Kimberly Harper Director of Finance & Portfolio Mgmt Joshua Mauk Information Security Officer

1. Kimberly Harper Director of Finance & Portfolio Mgmt Joshua Mauk Information Security Officer University of Nebraska Computing Services Network

2. Computing Services Network (CSN) • Central administrative IT department for the University system • Directed by Walter Weir, University CIO

3. Agenda Portfolio and Project Management • Where we were • Where we are • Where we’re headed

4. Competing Needs Board of Regents UNCA State of NE

5. Never Enough Resources • Too many projects, incoming service requests, applications to deploy… • No free resources • Asked to do more with less • So how do we… • Make sure we do what really matters? • Make sure we are aligned with the strategic goals? • Assure that we will have a high probability of being successful? • Our solution…Portfolio Management

6. What is Portfolio Management? • Dynamic decision process, whereby a list of projects is constantly updated and revised. • New projects are evaluated, selected, and prioritized • Existing projects may be accelerated, killed, or reprioritized • Resources are allocated and reallocated • Includes: • Resource allocation decisions • Which projects will get funding? Which will receive top priority? • Business strategy (alignment) decisions • Balance decisions • Risk vs. return, maintenance vs. growth, short-term vs. long-term projects

7. Portfolio Management • We have been using a portfolio management tool since 2000 • Our focus has been mainly on monitoring and reporting • This allows us to answer questions like: • What services do we provide? • What projects are in the work? • How are our projects progressing? • How are we spending our resources?

8. Portfolio Management • We want to expand our capabilities and be more strategic • We want to more accurately & objectively answer questions such as: • How are our IT projects & services aligned to University goals/initiatives? • Are we focusing our efforts on projects & services that will give us the best return on our investments? • Are we utilizing our resources in the most effective & efficient way.

9. Portfolio Management • Identify CSN initiatives & map to NU strategic framework

10. Portfolio Management • Identify how projects align to CSN’s and University’s initiatives Initiative #1: Implement, develop and maintain information systems to support University-wide administrative needs. • Projects that support CSN’s initiative 1: • s 44 open projects s28 enhancement projects • s 15 service activities s 8 priority projects

11. Portfolio Management • Want to take valuable data, combine it with our strategic plan, to develop a tactical plan appropriate for future needs Currently: We are primarily staffed to “keep the business running”…and end up not being able to invest resources into “transforming” the business. Future: There are several major upcoming projects. Are we staffed and funded to spend 90% of our resources on “keeping the lights on”?

12. But this isn’t enough… • Need to: • Improve & expand portfolio management • Move from reporting/monitoring to aid planning and strategic decision making • Implement project management • Do more and better with less or same resources • Change our organization • Create a culture around project and portfolio management

13. Business Drivers for Improvement • Need to be viewed as a value-added service • Invest in continuous improvement – do more/better with resources • Need to be prepared for the future • Several major upcoming projects • Anticipated budget constraints • Evolving technology • Support the University’s and CSN’s initiatives • Be cost effective and accountable to the citizens of the state • Promote strategic organizations by developing and supporting operational and strategic-planning tools and processes • Need to address perceived PM gaps (identified via staff interviews) • Standards and procedures, communication of priorities, integrated tool sets, education/training, improved value metrics • Doing the right things AND doing them right

14. How do we address these concerns? • Change the current IT organization • Strategic planning • Better management of resources • Succession planning • Create a Project Management Office • Doing the right things, and doing them right • Do more with the same resources

15. Create a Project Management Office (PMO) • Goals of the PMO: • Ensure time, cost, scope and quality meet stakeholder requirements • Make more informed decisions about prioritization • More efficiently utilize current resources • Provide customers with single point of entry for all project requests • Provide leadership with timely and accurate reporting to assist in decision making • Support the mission and strategic initiatives of the University

16. Types of PMOs • Weather Station • Control Tower • Resource Pool

17. Weather Station • Takes weather readings and makes forecasts • Project Progress • Planned vs. actual • Issue and Risk Monitoring • Addresses management disconnect between money spent and understanding of project status. Advantages Pitfalls • Easy start to a PMO • Creates consistency in terms, PM methodology and progress reports • Standardization of tools used for PM • Authority to ensure cooperation • Participation viewed as optional • Viewed as ‘red tape’ • Not authorized to tell PM’s and clients how to do things

18. Control Tower • Creates standards for Project Management • Consults on following standards • Enforces Standards • Continuous Improvement • Addresses the desire to do more with less. Advantages Pitfalls • Detailed Standards • Projects are prioritized based on need and resource availability • Not viewed as optional • PM is recognized as COE or as a business asset • Temptation to ‘over-control’ • Underestimate additional workload for PM’s • Audit Mentality vs. Coaching

19. Resource Pool • Pool of PM’s that managers and executives ‘recruit’ for their projects. • Addresses ability to select, improve, nurture and retain PM talent. Advantages Pitfalls • Helps ensure projects are effectively done. • Skilled PM’s • PM’s have authority • PM’s have tools needed • How do we ensure the right projects get done? • Who governs the tools and methodology? • How do we capture lessons learned?

20. CSN’s PMO • We chose the “Control Tower” PMO • This type of PMO will enable us to meet our goals: • Ensure time, cost, scope and quality meet stakeholder requirements • Make more informed decisions about prioritization • More efficiently utilize current resources • Provide customers with single point of entry for all project requests • Provide leadership with timely and accurate reporting to assist in decision making • Support the mission and strategic initiatives of the University • We evaluated key attributes of a PMO* and identified how CSN would implement a PMO to achieve these goals *Corporate Executive Board’s “Key Developments in the PMO: 2006 Update for Chief Information Officers”

21. Key Attributes of a PMO Source: Corporate Executive Board’s “Key Developments in the PMO: 2006 Update for Chief Information Officers”

22. CSN’s PMO Objectives • Single, integrated tool Portfolio, project, resource and work demand management capabilities • Project & portfolio governance Establish standardized project management framework • Project manager coaching & development Train, mentor, and provide standardized templates • Best practice collection & dissemination Analyze project successes/failures to raise awareness, distill best practices & educate on benefits of project management • Project idea screening Develop effective project business cases, benefits estimations and selection processes • Portfolio definition Determine essential components of CSN’s project portfolio • Portfolio prioritization Create comprehensive, fact-based assessment criteria to ensure optimal deployment of CSN resources

23. CSN’s PMO Objectives (cont’d) • Portfolio resource monitoring & allocation Monitor resource availability to mitigate resource conflicts and shortfalls • Business case development Create standard business case templates to capture project lifecycle costs, benefits, and risks • Requirements definition Translate customer needs into specific project deliverables and outcomes • Resource coordination Identify and allocate resources required for individual projects • Project planning Manage project management lifecycle using actionable performance metrics & project management methodologies • Metrics tracking & reporting Collect/report project, demand and resource management metrics to allow for better decision making • Risk management & mitigation Audit/track project risks throughout the project management lifecycle

24. PMO Implementation • Develop PMO project management plan • Serve as a role model • Stakeholder communication - KEY • Establish standards and procedures • Project classification, governance, templates • Identify/acquire PMO resources • PMO lead, Project managers, PMIS & support staff • Education/Training of stakeholders • Standards & procedures, PMIS • Pilot projects • Promote PM processes/tools to other University units & partners

25. Thank You! Kimberly Harper kkharper@nebraska.edu Joshua Mauk jmauk@nebraska.edu