Project Management Process Improvement -- Contents v -- Introduction xi -- 1 Introduction to the Process Improvement Life Cycle 1 -- 1.1 The Importance of Process Improvement 2 -- 1.1.1 Stand Still and Go Backwards 2 -- 1.1.2 Standish Group Chaos Report 2 -- 1.1.3 Balancing People, Project Management Processes, and Technology 8 -- 1.1.4 Process Improvement Versus Practice Improvement 9 -- 1.2 Typical Project Improvement Practices 11 -- 1.2.1 Project Reviews 11 -- 1.2.2 Best Practices 12 -- 1.2.3 Lessons Learned 12 -- 1.3 Definition of the Process Improvement Life Cycle 12 -- 1.3.1 Where Are You? 13 -- 1.3.2 Where Do You Want To Be? 14 -- 1.3.3 How Will You Get There? 14 -- 1.3.4 How Well Did You Do? 14 -- 1.4 Who Is Responsible for Process Improvement? 15 -- 1.4.1 Establishing a Standard Process 15 -- 1.4.2 Managing Best Practices and Lessons Learned 15 -- 1.4.3 Managing Performance Data Against Standard Processes 15 -- 1.4.4 Continuously Improving the Project Management Process 16 -- 1.5 Effectively Dealing with the Obstacles 16 -- 1.6 Points to Remember 17 -- 2 Overview of the Project Management Maturity Model 19 -- 2.1 The Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model® 19 -- 2.1.1 Purpose 19 -- 2.1.2 Structure 20 -- 2.1.3 Application 20 -- 2.2 The Project Management Maturity Model 25 -- 2.2.1 Level 1: Initial Process 25 -- 2.2.2 Level 2: Structured Process 26 -- 2.2.3 Level 3: Institutionalized Process 26 -- 2.2.4 Level 4: Managed Process 26 -- 2.2.5 Level 5: Optimizing Process 27 -- 2.3 PMBOK Knowledge Areas and Maturity Profile 27 -- 2.3.1 Project Integration Management 27 -- 2.3.2 Project Scope Management 32 -- 2.3.3 Project Time Management 37 -- 2.3.4 Project Cost Management 42 -- 2.3.5 Project Quality Management 47 -- 2.3.6 Project Human Resources Management 50 -- 2.3.7 Project Communications Management 54.

2.3.8 Project Risk Management 58 -- 2.3.9 Project Procurement Management 64 -- 2.4 Points to Remember 70 -- 3 Assessing and Reporting Maturity Level 73 -- 3.1 Overview of the Survey Questionnaire 74 -- 3.1.1 Design of the Survey 74 -- 3.1.2 Defining Maturity Level Penetration 75 -- 3.2 Reporting the Process Maturity Baseline 77 -- 3.2.1 Kiviatt Charts 77 -- 3.2.2 Box & Whisker Plots 82 -- 3.3 Reporting the Project/Process Maturity Gap 83 -- 3.3.1 PP Below PD Baseline 85 -- 3.3.2 PP at PD Baseline 86 -- 3.3.3 PP Above PD Baseline 86 -- 3.4 Maturity Profile by Knowledge Area 87 -- 3.4.1 Process Maturity Matrix 87 -- 3.4.2 Closing the Maturity Gap 92 -- 3.5 Points to Remember 94 -- 4 Metrics to Identify Project Improvement Opportunities 97 -- 4.1 Project Level 97 -- 4.1.1 Cost/Schedule Control 98 -- 4.1.2 Milestone Trend Charts 101 -- 4.1.3 Project Reviews 106 -- 4.2 Prioritizing Improvement Opportunities 107 -- 4.2.1 Ranking Improvement Opportunities 107 -- 4.3 Points to Remember 111 -- 5 Tools to Investigate Improvement Opportunities 113 -- 5.1 Problem Solving for Continuous Improvement 113 -- 5.1.1 Definition 113 -- 5.2 Brainstorming 116 -- 5.3 Fishbone Diagrams 116 -- 5.4 Force Field Analysis 117 -- 5.5 Pareto Diagrams 118 -- 5.6 Process Charts 119 -- 5.7 Root Cause Analysis 120 -- 5.8 Prioritizing Processes 120 -- 5.8.1 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives by Knowledge Area 120 -- 5.8.2 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives in Groups 122 -- 5.8.3 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives One at a Time 122 -- 5.9 Recap 125 -- 5.10 Points to Remember 125 -- 6 Commissioning Improvement Initiatives 127 -- 6.1 Characteristics of an Improvement Program 127 -- 6.1.1 Long Duration 128 -- 6.1.2 Multiproject Approach 128 -- 6.1.3 Just-in-Time Planning 129 -- 6.1.4 High Change 129 -- 6.1.5 High Kill Rate 129 -- 6.2 Characteristics of an Improvement Initiative 130.

6.2.1 Short Duration 130 -- 6.2.2 Multiphase Approach 130 -- 6.2.3 Just-in-Time Planning 131 -- 6.2.4 High Change 131 -- 6.2.5 High Kill Rate 132 -- 6.3 Setting Maturity Goals 132 -- 6.4 Scope the Initiative 133 -- 6.4.1 Evaluating Improvement Opportunities 133 -- 6.5 High-Level Planning of the Initiative 135 -- 6.5.1 Work Breakdown Structure 136 -- 6.5.2 Prioritize and Schedule Approaches 136 -- 6.6 Monitoring the Initiative 136 -- 6.6.1 Define Performance Metrics 136 -- 6.6.2 Track Performance Metric 137 -- 6.7 Redirecting the Initiative 137 -- 6.7.1 Abandonment of Approaches 138 -- 6.7.2 Reprioritize and Reschedule Approaches 138 -- 6.8 Closing the Initiative 138 -- 6.8.1 Assess Final Performance Improvement 138 -- 6.8.2 Reprioritize Improvement Opportunities 138 -- 6.9 Points to Remember 139 -- 7 Case Study: B. Stoveburden Trucking Company 141 -- 7.1 Case Study Background 142 -- 7.1.1 Project Overview Statement 143 -- 7.1.2 Fishbone Diagram to Identify the Reasons Why Projects Fail 145 -- 7.2 PD and PP Maturity Levels for Selected Knowledge Areas 147 -- 7.3 Process Level 148 -- 7.3.1 Scope Management Processes 148 -- 7.3.2 HR Management Processes 155 -- 7.3.3 Time Management 158 -- 7.3.4 Cost Management 159 -- 7.4 Results of the Improvement Programs 161 -- 7.5 Points to Remember 163 -- 8 Closing Thoughts 165 -- 8.1 Implementation Challenges 165 -- 8.1.1 Perceived Value 166 -- 8.1.2 Cultural Fit 166 -- 8.1.3 Sponsorship 166 -- 8.2 Suggested Implementation Strategies 167 -- 8.2.1 Major Program Initiative 167 -- 8.2.2 Project Initiative 168 -- 8.2.3 Slow but Steady 169 -- 8.3 Points to Remember 169 -- Appendix: Maturity Assessment Questionnaire 171 -- Project Integration Management 171 -- Project Scope Management Processes 175 -- Project Time Management Processes 179 -- Project Cost Management 186 -- Project Quality Management 192.

Project Human Resources Management 197 -- Project Communications Management 202 -- Project Risk Management Processes 205 -- Project Procurement Management Processes 212 -- About the Author 221 -- Index -- Technology Management and Professional Development Library.