POTI: A Model for Programme Blueprints

The OGC’s Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) framework uses a categorisation process to identify areas of scope that should be considered by the programme Blueprint.

A Blueprint is a detailed vision for the organisation, covering what the organisation will look like when all the projects are completed, the programme is wound up, and the business transformation is done.  Typically, you would only write a Blueprint at programme level, so project managers will ‘inherit’ a Blueprint from their programme manager.  If you are leading a project as part of a bigger initiative being managed as a programme, ask to see the Blueprint if you haven’t already.  It will help set your project in the wider context of what the business is trying to achieve.

In particular, Blueprints use the POTI model as a way to define the scope of what is going to change once all the projects in the programme are complete.  POTI sets out the scope of the programme at a high level.

POTI stands for Processes, Organisation, Technology and Information.  These four areas make up a comprehensive view of all the elements that form the programme scope.

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4 Categories of Stakeholders

The OGC’s Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) framework uses a categorisation process to identify all the stakeholders for a programme, and this works equally well for project management.

There are four categories of stakeholders, which provide a starting point for your to brainstorm all of the relevant parties involved.  The four categories are:  users, governance, influencers and providers.  Let’s look at each of those in a bit more detail.

Users
These are the people who will use the products of your project or programme.  They are the beneficiaries of the outputs.  For example, these could be customers or another internal department.  In the case of delivering a new software package for your Sales team, the users would be the Sales team.

Governance
These are people or groups of people who have an interest in how things are managed on the project or programme.  For example, management boards or steering groups would fall into this category.  Auditors, regulators, health and safety executives would also be categorised as governance stakeholders.

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5 steps to a project manager competency framework (part 2)

Recently I attended a webinar hosted by J. LeRoy Ward from ESI on the role of competency frameworks in developing project managers and how you can build your own competency model for your company.  He presented a five-step approach:

1. Define the categories of projects that the organisation is working on.
2. Identify competencies for project managers.
3. Assess your project managers against these competencies.
4. Identify what you need to do to get people to where they need to be.
5. Execute well, monitor how it is going and measure the results.

Last week I looked at the first two of these points, and today I will cover the final three.  So let’s start with:
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Project management and the recession

Did you complete the Arras People 2010 Project Management Benchmark survey?  If so, your data has contributed to forming a picture of how the recession has affected the UK’s project and programme community over the last 18 months.

It’s the fifth annual survey that Arras have run, and that means they can set the results in a historical context, so we can see the evolving trends.  The headlines this year are:

• Programme and Project managers in the private sector have been hit harder than those in the public sector.
• Contractors were the hardest hit group: 42% saw their pay fall compared to only 14% of public sector full-timers.
• However, public sector workers are more nervous about the next phase of the economic cycle and the impact of the forthcoming general election.

Project and programme managers were also asked about their confidence for the coming year.  What did they predict for 2010? Read more »

CAT, CMCS tie up to boost project monitoring

The Contracting and Trading (CAT) Group has entered into a partnership with Collaboration, Management & Control Solutions (CMCS) to help enhance project monitoring and control processes throughout its Middle East and global operations.

CAT is a leading general contractor providing integrated procurement and construction services in the Middle East, African and European regions.

The partnership, which seeks to meet the highly demanding nature of complex construction, infrastructure and oil & gas projects of CAT Group, is a strategic move that complements the predicted 33 per cent growth in the oil & gas sector by the end of 2009.

Under the terms of the agreement, CMCS will help provide vital project management software like Hard Dollar Cost Estimation, Control and Management, Primavera Project Portfolio Management and Primavera Contract Management for CAT Group projects that commonly utilize heavy machinery, diverse multiple resources and run over a long period.

Implementation of the different software will be complemented by special training sessions, licensed accreditations, and consultancy services to be administered chiefly in CAT Group’s headquarters in Beirut and its other branches spread across the globe.

The company is currently ranked 95 in Engineering News Record’s (ENR) international list of top 100 contractors.

Read the story here..