Herding Cats

I'll Really Wish the Agile Thought Leaders Wouldn't Talk Like This

Got an invitation to a Webinar today on scaling Agile to larger teams. This is a very important topic in our domain, since we work software intensive programs that are distributed around the campus and across the country. Here's the... Read more →

The Very Notion of Probabilistic Modeling is Lost on most Projects

 The obvious picture at the left is how nature works. Nature driven by stochastic processes. The same type of stochastic processes that drive project work. Cost, Schedule, and Technical Performance Measures are based on random variables. These are all... Read more →

Quote of the Day

If error is corrected whenever it is recognized as such, the path of error is the path of truth. - Hans Reichenbach (1951). The rise of scientific philosophy. University of California Press. p. 326. Read more →

Quote of the Day

"A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction." - Leo Tolstoy Read more →

Integrating Cost, Schedule, and Technical Performance Measures

In the previous post, the new IPMR DID instructs us to integrate cost, schedule, and technical performance.Here's some more advice. Now the bigger question. Where is the similar advice for IT projects. Agile starts down this road, but needs a... Read more →

It Can't Be Any Clearer Than This

If you're going to have any hope what so ever of being successful with your project, here is some advice. Only with this integration can you know the answers to the 5 Immutable principles of project management. What does DONE... Read more →

Quote of the Day

Raising your voice, the next best thing to being right - Demetri Martin Read more →

Quote of the Day

“Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” -- C.P. Scott, editor of the Manchester Guardian, 1921 Read more →

Models

There are the usual reactions to George Box's quote about models... Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful. ... to make the wrong headed position that we can't use models for our benefit. Here's a better basis for... Read more →

What's Missing from Project Management in IT

The management of IT projects is usually based on PMBOK or a similar framework. The projects start with "requirements" and add all the common processes and their outcomes. There may be a business cases, but requirements are the first step... Read more →

Capabilities Based Planning - A Use Case

The application of Capabilities Based Planning is baked into the acquisition of federal government programs in most domains like Defense and Energy, through the development of the Concept of Operations and the Statement of Objectives. This process is shown below,... Read more →

Quote of the Day

It's a clown question, Bro - Bryce Harper, outfielder, Washingtom Nations, response when asked a stupid question. Read more →

Requirements Elicitation

Several commenters to Herding Cats asks about requirements elicitation. Here's some top level guidance. But first a fundamental change needs to take place in the IT world on how to capture requirements. This change is guided by the processes used... Read more →

Four components of risk

Project Managers constantly seek ways to eliminate or control risk, variance, and uncertainty. This is a hopeless pursuit. Managing in the presence of risk, variance and uncertainty is the key to success. Some projects have few uncertainties – only the... Read more →

How Many Languages Can You Program In?

I was on Skype with a colleague today working on a Risk Management Plan, when the conversation turned to how many programming languages have you worked in? This was a diversion while waiting for uploads of 32MB files!! Here's my... Read more →

Quote of the Day

“In physical science the first essential step in the direction of learning any subject is to find principles of numerical reckoning and practicable methods for measuring some quality connected with it. I often say that when you can measure what... Read more →

Strategy, Tactics, and Execution

The Afterburners has a seminar titled High Resolution. Their tag line is Without high resolution, an organization can not align its tactics and strategic plan. High resolution details ensure the organization can execute and provide results that align with the... Read more →

Competency Model For Project Managers

There are lots of competency models for project managers. Most Federal Agencies have one (FAC-P/PM), most project based firms do as well. There are even competency based certifications. Those commercial certification organizations that charge you money to test your competency... Read more →

Books PMs Should Read and Put To Use

There are several shelves of books about many topics in our house. Project Management and related topics are in the Office. The list of books below have specific attributes. They have not only been read, they have been marked up,... Read more →

Quote of the Day

I've been in the same room with Feynman, when he was visiting UC Irvine and spoke for our Society for Physics Students where he described the then emerging Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) theory he was working on. Read more →