Comments on: Don’t Screw This Up: Confidence http://pmstudent.com/dont-screw-this-up-confidence/ Helping new and aspiring project managers reach their career goals! Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:13:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/ hourly 1 By: Glen B. Alleman http://pmstudent.com/dont-screw-this-up-confidence/#comment-17414 Glen B. Alleman Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:42:08 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4638#comment-17414 Travis, On a 2 week assignment to re-establish a PMB. The challenge is always to get senior leadership to buy into the "whole concept" of connecting all the dots in the IMP/IMS as well as at the Work Package level for all the auxiliary pieces - CDRL's, IPT, WBS cross references and of course the ordinal risk ranking that produces the model for the needed schedule and cost margin. The approach we use is an incremental rolling wave, starting in this case with CDR (since the program has been going for a few years). Getting each program event "in the bag" before moving on also isolates the coupling between events and provides incentives for senior management to let the IMP/IMS emerge in baby steps. Travis,
On a 2 week assignment to re-establish a PMB. The challenge is always to get senior leadership to buy into the “whole concept” of connecting all the dots in the IMP/IMS as well as at the Work Package level for all the auxiliary pieces – CDRL’s, IPT, WBS cross references and of course the ordinal risk ranking that produces the model for the needed schedule and cost margin.

The approach we use is an incremental rolling wave, starting in this case with CDR (since the program has been going for a few years). Getting each program event “in the bag” before moving on also isolates the coupling between events and provides incentives for senior management to let the IMP/IMS emerge in baby steps.

]]> By: Travis Anderson http://pmstudent.com/dont-screw-this-up-confidence/#comment-17291 Travis Anderson Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:09:01 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4638#comment-17291 Glen, Thanks for the PMB URL. The presentation represented the truth behind developing a credible PMB. You are right, leadership and processes absolutely contribute to the credibility of a PMB. I spend a lot of time with my CAMs to help them understand the systemics so that we can increase the credibility of the PMB. The important thing is for the leadership and the customers to have a high tolerance for mistakes and a commitment (budget) for continuously improving the processes represented through the eight steps described in the presentation. Nice work. Thanks for sharing. Glen,
Thanks for the PMB URL. The presentation represented the truth behind developing a credible PMB. You are right, leadership and processes absolutely contribute to the credibility of a PMB. I spend a lot of time with my CAMs to help them understand the systemics so that we can increase the credibility of the PMB. The important thing is for the leadership and the customers to have a high tolerance for mistakes and a commitment (budget) for continuously improving the processes represented through the eight steps described in the presentation.

Nice work. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: Glen B. Alleman http://pmstudent.com/dont-screw-this-up-confidence/#comment-17114 Glen B. Alleman Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:37:45 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4638#comment-17114 Travis, Add to that the DID 81650 requirements for Schedule Risk Analysis and the associated cost for the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) http://www.slideshare.net/galleman/how-to-build-a-credible-performance-measurement-baseline-2426274 With the PMB the statistical processes can be applied for cost and the technical performance measures as well. The cost element relationships (CER) are then used to drive the Monte Marlo model to enhance the credibility of the PMB. But here's the killer problem. Unless the leadership and the processes are in place for this kind of stuff, the result is basically crap and them every chimes in to say how this is too hard, has never worked, can't be done, and every other excuse. In the end of course it IS done everyday on major programs and acquisitions around the world. Travis,

Add to that the DID 81650 requirements for Schedule Risk Analysis and the associated cost for the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB)
http://www.slideshare.net/galleman/how-to-build-a-credible-performance-measurement-baseline-2426274

With the PMB the statistical processes can be applied for cost and the technical performance measures as well. The cost element relationships (CER) are then used to drive the Monte Marlo model to enhance the credibility of the PMB.

But here’s the killer problem. Unless the leadership and the processes are in place for this kind of stuff, the result is basically crap and them every chimes in to say how this is too hard, has never worked, can’t be done, and every other excuse.

In the end of course it IS done everyday on major programs and acquisitions around the world.

]]> By: Travis Anderson http://pmstudent.com/dont-screw-this-up-confidence/#comment-17081 Travis Anderson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:45:57 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4638#comment-17081 Josh, As a controller and contractor to the federal government, I rely on my engineers to develop well thought estimates. We use a basis of estimate (BOE) template and Contractor Work Breakdown Structure Dictionary to capture the delineation of the contractual scope. The BOE is simply the calculation of the basis that provides a rationale for the estimate. As a standard, we include a confidence metric among other estimate factors within our basis formula computation. These artifacts go through configuration review and approval. This ensures a higher level of confidence in our estimates prior to the time-phasing of resources in the resource loaded network (RLN). Josh,
As a controller and contractor to the federal government, I rely on my engineers to develop well thought estimates. We use a basis of estimate (BOE) template and Contractor Work Breakdown Structure Dictionary to capture the delineation of the contractual scope. The BOE is simply the calculation of the basis that provides a rationale for the estimate. As a standard, we include a confidence metric among other estimate factors within our basis formula computation.

These artifacts go through configuration review and approval. This ensures a higher level of confidence in our estimates prior to the time-phasing of resources in the resource loaded network (RLN).

]]> By: Glen B. Alleman http://pmstudent.com/dont-screw-this-up-confidence/#comment-17039 Glen B. Alleman Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:51:47 +0000 http://pmstudent.com/?p=4638#comment-17039 So now with "confidence" as a basis, what is used on our domain is "credibility." http://www.slideshare.net/galleman/how-to-build-a-credible-performance-measurement-baseline-2426274 Is an overview of this topic. With credibility comes confidence, realism, consistency, alignment, risk management, and other "measures" of effectiveness and performance. The range of approaches starts with 1. Feasible - is this project actually feasible. Is it possible to fly 5 astronauts to the ISS, stay 6 months and return? 2. Possible - if we solved the problems is it possible to do this? 3. Now that we know "how" to solve the problems, is it credible that we can do it for $7B and 6 years? The assessment of credible is usually missing from the failed projects we encounter. They had an understanding of feasible and possible, but there was not a credible plan to get there. Locally it's like to tourist that come to our area and decide they are going to climb Longs Peak, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longs_Peak. They understand it is feasible, and maybe even possible for them. But they don't have a credible plan to summit and return in one day. So now with “confidence” as a basis, what is used on our domain is “credibility.”

http://www.slideshare.net/galleman/how-to-build-a-credible-performance-measurement-baseline-2426274

Is an overview of this topic.

With credibility comes confidence, realism, consistency, alignment, risk management, and other “measures” of effectiveness and performance.

The range of approaches starts with
1. Feasible – is this project actually feasible. Is it possible to fly 5 astronauts to the ISS, stay 6 months and return?

2. Possible – if we solved the problems is it possible to do this?

3. Now that we know “how” to solve the problems, is it credible that we can do it for $7B and 6 years?

The assessment of credible is usually missing from the failed projects we encounter. They had an understanding of feasible and possible, but there was not a credible plan to get there.

Locally it’s like to tourist that come to our area and decide they are going to climb Longs Peak, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longs_Peak. They understand it is feasible, and maybe even possible for them. But they don’t have a credible plan to summit and return in one day.

]]>