Chapter 6

Questions

Why do we talk about support for a project methodology? Is support really necessary?

Who owns a project methodology in an organization? Is it the project office, the program office, an external vendor, or the users? Explain.

Name at least three areas of support that likely would be needed when supporting a project framework in an organization.

Do you agree that different levels of support are needed in an organization to tend to the overall methodology? (Is it a fixed dedicated team or managed ad hoc?)

Who maintains the methodology after implementation?

Describe how you, as the newly appointed manager, would begin to address the support of an enterprisewide project management methodology. You have to present a plan of action to ensure that the company project managers have a reliable framework. Looking at the files, you notice that two vendors who currently provide limited online support deployed the project methodology. Various people in your company review project templates intermittently, and users have stated that the templates dont always work.

Answers

After a project management methodology has been established in a company, it needs to receive proper support and maintenance. This involves ensuring constant monitoring of the entire framework ecosystem, which includes the project methodology, templates, processes, information systems, resources, and facilities.

The project management office must own the project methodology. A centralized body in the company must be accountable for managing the methodology. Any problems encountered can be efficiently resolved and communicated to project managers. There are then also those organizations that dislike PMOs and consider

them as a non-billable function and therefore considered overhead.

Project support can be categorized into three main areas of support, namely: o

Level 1 support: Basic support that must be resolved within two hours.

Level 2 support: Intermediate support that must be resolved within one day.

Level 3 support: Advanced support that has to be resolved within one week.

First, you would need to assess the situation and solicit valuable input from project managers, executives, and project staff as to the shortcomings of the enterprise project methodology. You should concurrently assess the current project tools, techniques, training, and processes being used and then formulate a recommendation with an action plan. This is to be presented to the company executives, recommending the support needed, including the support agreements that need to be put in place to get the methodology back on track.

Either the QA or the PMO department can maintain the methodology, depending where it is located. It really depends on the organization.

To support any methodology, you need to understand the size and complexity of the methodology (i.e., complex waterfall or open source methodology), the number of users, and which components of the methodology were being used at which times. This could imply that you may need to support project templates or processes, provide continuous training to the users, and upgrade existing methodology software tools. It is wise to establish a service-level agreement with the organization or project teams to provide a support model for them.

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Chapter 7

Questions

What is the importance of project templates? Discuss.

Name five project templates used in the concept or initiation phase of a project.

What is the purpose of a project brief/project definition report?

Discuss three ways to access templates in an organization. Assume you are a new project manager.

Explain whether it is necessary to use all templates for your project.

Explain how to select specific templates when assigned a project by your organization (e.g., business case, ROI). Would you discuss it with your project sponsor or take the initiative yourself?

List eight essential project artifacts or templates you would use for a 30-month project, which is awaiting approval by an executive board. The project will design and build a state-of-the-art electric vehicle, with participation from three well-known manufacturers. You are the project manager. State which type of methodology you would recommend.

Answers

The purpose of project templates is to assist project managers or business executives in a productive manner, with already-prepared document frameworks, ready for completion with specific project deliverables.

Templates used in the concept phase are URS, SOW, RFP, business case, and feasibility study.