If you are a Project Manager working in an IT environment, you may have heard the acronym ITIL^® (IT Infrastructure Library, a set of books similar in nature to PMI’s PMBOK Guide) or ITSM (IT Service Management – the concept of IT as a “service” to the business). If you haven’t heard of ITIL, you will.  Why?  Simply put: in terms of industry adoption, ITIL is one of the fastest growing frameworks in the IT industry today.

ITIL helps organizations increase IT efficiency, improve quality, and control costs.  In fact, AMR Research reports that IT organizations that have implemented ITIL best practices have saved up to 10% in IT costs without sacrificing the quality of service delivery.  That is why U.S. Computer Economics has projected that approximately 45% of all organizations, both large and small, in the US and Canada will have adopted ITIL best practices in some form by the end of 2008.

High Demand for ITIL Expertise
Companies are turning to ITIL, and the demand for individuals with skills and expertise in this area is increasing.  So much so, in fact, that ITIL certifications rank as some of the highest paid certifications in technology, along with PMI’s CAPM and PMP credentials.  In recent salary surveys from ZDNet’s Tech Republic, PMI and ITIL credentials consistently rank in the top three IT certifications industry wide.  With ITIL’s continued growth in the United States, the demand for IT Project Managers with expertise in ITIL will continue.

Focus is on Process, not Technology
The most compelling and interesting similarity between PMI’s PMBOK Guide and the ITIL books is that both are descriptive frameworks centered around process, not technology.

What this means to you is that both are extremely approachable standards.  For example, the PMP exam does not ask how you would go about creating a milestone task within Microsoft Project.  Rather, it makes sure you understand the importance of creating milestones.

The ITIL books are the same way.  In order to really understand IT Service Management as a practice, you do not need to understand servers or switches.  Rather, you need to understand things like the importance of controlling change, defining service levels, and maintaining a catalog of all your services to the business in terms the business can understand.

Both are bodies of knowledge covering simple principles that are drawn from deep industry experience.  They both detail concepts that are scalable and adaptable to each organization.  For example, the Project Plan for a small, simple project is going to look very different for a large, complex one.  In the same way, the process for managing a minor software patch release is going to have a different scale of requirements compared to a brand new, enterprise-wide software release.

Frameworks on a Similar Mission
In the PMBOK Guide, the goal is to provide project results, on-time and under budget, that meet the needs of the customer.  In the ITIL best practice set, the goal is to provide IT “services” that provide value to the business in an ongoing and cost efficient manner.

Both the PMBOK Guide and ITIL guidance have the same mission, to elevate the profession by adding structure and rigor around what is done.  Both strive to create a common language and deliver predictable results in a repeatable manner.

For example, in projects, there is a tendency to compress planning and/or testing under the pressure of an aggressive timeline.  However, a good project manager knows the importance of planning to alleviate rework later.

In the same way, businesses want IT to be agile and quick to make changes, while avoiding unforeseen consequences.  This is done by putting processes in place to prevent unauthorized changes to the IT infrastructure.  By having the discipline to develop and follow a formal Change Management process, IT organizations can handle more changes and lessen the risk to the production environment.

My Own Experience
I found ITIL to be a great compliment to my Project Management skill set as it covers topics in Change Management, Knowledge Management, etc.  I really wished I had become certified when I first got involved in technology as it would have set me up with an understanding of how IT processes work (or should ideally work) and would have allowed me to better “speak the language” early on with others in IT.

Getting certified has also given me a greater appreciation of the importance of effective Service Management. I would highly recommend that other Project Managers working in (or with) technology look into ITIL certification as a way to compliment the PMP. In today’s competitive market, it sets you apart from the pack and provides you with an expanded toolset for successfully managing projects.

Erika Flora, PMP, ITIL Expert
Principal, Beyond20
erika.flora@Beyond20.com

Whenever I tell people that I am both a PMP and an Agilist, many look at me as if this had to be some deep, dark secret.

How could one study and practice a formal project management methodology and also use Agile?

Guest post by Erika Flora

Stand Out - by Shot_by_Cam via Flickr

With the current economic conditions, an increasing number of people are either afraid of losing their jobs or desperately searching for work. Just like it’s a buyer’s market for housing, it also seems to be a buyer’s market for employers. Those who are hiring can be extremely selective in whom they choose. That’s why smart Project Managers plan today for tomorrow’s “what if.”  We need to be smart about managing our own career “risks” and have a mitigation plan firmly in place now.  There are three simple, cheap, and super smart things you can start doing now to avoid any unneeded worry and panic if you do, in fact, find yourself looking for other career opportunities.

1. Invest in yourself. First, make time to invest in yourself. No more excuses! If you do not currently have your PMP^® certification, now is the time. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. A PMP exam prep course can range from about $800 for a PMI^® chapter sponsored course up to $3,000 for a professional training course. All told, your total required investment is small compared to the rewards (significantly better pay and more visibility as a job candidate). Further, if your current company pays for training, you really have no excuse; that’s a benefit you can’t afford to pass up. Nothing in life is guaranteed, and that includes the job you have today. Take the time to invest in your career now, so you do not end up having to scramble if things take a turn for the worse.

If you already have PMP certification, look into some advanced training that is complementary to project management. There are a number of niche areas that employers are starting to look for (i.e. Six Sigma, ITIL, CMMI, Agile/Scrum, etc.). There is a strong emphasis on “doing more with less” these days, and employers are looking for people who can help improve how they run as a business.  Broaden your skills, and differentiate yourself by being a project manager who understands the world outside of just managing projects.

2. Create a buzz. Now is the time to start making a name for yourself! Start a course of action to position yourself as an expert in your field. One way to create a buzz is to write articles on what you know. You can do this a number of ways. First, try submitting articles to your local chapter of PMI or another local professional organization.  Groups like this are always looking for new content and will often be more than happy to publish your work in an online newsletter.

Another way to get your ideas out there is to start a blog (or even just start posting your thoughts on this site).  Also, WordPress, offers free blogs that take only a few minutes to set up. You can write as often or as little as you like. Write about whatever you are passionate about, and you may be surprised at how many readers you end up with!

Consider joining a local Toastmasters club in your area. If you’re feeling adventurous, book a speaking engagement or two! This will provide you with credibility in your industry, and you will undoubtedly become a better speaker as a result. Plus, it’s a great way to meet influential people in your industry.

Demonstrating your communication skills, both written and verbal, is a good way to make you a better project manager and get the word out that you are an expert in your field. Start building your reputation by putting your thoughts and ideas out there.

3. Make a difference. If you are busy making a positive difference in this world, you will be rewarded.  Volunteer your time! If you are not doing so already, get involved as a volunteer with your local PMI chapter, or work with another non-profit organization in your area. By giving of your time and talents, you will likely find you get tremendous satisfaction in mentoring others around you. You will also strengthen your own skills and maybe even pick up a few new ones. It’s also another great way to meet good people in your area. I personally know a lot of people who have found wonderful new jobs as a result of becoming a volunteer.  Make a difference in the lives of others, and your life will positively benefit as well.

If you focus on developing these three areas, you will undoubtedly have an amazing road ahead of you, both personally and professionally, regardless of the ups and downs of our economy.

Erika Flora, PMP, ITIL Expert
Principal, Beyond20
erika.flora@GoBeyond20.com
http://blog.erikaflora.com

I’m relatively new to Twitter, but I think I’m officially addicted. It’s a great way to connect with like-minded people (if you use it correctly!) I decided to ask my “followers” (I call them my “tweeps”!) on Twitter to “tweet” me their own personal top lesson learned in 2008 regarding project management. Here are some of the responses…

It’s said there are no new project management sins, just old ones repeated. It’s also said that we don’t learn the lessons from past projects and this must be true, otherwise why would we keep making the same old mistakes?

I’m back from Denver and would like to share some highlights with you about the event and the PMI New Media Council that I’m now a part of.

Why are you studying project management? Why get a certification or degree? We hope you are doing it for the right reasons, in the right way. A recounting of experience and other thoughts from Craig Brown on learning project management.

You may or may not know about the PMI which is the largest project management professional body in the world.

(If you don’t know about it, take a few hours and go visit their website at PMI.org and in particular get your hands on their document “A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.”)

The PMI is a very large and wide ranging organisation. Among the many things it does is host or convene SIGs, which are specific interest groups. One of the PMI’s SIGs is the “Students of Project Management” SIG (which has a really really bad website.)

It’s less than a decade old and last year passed a 700 member milestone.

As a PM student you are eligible for discounted membership of the PMI, and can also become a member of the SIG which gets you access to a bunch of neat features like;

• Access to PMI’s publications (Including the PMBOK)
• Access to PMI’s Library, The Jim Snyder Knowledge & Wisdom Center
• Sharing ideas, “best practices” and asking advice from “seasoned” PM practitioners to a peer group.
• It’s a Competitive Edge for the Student seeking employment in the PM discipline.
• It’s an advantage to belong to the premier project management organization in the world.
• Students are exposed to “best practices” through the PMI publications and the SIG.

So, have a think about joining. And maybe you could be the one to sort out their awful website!

You may already know that I purchased the Project Management PrepCast™ shortly after it was released last year by Cornelius Fitchner, the host of the Project Management Podcast. I enjoy the product immensely, as audio is a good format for me to learn. The focus is on understanding the concepts internally, so that you know this stuff instead of rote memorization. There are several updates that have been made since I first became a customer and wrote about it, and I would like to share those with you now.

I’m studying for the PMP exam, so you may be getting some PMI-isms coming your way for a little while.

I’m using the PMPrepcast to study, and I actually found one point to disagree with Cornelius Fitchner on today! (That doesn’t usually happen!)

In the Scope Control podcast, he talks about the “updates to the scope baseline” as being redundant, since the process also produces updates to all 3 components that make up the scope baseline:

1. WBS
2. WBS Dictionary
3. Scope Statement

I disagree that the “scope baseline update” is redundant.

Although the scope baseline is comprised of these three things, it is actually a separate entity itself. It specifies the exact version of each of these three components that make it up. And, it should be configuration controlled just like it’s constituent pieces, requiring customer approval for change.

If you have any background in software development, this analogy may help. When you make updates to several modules within a software application, those updates result in new versions of the modules, and collectively those changes result in a new version release of the software application. Even though the sum of the module updates exactly equals the sum total of changes to the overall application, there is no pointer or index for the changes without the version control on the application itself.

Let me know if you disagree, I’m open to new information!