents
a classic “plan-do-check-act” environmental planning model. This model is ap-
plicable to every aspect of the meeting/event planning process, e.g., site se-
lection, housing management, food and beverage, marketing, transportation,
and exhibitor coordination. Ideally, sustainability should be integrated into the
planning process and not perceived or managed as a separate activity. Meet-
ing professionals should be encouraged to build economic, environmental, or
social sustainability requirements into existing processes, e.g., templates and
RFPs. Event sustainability also requires careful attention to scope, deadlines,
cost, quality control, staff training and accountability, communication, risk man-
agement, procurement policies, and stakeholder management. Sustainable
event management is increasingly being recognized as a vehicle for greening
the supply chain and driving organizational change, as well. Onsite monitor-
ing and post-event data collection and analysis are continuing challenges for
individuals and organizations committed to sustainability. Fortunately, meet-
ing professionals can choose from an increasing number of destinations, con-
vention centers, hotels, caterers, and other industry suppliers who are able to
provide clients with data on critical issues, e.g., waste diversion, water savings,
energy consumption, carbon emissions, local purchasing, and social responsi-
bility program outcomes. In addition, the migration from static documents to
online project and event management software is allowing teams to more easily
collaborate and be accountable for the necessary follow-up, documentation,
and verification of sustainability performance.
—Deborah R. Popely
Plan Do Check
Act
Environmental Planning
Model
42 CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
lifecycle. While meeting professionals follow the budget limits, theprojectmanagermustmonitorcostsandrevenueacrossmultiplestake-holder groups and keep key internal stakeholders informed of anypotential budget adjustments.While ameetingmay exceed budget,theprojectmanagerwouldneedtoprovideasoundrationaleforthisexpenditureanditemsshouldnotbeasurprisetotheprojectteam.
ProjEct QualIty ManagEMEnt
TheAmericanSocietyofQuality(ASQ)suggests thatquality inanorganization isbasedoncustomersatisfaction(ASQ,2014); the In-
ternationalOrganizationforStandardizationconcurs in itsseriesofpublicationsaboutqualitymanagement(ISO9000,2005).Sincemostprojectmanagersoverseeaproject that is intended foraspecificcustomer,satisfactionwiththeprojectoutcomeisofpar-amount importance. This parallelsmeetingmanagement, butthemeetingprofessionalhasmultiple“customers”foraspecificmeeting.Therefore,meetingprofessionalsandprojectmanagersshareafocusonqualitymanagementasaprocess.ASQoutlines
theseelementsinthequalitymanagementprocess:customerfocus,employeeinvolvement(thiscouldbestatedmorebroadlyas“stake-holderinvolvement”),processorientation,integrationofdepartmentsacross theenterprise,systematicandstrategic techniques,continualimprovement, fact-baseddecisionmaking, and critical communica-tion(ASQ,2014).
ProjEct huMan rEsourcE ManagEMEnt
Theprojectmanagerisfocusedonaspecificareainhumanresourcemanagement—choosing the project team and assigning tasks asneeded to complete theproject on time.Projectmanagers often re-questspecificpeopleintheorganizationfortheprojectteam,whichrequiresdiplomaticskillsandtalentrecognition.Further,theprojectmanagermaybecalledupon toreviewproject teammembers,andthesereviewsaresharedwiththeemployeeaswellastheemployee’ssupervisor.Thehumanresourcesofficeisresponsibleforotherper-sonnel services, such as benefits and salaries.Theprojectmanager,though, is responsible forknowingwhenanemployee isnecessaryforproject successandwhichemployeemaybebest suited for theassignedtasks.
ProjEct coMMunIcatIon ManagEMEnt
The project manager concentrates on collaboration and excellentcommunicationwithin theproject teamandwithkeystakeholders.Thisrequiresnumerouscommunicationdeliverymethods,includingemail, phone calls, oral presentations, and reports. Project manag-ersrelyonnumeroustoolstoconveycomplexdata.Sincetimingissignificantinorganizationalmanagement,theprojectmanagermust
Strengths(Internal)
Weaknesses(Internal)
Opportunities(External)
Threats(External)
Figure 3.5 Elements of SWOT Analysis In a SWOT analysis, the strengths and weak-ness represent the current situa-tion within an organization while the opportunities and threats are external to the organization.
43CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
quicklycommunicatecostsandtasks,createcontractsandschedules,andcalculatestatusasneededthroughouttheprojectlifecycle.
ProjEct rIsk ManagEMEnt
Theconceptofriskisassociatedwithnegativeandpositiveeventsthatimpacttheproject’scriticalpathoroutcome.Threatsandopportuni-tiesarenumerousinPM,andmeetingshaveauniquesetofpotentialrisks.Forriskmanagement, theprojectteamwill identifyrisks inaSWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)byatleastthreecharacteristics:probability,potentialdamage,andre-sourceneedsasdeterminedbyhowtheorganizationrespondstotherisk(seeFigure3.5).SWOTanalysiswasdevelopedinthe1960sdur-inganalysisofFortune500companiesbyAlbertHumphreyandtheStanfordResearchInstitute;theprocessfocusesonprojectobjectivesandrisksthatmayimpacttheaccomplishmentofthoseobjectives.Itrequires objective evaluationof theorganization’s current situationandidentificationofpredictableeventsthatwill,iftheyoccur,utilizeorganizationalresources.
Whenariskiscategorizedasaprojectthreat,theorganizationhasfourpossibleresponses:absorbtherisk,mitigatethedamagecaused,transferthedamagetoanotherparty,oravoidtherisk.Whenariskiscategorizedasaprojectopportunity,theorganizationcanexploit,enhance,share,oraccepttherisk(PMBOK®,2013,pp.344–346).Theprojectmanagerisresponsibleforidentifyingpotentialrisks,analyz-ingthem,andmakingrecommendationstotheorganizationforpos-sibleresponsesandthepotentialoutcomes(seeFigure3.6).
Threatstomeetingsuccesscanbeman-madeornatural.Theycanbemildorcatastrophic.Whilemeetingshavenumerouspotentialthreats,theyalsoencounteropportunitiesthat,ifpoorlymanaged,canbelost.Anexamplewillillustratethispoint:ExpositionAintheinformationtechnology(IT) industryhostshundredsofexhibitors.ExpositionB,hostedby a competitor, has been losing attendeenumbers over thepastfiveyears,sothehostcancelsfutureexpositions.Thisisanoppor-
Exploit
Enhance Share
Accept
Opportunity
Absorb
Mitigate Transfer
Avoid
Threat
Figure 3.6 Possible Responses to Project Threats and Opportunities Risk analysis will identify both threats and opportunities to the project and will make rec-ommendations for organizational response, should these risks actually occur.
Risk Characteristics
• Probability• Potentialdamage• Resourceneeds
44 CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
tunityfortheproject teamforExpositionAtorespondstrategically;e.g.,contactpotentialexhibitorsforthecancelledexpositionwithmar-ketingmaterialsforExpositionA,whichisstillanactiveproject.
ProjEct ProcurEMEnt ManagEMEnt
Manyorganizationsputprocurement(orpurchasing)inaspecificde-partmentthatnotonlymanagesday-to-daypurchasesandpayments,butalsosetspoliciesforemployeestofollow.Theprojectmanagermustknowthepolicies.Procurementcouldsetpoliciesfortravel,overnightaccommodations,food,contractobligations,reimbursementprocessesandlimits,aswellasmanyothermeeting-relatedresources.Partofthedifficultyinprocurementmanagementisdecidingwhen,howmuch,andfromwhomtopurchase.Theprojectmanagerwillberesponsiblenotonlyforfollowingsetpolicy,butalsoinfluencingpolicydevelop-mentfortheorganization.Policyrequirementscanincludeanyofthefollowingandmanymore:
• Purchasealltravelarrangementsthroughanexclusivetravelagency.
• Usetaxexemption(foranon-profitassociation)onallallowablepurchases.Itisimportanttonotethattaxationexemptionsaredeterminedbylocalgovernmentagenciesinsomecountries.Theprojectmanagermustknowthelocationtaxationrequire-mentsaswellasorganizationalpolicy.
• Providereceiptsforallfoodpurchasesandprovideverificationofmealscoveredbyregistrationfees.
• Usethelowest-pricedhotelreservedbythemeetinghostinsteadofthemostconvenienthotel(oftenthe“headquarters”hotel).
ProjEct stakEholdEr ManagEMEnt
Twoclassificationsofstakeholdersareimportanttoprojectmanagerswhentheproject isameeting: internalandexternal. Internalstake-holdersareemployees,somevolunteers,andstockholders(Whenthecompanyisapubliclyheldorganization,thestockholderisapartialownerofthecompany).Projectmanagershavevariousmeanstopro-filestakeholders,oftenbasedoninterestintheproject,influenceonprojectsuccess,andcommunicationneeds.Theessentialstakeholdergroupforprojectmanagersistheprojectteamitselfandmostofthecommunicationfromtheprojectmanagerwillbewiththisgroup.Theprojectmanagerwillalso focusontheorganization’s leadership,aswellasotherhumanresourcescommittedtotheproject.
External stakeholders are typically ofmore concern to themeet-ingprofessional than theprojectmanager, if theseare twoseparategroups.Externalstakeholdersincludeexhibitors,suppliers,meetingattendees,potentialcustomersofmeetingartifacts(e.g.,videorecord-ingsofsessions),andmanyotherstakeholders(suchasthemedia).
Classification of Stakeholders
• Internal• External
45CHAPTER 3 Blending Project and Meeting Management
Areas of Concern
• Supplychainmanagement
• Changemanagement
Theprojectmanager,though,islesslikelytobeincontactwiththesestakeholders,unlikethemeetingprofessional,whooftenknowsmanyofthesestakeholdersbyname.Ofcourse,thisisnotauniversalde-scriptionofroles;externalstakeholdermanagementmaybea largepartoftheprojectmanager’sresponsibilities.
ExPandIng arEas of ManagEMEnt
Twosignificantareasofconcernformeetingprofessionalsandprojectmanagersaresupplychainmanagementandchangemanagement.
Supply chain management Supplychainmanagementistheglobalprocessof identifyingproject suppliers and their suppliers to trackpotentialthreatsandopportunitiesinthechain.Ifthefoodandbever-agesupplierforameeting,forinstance,isexperiencingproblemswithweather-relatedshortages forcertain foods,adjusting themeeting’smenuswouldbeprudent.Themeetingprofessionalcouldwaitforthesuppliertobroachthistopicorbeproactiveandavoidthethreattoasuccessfulmeeting.Attimes,knowingwhatsuppliesareplentifulinthechainandwhatsuppliesmightexperiencedelays,shortages,orpricehikescanmakeasignificantdifferenceinbudgetmanagement.According to Supply Chain Management Review, changes in recentyearsintheglobaleconomyhaveledtosignificantalterationsinhowcompaniesselectsuppliersandwhichsupplierstheyselect:“InordertosourcefromChina,anintermediaryishired(inEurope,probablyknownwell,orinChina,certainlylesswellknown)whodealswithanunknownsupplier.Themoreglobalthesupplychainbecomes,andthemoreintermediariesbetweenyourcompanyandtheoriginalsup-plier,thelessyouknowaboutthequalityofthatcomponent.Trustisdiminished” (Craig&McNamara,2014,para.5).Consumerprotec-tionlawsvarybycountry,soathoroughinvestigationofthesupplychainandmakingadjustmentsasnecessarycouldinfluencecustomersatisfactionsignificantly.
You are a freelance project manager who negotiated a favorable contract to work with a government agency that is hosting a major three-day training meeting. In the contract, you agreed to performing “other necessary duties as requested” because a list of every task was not possible. You realized the agency had not planned or hosted large meetings, which is why they wanted a contract with you. Your contract was not based on hours worked but rather a flat fee, which was a concern. The meeting is just months away and you are being asked to perform basic office work that is not typical for a project manager; and now, they want you to be at the meeting. The hours worked are far more than expected. How will you handle your refusal to comply with these “other duties” and what might be the response? What kind of language would you need in future contracts to protect yourself?
46 CHAPTER3Blending Project and Meeting Management
SuMMARyProjectmanagementisoftenreferencedasabusinessprocessthatplans,implements,monitors,andclosesatemporaryanduniqueundertaking.Assuch,PMissuccessfullyappliedtothemeetingsindustry.However,“projectmanager”and“meetingprofessional”arenotinterchangeableterms.Thedifferentialelementiswhat,precisely,theprojectormeet-ingprofessionalaccomplishesfortheorganizationandprojectsuccess.Manyelementscommonlyassignedtotheprojectmanager—fromde-veloping the scope to following the criticalpath—will also serve themeetingsindustry.Differencesbetweenthesetwoapproachestoman-agingatemporaryproject—likeameeting—doexist.PM,though,isapreferredprocess inbusinessesaroundtheglobe.LearningPMskillswillbeanessentialprofessionaldevelopmentfocusfortheentry-levelmeetingprofessional.
KEy WORDSdashboardportfoliomanagerpost-event report (PER)programmanagerprojectprojectcharter
projectmanagement(PM)projectmanagerprojectteamscopecreepworkbreakdownstructure(WBS)
DIScuSSIOn QuESTIOnS1. Whatarethepotentialadvantageswhenanorganizationcanask
ameetingprofessionaltoserveasprojectmanager?2. Whatarethepotentialadvantageswhenanorganizationhasboth
ameetingprofessionalandaprojectmanager?3. Whatisscopecreep?Provideanexample.4. Whatisglobalsupplychainmanagementandhowmightthatimpact
ameetingfor30,000attendeesheldinEuropeortheUnitedStates?
Change management Changemanagementisaprocessfocusedonpeople; it addresses how peoplewill bemanagedwhen change isimminent,whilechangeisimplemented,andafterachangehasoc-curred, but requires reinforcement. Prosci, a companydedicated tohelping organizations with change management, identifies seniorleadership,managers and supervisors, the project team, and otheremployeesasdistinctgroupsintheorganizationwhowillhavediffer-entreactionstoannouncedchange.Whenameetingiseitherthecata-lystforchangeortheoutcomeofit,changemanagementprinciplesandtechniquescanmaketheprocessmoresuccessfulandrewardingfortheemployeesinvolved(Prosci,2014).