Project Management for Grant Professionals - NGMAngma.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NGMA17.Tuesday.1030am.Hei... · *Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Kogon,

Project Management for

Grant Professionals

Becky Heisinger, MBA, PMP,

CGMS

Christy Ward, BS, PMP

Presenter Information

Becky Heisinger• MBA Degree from University of

Sioux Falls

• Certified Grant Management

Specialist (CGMS) in 2016 and

Certified Project Management

Professional (PMP) since 2010

• Over 9 years of post award

grants management experience

in federal and state grants

• Over 9 years of experience in

project management

• 22 years of experience in

healthcare

Christy Ward• B.S. Degree in Education from

Northern State University

• Currently enrolled in the MSA

Health Services Administration

program at the University of

South Dakota

• Certified Project Management

Professional (PMP) since 2014

• Over 10 years of project

management experience

Objectives

• Review the Project Management methodology,

including the five process groups

• Demonstrate the value of PM as a framework for

effective grants management

• Identify best practices for this framework

• Identify resources and tools for successful

project management application

How does a project get to

be a year behind schedule?

One day at a time.

Frederick Brooks

Software Engineer, IBM

What is a project?

• A temporary, one-time endeavor to create a unique

product, service, or result.

• Operations that are ongoing work, repetitively

producing the same product/service are NOT

projects. Project Examples – grants,

product launch, software roll-out,

road construction, large events

NOT projects – monthly expense

reports, manufacturing assembly

line, routinely processing

insurance applications, etc.

Balance Competing Constraints

• Time - milestones, deadlines,

end dates

• Cost - money, people,

equipment, materials

• Scope – the ‘borders’ of the

project; the work to produce

project requirements

Project management provides tools and techniques enabling the team to best meet these constraints.

Interdependent factors of project quality

Why Projects Succeed or Fail

REASONS THEY SUCCEED

• Sound project management

processes

• Tied to organization’s goals

• Senior management

commitment

• Skilled team with defined roles

• Adequate resources

REASONS THEY FAIL

• Weak business case

• Lack of management

commitment

• Inadequate project planning

• Inadequate resources

• Lack of defined, clear, or

concise requirements.

Only 45% of projects actually meet their stated goals.Project Management Institute

Foundational Behaviors

• There are four foundational behaviors* that

reduce the negative impact of most project

problems:

– Demonstrate respect

– Listen first

– Clarify expectations

– Practice accountability

*Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Kogon, Blakemore, Wood)

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion

that it has taken place.

~ George Bernard Shaw

Behaviors to Avoid

What is project management?

• Application of knowledge, skills, tools, and

techniques to meet project requirements.

• Improves likelihood that results are delivered on

time and on budget.

• It’s not just managing a process, but also leading

people.

PEOPLE PROCESS SUCCESS

Without Project Management

Five PM Process Groups

You wouldn’t leave for a trip without an itinerary, map, and money – don’t launch a project

without detailed plans and adequate resources!

Five PM Process Groups

Initiating

Project authorized

Scope defined (high-level)

Stakeholders identified

Expectations clarified

Planning

Collect requirements

Further define scope

(more detail)

Plan schedule, budget, staffing, communication,

risk

Executing

Create project deliverables

Manage project team

Engage stakeholders

Monitoring &

Controlling

Not linear: occurs through entireproject lifecycle

Track / measure performance against plan

Communicate progress to

stakeholders

Closing

Don’t skip this phase!

Archive records, document lessons

learned, make final payments

Reflect on accomplishments,

give accolades, celebrate together

The Project Manager Role

• Responsible for deliverables, plans, and

communications

• Manage constraints, scope, quality, time,

resources and budget

• Leverage management, leadership,

communication, and interpersonal (‘soft’) skills

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision – John C. Maxwell

Project Leadership:

What NOT To Do

The Tragedy of the Titanic• Largest passenger ship of its time (882 feet) with luxurious décor

modeled after The Ritz Hotel

• Branded ‘unsinkable’, maiden voyage launched 4/10/1912

– Hit iceberg 4/14/12 at 11:40 p.m. (sinks at 2:20 a.m.)

– Water temp 28⁰F (survivable for ~15 - 45 minutes)

• 1,500 casualties, 705 survivors (31.6% survival)

– Potential 54% survival

– 472 lifeboat spaces went unused

Clearly the iceberg was a huge factor, but the primary catalyst

for this tragedy was in fact Project Management Failure.

PM Case Study Titanic Disaster

The project of the first Titanic voyage failed in many ways before it hit the iceberg. Considering the process groups above, what missteps may have led to this tragedy?

Initiating Planning Executing / M&C

STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONS- Bullish, brash optimism, sense of invulnerability- Plan idealistic vs. realistic

CRITICAL TESTING RUSHEDVery inadequate sea trials to rush launch (1 day vs. 4 weeks)

SCOPE CREEP - Didn’t stick to plan - 11th-hour change of staff- Sped up despite “Iceberg Alley” approach

PROJECT TIMELINE- Inadequate for project scale- Speed-to-market trumped due diligence

COMMUNICATION PLAN- Inadequate overall- Meager crew prep and training (5 days for crew of 900)- Crisis roles undefined

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT- 1st Class needs trumped safety- Six ice warnings snubbed for personal messages- Captain overruled by owner

PRIORITIES- Significantly misaligned and also waivered from original plan- Luxury > Safety

RESOURCE ISSUES- Crows nest binoculars in locked cabinet, no key- No public address system- Low-grade iron rivets

QUALITY CONTROL- 20 lifeboats on board (vs. 48)- Didn’t want to block view (head architect resigned )- Water temp testing issue

COMMUNICATIONUncontrolled press communication led to hype and the myth of an ‘unsinkable’ ship

LACK OF RISK PLANNING- Overconfidence = no ‘plan B’- Minimal contingency planning -Lifeboat launch plan (28/65 in 1st

boat)

DENIAL IS PROJECT POISON!!!- Overconfidence in the ship led to immobilized crew- Lack of urgency: started alerting people at a slow pace

PM Case Study Titanic Disaster

Project Management Matters!

Your project may not have

Titanic-level implications

but Project Management

will increase your chances

of success whether you are

administering a multi-

million dollar grant award or

planning a wedding. It’s a

proven methodology that

works across industry,

function, and scale.

PM

Organize chaos

Manage risk

Manage quality

Seamless integration

Manage change

Learn from mistakes

PROJECT

MANAGEMENT IN

THE GRANT

WORLD

Project & Grant Lifecycles

• Many similarities exist

• Best practices can be applied for both

• Focus on preparing a good plan and then

sticking to it!

Initiating

• Grant $ Awarded!

– Agreement/Notice of Award

• Identify Key Stakeholders

• Warm hand-off

• Communicate, communicate, communicate

Planning

• Don’t skimp on planning!

• Review documentation

– Notice of Award/Agreement

– Goals/objectives/work-plan

– Budget

– Reporting

– Unique requirements

• Grant set up

• Kick Off Meeting

• Everyone on the same page?

“If I had 60 minutes to cut down a tree, I would spend 40 minutes sharpening the

ax, and 20 minutes cutting it down.” Abraham Lincoln

Executing

• The phase where the team does the actual

work of the project

• Scope of work

• Goals/Objectives/Deliverables

• Timelines/work-plan/budget

• Procurement

• Subawards and/or contracts

Monitor & Control

• “Check in” with project teams

• Monitor spending/Rebudgeting/Carryover

• Compliance regulations

• Reports

• Changes?/Prior Approvals

• Evaluation

• Prepare for audit

Remember – this phase is not linear.It occurs throughout the project (grant) lifecycle, concurrent with other phases.

Closing

• Submit final reports

• Real & personal property

• Project folder up to date

• Wrap up meeting

• Audit Ready

Role Comparison

Project Manager

Grant Professional

Leverage leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills

Link strategic vision to project team activities,

goals, deliverables

Manage constraints, scope, quality, time, resources, budget

Manage constraints, scope, quality, time, resources, budget

Leverage leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills

Link strategic vision to project team activities,

goals, deliverables

Case Study:

Frustrated Grant Manager

Background:

Meet Shawn. Shawn works at a small non-

profit. Shawn recently transitioned from the

finance department to the role of grant

manager after the organization secured a

federal grant totaling $1,500,000 over three

years. The previous grant manager left the

organization three months ago. Shawn has

limited grant management experience.

Frustrated Grant Manager cont.

The problem:

• The project director and project team have very little

grant experience.

• The project team/project director are not responding

to Shawn’s emails, they are disengaged, the work-

plan is off track and spending is low.

• Shawn has repeatedly discussed his concerns with

his manager however his leader provides no

direction.

• A progress and financial reports are coming due!

Frustrated Grant Manager cont.

Break into small groups and discuss the following:

Based on what you have learned today, identify 2-3 examples of Project

Management skills, techniques and tools that may help Shawn

Be prepared to report back to the larger group

Project Management Tools

Initiating: Conversation Planner

Excellent guide for stakeholder interviews, project team meetings,

progress check-ins, difficult conversations, etc. Easy to

send to confirm key conversation points and

follow-up items.

Planning:

Risk Management Plan

Impact X Probability = Actual Risk

1. List major project risks

2. Consider probability/impact (high, medium, low)

3. Develop mitigation strategy for each

Examples – staff turnover, vendor or contractor issues,

award significantly under- or over-spent, budget cut, prior

audit findings, etc.

Executing: Project Timeline

• Phase 1

– Activity 1

– Activity 2

• Phase 2

• Phase 3

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Sep Oct Nov Dec

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Visual for reporting progress to stakeholders and/or project team meetings.

Monitor & Control:

High Level Status Report

High-level overview of progress against schedule

- Items on-track or ahead of pack

- Key accomplishments / wins / recognition

High–level overview of issues

-Delays

- Potential issues, watch-outs, or concerns

Quick-hit project snapshot for stakeholders or team members.

Closing:

Project Review Questionnaire

Helpful guide for project close-out

meetings, debriefs, and/or

documenting lessons learned.

PM Apps, Software, Templates

• Trello

• Asana

• Evernote

• Microsoft Project

• Basecamp

• Google Drive

• Clarizen

Tip: you can find many free Project Management

templates online. First rule of PM:

don’t reinvent the wheel!

Beginner PM Books

• Project Management for the Unofficial Project

Manager (Kogon, Blakemore, Wood)

• Project Management – A Compact Guide to the

Complex World of Project Management (Hanley)

• Project Management for Beginners – Proven Project

Methods to Complete Projects with Time & Money to

Spare (Stark)

• Project Management for Dummies (Portny)

Presentation Summary

• Project management improves the prospect of

delivering project results on time and on budget

• The project management lifecycle and grant

lifecycle have similarities where best practices

and efficiencies can be applied

• Fail to plan, plan to fail

– Take time to develop your plan

– Stick to your plan as much as possible

– Apply best practices for success

Becky Heisinger Christy Ward

Senior Grant AdministratorSanford Health

[email protected]

Grant AdministratorSanford Health

[email protected]

Additional Resourceswww.PMI.org

www.NGMA.org