Track: Organizational Change Management

Relevant challenges and lessons in the implementation of a Project Management Office in a legislative power – Martin

The presentation will be based on the innovative experience of implementing a Project Office in the Argentine National Congress, the first in the world. The PMO functioned as a model of leadership and results-oriented management that allowed to carry out the execution of the government strategy between 2016-2019. In this sense, it worked similarly to US PerformanceStat Units.
The Argentine experience shows certain particularities that contributed to achieving the proposed results. On the one hand, the PMO coordinated internal communication, which made it possible to accompany the projects under adequate and effective change management. On the other hand, members of the PMO were those who led the strategic projects, which made it possible to allocate resources full-time, increasing the chances of success.
An innovative aspect of the PMO was that it incorporated diversity management as an important condition when designing initiatives and projects. From the analysis of stakeholders to the formation of project teams, the PMO tried to ensure that the initiatives were not gender-neutral, taking an active role in closing gaps.
The PMO obtained several accomplishments. It improved the efficiency of the organization, generating the greatest savings in history; it focused on people, who were not only trained and professionalized but also empowered with the new transversal way of working by projects, in an institution that had been characterized by being very vertical; and it improved transparency and accountability, by designing and implementing project management processes based on the Project Management Book of Knowledge.
However, although an attempt was made to institutionalize as much as possible the new way of working and management, the cultural change was partial. The presentation shows that the implementation of a PMO in government must be tailored to each country’s context and that it only works under certain preconditions.
Key Takeaways of the presentation:

  • Structure, functions, and processes of the PMO
  • Talent acquisition, retention, and development
  • PMO main accomplishments and lessons learned

PMI Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management (Business Acumen)

Transforming the Way the SEC Works: Building a Business/Technology Partnership – Brose

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is an 87-year old agency staffed primarily by lawyers and accountants. It has a proud tradition of teams working together to bring cases, develop policy or implement new programs for the protection of investors. The implementation of technology at the agency over the last 25 years has used traditional waterfall methodology. This waterfall approach traditionally limits communications between business and technology, resulting in slower development, some frustration, and inconsistent confidence in systems. The agency has decided to implement agile approaches to improve communications and the delivery of product to internal customers. Concurrently, the agency is maturing its program and project management across the divisions and offices. The coordination of project management and agile practices is intended to drive excellence across the organization.
Learnings:

  • Developing Product Owners in an organization of lawyers and accountants requires a commitment to developing that skill set in the agency.
  • Agile teams need to work closely with business and IT project managers to get work done.
  • Momentum takes time to build, but once you find the willing to build your case, their enthusiasm can motivate their colleagues to adopting change.

PMI Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management (Ways of Working)