4. Overview of Project Environments

PMO's

1. The first is Supportive and mainly functions as a consultant to projects, and they have little control. Their main focus is to provide templates, recommended best practices, training, and a document repository for lessons learned and other project documents. 2. The next is Controlling. It's supported too but also requires compliance which might be in the form of management frameworks or methodologies, mandatory use of templates, forms, or tools and conforming to governance frameworks like following rules and policies. Its level of control is moderate. 3. The last PMO type is Directive. It's when the PMO takes control over the management of projects, and project managers report directly to the PMO. The degree of control is high. A couple of the key functions of the PMO are to evaluate the portfolio, to see if the projects and programs being worked on are aligned with high-level company objectives. Another is measuring whether the projects and programs bring value to the organization. One way of doing this is to make recommendations and possibly terminate projects if necessary.

Organizational Structure Types

Considerations for organizational structures: -Specialization capabilities -Cost -Physical locations -Who is accountable for actions Organization types do matter if you want to have control over your projects. Organizational structure types are a form of an organizational system. Once those types of factors are taken into consideration, a decision needs to be made on the type of organizational structure that works best for the company. · The attached table does a great job showing the different structure types and the level of authority a project manager has · Let's take a look at the project-oriented structure type so you can see how this table flows: -You'll notice on the left that the work group is arranged by project. -This means the team members and the project manager work on this project full time, and they don't work on anything else. -Something else you might notice is that the project manager has almost full control over resources, and they're almost always available to work on the project. -That's because they report directly to the project manager. -Last, the project manager is in charge of the budget, and, luckily, has a full-time staff member to help manage the project. -At the very bottom of this table is the PMO or Project Management Office. · There are actually three PMO types each with varying degrees of authority: 1. Supportive 2. Controlling 3. Directive · Something else PMOs are known for is supporting project managers by: -Providing shared resources across all projects managed by the PMO -Identifying and developing a project management methodology, plus best practices and standards. -Other services might include coaching, mentoring, and training and making sure a project stay compliant by performing periodic audits. · As a project manager, it's important to know which type of organization you're working for since it will determine the level of authority you have over your project and resources. Knowing early will help set your expectations.

Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)

OPAs are internal to the organization. These may arise from the organization itself, a portfolio, a program, another project, or a combination of these. Organizational process assets (OPAs) are the plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases specific to and used by the performing organization. These assets influence the management of the project. · Organizational Process Assests or OPAs - These things come from inside the company (example: documents from former or current projects, like project plans and lessons learned) · There are also company policies, standard operating procedures, and database where information is stored · OPAs might also contain templates used for projects, such as charters, registers, and plans. All of these influence the management of the project · Organizational knowledge bases can be updated during the project to include project documents, like the budget and project performance (Example: Think of OPAs as historical information, like reading a history book to see how things were done in the past) · Since OPAs are internal to the organization, the project team members may be able to update and add to the organizational process assets as necessary throughout the project · The artifacts from OPAs can be categorized into 2 different buckets: 1. Processes, policies, and procedures 2. Corporate Knowledge Base · The processes, policies, and procedures are broken down into 5 process group: -1&2 - In Initiating and Planning, you might have the templates needed to start creating the project documents and possibly a pre-approved supplier list -3&4 - Executing and Monitoring & Controlling, you could have change control procedure, how you manage defects and how you're going to verify and validate the work that's done -5 - Closing, you would have guidelines for how to close the project and whether there are any requirements that need to be met. Along with, the transfer of the project to operations or production · OPAs may include completed schedules, risk data, and earned value data. · OPAs are inputs to many project management processes.

Management Element

are the components that comprise the key functions or principles of general management in the organization. Management elements: -How work gets divided up by skilss - Disciplinary actions -Assignments -Supervision -Fairness -Equal pay -Safety

Governance

This is something that we're familiar with in organizations. It's the rules, policies, procedures, and processes we have to follow. It's also the norms, relationships and systems that each company has. Governance: -Sets goals -Track goals -Monitor risk -Ensured optimized performance

System

is a collection of various components that together can produce results not obtainable by the individual components alone. 1. First, systems are dynamic. They're changing all the time 2. Second, a system and its components can be optimized 3. Last, systems are nonlinear in responsiveness. This means that a change in an input doesn't necessarily have a predictable output

Organizational Systems

· A system of people is called an organization. Just like the human body, organizations have systems that need to work well together · Projects operate within the constraints imposed by the organization through their structure and governance framework. · To operate effectively and efficiently, the project manager needs to understand where responsibility, accountability, and authority reside within the organization · Instead of managers only thinking of their departments, it's better to understand how other departments work and how they affect another. If one department isn't performing well, then it impacts the others, just like the bad apple in an apple cart. This description fits right in with the definition of a system · System - which is a collection of various components working together to accomplish an overall goal. That's not possible by working alone · In order for a project to perform well, the project manager needs to learn what the organization systems are. For instance, who has the authority to help with your project? And who is responsible or accountable? Once you know those key bits of information you can effectively use your power and influence along with your leadership skills and political influence to manage your project more effectively

Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs)

· EEFs - originate from the environment outside of the project and often outside of the enterprise. · EEFs may have an impact at the organizational, portfolio, program, or project level · Enterprise environmental factors (EEFs) refer to conditions, not under the control of the project team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project. · These conditions can be internal and/or external to the organization. · EEFs are considered as inputs to many project management processes, specifically for most planning processes · EEFs are forces that impact the project that you don't have any control over These forces can come from inside the company or they can come from outside, like external political conditions. (i.e. company culture/dress code or they can come from the outside, like external political conditions. Some other internal examples might be where the company is located and whether you have virtual teams; facilities, equipment; Human Resources) · Now, let's look at external influences by thinking about remodeling your house. Any time there's new electricity or plumbing installed, an inspector must make sure the work is compliant with your city's building codes. This is an example of an external influence. You don't have any control over them, you're essentially at their mercy, when they'll inspect your house and whether they approve the work. · Corporations have to deal with inspectors too, along with other external influences, like marketplace conditions, competitors and market share. You also need to consider whether there are legal restrictions and possibly currency rates in foreign countries. These are just a few of the influences you don't have any control over

Governance Framework & Management Elements

· Each organization has multiple factors that create a unique system that can impact projects. Two of these factors are: 1. Governance Frameworks 2. Management Elements. This is something that we're familiar with in organizations. It's the rules, policies, procedures, and processes we have to follow. It's also the norms, relationships and systems that each company has. · Governance is used to set the goals or objectives of the organization and to track whether they've been met. It's also used to monitor risk and to make sure performance is optimized. · Just like there's organizational governance, there's also governance over portfolios, programs and projects. The second factor are management elements. These are the rules or policies that any manager in a company puts into action. These management elements are assigned to key individuals in your organization, like your direct manager, or senior leadership all the way up to the CEO. Examples of these might be how the work gets divided up by the specialized skills in your workforce and whomever is available. It also enforces disciplinary actions for breaking the rules. It's how one person gives orders, and makes sure everyone is working on the same objective. And of course, there should be fair treatment in the workplace with equal pay for work performed and we should feel safe while doing it.

Overview of EEFs & OPAs

· Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs) and Organizational Process Assets, also known as (OPAs) have major influences on projects · Theses influences can have a favorable or unfavorable impact on your project