Paper (24): Project Management: A Foundation for Leadership Transition
Abstract: Leadership transitions present a myriad of challenges to organizations. In the Federal government, members of the Senior Executive Service are expected to move around their organizations and lead in multiple contexts based on agency need. Beginning in 1998, the U.S. Census Bureau made it a business priority to inculcate the globally recognized Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) throughout the fabric of the organization. Over the course of time, the Census Bureau has built a cadre of managers who are skilled in applying the PMBOK to their work, fostering strides in operations, planning, budgeting, and innovating at the agency. The years of constructing, adjusting, and strengthening a solid Census Bureau project management infrastructure have paid off in impressive business outcomes and organizational stability through leadership transitions.
In the spring of 2015, the American Community Survey Office (ACSO) at the Census Bureau experienced a change in Chiefs. This paper describes how project management not only served to smooth transition between Senior Executives leading the organization and enabled critical business decision-making to continue even early in the transition. By describing the correlation between leadership success and project management through transition, this paper will provide examples of benchmarks, lessons learned, and leadership practices that may serve other public or private organizations as they endeavor to lead through change.
Biography: Emily J. Allen is a Strategic Advisor in the Collaboration and Social Computing Department at the MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit company that operates multiple Federally Funded Research and Development Centers. A seasoned strategist, Ms. Allen has delivered results to over 20 federal agencies as a strategic management and communications consultant. Ms. Allen served in state and local government in both law enforcement and health and human services agencies. She has worked as a volunteer, staffer, and manager in community-based-organizations. Ms. Allen received her Master in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, her Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, and her Bachelor of Arts in History from Macalester College. In her free time, Ms. Allen enjoys biking, volunteering at the Smithsonian Institution, attending the tremendous educational and cultural events the D.C. metropolitan area has to offer, and spending time with her husband. The couple reside in Alexandria, VA.
