Anticlue

Oh I think I need a murder board

Oh, I think I need a project murder board. For those of you who aren't familar, a murder board is a group of individuals from key business constituents who decide whether a project cuts the mustard or doesn't. Organizationally, I'd like to have a such group in place, but let me share a little history.

First, this is a new gig for me, and I really enjoy it. It is a great place to work with a good work-life balance. I've been challenged with implementing a project management office. To start with we have more projects than can be reasonably completed by the amount staff we have in place. We could grow to more staff, but currently a majority of the project work is individual department requests. There are more than a few capital initiatives which are aligned with strategic goals.

I've derived a centralized project listing to replace everyone's individual list and categorized the project work as active, inactive, requested, completed/cancelled. We had a good sized listing of active project work, about twice the amount we can complete with our staffing model today. I can see we are at the project log jam in the river, with stealing peter to pay paul from a resourcing perspective.

Our next step is as a leadership team, to gather several categories of which to prioritize project against. We decided on a good set of criteria based upon the five pillars of healthcare - Service, Financial, Growth, People, Quality and Safety. For good measure we have added a technology category to position needed items for technology building blocks. Currently we are engaged with our customers of prioritizing all active work according to the criteria.

Simultaneous, we are starting an Investment Council for Information Technology (IC IT). This council is comprised of the senior leaders of the institution making the decisions for which capital projects to invest within and the timing of that investment. Right now, we are in the politicing and gathering stage, but it is a key factor to our success. Assuring the right and accurate information is in the hands of the decision makers, with proposed business cases having all the resourcing and justification from the technology and business partners. It just sets up the organization for successful implementations.

As we go through this process, there will be the outliers, the pet project. Here is where the project murder board comprised of a few key executives would help. Here is where project sponsor's would have a place to present their concerns if their project doesn't rate above the line. The decision to resource would need to be at this level if the project passed the boards inquiry.

Althought I'm wondering if there are any other techniques individuals have tried... All suggestions are welcomed.

Contract Administration Process

The Contract Administration process helps to assure the project’s goals and needs are on track and on schedule and the seller is behaving appropriately. The Contract Administration process is apart of the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group. The inputs for this process are:

• Contract - A contract is an agreement between the buyer and the seller which details their legal requirements and obligations.


• Contract Management Plan - The Contract Management Plan utilizes the existing contract requirements to provide the buyer and the seller with guidelines for administering and monitoring contracts for significant purchases or acquisitions.


• Selected Sellers - The selected sellers are sellers that the buyer deems the best candidates for the project and that have negotiated a draft contract.


• Performance Reports - Performance reports are more detailed than work performance information, they use methods such as bar charts and S-curves to organize and summarize information such as earned value management and project work progress.


• Approved Change Requests - Approved change requests verify which changes to contracts or procurement procedures have been processed and approved.


• Work Performance Information - Work performance information, which comes from the Direct and Manage Project Execution process, provides statuses of the project schedule activities being done to accomplish the project work. The team uses it to monitor the sellers' progress on schedule, deliverables, and costs.

Once you have been able to get through the selection/acquisition phase, the project manager needs to track administrative issues, contract changes, and the seller's progress and quality of work to assure that the project is running smoothly. The tools and techniques for the Contract Administration process are:

• Contract Change Control System - A contract change control system defines the procedures for changing a contract. It encompasses all forms, documented communications, tracking systems, and dispute resolution procedures. Additionally approval levels are necessary to authorize changes and the procedures for getting the changes approved within the performing organization. The contract change control system should be integrated into the Integrated Change Control System.


• Buyer-conducted Performance Review - A buyer-conducted performance review tracks the vendor’s progress in execution and product delivery within contractual parameters. Hopefully, your organization is including the cost and project schedule in the contract. The purpose is to manage contract performance by recognizing performance success and failures, anticipated completion on the contract statement of work, and finally identify areas of contract non-compliance.


• Inspections and Audits - Inspections and audits identify any defects in the delivered work or product. Project managers assure inspections are conducted and audits occur with the live event of a new process or inspect new procedures.


• Performance Reporting - Performance reporting involves gathering the vendor’s performance data and distributing it to stakeholders. Performance Reporting can help to alert management on whether the vendor is meeting contractual objectives.


• Payment System - Payment systems are tools and claims administration processes used for Contract Administration. The buyer uses a payment system to compensate the vendor according to contract terms. Payment systems include project management teams' reviews and approvals. Larger projects may have individual payment systems.


• Claims Administration - Claims administration resolves claims according to the contract's dispute resolution procedures when the buyer and seller cannot resolve a claim on their own. Claims administration documents, processes, monitors, and manages claims during the life of the contract, usually according to the contract terms.


• Records Management System - A records management system is a set of processes, related control functions, and automation tools which are used to manage contract documentation and records. Project managers use records management systems to manage contract documentation and records; to keep an index of contract documents and correspondence; and for help with retrieving, accessing, and archiving that documentation.


• Information Technology - Information technology makes contract administration more effective by providing electronic data exchange between the buyer and seller, and automating portions of certain systems and processes. Using information technology automates parts of the records management system, payment system, claims administration, or performance reporting.

The Contract Administration process outputs are:

• Contract Documentation - Contract documentation includes the contract, schedules, requested unapproved contract changes, approved change requests, any seller-developed technical documentation, and work performance information.
  
• Requested Changes - Requested changes to the Project Management Plan, its subordinate plans, and other elements—such as the project schedule and Procurement Management Plan—may occur due to the Contract Administration process. They are submitted for approval to the Integrated Change Control process. Normally requested changes are addendums to contracts.


• Recommended Corrective Actions - Recommended corrective actions are measures to make the seller compliant with the terms of the contract, such as sending a warning letter requesting resolution of the problem or withholding payment until the problem is corrected.


• Organizational Process Assets (Updates) - Updates to organizational process assets consist of the buyers' and vendors' written records of all contract administration, including actions taken and decisions made, results of buyer audits and inspections, payment schedule updates, and seller performance evaluation documentation.


• Project Management Plan (Updates) - Updates to the Project Management Plan will consist of approved change requests affecting the Procurement Management Plan.

That’s the ITTO’s of the Contract Administration Process.

A sense of purpose

After reflecting upon the day, I've come to the decision that nothing is as rewarding at work as enjoying a sense of purpose.

Sometimes it is just good to move and change the air one breaths. I’m currently going to have to say, I’ve been blessed in my new endeavor. Just to share a quick side note, currently tech republic has the 10 tech skills to be developed for the future.

1. Voice Over IP
2. Unified communications
3. Hybrid Networks
4. Wireless Technology
5. Remote User Support
6. Mobile User Support
7. Software as a Service
8. Virtualization
9. IPv6
10. Security

As I look at the landscape, I’m thankful. Currently, I’ve been asked to manage several projects which consist of deploying and implementing 5 of the 10. Nice opportunity.

Enabling a mobile workforce is a great opportunity! Seeing the fruits of one’s labor, of how mobility enables a workforce is a rewarding experience!

Whining is okay. Whining with solutions is much better.

After being in Healthcare IT for almost a decade now, one of my lessons learned regarding whining. Whining by it self is okay for a little while. Everyone needs an opportunity to vent when they are passionate. However, it is better to use that whining time to derive solutions.

Truth of the matter is that change is difficult for some individuals. When a change occurs, people begin to feel outside of their comfort zone. Sometimes people like to go back to their comfort zone. Here is an example.

Once upon a time, I worked in a place that had a manager of hospital billing systems. He was a good manager for the time. He implemented a billing system in an institution that sorely needed to replace its customized homegrown solution. He had a great following of staff that followed him from his place of previous employment to the new one. He was demanding, and a go-getter. One of his driving principals was that team members needed to work together. He really didn’t tolerate the BS of a hen house. The staff admired and respected him.

Then things changed. New upper management arrived. He stepped down from the management role, and consulted for major billing endeavors – APCs, 837s, 835s. His groomed replacement stepped up to managing the hospital billing group at hand. The team respected him, but still treated the new manager as one of the crew instead of the manager. The new manager came to the decision management just wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and became a technical guru. The position went vacant for a while. A fellow from NJ who was more bluster and bull than facts and figures tried to lead the group for a while. It didn’t really work out. Another set of new upper management arrived, and the original manager’s consulting contract came to its natural end.

Now it is almost 5 years later, the hospital billing system group was combined with the hospital registration system group. This combination became in group title only as the two are still completely separate silos. This is where a change is needed. Most of the group goes about recalling the old days desiring to become a part of the old days. Truth be told the only certainty in life is that things will change. No one in the group offers a solution or how to exist in a place where the hospital billing system and the hospital registration system are the same system. The entire group is reminiscent of haw from Who moved my cheese.

If the amount of time whining had gone to cross training, or learning about the other group, or building a bridge instead of a wall, the group would be in a better place. Here is a group of people who make their living solving system problems. Remove the computer part, and you still have a systematic problem, but no one offers a solution.

I’m sure you have come across similar circumstances in your employment journey. Change is difficult, but change does happen. My advice is when change occurs, first keep working, that's key. Offer solutions on how to make the new way work, or how to improve the new way.