Project Management Strategies for the Environmental Leader

Project Management Strategies for the Environmental Leader: Organizational Toolkit for Long-Term Sanity

MIEKO A. OZEKI ELP SENIOR FELLOW

Presenter  Projects Coordinator at the

University of Vermont’s Office of Sustainability since 2008.

 Worked for non-profit

organizations and schools, coordinating programs and managing data systems.

 Manage and support a portfolio of

projects and programs to meet our department’s mission to “foster sustainable development and promote

environmental responsibility at the University of Vermont by strategically bridging the academic activities of teaching, research, and outreach with the operations of the University.”

“Our culture celebrates the idea of the workaholic. We hear about the people burning the midnight oil. They pull allnighters and sleep at the office. It’s considered a badge of honor to kill yourself over a project. No amount of work is too much work.

Not only is workaholism unnecessary, it’s stupid. Working more doesn’t mean you care more or get more done. It just means you work more.”

- Excerpt from Rework (2010) by Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson, cofounders of 37Signals.

Premise Challenging to balance life and work.

Challenging to stay focused.

Work Work Work Life

Life

Work

Image Source: www.zentofitness.com

Does managing projects and programs look like this for you?

Or does the digital version look like this?

Do you start to feel like screaming when your work gets out of hand?

“The Scream” by Edvard Munch

Image source: www.lacelesteblog.com

Presentation Overview  Project Management Framework  What is a project? What does managing a project involve?  What is the difference between managing a project, program, and/or portfolio?  Sane Management  Tips on how to develop a work plan and set boundaries on your work time.  Project Management System  Finding a system that fits you and your team.

Project Management Framework  What is project management (PM)?

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.* *As defined by the Project Management Institute’s 2008 Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)

 PM involves balancing competing

demands, including: project scope, schedule, budget, quality, resources, risks, stakeholder needs and expectations.

Definitions

Portfolio A collection of projects and programs and other work that are grouped together to facilitate effective management to meet strategic objectives.

Program Project

A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control A temporary endeavor not available from managing undertaken to create unique them individually. product, service, or result.

Projects and programs not necessarily interdependent or directly related.

*As defined in PMBOK Guide and Standards (2008)

Operations Management Operations management is similar to project management, whereby the work is planned, executed, and controlled; performed by people and resource constrained.

The difference is:  the purpose of operations is to sustain the organization;  it occurs in an on-going process, no definite beginning and end points;  the outcome is a non-unique product, service, or result;  functional teams generally aligned with organizational structure.

5 Processes of Project Management* Management

Initiating

Planning

Executing

• Identify needs, key resources, and needs • Establish • Goals & objectives • Business case • Key stakeholders • Major risks • Implementation strategy • Prepare a project charter.

• Stakeholders analysis.

• Identify project requirements • Requirements documentation • Requirements management plan.

• Requirements Traceability Matrix • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) • Project Schedule • Budget • Risk Analysis • Stakeholder communications Communication Management Plan • RACI chart

• Performance reporting includes: • Project plan as baseline to assess project performance • Work results  the actual results, fully or partially complete deliverables • Variance analysis • Projections • Variance Analysis

*As defined in PMBOK Guide and Standards (2008)

Monitoring and Controlling • Risk monitoring and control • Executing risk plans • Risk Review  Risk Register

Closing • Document project closeout • Close procurements • Administrative closeout • Project acceptance form signing off upon completion of project • Complete closeout checkout

Key Points about Project Management  Documentation throughout the life cycle of a project.  

Offers clear communication about the project scope and objectives.

Helps reduce any potential “scope creeping” and project bloating.

 Understanding whether you are managing a project,

program, or portfolio. 

And understanding the % of time you manage projects/programs/ portfolios vs. general operations management.

 Opportunity to become a certified project manager through

the Project Management Institute. 

But this is not a necessary step Develop a project management protocol that fits your work environment.

Sane Project Management Begins with You

Image source: Ebaum’s World

Look at your work from 30,000+ feet Develop a work plan that captures the areas you’ll address during a week, month, quarter, or year.

Align your work plan with your organization’s strategic goals.

Use your work plan as an evaluation tool to identify skills/knowledge areas to improve on and/or learn.

From 30,000+ Feet From brain dump‌

To mind mapping

Work Plan Individual

Group

Make your work plan public

Maintaining Sanity on a Project It’s OK to say “no” than to regret saying “yes”.

Designate time to work alone and in a place where you can get work done.

Image Sources: www.huffingtonpost.com and www.stockphoto.com

TED2010 Talk by Tom Wujec

Get to Know Your Team

http://tinyurl.com/TEDwujec

Try the Marshmallow Challenge! www.marshmallowchallenge.com

An exercise that encourages teams to collaborate, innovate, and be creative as well as opportunity to see the group’s dynamics on a project.

The objective: Construct the tallest free-standing structure in 18 minutes from: • 20 sticks of spaghetti • 1 yd. of tape • 1 yd. of string • 1 marshmallow, which needs to be at the top of the structure.

Image Source: http://marshmallowchallenge.com

Understand your work environment

Image Sources: http://my-fashion-school.blogspot.com/ and http://www.home-designing.com/

Find a Project Management System that work for you (and your team)

When selecting a PM tool It should be:  Accessible  Web-based  Cloud-based

Image Source: http://jeannekolenda.com

When selecting a PM tool  Function and

makes sense to you and your team  Easy to use  Accommodates

internal & external collaborators

External Partners Internal Partners Core Users

• Who are your external partners?

• How do they work?

• What is the group culture?

• Who are your internal partners?

• How do they work?

• What is the group culture?

• Who is your core group?

• How do they work?

• What is the group culture?

When selecting a PM tool  Make sure the

service can accommodate “x” of current and future projects.  Online storage

size is sufficient and secure for your organization.

Image source: www.askbobrankin.com

When selecting a PM tool  It should not

break the bank.  Monthly or

annual costs should be low, preferably free!  Try the free or

trial service before making a $ commitment.

Image source: www.shutterstock.com

Project Management Software & Services Starter list of PM software and online services from Wikipedia http://tinyurl.com/projmgmtools

Once you select the tool…  Give your PM tool a test

drive for at least a month.  Customize the PM tool to your group’s management needs.  Take the time to train collaborators and/or your staff on how to use the tool.  If the system you select doesn’t work for your group, shop around till you find something that fits.

Image source: www.thedailygreen.com

UVM’s Office of Sustainability Project Management System: 37 signals® Suite

Basecamp™

http://basecamphq.com/

Questions What systems do you have in place to manage your projects, programs, and portfolios?

Is it well-organized and manageable?

Are you able to collaborate with internal and external partners with the system you have set-up?

Does the PM system give you a 30,000 foot view of you (and your team’s) projects and progress?

Resource Page

http://tinyurl.com/ELP111

If you enjoyed the webinar, please consider donating $10 or any amount of your choosing to the Environmental Leadership Program at: www.elpnet.org/donate Upcoming webinars:  1/25/12: “Carbon Offsets from Residential Energy Efficiency” presented by ELP Senior Fellow Stephen Erario, Carbon Quantification Project Coordinator at Maine State Housing Authority.

Register at: www.elpnet.org/events-all

Thank you!

Mieko A. Ozeki Sustainability Projects Coordinator mozeki@uvm.edu www.uvm.edu/sustainability

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