The Recovery of Failed Government Projects – Day

In every environment, projects are bound to fail. The bigger the project, the greater the risk of failure. Most PM classes teach how to run Projects. However, few, if any, teach the art and science of failed project recovery. This is the the most ignored area in Government as the failed project is either cancelled or otherwise combined with another until it succeeds. In reality, with some resources and out-of-the-box thinking, necessary failed projects can be resuscitated into viable and thriving providers of those government services necessary to meet stakeholder demands. First presented are the differences between failed private industry and Federal Government programs. Second, the basic remedial actions to bring Federal Projects back are presented in a manner that can be transmitted immediately back to the agency for use. The differences between private industry and Government are presented for the edification of the conference. It is important to realize that there are many reasons why a project fails, and understanding why is the highest of priority to bring about the reconstitution of the endeavor. One of the areas explored are those projects that were destined to fail before they started and should not have been approved. The reasons why are presented as a lesson learned and caution to the prospective PM when being assigned or otherwise requesting an endeavor to manage. Some of the the remediation efforts to turn around Federal Projects are quite simple and require little effort. They are offered in this paper as a guide to help rescue troubled or failed projects, and a lessons learned guide to prevent their failure.

PMI Talent Triangle: Leadership (Power Skills)

Strengthening the Nuclear Security Enterprise with Organizational Agility – Deschamp

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is responsible for developing and maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile and reducing global nuclear risks. NNSA infrastructure promotes national security through unique capabilities found nowhere else in the United States. These capabilities are threatened by deteriorating facilities built during the Manhattan Project and the Cold War eras. Lean agile principles form the core of the NNSA data-driven and risk-informed approach to infrastructure management. The application of lean-agile will help transform the Enterprise from reliance on aged assets to world-class infrastructure that attracts the nation’s greatest experts and serves as the foundation for cutting-edge science, engineering, and production capabilities.
The advancements made in improving NNSA infrastructure demonstrate the value of using organizational agility to transform a large, non-IT organization. The Office of Infrastructure Lifecycle Management is applying the foundations of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) – lean agile core values, mindset, principles, and leadership. Our agilie approach involves the following:

  • Get executive buy-in and engagement
  • Train leaders on the fundamentals of lean-agile leadership
  • Expand lean agile training to all staff
  • Develop a strategic plan to clearly articulate organization’s goals and priorities, set a clear vision of the future, and get everyone moving in the same direction
  • Improve flow by developing repeatable, transparent, efficient, and effective processes
  • Encourage innovation by embracing the concept of Minimum Viable Product
  • Embrace incremental value delivery where possible
  • Undertake continuous improvement using retrospectives
  • Adopt Lean Portfolio Management for budgeting and project prioritization

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