BEST PRACTICES an overview

1. BEST PRACTICESan overview

2. Best Practice Definitions • Cport(Department of the Navy) • Practices that are considered to be superior in approach and results to others. Such practices can be in the form of processes, studies, surveys, benchmarking, or research. They represent subject matter experts' (SME) experiences, research, and industry knowledge. Best Practices often apply across many differing environments and organizations. They are, however, time sensitive. Also, an organization's internal practices may exceed generally accepted best practices. • Project Management Institute (OPM3 Appendix) • An optimal way currently recognized by industry to achieve a stated goal or objective. (mission) For organizational project management this include the ability to deliver projects successfully, consistently and predictably to implement organization strategies. • Arthur Anderson (Heibler, R., Best Practices, Touchstone, 1998) • Best ways to perform a business process

3. A Business Case for BPs • BPs enhance an organization’s ability to achieve its mission. • BPS measure an organization’s process maturity • BPs are the essence of maturity models • BPs provide improvement techniques • BPs are focused on improving processes that enable an organization to achieve it’s mission, purpose, strategy. • BPs are often benchmarked or measured as best by some standard.

4. PMI Recognizing and broadcasting the need for change Obtaining executive-level support Gathering cooperation by using effective communication Providing goals that relate to organization’s strategic plan ARTHUR ANDERSON Customize delivery systems to fit the needs of core customers. Establish a competitive pricing strategy. Establish “primary points of contact” between your employees and the customer Understand that the market is more than just the customer. GARTNER GROUP All projects must be owned by business units. All projects must be launched in an orderly and rational fashion A consistent and stable system must be established to manage cross-project priorities. Project success criteria is defined early and monitored throughout the project-development cycle. The roles and responsibilities of sponsorship are well understood and taken seriously. Best Practice Examples

5. PMI-OPM3 Example • BP Name: Establish Organizational Project Management Policies • BP Description: The organization has policies describing the standardization, measurement, control and continuous improvement of organizations project management processes. • Capability #1: Established standardization policies • Capability #2: Established measurement policies

6. A Common BP Format • A one line summary • A one paragraph description • A classification • (case study example)

7. Best Practices in Action • ISO Standards • ISO 9000 – Quality management standard • ISO 14000 – Environmental management standard • OPM3 - Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (PMI) • CMM – Capability Maturity Model/Software (SEI) • 783 books in print titled Best Practices for…

8. MATRIX (OPM3, CMM) By Structure Project Program Portfolio By Process Improvement Stage Standardize Measure Control Improve HIERARCHY (Arthur Anderson) Primary Business Process (13) Subprocess (260) BP Classification Schema

9. CoP BP Classification(Etienne Wenger) • DOMAIN – Common ground & identity. • COMMUNITY – Process policies and procedures that describe how the CoP operates. • PRACTICE – Content frameworks, ideas, tools styles, language… used by a CoP that is specific to a domain. COMMON TO ALL CoPS COMMON TO SPECIFIC DOMAINS

10. Breakout Groups WHY DO WE NEED IT? • BEST PRACTICE REPOSITORIES: • What do we do with best practices? What is their purpose? • How should Best Practices be defined, formatted, classified, organized, benchmarked and shared? • EA BEST PRACTICES: • How would BPs help you? • Develop a list. • CoP BEST PRACTICES: • How would BPs help you? • Develop a list. WHAT DO WE NEED?

11. BREAKOUT GROUP INSTRUCTIONS

12. Table Instructions • Scribe keeps WIKI notes • Bullet format under WIKI template • 15 min (2 min each) group building • Who am I? • Why am I here? • A major professional accomplishment. • Elect a facilitator if you do not have one. • Address the task questions • No particular order or emphasis • 10 min wrap-up warning

13. Purpose of Best Practices: What’s the purpose of BPs? Who are the ultimate users? Why and how would BPs be used? What’s the relationship between CoPs & BPs? Are there external trends that make this relationship important? To what extent do maturity models and/or certification standards make sense? Other Best Practice content: What information (assets) does the user community need? Define good better Best Practices. What is the criteria/certification for best? Provide some domain specific BP examples. Other Best Practice Repository: How to generate the repository (brainstorming, case studies, audit...? How should this information be classified, formatted, organized, maintained? Other Next Steps: What did you find to be most useful? Brainstorm BPs? Other Task Template

14. Report Out • Everyone take 30 seconds to introduce themselves to the whole group: • Who am I? • Why am I here? • For each bullet we work around the tables: • Answers for the bullet • Discussion

15. Post Workshop Report • You will receive e-mail notice within ~three days of availability of consolidated notes. • Add after action thoughts • Comment. Build, Suggest • Within three weeks you will be notified of availability of draft report for comment. • Final report will be posted on Colab site.