raising the bar for project management in a scientific...

Raising the Bar for Project Management in a Scientific Institution

2017 Rocky Mountain Project

Management SymposiumColorado Convention Center

Friday, April 14, 2017

NCARUCAR

Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL)

Your Presenters

2017 Rocky Mountain Project Management Symposium| 14 April 2017

EOL MissionNCAR’s Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) provides leadership in observing facilities, field project support as well as research and data services needed to advance the scientific understanding of the Earth System

Brigitte Baeuerle, PMP

Assistant Director of Operations

Earth Observing Laboratory /

National Center for Atmospheric

Research

Molly Killinger

Senior Consultant

Arrow Performance Group

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EARTH OBSERVING LABORATORY (EOL)

Objectives for Today


Share how we took a diverse group of employees

through PMI certification

Share how we have applied the learnings to deliver value

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EOL Mission


NCAR’s Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) provides

leadership in observing facilities, field project support as well as research and data services needed to advance the scientific understanding of the Earth

System

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Primary Motivation: R&D Projects

Tighter budgets and fewer resources

Entrepreneurial direction

Scope, schedule and budget challenges

Thorough planning process mandated

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Primary Motivation: New Rules at NSF

National Academy of Public Administration – NSF: Use of Cooperative

Agreements to Support Large Scale Investment in Research (December 2015)

Major Research Facility Reform Act of 2016 (House Report 5049 – Science,

Space, and Technology Committee)

NSF Inspector General (4 Feb 2016)

Courtesy: Resilience.org

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“Attempts” with Project Management


2005: Formation of EOL PM Committee

2006: 2-day, lab-wide training “Essentials of PM”

2008: PMI online training classes

2010: Hire of experienced, certified PMP

2011: Conduct of EOL-wide PM mini-seminars PM retreat

2012: Formation of PMO

2015: Internal proposal for in-depth training

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Project Management Training

2015: Strategic partnership with Arrow Performance

Group for overall training design

Objectives

Establish a culture of successful PM

Build PM terminology and practices

Improve ability to manage and deliver

Prepare for PMI PMP® or CAPM® certification

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Project Management Training

Participants

Mandatory for Project Managers

Open to all other interested staff (EOL &

other)

Requirements

Approval from supervisor

Workplace “action-learning” project

Commitment (“no quitting”)

Schedule

Training: March – August 2015

Certification: October – December 2015

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Skillsoft Modules and PMBOK

Skillsoft

Provided through organization

30 modules total

3 to 6 modules/month

10-15 hours per month

Tracked progress

PMBOK

Covered sections monthly

Content aligned with modules

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Monthly Classroom Sessions

Monthly Classroom Session

Taught by Arrow Performance Group

7 sessions, 3-4 hours each

Utilized team teaching, discussions and quizzes

Reinforced “large picture” (i.e., knowledge areas,

inputs/tools & techniques / outputs)

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Monthly Classroom Sessions - Quizzes

Q. Which of the following would your

project sponsor not expect to see in

your project management plan?

A. It can be either summary or detailed

B. It sets out the business case for the

project, the project manager and approval from the project sponsor

C. It describes how work will be executed to accomplish the project objectives

D. It integrates and consolidates all of the subsidiary management plans

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Workplace Projects / Small Study Groups

Workplace Projects Each participant identified work-

related project

Used to apply new concepts

Project status reviewed monthly

Small Study Groups Self-organized

Conducted monthly (1-2 hrs)

4 people / group

Condensed study guides

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Daily PMP Prep Group and Flash Cards

Daily PMP Prep Group Self-organized & voluntary

5 days/week, 20-30 minutes

Focus on certification/quizzes

Daily Flash Cards Self-organized

5 days/week, via email

Focus on terminology

10 PM terms

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Boot Camp in Denver

Boot Camp

4 day intensive classroom training

Taught by Project Management Academy

Prerequisite: Completion of all online modules required

Offered to staff who were interested in PMI certification

Excellent wrap-up to entire training

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Lessons Learned from Training

Ensure executive sponsorship

Acknowledge the steep learning curve

Don’t underestimate time & effort required

Reinforce big picture early & repeatedly

Utilize quizzes - important and fun

Approach workplace projects differently

Incorporate boot camp

Bring management along

Assess potential negative consequences

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Outcome

16 staff participated

10 staff took PMP Test

8 staff got PMP certification

1 Director

3 Project Managers

1 E&O Coordinator

2 Data Managers

1 Design Engineer

2 staff reclassified to PM

3 staff departed

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What has happened since training?


Data and Publications Stewardship Project (DPS)

Airborne Phased-Array Radar (APAR)

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Data and Publications Stewardship Project


Lead community in following modern data citation practices

Track use of EOL-managed datasets to obtain reliable metrics

Work towards a meaningful performance measurement system and outcome

measures to assess impact of EOL services

Provide users with a simple, standard way to reference an EOL-managed

dataset

Provide recognition to authors whose creativity and work created the

dataset

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Data and Publications Stewardship Project


EOL Facility Jan16

Aug 16 Minted DOIs

RAF 100% 100% Minted as part of EMDAC scripted

minting process

RSF 40% 94% 50/53

RSF hand-minted

ISF/Soundings 57% 99% 102/103

ISF hand-minted

ISF/APG 46% 96% 108/112

ISF hand-minted

ISF/ISFS 46% 94% 44/47

ISF hand-minted

EOL wide 965 script minted

Task Datasets/Status Completion Date

EOL Dataset Identification and Metadata Update 10,715 (100%) 25 March 2016

EOL Dataset Authorship Clean-up 1078 (100%) 20 May 2016

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Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR)

Proposal for a state-of-the-art

airborne radar

Focused research in high-impact weather, cloud microphysics, storm dynamics, radiation and

climate

Data at spatial and temporal scales that match numerical models

Deployable on NSF/NCAR C-130

aircraft

22

Radar scan combines reflectivity, velocity and dual-polarization measurements

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APAR Scan Strategies – A closer look


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2005-2014: Conceptual Effort

Planning > decade

Focus on science & technical aspects (conceptual design, research)

Parametric estimating – budget and schedule

White Paper seen as Project Management Plan

In 2015 NSF and NCAR recognized the need to develop a more structured

and formalized approach to advance the development

2015-2016: “Real Deal”

Collaboration with APG & proposal to NSF to develop an APAR Master

Project Management Plan (MP2)

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Identify & document

requirements

WBS development

High level mapped to low-level technical

requirements, airflow feasibility analysis

Identified APAR tasks (>400) for lifecycle of

development

Resource estimation

Bottom-up estimating of internal resources, RFI with industry partner for industry development

Risk identification

Identified technical, operational, programmatic, and development risks (>50)

MP2 Development:

Develop processes

Change control, QA/QC, risk management, etc.

Information gathering/collection

• Realistic schedule & budget development (significant increases in both)• Two project management plans + 15 Appendices

• Incorporates all knowledge areas, management plans, complete WBS, etc.

• Progressive elaboration, change control / quality control processes, risk analysis, etc.

• Submitted to NSF in early 2017• Paves way for potential future funding opportunity

MP2 development

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Conclusion - Worthwhile Effort for EOL

Redefined project management in EOL

Created peer group of certified project managers

Built a solid foundation for EOL

Set the stage for systematic and consistent approach for future projects

Positioned EOL to comply with new NSF rules

Successfully competed for /received grants by including PM

Noticeable change in EOL culture

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Next Steps


Continue strengthening Knowledge

Management

Conduct ongoing PM training

Utilize consulting services for mentorship

Upgrade infrastructure

Select and Implement a Project Management Information System (PMIS)

Promote and acknowledge good

work

Encourage staff to do great things,

embrace change & dare to stand

out

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Contact Information


Brigitte Baeuerle, PMP

Assistant Director of Operations, NCAR EOL

303 497-2061

[email protected]

https://www.eol.ucar.edu/

Stuart Thomas, PMP

Founder, Arrow Performance Group

303 809-9713

[email protected]

http://arrowperformancegroup.com/

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Questions?


QUESTIONS?

raising the bar for project management in a scientific...

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