Comments on: The Practical CIO: Difficulties in project prioritization & selection, part 2 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2 Intensely practical tips on information technology management, by Peter Kretzman Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:37:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Peter Kretzman http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-8659 Peter Kretzman Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:41:28 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/#comment-8659 I know of Daptiv (a fine Seattle-based firm) but don't know the details of their PPM capabilities. I'll be interested in hearing your impressions. I would, however, advise that you keep the "what if" modeling fairly simple when presenting to stakeholders; more detail can actually backfire and create less clarity. By the way, I hope it was clear that in all the prioritization actions/tools that I've been discussing, it's the STAKEHOLDERS who need to select the projects, juggling the inputs and ramifications as analyzed by IT PMO folks, etc. I know of Daptiv (a fine Seattle-based firm) but don’t know the details of their PPM capabilities. I’ll be interested in hearing your impressions. I would, however, advise that you keep the “what if” modeling fairly simple when presenting to stakeholders; more detail can actually backfire and create less clarity. By the way, I hope it was clear that in all the prioritization actions/tools that I’ve been discussing, it’s the STAKEHOLDERS who need to select the projects, juggling the inputs and ramifications as analyzed by IT PMO folks, etc.

]]> By: Paul Utting http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-8656 Paul Utting Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:08:37 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/#comment-8656 Peter, thanks for the clarification. I am finding your articles very helpful as we try to design a useable project portfolio management method. FYI we will be evaluating "daptiv" as a tool to assist with the "can do" estimating. I will let you know how that goes. One of our objectives is to find a way of presenting the results of "what if" modeling to the key business stakeholders who will actually select the projets. This is something at which we have historically not been very good. Peter, thanks for the clarification. I am finding your articles very helpful as we try to design a useable project portfolio management method.
FYI we will be evaluating “daptiv” as a tool to assist with the “can do” estimating. I will let you know how that goes.
One of our objectives is to find a way of presenting the results of “what if” modeling to the key business stakeholders who will actually select the projets. This is something at which we have historically not been very good.

]]> By: Peter Kretzman http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-8654 Peter Kretzman Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:57:56 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/#comment-8654 Thanks for commenting, Paul. A couple of things to remember about the approach I'm proposing: 1) these are "over-the-thumb squinting-style estimates", NOT attempts to do fine-grained resource allocation. You're just trying to get a sense of whether you're in the ball park of having enough resources to do the set of projects in the hopper, and adjust that list of projects if you don't. 2) In fact, if you look carefully, the "yet more complex" model does indeed break down resources according to skill set (five different categories of resource, actually)--you can break it down even more, but again, I advise against obsessing over making this model ever more precise and thereby essentially deluding yourself that it's going to have a higher level of accuracy. Estimates are just that: ESTIMATES. Finally, and this may be my most critical point, you must adopt this PPM estimating/modeling approach to determine the rough outlook <em>for a given fixed chunk of time</em> (I recommend a quarter). Throw <em>all</em> projects, both new and continuing, for that period into the model, with an estimate of remaining hours provided for each. You're trying to right-size the entire basket of goods vis-a-vis your resource pool, not micro-plan so that all resource contention issues are solved for each project. Again, to <em>fully</em> address the constraints you mention would actually be a different exercise: actual resource scheduling, and that typically demands a project management package such as Microsoft Project, Primavera, etc. It also demands significantly more information than you typically can have at an early planning stage. So, <strong>I can't emphasize too strongly that this approach isn't that, nor do you want it to be.</strong> Thanks for commenting, Paul. A couple of things to remember about the approach I’m proposing: 1) these are “over-the-thumb squinting-style estimates”, NOT attempts to do fine-grained resource allocation. You’re just trying to get a sense of whether you’re in the ball park of having enough resources to do the set of projects in the hopper, and adjust that list of projects if you don’t. 2) In fact, if you look carefully, the “yet more complex” model does indeed break down resources according to skill set (five different categories of resource, actually)–you can break it down even more, but again, I advise against obsessing over making this model ever more precise and thereby essentially deluding yourself that it’s going to have a higher level of accuracy. Estimates are just that: ESTIMATES.

Finally, and this may be my most critical point, you must adopt this PPM estimating/modeling approach to determine the rough outlook for a given fixed chunk of time (I recommend a quarter). Throw all projects, both new and continuing, for that period into the model, with an estimate of remaining hours provided for each. You’re trying to right-size the entire basket of goods vis-a-vis your resource pool, not micro-plan so that all resource contention issues are solved for each project.

Again, to fully address the constraints you mention would actually be a different exercise: actual resource scheduling, and that typically demands a project management package such as Microsoft Project, Primavera, etc. It also demands significantly more information than you typically can have at an early planning stage. So, I can’t emphasize too strongly that this approach isn’t that, nor do you want it to be.

]]> By: Paul Utting http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-8653 Paul Utting Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:23:29 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/#comment-8653 Whilst I like the spreadsheet of sample models the real world challenge that I always face is that each proposed project requires a variety of different skills. Even the "yet more complex" model assumes that all headcount is equal. The projects that we must evaluate typically require 4 or 5 different skills and thus the current commitments/availability of each different skill set must be compared with resources required for each project. To make things even harder the current commitments usually have different start and finish dates, so that although a model may indicate that 2 different resources both have sufficient availablity, it may not overlap. Have you seen any good tools that address these constraints? Whilst I like the spreadsheet of sample models the real world challenge that I always face is that each proposed project requires a variety of different skills.
Even the “yet more complex” model assumes that all headcount is equal. The projects that we must evaluate typically require 4 or 5 different skills and thus the current commitments/availability of each different skill set must be compared with resources required for each project.
To make things even harder the current commitments usually have different start and finish dates, so that although a model may indicate that 2 different resources both have sufficient availablity, it may not overlap.
Have you seen any good tools that address these constraints?

]]> By: The Practical CIO: Difficulties in project prioritization & selection, part 1 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-8602 The Practical CIO: Difficulties in project prioritization & selection, part 1 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:27:00 +0000 http://www.peterkretzman.com/2009/08/14/the-practical-cio-difficulties-in-project-prioritization-and-selection-part-2/#comment-8602 [...] post to discuss ways to pick projects that satisfy the “SHOULD do” dimension, and in my next post turn to ways to ensure that those projects will meet the “CAN do” dimension.  Both [...] [...] post to discuss ways to pick projects that satisfy the “SHOULD do” dimension, and in my next post turn to ways to ensure that those projects will meet the “CAN do” dimension.  Both [...]

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