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Case HistoriesPM Tools for NGOs

William Lester – NPOKI

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT

22 Sept 20091


Agenda

Look at tools/solutions for PM in use by various charity organizations

Look at some considerations for using PM tools

Look at some case studies of organizations using custom or off-the-shelf PM tools

Share stories, comments, questions around tools for PM

2


Some Background

People Process Environment

3


People

What are the skills needed to manage a program? Program management Operations management Finance management Resource management Project Management

What skills have you used for managing a program?4


Process

How do you map a business process? Why should you map a business process? What effect do technology tools have on

business processes?

Why do you need to understand what you are doing before you decide what tools you’ll use to manage the process?

5


Environment

What is the physical environment of the place(s) where you'll do your project?

What is the cultural environment of your organization?

What are the obstacles that might prevent success in your project?

How can environmental factors can directly impact your choice of PM tools and solutions?

6


Suggestion

Before you consider using a technology tool or solution to improve your overall project management experience, carefully consider the people, process, and environment around your project, and how those elements might affect the success of a significant intervening variable like technology.

7


Project Management Tools

Software Hardware Collaboration/Communication Templates Custom or Off-the-shelf Proprietary or Open Source

Solutions: other processes, like paper, meetings, helping hand, etc.

8


Project Management Software

Definition: Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to deal with the complexity of large projects.

- Wikipedia9


Software ExamplesType Example License

Desktop Microsoft Project Proprietary

GanttProject Open Source

Project KickStart Proprietary

Collaboration Microsoft Office Project Server

Proprietary

AMS Realtime Proprietary

Web-Based Basecamp Proprietary

dotProject Open Source

Integrated Cohort Proprietary

OpenAir Proprietary

Zoho Project Proprietary

10


Group Discussion

Divide into groups

Discuss the following two Questions (10 minutes total)

From the discussion, pick two people to report back

One to share a story re: on Question #1

One to share a story re: on Question #2

Speed Reporting: 60 seconds to report your story!

11


Question # 1

What template(s), tool(s), or solution(s) do you or your organization currently use to help manage a discrete project (limited in scope, time, resources)? What is the name of the tool? How long have you used it? What has been your experience with the tool?

Please share any information that might help others.

12


Question # 2

What are the challenges around using PM tools and solutions in low resource areas (places with little or no infrastructure, difficult geography, areas in conflict or crisis, poor skills, low literacy)? Can technology tools play a role in PM in low

resource areas? Have you had success using a PM tool in a low

resource area?

Please share any information that might help others.13


Summary Questions

1. What template(s), tool(s), or solution(s) do you or your organization currently use to help manage a discrete project?

2. What are the challenges around using PM tools and solutions in low resource areas?

DISCUSS! REPORT!

14


Case History #1

eIMS

Daniel Messer

Head of Knowledge Information Systems

International Planned Parenthood Federation

15


Case History #2

Cohort

Matt Kershnar

Cohort Consultant

NonProfit Organizations Knowledge Initiative

16


The Deep End of the Pool

Matt Kershnar – NPOKI


16 Sept 200917

EngenderHealth’s False Start in Implementing an Enterprise Project Management System

Cohort Project Management Software for International Development, Relief, & Humanitarian

Assistance

Cohort Project Management Software

for International Development, Relief, and Humanitarian Assistance Organizations


Assistance

Cohort Project Management Software

– Was created by managers of international development, humanitarian assistance, and relief projects

– Can be used to manage a specific project or an entire organization’s portfolio

– Integrates all project-related information, including: contracts and agreements, results and performance data, work plans, budgets, documents, reports , funding pools, new business opportunities, contact people, and contact organizations

– Utilizes a web-based, multi-lingual user interface for easy access from anywhere

– Supports off-line use when internet access is limited– Integrates with existing fundraising and accounting software


Assistance

Cohort Benefits– Removes information bottlenecks and promotes information

sharing while ensuring data security and integrity– Improves efficiency by significantly reducing the time required to

produce analysis and reports– Motivates project staff to input and update project and program

data using a tool that notifies them of upcoming deadlines, activities, and deliverables, and increases their day-to-day productivity

– Centralizes all project-related data, making it easy to find the latest information


Assistance

Cohort Features– Project Management– Results Management for Monitoring & Evaluation– Work Plan Management – Agreement Management– Contact Management– Document Management– Fund Management– Budget Management– Opportunity Management– Cohort Mobile Add-on for Low-resource Environments– Ad hoc Query & Reporting– Multilingual Interface


EngenderHealth Facts

700+ Employees & 500+ consultants working in 40+ Countries

Purchased Cohort Enterprise Version 5.0 in November 2008

No Documentation or Training Materials No outside expertise EH Philosophy: To learn to swim quickly,

jump into the deep end of the pool

22


Our Test Swimmers

RESPOND, our largest global project, had designed an Excel-based PM system, and had used it for more than 6 years

The Workplan with Objectives, Activities, Budgets, Indicators, and Deliverables

Process was managed by Monitoring & Evaluation

One dedicated staff person to input all the data (not an M&E person)

23


Testing = Implementation

Gap Analysis document was ignored No setup of the system was done No understanding of the terms used by the

software and within EH i.e. Organization, Headquarters, Office, Program, Project, Activity, Training, Summit, Workshop

No expectation of compromise “Just give me the username and password.

I’ll figure it out.”24


Results

By the end of the month, the entire test team declared the software unusable, because it didn't mirror their exact business process as defined in Excel. Staff people throughout the organization, who had never seen or used Cohort, were spreading the word about its "lack of functionality and flexibility". “What a waste of money for that piece of rubbish!”

25


The Swimmers

The dedicated staff person LOVED the software.

The PMs in the field LOVED the software.

The Operations Team LOVED the software.

26

The CIO LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the software.


Next Steps

Start again, this time with a Cohort consultant. Collaborate with sister organizations on the

testing process. Analyze our existing business processes. Define our terms of reference. Manage expectations. Test before implementation, with several teams

from Operations, Programs, Development, both at HQ and in the field.

27


Lessons Learned?

28


The Deep End of the Pool

Matt Kershnar – NPOKI


16 Sept 200929

EngenderHealth’s False Start in Implementing a Project Management System


Some Criticisms of PM Software… May not be derived from a sound project

management method. May be inconsistent with the type of project

management method. Focuses primarily on the planning phase. Offers too many complicated “features”. Might shield the manager from important

interpersonal contact Incurs a larger time-overhead than is worthwhile

on smaller projects.30


Q & A

31


Resources

Comparison of project management software

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_project_management_software

NPOKI Resources Web Site:

http://www.npoki.org/resources/

32


Case HistoriesPM Tools for NGOs

William Lester – NPOKI


16 Sept 200933

Technology

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