Herding Cats

Want To Be A Professional, Then Start By Acting Like A Professional

There is a debate going around the project management community about whether a Project Manager is a Professional. It's a slightly silly debate in the end, for the simple reason - in my opinion - that whether a PM is... Read more →

The Power of Simplicity

Define the outcomes of a project in units of measure meaningful to the customer The customer bought a product or service. Actually the customer bought a capability. No if fact the customer should have bought an "effect," a change in... Read more →

Using Earned Value in a Changing Scope Environment

The basic principle of Earned Value starts with the establishment of a Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) and the measurement of progress against it. The Budget At Completion is the total target for the budgeted cost for the project when it... Read more →

Friday Round Up

"Why Big Software Projects Fail: The 12 Key Questions," Watts S. Humphrey, CrossTalk, March 2005 Air University Press - has a variety of US Air Force history and current guidance books. All free and many times free shipping. Navy Earned... Read more →

Beyond the Novice and the Advanced Beginner

I've been chatting back and forth on email, blogs, and forums around several things of interest to me this week. Some conversations were fruitful some were not. These topics include: Earned Value, Project Management, and the competencies needed to successfully... Read more →

A Gold Mine of Knowldege

I'm attending the Air Force IT Conference at Gunter Annex - Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery Alabama. We're here because our firm is a partner with a prime contractor on the NETCENTS 2 program. While walking the halls today... Read more →

An Open Challenge

For those of late who proffer a solution to the issues of project success - this includes all who have a collection of "magic beans," who claim an alternate to PMBOK and us PMP's who put it use, who rail... Read more →

Probablistic Risk Analysis

PMBOK speaks about quantitative risk analysis in Chapter 11. There are several issues with this section of PMBOK that I'll present below. But first, why is this is interest to me and potentially of interest to others? The management of... Read more →

Quote of the Day

“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” and it's companion ... “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” — Mark Twain Read more →

Percent Complete?

Here we go again, redefining project management terminology to make a point that doesn't need to be made if we simply read the literature and followed the guidance and explored a little outside the narrow confines of agile... There is... Read more →

You Know You Work in Aerospace When...

A little joke going around the office. This could be almost any place in the corporate world. You've sat at the same desk for four years and worked for eight different managers Your resume is on a jump drive, in... Read more →

Physical Percent Complete

There is always a discussion around how hard it is for software projects to measure progress. They're not like construction or building ships or airplanes I'm calling BS on any approach like that. The notion of measuring physical percent complete... Read more →

Quote of the Day

Well Done is Better Than Well Said Inside the cap of a bottle of SweetLeaf Iced Tea, while watching Lance Armstrong cross the finish line of the Leadville 100 with a time of 6:28:51 for 100 miles of mountain trails.... Read more →

Friday Round Up

I've watched several blogs do a collection of good ideas on a periodic basis. "Hey I can do that too and add more value." So I've started to remember memorable blogs, sites, and announcements I've come across during the week... Read more →

Requirements Management for Grown Ups

Josh at PMStudent reminded me that DOORS is our "standard" requirements management tool. For those not familiar with DOORS, here some webinars. DOORS was purchased by IBM awhile back. It's the standard in NASA and DoD ans is now moving... Read more →

Check List for Managing a Program

Here's a check list for increasing the probability of success for you project. This list should be considered EXHAUSTIVE in terms of the traditional Program Planning and Controls paradigm. But not universally applicable for the simple reason that all projects... Read more →

First Pass of PMI Practice Standard for Project Risk Management

I've started through the PMI Practice Standard for Project Risk Management. First my biases in general. The absolute best book on "risk" is Ed Conrow's, Effective Risk Management: Some Keys to Success. I have read and reread this book dozens... Read more →

Quote of the Day

"To generalize is to be an idiot." - William Blake Read more →

Minimum Elements of an Earned Value System

There are 32 criteria of a DCMA (Defense Contract Management Agency) certified Earned Value Management System (EVMS). Such a system is mandated for federal contracts greater than $50M and must be considered for contracts greater that $20M where EVM is... Read more →

Follow the Baton Not the Runner

When someone says - "we have this much better process," or "you should do XYZ this way instead of the way you're doing it now." Stop, think, and ask some questions: What are they selling. Maybe a product. Possible a... Read more →