In the last issue of The Critical Path we told you about a new credential, being developed by the Project Management Institute, for individuals who manage programs. Since then, the credential has been named, Program Management Professional (PgMP), and the requirements have been announced.

Candidates holding a Baccalaureate Degree or global equivalent must have a minimum of four years project management experience and four years of program management experience to be considered for PgMPSM.

Without a Baccalaureate Degree or global equivalent, candidates must have an additional three years of program management experience (total of seven years).  Additionally, candidates for the PgMPSM credential must demonstrate the following:

• Under minimal supervision, the candidate is responsible for the coordinated management of multiple related projects to meet strategic organizational objectives.  Program managers must build credibility, establish rapport and maintain communication with stakeholders
  at multiple levels, including those external to the organization.
• Define and initiate projects and assign project managers to manage project cost, schedule and performance.  Program managers must ensure the success and acceptance of the program and maintain continuous alignment of program scope with strategic business objectives, and make recommendations to modify the program to meet strategic goals.  Program managers are responsible for determining and coordinating the sharing
  of resources among their constituent projects to the overall benefit of the program.
• Possess the knowledge and skills needed to be effective in both the project and business or government environments, and to make decisions that accomplish strategic objectives. Program manager should have advanced skills in finance, cross-cultural awareness, leadership, communication, influence, negotiation and conflict resolution.

Visit www.pmi.org for more information.

Are you in the process of creating a project management office but your executive(s) does not like the name “PMO”?

My good friend Willie once said, “What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.”  With regard to naming a project management office (PMO), Willie couldn’t have been more wrong!

PMOs come in many different flavors depending on their span of authority and the domain of projects under their purview.  At one extreme, the PMO can simply be a support group for project leaders and at the other extreme have total authority over the selection, prioritization and management of projects.  If you choice to use another term for your PMO, make sure it sends the proper message to your organization.

One of my clients named their PMO, the Project Oversight Unit.  This corporate aligned department was perceived by the each of the health system’s hospitals as the “project police.” By simply changing the name to Project Delivery Office, they were able to convey a softer message that was consistent with the PMO mission.

In 2006, The University of Quebec at Montreal Business School conducted a survey of PMO’s. Their report, “The Reality on Project Management Offices,” listed the most common names for a PMO.

59% Project Management Office
12% Program Management Office
7% Project Support Office
4% Name containing the term “project” and similar to project management office
2% Project Office
2% Center of Excellence
2% No name
12% Other name

So, who are you going to listen to; me or Willie?

In healthcare information technology, project management is finally growing up.  Slowly, healthcare organizations have recognized the value of project management and are now providing training, developing project standards and using software tools.

Though years behind their IT counterparts in other industries, healthcare is improving its level of project management maturity.  This has been most evident in the last two years with the steady growth in the number of project management offices (PMO). 

Other industries have granted tremendous power to their IT PMO, often viewing them as project management police: all project requests, approvals, prioritization and ownership are funneled through, and controlled by, the PMO.

Because the PMO is relatively new in healthcare IT, organizations have been conservative in defining its role.  The PMO often starts as a training resource for project  leaders and as the developer of project management standards and methodology.

PMOs add value by providing, with the utilization of project management software, an objective overview of the organizations’ project portfolio.  Additionally, it can identify resource capacity, demand and utilization, and determine what impact new projects will have on the portfolio.

Project requests, approval, prioritization, plan development, tracking, status reports and closure can be accomplished online, often with a just a web browser.  Though only in its beginning stages, the IT PMO is gaining acceptance within the healthcare industry.

I predict that in the future, most healthcare systems will have a sophisticated PMO. This will also provide new career opportunities in project management for IT professionals.

Glen Knights’ complete article on the Project Management Office was published in the June 2006 issue of HealthCare IT News.

More than 1,500 business managers, technology professionals and developers gathered in Seattle June 17 - 19 for the sold out Microsoft Office Project and Visio conferences, where Microsoft Corporation CEO Steve Ballmer detailed advances in the upcoming releases of Microsoft Office Project and Microsoft Office Visio.

In addition, Ballmer announced the completion of the acquisition of software and intellectual property assets from UMT, a leading project and portfolio management and consulting firm. The acquisition will provide Microsoft with new technology and talent that will complement and expand upon the existing Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution.

“We’re excited because acquiring UMT will help us meet customers’ needs for deep portfolio management capabilities,” said Ballmer. “By combining our software and expertise, we’ll also create a new range of solution development opportunities for customers and partners.”

Portfolio management software helps organizations strategically create, manage and optimize project, application, product and process portfolios. Although traditionally used in the information technology (IT) industry, portfolio management capabilities are broadly applicable and growing in importance to any company for which work takes the form of individual projects, complex programs or enterprise portfolios.

The UMT acquisition will help Microsoft address these scenarios through an end-to-end, integrated project and portfolio management solution that helps enable both excellence in project execution and better decision-making in prioritizing and funding those projects.

Key members of the UMT executive team and a number of UMT product development employees will join the Microsoft Office Project team.