The White House is in transition, a natural point for looking at how parts of the government could be improved to run faster, better and more cost effectively. The Professional Services Council, a trade association for government technology and professional services, recently shared a thoughtful set of recommendations on this in their PSC 45 – An Agenda for the Next President. Like any initiatives, sound project management practices would be key for bringing these recommendations to life and demonstrating improved outcomes.
Fortunately, S.1550, the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015 (PMIAA), has been signed into law, bringing project management to the forefront of government efficiency moving forward. Let’s take a closer look at the specific areas of project management needed to support PSC’s four areas of focus: modernizing service delivery, improving government operations, building a better engagement model, and developing the workforce of the future.
Harnessing Technology and New Business Models to Modernize Government Service Delivery
With an annual spend on IT technology topping $80 billion a year, according to PSC 45 – An Agenda for the Next President, this is an obvious target for improvement. But updating the federal government’s behemoth IT infrastructure and how it is managed is also a massive and complex task that requires a reset of the organizational culture.
An environment of organizational agility will help address this challenge. View PMI’s Capturing the Value of Project Management for the characteristics of an agile organization, the most common mix of formal methodologies, and a framework for adoption.
Improving Government Operations to Better Compete Globally
A robust agenda must ensure that federal agencies align initiatives collaboratively to ensure that multifaceted challenges facing the nation are addressed without focusing solely on internal agency priorities. PSC also cautions that rules which stifle innovation, add complexity and delay results must be addressed or discarded.
A cornerstone of PMIAA says Outlining desired outcomes across government help instill a unified commitment and approach; strategic plans for project and program management at the agency level can only complement this and help to deliver in today’s cross-functional and “projectized” world.
Focusing on aligning activities to broader organizational strategies and measuring the benefits during and after the project, topics discussed in previous posts, will help government agencies stay ahead of global trends. PMI thought leadership developed with the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that 51 percent of respondents whose organization is a mature practitioner of benefits realization management (BRM) report well-above-average financial performance, compared to 22 percent of immature organizations.
Build a Better Engagement Model to Bring the Best Ideas and Solutions from Industry into Government
The government spends more than $500 billion a year on the acquisition of goods and services, with services making up the majority of the cost according to PSC 45 – An Agenda for the Next President. But a big spend does not equal big success. As PSC points out, the process remains too slow and fails to incentivize innovation and creativity.
This can be alieved by creating a standards-based model for program management throughout the federal government to allow for more seamless public/private collaboration and increased agility.
Develop the Government and Industry Workforces of the Future
None of the previous recommendations can be sustained without a high-performing and motivated workforce. PSC recommendations include attracting and retaining the workforce of the future, providing career development models that build leadership skills, improving critical thinking, mandating rotational assignments, and building employees’ confidence to take bold steps and try new things.
In order to sustain and empower this workforce, government agencies must formally recognize and invest in the role of project manager. Under PMIAA, part of the function of the Program Management Improvement Officer is to develop a strategy for enhancing the role of project managers, including training, mentoring, career paths and incentives.
Agencies should also keep an eye on the job market for this role. The ability to track its growth via the recent Bureau of Labor Statistics decision will be a big help. Consistent with previously mentioned recommendations, a dedicated project management career path creates the necessary on-ramps to attract the next generation of project managers.
Jordon Sims is director of organization relations and programs for the Project Management Institute.
Project management agenda for the new administration [Commentary]
