The “Not-So-Easy” Project Management in Higher Education

William Frady, Brandy Henning, Al Sanders, Anna McFaddenWestern Carolina University

Agenda• A Brief History of Project Management at WCU• Culture Change Internal and External• Implementation of TeamDynamixHE • Balancing Incidents, Service Requests, Projects, and

Day to Day Operations• Importance of Project Management to IT Client

Communication• A Look Into a Client Facing Team• Challenges We Continue to Face• Going Forward• Your Experience?

First Attempt• In 2005 WCU undertook the implementation of the Banner ERP

system• Effort had no overall project manager assigned• Banner Implementation Committee coordinated effort• PM appointed to coordinate IT activity, not entire project• IT PM focused on technology instead of process

– Attempted to implement Microsoft Project Server in a short timeframe• Effort failed:

– Management support limited– Campus did not understand the need for PM– IT and campus culture not ready for PM– Change too rapid to be assimilated by IT and campus– PM resigned from WCU in 2006– IT employees left with bad feelings about PM

Next Attempt• Project Coordinator hired to replace departed PM in

2008– Organizational context:

• No formal project intake process• No project prioritization or portfolio management processes• No IT governance• Little direction and authority for Project Coordinator

– Culture:• Small appetite for more structured PM approach• Chaotic processes; outcomes not repeatable• IT departments in silos, minimal interdepartmental coordination

Continued Efforts• New CIO arrived in 2009, reported to Chancellor

– Focused on 3-P’s (Process, Proactive, Prevention)– Project Coordinator promoted to Project Manager– PM asked to help with campus-wide print system project– Campus-wide print system successfully implemented– Campus leaders saw value in more formalized PM

approach• Project intake, prioritization, IT Governance processes

– Developed by AEITG 2010 – 2011– Regular meetings held with Faculty, Administrative, and

Infrastructure committees– Processes became more formalized and repeatable– Projects selected based on greatest benefits to campus

IT PMO Implemented 2012• Project Manger named PMO Director• Additional IT PM hired (with PMP certificate)• PMO duties:

– Directly manage more difficult, risky projects– Develop and publish Project Management

Methodology– Review and recommend PM process changes– Provide PM training to IT and others across

campus– Mentor other project managers– Conduct monthly project reviews of all activated

projects

PMO in 2013• TeamDynamixHE implemented

– Portfolio and Project Management (PPM) tool• TeamDynamix Users’ Group created within IT

– Provide feedback to PMO on user experience– Suggest ideas for process improvement– Act as sounding board for proposed changes

• Several high-profile projects underway• PMO employees are PMP certified• Undertaking formal PM training with IT departments

– Main focus on requirements gathering and Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)

– Process Groups and Knowledge Areas also covered

What’s Next?• Standardized use of TeamDynamixHE• Goal of 15% of total IT hours spent on projects (2014)• Goal of 30% of total IT hours spent on projects (2020)• Tracking of time spent on projects• Formal PM training for all IT employees

– Better task duration estimates– More attention to requirements gathering and WBS– More accurate project baselines– Get more projects done in less time

• Project Management Maturity Model (PM3) survey planned for spring 2014– Benchmark maturity and drive it higher in future

Culture Change: Internal and External• Are we there yet? No

– “Project Management is not in my job description.”

– “Big brother is watching”• Work is now tracked, visible, and measurable.• We are shifting from “working in my silo” to

accountability and team work.• Processes becoming more repeatable• Projects are no longer worked based on who screams

the loudest or who one knows in IT.• The project list with rankings and status is visible to

the entire campus.• More projects are being completed and projects are

meeting more objectives.

An Inside Look: Our Team

• Instructional Technology & Desktop Services• Client Facing• All team members new to PM• New Team PM = Brandy• Weekly PM Team meeting• Back to Basics & Homework

Challenges We Continue to Face

• Resource Contention• Assembly Line vs. Process Retooling• Incidents vs. Service Requests vs Projects vs

Non-Routine Service Requests (mini-projects)• Project Management vs. PM Tool• Time Tracking

Where We Go From Here

• Project Management Maturity• PM Tool Maturity• Continue the Culture Change

What About You?