ITL Leadership: Project Management Assurance

Even the best Project Managers face distractions from their primary responsibilities of plan execution and team building. When focus shifts to activities that are not core to the PM role but are still important and necessary to project success, project costs, schedules, and deliverables may be negatively impacted. Without the right framework and support in place to address these non-project responsibilities, PMs run the risk of losing resources, overspending on budgets, missing project milestones, and generally experiencing high rate of project failure.

SOMOS can help organizations develop processes and practices that provide PMs with the structure they need to focus on their primary role and keep projects on track. With a support framework in place to ensure that secondary tasks are done, PMs can focus on their key responsibilities.

The Benefits of Working with SOMOS

SOMOS works with all stakeholders to design and implement processes and practices that support the PM function and help achieve a higher level of pure project activity. Our consultants will create a framework of best practices that encompasses project planning, budget management, quality assurance, change management, risk management, and relationship management. This framework captures all necessary aspects of managing a project, and ensures that PMs are free to focus on their primary roles and responsibilities. In addition, the framework provides an interface with governance bodies, facilitating program reporting and analysis and portfolio level comparisons and analytics.

SOMOS can develop an enterprise level framework for all projects and programs, or for specific projects. Our consultants can coach PMs and help them implement the new processes, and review projects to assess how they performed within the new framework. In addition, SOMOS can strengthen the management of scarce resources by creating dashboards to monitor program and project health.

SOMOS Project Management Assurance services include

• Facilitated workshops
• Consulting engagements to assess individual projects or establish frameworks and processes for enterprise
• Executive presentations
• Training courses
• Assessments

Success Stories

Project Management Methodology Implementation
Government Department
Our client needed a project management methodology for its IT group that could improve project performance, provide additional management visibility, and standardize processes. Although the client had tried several methodologies in the past, none of them had been widely accepted or understood. SOMOS consultants first reviewed the current project management state and assessed the client's PM capability level. Next, we developed a core methodology, which incorporated existing successful management practices and new practices and processes. The new methodology helped increase the effectiveness and efficiency of departmental projects.

Project Management Training
Large Telecom Manufacturer
The client was experiencing significant growth which involved bringing in many new managers from the technical ranks. SOMOS consultants worked closely with senior and new managers to document their desired and actual business practices and identify weaknesses within their planning and estimating skills and knowledge. The consultants then developed and delivered project management training and resource management workshops and that addressed these weaknesses.

Enterprise Project Management System
Government Department
The client required an enterprise level project management system to assist with the processing, storage, and delivery of information to its customers. A senior SOMOS Project Manager developed a project charter, plan, and scope statements for the implementation phase, as well as IT and change management. In addition, a SOMOS Software Architect provided strategic advice for developing customized applications, including recommendations for the deployment, integration, and support of the applications.

Reporting Systems Upgrade
Government Department
Our client needed greater management visibility into planning and forecasting of expenditures and values for individual projects, particularly to deal with shifting timelines and frequent reallocation of funds. SOMOS consultants improved the existing reporting processes and provided training to the management team.