a team-based approach to continuous improvement in program, project and portfolio management: the u....

A Team-based Approach to

Continuous Improvement in Program,

Project and Portfolio Management

The U. S. Government’s Global

Threat Reduction Initiative

Russell D. Archibald, David L. Pells, Wayne Abba, Miles

Shepherd and Marc Zocher

27th IPMA World Congress

Dubrovnik, Croatia

October 2013

GTRI Program, Project & Portfolio Management

Abba, Archibald, Pells, Shepherd, Zocher

27th IPMA World Congress – Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Global Threat Reduction Initiative

(GTRI)

• Global mission to protect society from

terrorist use of nuclear or radiological

materials:

– from non-military sources

– in an improvised nuclear device or bomb (IND) or

radiological dispersal devices (RDD)- “dirty bomb”

• 1,000 projects in over 70+ countries




National Nuclear Security Administration

(NNSA)

• Responsible for management and security of

the USA’s

– Nuclear Weapons

– Nuclear non-proliferation, including GTRI

– Naval reactor program.

• 11 National Laboratories and agencies

operated by private contractor firms




Global Threat Reduction Initiative

- Three Primary Programs (portfolios of projects)




Accomplishments through 2012

• Converted or shutdown 85 HEU fueled research reactors; removed 3,500 kilograms of HEU and plutonium – enough for more than 135 nuclear bombs

• Removed/stored 775 bombs’ worth of HEU and plutonium at the BN-350 reactor in Kazakhstan

• Protected over 1,500 radiological buildings around the world containing millions of curies – enough for thousands of dirty bombs

• Recovered over 31,000 disused radiological sources in the United States containing more than 1 million curies.




Save the Planet Urgency

President Obama’s

2009 pledge in Prague

& in 2010 to secure the

highest at-risk nuclear

materials within 4 years




GTRI Management Challenges

• Truly effective program/project management

• Single, integrated program management information system

• Integrating many information systems and data used within government and private organizations

• Satisfying financial controls of Executive Branch, Congress and Foreign Governments

• Accelerating accomplishment at reduced cost




The GTRI G2 Information System

• Developed rapidly in 2007 using Agile

methods

• G2 Project Team from GTRI HQ, various

Laboratories, and private contractor

• G2 Project was the first government project to

receive the PMI Distinguished Project Award

for 2010


Technical Evaluation Team




Evolution of the GTRI Governance and

Management Methodologies

• GTRI Headquarters has 3 Office Directors, 40 people: – North and South America plus Protect globally

– Europe and Africa plus Convert globally

– Former Soviet Union/FSU and Asia plus Remove globally

• Office Directors handle diplomatic agreements and coordinate portfolios

• Regional and country managers coordinate programs and projects within assigned areas

• Field operations are directed and supervised by specific National Laboratories and work is performed by local contractors


Technical Evaluation Team

NNSA/GTRI Headquarters (May 2013)




Evolution of GTRI Project, Program &

Portfolio Management

2007-10: Formation of Technical Evaluation Team (TET)-Periodic

evaluation sessions with HQ, 3 Labs, and 5 industry experts in

Washington DC. Release of the G2 info system.




GTRI Strategic Plan

• Describes GTRI Mission, Goals,

Structure and Expected

Outcomes – in 32 pages

• Outlines fundamental strategies

for achieving goals in compliance

with policies and directives of

NNSA, Dept. of Energy, and all

appropriate laws




GTRI Program Management Plan

• Describes GTRI management organization,

roles, requirements and policies

• Provides top down P/PM framework for

participating labs

• Used for both management & communication

Individual Labs prepared their own PMPs aligned

with GTRI top-level PMP




Organizational Complexities increase

Challenges DOE/NNSA programs/portfolios - National Lab projects




2010-13: GTRI Project Management

Improvement Team (PMIT)

• 20 members: 4 HQ, 11 NNSA Labs and Sites, 5 industry experts

• Formal Charter: Goal, Process, Tools, Conduct

• Quarterly 2 day meetings at field sites

• Identify and prioritize challenges and issues

• Assign actions to resolve

• Identify and share good practices

• Learn from host organizations: case studies




PMIT Goal

• Create a forum to network across labs and

HQ, and between government and private

industry, to share successful practices to

further improve GTRI project management

and business processes.




Five Independent Project Management

Experts

• Varied backgrounds: industrial, governmental,

international, nuclear, professional associations

and standards

• Globally recognized authorities in the

project/program/portfolio management field

• Trusted team members (TET experience)

• Authors of this paper




PMIT Accomplishments

• Engaged key stakeholders.

• Improved communications and teamwork.

• Identified and implemented process improvements.

• Shared good practices and lessons learned.

• Identified on-going issues and needs.

• Raised the profile of GTRI and project/program/portfolio management.

• Stimulated improvements and more project management maturity within the national laboratories.

• The PMIT is now recognized as a best practice




These results were achieved through:

• Implementation of leading edge project, program, and portfolio concepts;

• More comprehensive project planning and control processes;

• Improved identification and management of risks and opportunities;

• More attention to project management education, communications and team building;

• More rapid organizational project management maturity; and

• A more confident GTRI management team.




Improved Stakeholder Satisfaction

The resulting accountability and visibility

has gained further support for GTRI

with the U. S. Congress

and the Obama Administration

Budget increased

from $97 million in FY2006

to $466 million in FY2013




Dramatically improved HQ – Lab

relations & productivity




Benefits to the Global Public and GTRI

• Reduced program risks

• More comprehensive program and project planning;

• P/PM aligned and consistent with globally recognized project management standards and best practices; and

• Additional assurance that the conversion, removal, and protection projects are planned, managed and completed on time, within the budgets, and according to the high quality demanded




Conclusions

• The GTRI PMIT has proven to be a productive

approach to assure continuous improvement in

the management processes used on this large

and complex initiative.

• This team approach might be highly effective for

similar large, complex government-industry

endeavours, including the use of independent

experts as a part of the improvement team.




Useful Links

• NNSA

– http://nnsa.energy.gov/

• GTRI Fact Sheet

– http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprogram

s/nonproliferation/programoffices/officeglobalthre

atreduction

http://nnsa.energy.gov/

http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/nonproliferation/programoffices/officeglobalthreatreduction






Thank you!

• David Pells – [email protected]

• Miles Shepherd - [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




a team-based approach to continuous improvement in program, project and portfolio management: the u....

Business