Paper and Presentation: PMP Education for the US Military to Reduce Wasted Time, Money, and Energy
Abstract: Every day of every year the United States military manages thousands of projects, programs, and portfolios ranging from hundreds or thousands of dollars at the smallest of organizations up to those at the Pentagon often in the billions of dollars. The problem is that those projects, programs, and portfolios are often managed by personnel who are not familiar with or not qualified to use Project Management Professional (PMP) practices. Often the untrained or untested project managers use PMP terminology or cliches incorrectly, out of scope, or to provide a fragile framework of control over oft-enormous projects to solve complex, ill-defined problems.
The lack of PMP-educated managers creates enormous waste in time, money, and quality. The news is replete with stories of US military projects with cost overruns in the millions of dollars or delays of costly, important national defense systems that keep them from Service Members use for months or years. Often poor quality control puts non-functioning equipment in the field only to need costly repairs or upgrades just to meet the original project specifications.
The solution is simple: Teach proper project management skills to the project, program, and portfolio managers of the US military using Project Management Institute best practices. The Project Management community must find a way to help get PMP certification or education opportunities into the standard training and education touchpoints for US military Officers, Non-Commissioned Officer, and Civilian. Those opportunities would best be suited at the O-4, E-7, or GS-13 level and continue as those leaders remain within the US military. Training leaders early and often on PMP best practices could save millions of dollars and put functioning equipment and systems in the hands of US Service Members on time and with fewer quality problems.
PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working
Biography: Mr. John Demko is a strategic and operations leader and planner with more than 32 years of experience supporting the Department of Defense (DoD), and providing leadership training and project management in the private sector. He has led all cybersecurity operations for the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO), served as lead planner to stand up a NATO operational headquarters, and guided physicians in leadership development. Mr. Demko’s extensive leadership and training experience and his on-the-ground strategic planning and operations expertise provides unmatched support to clients.
Mr. Demko had an extensive career of service in military leadership, training, communications, and cybersecurity. He was the Director of Current Operations for the DoD CIO, where he led the daily fight to secure the United States against cyber threats and advised across DoD leadership on how to protect the US networks, infrastructure, and personnel. He maintained outreach with cyber leaders in other organizations to stay cognizant and relevant in the newest battlespace – cyberspace.
Earlier, as Advisor to the Physician Leaders Group at Saint Luke’s Health System, Mr. Demko provided leadership training and professional development to the physician leaders of the largest hospital system in the Kansas City, MO region. He also facilitated discussions to frame and resolve organizational problems.
Mr. Demko developed organizational strategy, vision, and goals, integrating them into higher and subordinate organization strategic documents. He also provided recommendations on complex strategic issues affecting the entire Army Signal community.
While stationed in Heidelberg, Germany Mr. Demko led the largest communications organization in Europe with over 400 American and German Soldiers and Civilians. His unit provided voice and data communications for the Army’s European headquarters and the largest hospital complex and medical command outside the continental United States. In addition to being expert communicators, John was lauded by his supervisors for his innovative training and in-depth planning.
Earlier in his service, Mr. Demko was the lead operational planner at US Army Europe for the deployment of hundreds of US and NATO Soldiers to Afghanistan that established the first iteration of NATO’s operational command. He established the headquarters then moved on to work with the Afghan Army to facilitate their organization and training.
Mr. Demko earned his BS in mathematics from the University of Michigan – Dearborn, his Masters degree in telecommunications from the University of Colorado – Boulder, his Masters degree in military science from the School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, and his Masters degree in strategic studies from Air War College.
