Paper and Presentation: Project Management Methodology used as a tool to develop Section 508 Compliance strategy
Abstract: Most Federal agencies have Section 508 Program Managers or Coordinators who report their agencies progress in implementing the federal laws and policies that transfer into procedures and guidelines for their internal stakeholders to execute. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Services Administration (GSA) and the United Stated Access Board (USAB) provide instructions and best practices to assist federal agencies with training and many other resources to help develop the Section 508 Program. Federal Agencies are also required to report their progress twice a year to OMB. The Section 508 Program Managers and Coordinators have the responsibility to show they are making progress toward being compliant with federal law. As a certified Project Manager and Business Analyst I was asked to assist my agencies Section 508 Program Manager by creating a Project Plan to help the program become compliant. Before creating the Project Plan, I needed to assess the current state of Program and then recommend how I would use the Project Management methodology (PMM) to transform the Section 508 Program to be compliant. After many meetings with the Section 508 Program Manager it was clear that the agency’s Section 508 program was not compliant. The question then became can one Project Plan help this program become compliant. In trying to understand the root of the problem I researched other agencies programs and the GSA playbook. I thought it was important to understand what other federal agency are doing to work toward being compliant and whether they are using the PMM to achieve that goal. The objective of this research is to identify 5 federal agencies who have a mature Section 508 Program and what methods did they use to manage their projects to achieve an effective program. The PMM would be the most effective tool to help Section 508 Program Managers track and manage whether they are making progress to become compliant. The PMM will also create a framework to identify how many projects will be created to help the program mature. Each project will produce outcomes that measure what needs to happen, and lessons learned from what did not work. The question this research will answer is whether Federal Agencies leverage the PMM when implementing their Section 508 Program. What framework do they use to measure how their Program is making progress toward becoming effective and compliant.
Outline
- Introduction
- What are the most recent Federal Laws that enforce agencies to have a compliant Section 508 Program?
- What guidance does the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Access Control Board (USAB) provide?
- What is the role of the Section 508 Program Manager or Coordinator?
- What metrics are federal agencies mandated to report on about their program?
- How can the Project Management Methodology help Section 508 Program Managers and Coordinators?
- How many Federal Agencies use the Project Management Methodology to manage their Section 508 Program?
- How Section 508 Program Managers can navigate what is mandated, what is required or just best practices when implementing a Section 508 Program.
Bibliography
- GSA Section 508 Playbook (n.d.) “Fed Scoop: OMB Releases IT Accessibility Guidance” Retrieved October 1, 2020 https://www.fedscoop.com/post-278/
- Anonymous (n d.) Governmentwide IT Accessibility Program (n.d) “Monitor and Report Progress” Retrieved October 10, 2020, https://www.section508.gov/manage/reporting
- Anonymous (n.d.) “Manage a IT 598 Accessibility Program” Retrieved October 5, 2020 https://www.section508.gov/manage
PMI Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management
Biography: Pamela Davis-Ghavami is a widow and mother who serves as an Information Technology (IT) Manager in the Federal Government. Mrs. Ghavami currently works for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in Rockville, MD. Prior to NRC Ms. Ghavami has worked for the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce and the National Archive and Records Administration. Mrs. Ghavami has over 30 years of experience managing information technology projects. She received her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2006 with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Master’s in Information Technology and Project Management in 2012 from Capella University. Ms. Ghavami also shares her work experiences with the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students where she volunteers yearly during the science fair or career day activities. She enjoys engaging elementary, middle and high school students about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. She encourages students to become lifelong learners and shares what is required to be successful in the technology profession. Ms. Ghavami is very passionate about sharing information in the field of technology, change management, business process improvement and emotional intelligence. She also enjoys playing in her Montgomery county tennis league and spending quality time with her son.
