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Better Performance Better Nonprofits
Case HistoriesPM Tools for NGOs
William Lester – NPOKI
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT
22 Sept 20091
Better Performance Better Nonprofits
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
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Some Background
People Process Environment
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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
Better Performance Better Nonprofits
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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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!
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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.
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Better Performance Better Nonprofits
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
Better Performance Better Nonprofits
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!
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Case History #1
eIMS
Daniel Messer
Head of Knowledge Information Systems
International Planned Parenthood Federation
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Case History #2
Cohort
Matt Kershnar
Cohort Consultant
NonProfit Organizations Knowledge Initiative
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The Deep End of the Pool
Matt Kershnar – NPOKI
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT
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
Cohort Project Management Software for International Development, Relief, & Humanitarian
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
Cohort Project Management Software for International Development, Relief, & Humanitarian
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
Cohort Project Management Software for International Development, Relief, & Humanitarian
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
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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
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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)
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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
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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!”
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The Swimmers
The dedicated staff person LOVED the software.
The PMs in the field LOVED the software.
The Operations Team LOVED the software.
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The CIO LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the software.
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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.
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Lessons Learned?
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The Deep End of the Pool
Matt Kershnar – NPOKI
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT
16 Sept 200929
EngenderHealth’s False Start in Implementing a Project Management System
Better Performance Better Nonprofits
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
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Q & A
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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/
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Better Performance Better Nonprofits
Case HistoriesPM Tools for NGOs
William Lester – NPOKI
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT
16 Sept 200933