DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 1 of 13
Dear Fellow Project Management Professionals,
I hope you all are having a great start to 2011. The PMI-DVC Board of Directors are
currently pursuing a lot of exciting opportunities to bring more value to our existing
members while hoping to attract new members to our chapter.
Our chapter has over 2,700 members, with about 65% holding a PMI certification. We
offer many different ways in which our certified members can maintain their
certification by earning PDUs. Examples include: attending breakfast network meetings,
monthly dinner meetings, Professional Development Days, educational classes, and our
trademark Annual Tools Conference/Seminar Day. You can also volunteer to help fulfill
the chapter’s strategic objectives while meeting new people, gaining valuable
experience, earning PDUs and so much more.
In November 2010, our Board convened for our Annual Strategy Meeting. This is an all
day meeting where we look at our Vision and Mission statements to ensure that our
strategic and operational goals are in alignment with those statements. As a result of
the Strategy Meeting, we developed the following Strategic Objectives for the next 3
years:
Increase awareness of PMI-DVC through relationships with local companies, educational organizations, not-for-profit organizations and other chapters
PMI – Delaware Valley Chapter Times Volume 1, April 2011
Inside this Issue:
From the President’s desk
Get to know your volunteer – Jim Snyder
Business Case – a foundational element for effective projects
Allaying the fears raised by Project Manager competency assessment
Congratulations new PMP certified members
Welcome new PMI-DVC members
2011 calendar of events
“Determine that the
thing can and shall be
done, and then we shall
find the way.”
- Abraham Lincoln
From the President’s desk
Connect with us:
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 2 of 13
Deliver increased value to membership through high quality programs
Drive Membership Growth and Retention
Improve Operational Effectiveness of the Board of Directors
Promote Leadership Development for the Board of Directors
To help ensure that we continually strive to meet these objectives, we have developed
an Operations Plan, where each Board member has developed tactical objectives for
their respective areas. Examples of these objectives are as follows:
Deliver a series of breakfast networking meetings and dinner meetings
Develop relationships and programs with key Academic Institutions in the Delaware Valley
Provide project management training at corporate locations in the Delaware Valley
Develop a process to showcase volunteer accomplishments, current and future volunteer opportunities, and articles developed by chapter members
Start a CAPM Certification program
Develop a PMI-DVC Newsletter
These are just a few of the operational objectives we have developed. If you have interest in learning more about these objectives, please feel free to contact any member of the Board of Directors. In our attempt to fulfill the chapter’s vision and mission statement, there is a key theme
that our Board members mention in one form or another at our meetings throughout
the year: This chapter cannot and will not be successful without our volunteers!
Volunteers are the backbone of this chapter. On behalf of the 2011 Board, I would like
to thank all of our volunteers who have contributed their time, hard work and expertise
to the current state of the chapter. We truly appreciate their dedication and loyalty.
If you have not served as a volunteer for the chapter, please consider doing so as it will
be a very rewarding experience for yourself and for your fellow project management
colleagues.
In closing, we are always looking for new ideas which will enhance the membership
experience. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Board with your
ideas.
Sincerely, Fred D. Hammond, PMP President, PMI – Delaware Valley Chapter
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 3 of 13
It all started because there was no e-mail, facebook, virtual meetings, cell phones or other social media. It was not that long ago! PMI and PMI-DVC sprang out of a need to communicate knowledge and share experiences related to managing projects. I was around when it all got started and was trying to manage a few small construction projects and some very large research and development projects for the old Smith Kline and French Laboratories. I was interested in applying the new tools call PERT and CPM and, after a short course at Ga Tech., I partnered with four others to provide a way for people who were managing projects to learn and share experiences. Our vehicle was an annual Seminar/Symposium. From those early days in 1969 has grown the Project Management Institute. I have been an active participant for the last 42 years and held almost every job there is including volunteer Executive Director for the first 15 years. It has been, and continues to be, a great ride. If you are not on the PMI-DVC train now is the time to get active! In the early years of PMI, the Philadelphia area was a hot bed of project management
activity. Leaders were emerging from a number of large companies such as Day &
Zimmerman, INA, Amtrak, McNeil Labs, SK&F, The city of Philadelphia, MDC Systems,
and Arthur Anderson. Representatives of these companies worked through 1978 to
receive a Chapter Charter from PMI in January of 1979 with incorporation in
Pennsylvania following in 2000 making PMI-DVC the fifth chapter chartered by PMI.
From 1979 it has been full speed ahead for the Chapter. Very early on the Chapter has
emphasized the importance of education for project managers through its course
offerings at Villanova and the annual Tools Conference.
I have been an active member of the Chapter from the first days and think that it is my
involvement in Chapter activities that gave me the tools, techniques, and contacts to be
a successful project manager. I have served as a founder and an officer of the Chapter
and have been an active participant in most of our activities. It is the volunteer
participation that has been most meaningful to me.
Project Management is a dynamic, growing, and evolving profession and the very best
way to be on top of your professional skills is to be an active PMI-DVC member. While
Get to know your volunteer James R. Snyder, PMI founder and active DVC member
Active involvement – a key to professional growth
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 4 of 13
social networking and cell phones have made communications instantaneous, project
managers still need the face to face sharing of knowledge and “war stories” to build
their professional knowledge and experience base. Social networking is an indispensable
tool but must be supplemented with social interaction and our meetings and events
offer that opportunity. The sooner you become an active PMI-DVC member the sooner
you will benefit from the knowledge and experience of the PMI-DVC community. See
you at the next meeting!
While project criteria will normally include being on-time, within budget, and meeting
the desired quality levels, more than ever, a project’s effectiveness is defined through
the lens of value delivered. In today’s difficult economy, budgets and project proposals
are being scrutinized and executives are rightfully asking – what is the return on
investment?
A strong business case is not only essential to defining the value proposition for your
project – it can also help obtain and sustain leadership support, enhance project
execution, and provide a foundation to track whether the project has achieved the
business objectives.
Justify your investment and determine alignment with business strategy
The fundamental reason business cases are developed is to provide the rationale for
executives to release required funds for a specific project. The business case provides an
overview of the projected financial return for the proposed initiative, more popularly
referred to as the cost/benefit analysis, as well as the identification of intangible
benefits.
It provides specifics around the timing and magnitude of costs incurred and benefits
realized, enabling executives to make strategic fund allocation decisions based on well-
documented quantitative information. And while financial return is important, the value
of a project is also closely linked to the options it provides for the future and alignment
The business case - a foundational element for effective projects by Amy Peterson and Baisali Sarkar Deloitte Consulting LLP
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 5 of 13
with overall company strategy and business objectives. The business case provides a
short- and long-term view of the value to be delivered by the project.
Assess risk in context of rewards
Projects have varying degrees of risk. A good business case clearly illustrates the
potential risks associated with the project. “Risks” are sometimes a “necessary evil” that
companies need to accommodate, especially if the project relates to fulfilling a statutory
requirement and/or the associated reward of the project is highly likely to outweigh the
risk.
Clear documentation of associated project risks in a business case can lay the ground
work for the company to plan a strong mitigation strategy and techniques around
benefits realization. Risk documentation within business cases allows executive
management and stakeholders to assess the potential risks in light of the rewards.
Communicate to key stakeholders
A well-designed business case summarizes specific findings in an executive level
summary that is crisp, concise, and communicates the high-level findings and expected
benefits. This executive summary should be focused on communicating project value to
key stakeholders – including individuals who may not necessarily be supporting the
project funding, but will have a role in helping to realize the project benefits.
The executive summary influences others through a clear understanding of the benefits
to the broader organization and provides the basis for commitment to the project’s
desired results. As many projects span the course of years, it is not uncommon for the
rationale for a particular project to be revisited. Whether there is a change in company
leadership or the organization conducts periodic project portfolio assessments, the
executive summary is a useful tool to develop stakeholder alignment and provide a clear
understanding of the value and expected benefits for the project.
Improve planning and execution
Although the business case is developed before a project begins, it lays out important
information which helps immensely with planning and executing projects. This includes:
financial assumptions, specific benefits, the timeframe in which these benefits are
expected to be realized, costs, strategic and operational metrics that will be impacted by
the project, current baseline values for these metrics, and targeted improvements for
these metrics.
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 6 of 13
Knowing this information in advance can give organization and project management
teams better visibility into stakeholder expectations and helps to design strategic
project management plans, budgets, and practical risk mitigation strategies enabling
stronger project execution.
Stay focused on business results
In many organizations, a business case is developed and is not used after project kick-
off. Savvy project managers use the business case as a tool to increase the likelihood
that the project stays focused on business objectives. The business case complements
the project charter in helping to facilitate project management decision making and
manage scope discussions.
The project team should establish checkpoints during the project to determine if it is on
track to deliver the expected benefits. If conditions have changed and the project is not
going to achieve the specific benefits defined in the business case, the priority of the
benefits should be evaluated and if required, an action plan should be developed to
bring the project back on track.
Similarly, scope changes should be evaluated against the business case to determine if
they threaten the project’s ability to deliver desired financial and strategic results.
Business case checkpoints can help to steer the project team back toward the original
project objectives, if necessary.
Set the foundation for benefit tracking and accountability
A strong business case can serve as the foundational reference for tracking benefits
realization after the project’s implementation. Companies are putting more emphasis
on tracking whether projects have achieved the expected value goals after deployment.
The business case identifies the key measures for strategic and operational
performance, which are expected to be improved by the project. It documents baseline
performance, improvement targets, timing of benefits, and any associated assumptions.
This information becomes the platform to form a benefits tracking approach. When
implemented properly, a benefit tracking process provides executives with the
opportunity to measure progress and take corrective actions if the benefits are not
being achieved. This results in a higher level of accountability across benefit owners and
the organization, which helps to achieve results.
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 7 of 13
In summary, the business case is much more than just a way to obtain sign-off on
project initiation. As important at the beginning of the project, as it is at the end, the
business case can be used as a tool to help steer the project, facilitate decision making,
plan for, and realize benefits. Treat your business case as a ‘living’ document that is
referenced throughout the project life cycle and you can further enhance your project
management skills and facilitate overall project effectiveness.
When you first mention project manager competency assessment, fear can spread
throughout the team: Why are they measuring competency? What if I don’t measure
up? What should I do to prepare? What will happen to me if I am NOT competent?
Assigning a level of competency seems to have a negative connotation, because the
inference is that on the flip side, there is some sort of “incompetence.” So speaking to
your project management team about “competency” measurement may not be the best
way to communicate your end goals. Ask yourself this: “Why do you want them to be
“competent?” Don’t you really just want them to be “better” at project management?
We know that better project management competency leads to better business
outcomes; qualitative research described in the 2010 PM College white paper Building
Project Manager Competency Improves Business Outcomes pinpointed a number of
ways in which improved skills bolstered the bottom lines of a number of top
corporations.
So what you really want isn’t so much individual “competency” – it’s better project
performance. And that is a goal that all team members share. To get there without
setting off alarms, you must keep team members’ attention not on the process
(competency assessment) but on the goal (better project management outcomes).
Here’s a five-step plan for communicating about competency assessment that can help.
Allaying the fears raised by Project Manager competency assessment by Joni Brown-Irons PM College
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 8 of 13
No Fear! Five Steps to Team Buy-in for Measuring Project Management Competency
STEP ONE: Focus on Professional Development. Our choice of words is important,
because words can carry negative or positive connotations. Using the phrase
“professional development”:
Focuses on the individual in a positive way (“development” not “measurement”)
Sends the message that “my company wants to invest in my development”
Sends the message that “they aren’t trying to get rid of me – they are investing
in me to improve the project management process.”
STEP TWO: The First Theory in Adult Learning – “Tell Them Why.” Tell your team you
are interested in building a professional development plan to improve overall project
performance across the team or organization. Tell them that identifying strengths helps
you focus on where the improvements are needed. Be specific. Tell them why and how
this will help them professionally and personally. Some examples:
Leads to commonality of practices across the team, which leads to improved
efficiencies
Leads to a common language and expectations so everyone is on the same page
Creates targeted training goals for the team
Provides an opportunity for personal growth
STEP THREE: Establish a Baseline. A competency assessment helps to tell us what you
already know, so we don’t waste your time and our money training in areas that the
team has already mastered. Competency assessment helps identify the strengths,
opportunities and challenges and so leads to targeted training solutions. Baselines also
help to establish where you are so you can more effectively plan where you are going.
STEP FOUR: Communicate – Communicate – Communicate. Treat your competency
assessment and professional development program like any other project. Respect what
your project managers know, and work with them in a way they buy into: provide a
Project Charter, Project Plan, Project Status Updates, Communication Plans, etc.
Develop a comprehensive communication strategy around the competency assessment
and professional development program. They won’t fear what they know.
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 9 of 13
Engage the managerial team so they can help communicate and reinforce the “whys”
around the competency assessment project. Executive support is one of the key
elements in creating an organizational “buzz” around any improvement project.
STEP FIVE: Reporting on the Competency Assessment Outcomes. Most important is: Do
NOT gloss over the results! Provide trending for the group. Identify the areas for
knowledge, skill and behavioral improvements. Identify the strengths first. Identify the
commonalities, and then identify the opportunities for growth. When reporting on the
competency assessment outcomes, have your strategy in hand for the targeted training
or process improvements for improving overall performance
Don’t use the word “fix” when you are talking about competencies or skills that you
want to “build.” “Fix” indicates something is broken. Use positive language to
communicate the upside of the program: “We will identify and celebrate strengths,
discover areas where we need to grow; and develop the skills we need to excel.”
Communicate your personal expectations and the organization’s expectations for
improving project management performance. Most of the stakeholders that I work with
have a passion for good project management, and are proud of their profession. Project
managers like to understand the sequence of events and where they are headed.
Treating a competency assessment as a project helps to remove the fear around
assessment and moves it into an arena project managers can understand and
appreciate.
For more information, see the PM College Resource Center for Project Manager
Competency.
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 10 of 13
Adam Thomas Maria Ficchi
Adam Sharp Matthew Medici
Anthony Meluskey Melissa Bevins
Baljinder Kamboj Poorni Harish
Barbara Cadmus Robert Hackett
Barbara Hyatt Srinivas Vadiguri
Craig Schulte Stephen House
Derek Sethachutkul Steve Corrado
Eileen McMonagle Suzanne Milne
Hara Totapally Suzanne Hughson
Jason Conrad Therese Spitz
Jeffrey Brown Tim Weaver
Jeffrey Lowden
Julius Nery
Kevin Hallinan
Victoria Sama
Vijaya Sudhkar
Congratulations new PMP certified members
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 11 of 13
Adel Elgoneimy David Reed Gary Moulder Kelly Zychowski Michael McCabe Samuel Crisino
Albert Cox Deanna Rybicki Gary Wojcik Kenneth Gestel Michael Ceralde Sean Shappell
Alisa Monteiro Debbie Buchwald George Rears Kevin Hallinan Michael Brophy Sean Miller
Amanda Walker Deirdre Avant Godson Aduamah Kevin Stewart Michael Cotton Sebastian Muah
Andrew Ferguson Deirdre Albertson Gregory Desrosiers Krista Baker Michael
Giovanniello Selda Kazanci
Andrew Hamilton Denise Ziegler Griffin Affel Kumar Sista Michael Bassett Sharon Ryan
Angela Lee Dennis Westhafer Ian McShane Laura Losani Michael Harris Shelina Thomas
Anil Malhotra Diana Goldin J. Tomaski Lauren Pearson Michael Pytlik Sherrilyn Chiu
Anthonise Fields Dolly Dennery James Muldoon Laurie Lewonski Nadine Gerhard Shiju Vadakot
Antony Clark Donald Burk James Masotti Laverne Bou Nataraj Ashok J. Sibi Sukumaran
Armand Martino Donald Scott
Smith Jasmine Rochon Liam Sullivan Nicole Saunders Srinivas Vadiguri
Ashisha Butala Doris Pierce Jennifer Wills Lisa Tull Norman Coffey Stacey Bailey
Bradford Kelly Edith Druktenis Joanne Welsh Lisa Crandall Ofer Tal Stephen Perry
Bridget Peezick Edward Kohl Johanna Mickel Lori Gee Owen Trickey Steve Rosso
Brigitte DeForrest Eileen Spanicciati John Kowalski Mandi Lermond Patti Malinowski Steve Dalton
Bruce McMahon Elaine Johnson John Washington Marguerite
D'Agostino
Paul White Steven Lindner
Bruce Bard Elisha Stewart John Conrad Mariama Von Thenen Peter Vuong Surbhi Sharma
Carl Rio Emilio Buitrago John O'Donnell Mark Long Philip Whitehurst Tamiera Harris
Cheryl Lewis Erica Wilfrid John Warlo Mark Steele Pushpa Seelam Tara Porrey
Chunhui Jiang Erica Young John Beck Mark Murmello Rajan Gidwani Thomas Nevinger
Cilla Manning Ernest Hartnett John Dennis Mark Grosset Raji Kandan Timothy Murphy
Cindy Liddy Fang Zhou Jonathan Sloyer Mark Wilson Ram Ganesan Timothy Mason
Craig Lowe Fiona King Joseph Feindt Mary Anne Augustine Raymond Cwenar Todd Turbedsky
Cynthia Bazin Francis Corkery Jude Sweeney Matthew Mills Reebu George Tracy Oxner
Damon Anderson Francis Stein Judith Golderer Matthew Beard Rich Carrello Troy Schrader
Dana Giovinetti Frank Febbo Judith Allison Maureen DeOrio Richard Kuchan Vijaya Rao
Dana Courtine Franz Cabrales Juliana Feener-Craig Maureen Gross Robert Peppelman Vincent Calkins
David Bulkin Fred Lamborn Juliet McQuillan Megan Watson Robert Cunningham Vivek Inamdar
David Stauffer Fredrick Dande Karen Close Melissa Bevins Robert Devine William Schmidt
David Clymer G Uhuru Karole Meade Michael Pezzano Roberta Kresky Yadaiah Pathkula
David Gruber Gale Gartling Katherine Lajoie Malik Michael Arcuri Roberta Yarrusso
David Herwig Gani Adegoke Kelly Molen Michael Lubragge Rupesh Naick
Welcome new PMI-DVC members
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 12 of 13
Month
Month
Event Date
January Board Meeting 1/6/11
Breakfast Meeting 1/12/11
Board Transition Dinner 1/14/11
Dinner Mtg W/IIBA 1/26/11
February Board Meeting 2/3/11
Breakfast Meeting 2/23/11
Dinner Meeting 2/24/11
March Board Meeting 3/3/11
Annual Biz Mtg 3/24/11
April Breakfast Meeting 4/6/11
Board Meeting 4/7/11
Dinner Meeting 4/14/11
Volunteer Appreciation 4/28/11
May Board Meeting 5/5/11
Dinner Mtg W/IIBA 5/11/11
Breakfast Meeting DE 5/25/11
PDD #1 5/19/11 - 5/20/11
June Board Meeting 6/2/11
Region 4 Meeting - Sarasota, NY 6/10/11
Dinner Mtg 6/23/11
July Board Meeting 7/7/11
August Board Meeting 8/4/11
PMI Cert Night 8/18/11 or 8/25/11
September Board Meeting 9/1/11
Dinner Mtg 9/15/11
Breakfast Meeting 9/21/11
PDD #2 9/17/11
October Board Meeting 10/6/11
Dinner Mtg (DE) 10/13/11
November Board Meeting N/A
Tools Conference 11/3/11 - 11/5/11
Dinner Mtg 11/3/11
2012 Planning Meeting 11/19/11
December Board Meeting 12/1/11
Breakfast Meeting 12/7/11
2011 calendar of events
Please click here to access the 2011 calendar of events on the PMI-DVC website
DVC Times, April 2011
D V C T i m e s
Page 13 of 13
Please support our Sponsor’s services by clicking on an Advertisement below.
Please contact the editor – Baisali Sarkar with any questions or comments related to this newsletter. For PMI - Delaware Valley Chapter Times Advertising information, please contact [email protected].