- Most companies are struggling to get their project work done. This is due in part to the fact that many prescribed remedies are confusing, disruptive, costly, or ineffective.
- While struggling to find a solution, within the organization, project requests never stop and all projects continue to all be treated the same. Resources are requested for multiple projects without any visibility into their project capacity. Projects lack proper handoffs from closure to ongoing operational work. And the benefits are never tracked.
- If you have too many projects, limited resources, ineffective communications, or low post-project adoption, keep reading. Perhaps you should spend a bit more on project, portfolio, and organizational change management.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Successful project outcomes are not built by rigorous project processes: Projects may be the problem, but project management rigor is not the solution.
- Don’t fall into the common trap of thinking high-rigor project management should be every organization’s end goal.
- Instead, understand that it is better to spend time assessing the portfolio to determine what projects should be prioritized.
Impact and Result
Begin by establishing a few foundational practices that will work to drive project throughput.
- Capacity Estimation: Understand what your capacity is to do projects by determining how much time is allocated to doing other things.
- Book of Record: Establish a basic but sustainable book of record so there is an official list of projects in flight and those waiting in a backlog or funnel.
- Simple Project Management Processes: Align the rigor of your project management process with what is required, not what is prescribed by the PMP designation.
- Impact Assessment: Address the impact of change at the beginning of the project and prepare stakeholders with the right level of communication.
Get Started With IT Project Portfolio Management Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Begin by establishing a few foundational practices that will work to drive project throughput. Most project management problems are resolved with portfolio level solutions. This blueprint will address the eco-system of project, portfolio, and organizational change management.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Get Started With IT Project Portfolio Management Storyboard
1. Project portfolio management
Estimate project capacity, determine what needs to be tracked on an ongoing basis, and determine what criteria is necessary for prioritizing projects.
- Project Portfolio Supply-Demand Analysis Tool
- Project Value Scorecard Development Tool
- Project Portfolio Book of Record
2. Project management
Develop a process to inform the portfolio of the project status, create a plan that can be maintained throughout the project lifecycle, and manage the scope through a change request process.
- Light Project Change Request Form Template
3. Organizational change management
Perform a change impact assessment and identify the obvious and non-obvious stakeholders to develop a message canvas accordingly.
- Organizational Change Management Triage Tool
4. Develop an action plan
Develop a roadmap for how to move from the current state to the target state.
- PPM Wireframe
- Project Portfolio Management Foundations Stakeholder Communication Deck
Workshop: Get Started With IT Project Portfolio Management
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Project Portfolio Management
The Purpose
Establish the current state of the portfolio.
Organize the portfolio requirements.
Determine how projects are prioritized.
Key Benefits Achieved
Understand project capacity supply-demand.
Build a portfolio book of record.
Create a project value scorecard.
Activities
1.1 Conduct capacity supply-demand estimation.
1.2 Determine requirements for portfolio book of record.
1.3 Develop project value criteria.
Outputs
Clear project capacity
Draft portfolio book of record
Project value scorecard
2 Project Management
The Purpose
Feed the portfolio with the project status.
Plan the project work with a sustainable level of granularity.
Manage the project as conditions change.
Key Benefits Achieved
Develop a process to inform the portfolio of the project status.
Create a plan that can be maintained throughout the project lifecycle and manage the scope through a change request process.
Activities
2.1 Determine necessary reporting metrics.
2.2 Create a work structure breakdown.
2.3 Document your project change request process.
Outputs
Feed the portfolio with the project status
Plan the project work with a sustainable level of granularity
Manage the project as conditions change
3 Organizational Change Management
The Purpose
Discuss change accountability.
Complete a change impact assessment.
Create a communication plan for stakeholders.
Key Benefits Achieved
Complete a change impact assessment.
Identify the obvious and non-obvious stakeholders and develop a message canvas accordingly.
Activities
3.1 Discuss change accountability.
3.2 Complete a change impact assessment.
3.3 Create a communication plan for stakeholders.
Outputs
Assign accountability for the change
Assess the change impact
Communicate the change
4 Develop an Action Plan
The Purpose
Summarize current state.
Determine target state.
Create a roadmap.
Key Benefits Achieved
Develop a roadmap for how to move from the current state to the target state.
Activities
4.1 Summarize current state and target state.
4.2 Create a roadmap.
Outputs
Stakeholder Communication Deck
MS Project Wireframe