Milestones to Efficiency

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Milestones to Efficiency June 2015In the BIA program, the commitment and expertise was broughtin from another agency in the form of a lead project manager. Thepractices he introduced to the program proved so successful on theday-to-day workings of the department that they remained in useafter completion of the program.Executive and Senior Level SupportExecutive and senior level support brought continued investment intraining — essentially guaranteeing that training remains a prioritythrough the project/program. When needed, executive leaders alsoleverage their influence to call on agency heads or local leadersfor cooperation that someone of lower title may be unable tosecure. Meanwhile, this level of support conveyed a strong sign ofcommitment to lower echelons, the ranks of which were more likelyto express buy-in for the project/program. Senior managementsupport could be essential in granting time off for formal trainingand classwork.Effective Training Programs, OngoingCoursework and CertificationsTraining, coupled with experience, leads to a clearer understandingof project and program management. In one case, the trainingfocused on certification in program management (SSA). For theteam involved in the BIA program to lower violent crime rates,Indian Country police officers received sensitivity training. Thistraining familiarized them with Indian cultures and customs, helpingofficers to avoid cultural missteps. This in turn helped promoteacceptance of the program.Transparent and EffectiveCommunicationA commitment to regular, effective communication proved essentialto the success of the three programs. Communications includedweekly meetings, or calls, and site visits as well as less formal,impromptu meetings.“ProgramManagement hasbeen institutionalizedfor decades. It’sjust becoming moreformalized, forcingpeople to follow[guidelines], be morediligent about doingeverything you’resupposed to do.” 4“A critical factor inwhether an initiativesucceeds or fails is theexecutive sponsor —and his or her levelof engagement. Morethan 90 percent ofrespondents in anIBM survey cited‘top managementsponsorship’ as thefactor that makeschange successful.” 54Program Management Development Practices within the Office of Systems, Social Security Administration. P. 5.5IBM: Making Change Work. 20084 ©2015 Project Management Institute, Inc.
Milestones to Efficiency June 2015Because transparent communication builds trust, problems couldbe pre-empted or their existence signaled in sufficient time toreduce the likelihood of escalation. Regular communication to allstakeholders — including business developers, project sponsors,and executive level administrators — promoted understanding andcooperation, increasing the likelihood of program success.“56 percent ofunsuccessful projectsfail to meet their goalsdue to ineffectivecommunications.” 6Teambuilding andStakeholder EngagementAlthough discussed in part in the communications section, team andstakeholder engagement from the planning stage leads to a sense ofownership, a shared sense of responsibility, and a vested interest inprogram success. Other benefits include an increased understandingand respect among parties, which helps avoid resistance andmisunderstanding that can lead to delays.Communications areimpacted when differentstakeholder groupsuse different jargonand language. Thiscommunications issuecan also lead to differentexpectations for aproject, which endsup impacting thebottom line. 76PMI’s Pulse of the Profession ® In-Depth Report Executive Sponsor Engagement. Top Driver of Project and Program Success. P. 9.7PMI’s Pulse of the Profession ® In-Depth Report The High Cost of Low Performance: The Essential Role of Communications. P. 2.©2015 Project Management Institute, Inc.5
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