Project Management For Nonprofits

Project Management for Nonprofits Norman Reiss Feb. 12, 2008 Nonprofit Bridge Bridging Technology, Communications & Development http://nhr.vox.com [email_address]

Agenda Introductions Basic Project Management Principles Project Management for Nonprofits? Project Management Techniques applied to Three Major Nonprofit Initiatives Questions (but welcome at any time)

Introductions – Norman Reiss Core strengths: Internet / Web Site Strategies Online Fundraising / ePhilanthropy Project Management CMS / CRM Selection / Implementation Moved to nonprofit in 2000 after corporate career, mostly in financial services. Currently at Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Raised over $8 million in online revenues Received PMP certification in fall 2006 Active in ePhilanthropy Foundation, NTen, Not for Profit Webmaster Roundtable, Project Management Institute

Introductions – Norman Reiss “ Last year I decided to apply for the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification to enhance my skills in managing technology projects. I hoped this would be especially useful at my current position as 'Web Project Manager.‘ “ When attending meetings of the Project Management Institute , rarely have I heard much talk about nonprofit organizations or have I met people who focus on nonprofits. Similarly, in my current organization, I often have to explain the benefits of project management in planning and implementing initiatives. “ Project management would be helpful in any organization yet nonprofits have been a bit slow to get on the bandwagon. One of the biggest challenges I've faced recently is getting all stakeholders to participate. If only a few people / departments dominate conversations, it is less likely that the results will be acceptable to all who are affected by its implementation.” From my blog, Nonprofit Bridge, March 6, 2007

Introductions – About You Please introduce yourself: Name Organization Project Management experience? For Profit? Not for Profit background? What you hope to learn from today’s session

Basic Project Management Principles

Project Management Principles PMBOK – Project Management Body of Knowledge Characteristics of a Project Temporary - definite beginning & end Create unique product, service or results Progressive elaboration – series of steps Specific objective vs. ongoing operations Project Management Application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet project requirements.

Project Management Principles Project Plan Stakeholders Selecting Your Team Risk Management Communications Strategies probably the most important project management skill Handling Change Requests Must have process in place from beginning

Project Management Principles Project management involves: Identifying requirements Establishing clear & achievable objectives ‘ Triple constraint’ – changing one must change others: Time Cost Scope also Quality Adjusting specifications, plans and approach to meet concerns / expectations of stakeholders

Project Management Terms Program – group of related projects managed together Portfolio – collection of projects and programs managed together Project Management Office (PMO) – oversees management of projects, programs, or combination of both Scope Creep – have a formal process in place to evaluate proposed changes then approve or reject. Critical Path – tasks that must be done to finish project on time

Project Management Processes Initiating – defines, authorizes project Planning – plans actions required to achieve objectives and scope Executing – integrates people and other resources to carry out plan Monitoring / Controlling – regularly measures and monitors progress to identify variances from plan so corrective action can be taken Closing – formalizes acceptances of product, service or results and brings project to end

More Project Management Concepts Project objectives (SMART): Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time specific Project staff varies depending on project – usually no direct reporting relationship Reasons for project failure Fear – team members need to protect their own interests Misaligned expectations – project deliverables not clear to all Confusion – over roles, responsibilities or process Loss of momentum – problems not dealt with when they come up Team member job dissatisfaction Lack of commitment to success of project – not part of ‘job description’ Staff inexperience

Project Management Approaches Traditional / Waterfall – series of steps in linear sequence Agile / Extreme / Radical – work best when requirements are vague, organization is undergoing change, or risk is high Project split into small phases Requirements modified as you go Constant interaction between developers and users Short timeframes Used mostly in software and web site development Rapid feedback from users Adapt to change if you can’t predict it Agile manifesto – www.agilemanifesto.org

Top 10 Reasons for Project Success (Standish Group) User involvement Executive management support Clear business objectives Optimizing scope Agile process Project manager expertise Financial management Skilled resources Formal methodology Standard tools and infrastructure

Top 10 Project Management Skills (Tech Republic) 10. Manage metrics 5. Manage scope 9. Manage quality 4. Manage issues 8. Manage documentation 3. Manage work plan 7. Manage communication 2. Plan work 6. Manage risks 1. Define project

Project Management Software Microsoft Project Basecamp Central Desktop OmniPlan (Macintosh) DreamTeam (SalesForce add-in) Active Collab Microsoft Office (Word, Excel etc.)

Dealing with Stakeholders Stakeholder – individual or organization whose interests may be affected by project Importance of identifying all stakeholders at the beginning of project Project success depends on how you manage stockholders, so engage them in decision making and keep lines of communication open. Meet individually with stakeholders to advise of updates and adjust expectations.

Managing Nonprofit Technology Projects Recent conference was first to focus on project management at nonprofit organizations Sponsored by Idealware & Aspiration Wiki - http://mntp.aspirationtech.org Idealware – Six Views of Project Management Software – http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_project_management.php

Project Management for Nonprofits?

Establishing Project Management Within Your Organization Project success measured by whether objectives are met AND whether team members found work rewarding. Educate organization on how Project Management can help If organization is not ‘project friendly,’ need more authority and/or money to succeed. PM isn’t only useful for technology projects PM isn’t the same as software development

Establishing Project Management Within Your Organization Don’t use IT terms with non IT people Find a supporter on business side Use a variety of communications techniques Start small to build successes Must understand business side of organization Address organization’s points of pain

‘Project Friendly’ Organizations (Rob Purdie, Important Projects) Management balance between tasks & people Balance between output and processes Teamwork / cooperation is focus vs. dept ‘silos’ Tolerance for conflict / taking risks

Top Project Strategy Mistakes Identifying a new technology, then trying to develop ways to apply it Failing to insure projects are business driven Failing to access projects and capabilities before committing to plan and schedule Not identifying possible risks Not learning from poorly performing projects Inadequate communication with business staff Not integrating new systems with old Inadequate metrics, documentation

Top 10 Technology Projects Which Apply to Nonprofits? (Baseline Magazine) Financial Reporting For nonprofits, how does your fundraising software talk to your accounting software? Web Services Early adopters – financial services, government Enterprise Systems Planning Getting systems to work together after a merger Desktop / Laptop Upgrades Do you have a schedule or do you wait until something breaks? Server Upgrades Are you prepared for organizational growth by increasing capacity? Business Analytics / Business Intelligence Analyzing what’s happening and figuring out how to respond. Intrusion Detection and Prevention Do you know where your laptops are and what information is on them? Customer (Constituent) Relationship Management (CRM) Universal need of for profit and not for profit organizations. Disaster Planning / Recovery Preparing for the worst. Business Process Management / Improvement Break down business functions, figure out better ways of executing them, building technology systems to do them.

Project Management Techniques Applied to Three Major Nonprofit Initiatives

Project Management Techniques Applied to Three Major Nonprofit Initiatives Web Site Redesign Use of agile techniques Identifying and updating all stakeholders Introduction of Content Management System Planning who will update web site Ease of use vs. total flexibility Introduction / Enhancement of ePhilanthropy Tools Jointly involving all departments that will be affected Selecting products that integrate with existing software How would project management strategies improve how projects are implemented at your organization?

Questions? Nonprofit Bridge Bridging Technology, Communications & Development http://nhr.vox.com [email_address]

Project Management For Nonprofits

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