As deficits increase, unemployment continues, and tax revenues decline, government has to shrink. An important question is, will government “shrink smart”? Or will the axe fall randomly or primarily on the weak and unconnected?
All in Project Management
Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave a presentation on November 2010 titled Acquisition Reform Challenges Facing Government. Referring to GAO’s strategic plan, Dodaro’s presentation addressed large-scale acquisitions as “targets of opportunity,” repeating the often-heard criticism that “… much of the government’s major investments have faced persistent cost and schedule growth.” His analysis is a very intelligent review of the challenges involved in reducing acquisition costs. Here I suggest an approach he doesn’t discuss but which is based on concepts he presents.
According to the FederalTimes.com report 5 teams to tackle Gates call to improve efficiency, five Pentagon teams will focus on identification of Pentagon cost savings based on affordability, incentives, contract terms, metrics, and service contracts
Getting Real about Project Management, Collaboration, and Communication
I’ve recently learned — and re-learned — some useful lessons while working with clients and teams on projects and large proposals. These include:
Needed: Managing Variety in Technology Adoption Rates
I wrote Sometimes a phone is just a phone and a web site is just a web site because different people adopt different technologies at different rates. Those rates depend on need, cost, peer influence, job responsibilities, and many other factors.
Managing Collaboration Throughout the Acquisition Process: A Project Management Perspective
I’ve been researching how to measure the impact of improved collaboration on Federal procurement processes, starting with development of a “concept map” that organizes the major issues.
Promoting Technology Enabled Collaboration in Complex R&D Environments
An important element in a successful R&D effort is effective collaboration. As the complexity of the research, development, and eventual adoption environments increases — as it does with large Federally funded R&D efforts — the importance of the sharing of information, ideas, and goals increases as well.
Social Networks and Serendipity: "Luck favors the prepared, darling."
Anyone who studies scientific communication, creativity, and innovation will understand the value of “being in the right place at the right time.”
McKinney Interviews Cochran about First HP Pocket Scientific Calculator
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the podcast of Phil McKinney’s interview with David Cochran about Cochran’s involvement on the team at Hewlett-Packard (HP) that designed the first pocket scientific calculator. The situation was interesting from the standpoint of innovation management and luck.
Google Wave Asks, Do You Like Your Project Collaboration Hard or Soft?
I had lunch with a fellow consultant recently. We talked about how some complex software-based collaboration systems get used and how some don’t. Sometimes the problem is with the software, and sometimes it’s with how the organization approaches collaboration.
The recent Forrester report predicting a significant drop in the price for enterprise social software has been getting a lot of attention.
The Knowledge Management Section of the U.S. Army’s Field Manual FM 6-01.1 is a classic example of the formal structure and organization one can apply to just about any organizational process that requires management.
In Marketing middleware socially Paul Gillin discussed why social software is already used in connection with the marketing of middleware:
Agile Software Development and Project Collaboration Tools
Viewed from the perspective of project-related collaboration management, the Thoughtworks podcast Distributed Agile Software Development reinforces what many project managers already know about managing a project where key staff have to work from multiple locations:
How To Avoid Common Strategic Planning Mistakes
For the past few months one of the most popular posts on this blog has been A Short Definition of “Strategic Planning.”
I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because the term “short definition” is in the title. Why read a “long definition” if a “short definition” is available?
How Can Collaboration Systems and Social Media Complement Agile Project Management?
I recently met with Thad Scheer, President of Sphere of Influence, Inc. Thad’s company specializes in agile and lean project management methods. During our meeting Thad and I discussed some of the changes occurring in project management methods and practices.
In New Kids on the Blog, professional project manager Rich Maltzman asks the following:
I was talking the other day with a friend about what consultants do. One of the topics raised was “strategic planning.” We talked about what that meant and then he said, “Oh, so you create business strategies for clients?”
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out corporate IT manager Jim MacLennan’s RSS: Underappreciated Web 2.0 in the Enterprise blog post.
Dennis Howlett’s The poverty of enterprise 2.0 and social media, once you get past the hyperbole of the title and ZDNet’s antiquated requirement to register in order to leave comments, makes some good points.