Presentation: Reactive to Proactive: Injecting Collaborative Project Planning to Improve Delivery Success
Abstract: Have you ever entered a project or program mid-stream and had to correct course? What can you do differently to set yourself up for success for future projects and programs? Join Nicole Rumeau and Courtney Johnson, Assistant Directors of Pre- and Post- Award Management at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland to discuss developing dynamic, cross-functional portfolio planning that includes the full lifecycle of complex research projects and programs. The presenters will share their experience entering an organization without a defined project management culture, observing and evaluating the organization to identify areas of improvement, building teams to support growth, and planning for an improved future.
Session attendees will leave with the following key takeaways:
- How to make the most of a mess: inheriting a complex portfolio of projects with varying challenges and how to collaborate to address those challenges;
- How to start off on the right foot: creating an infrastructure for future project success; and
- How to maintain stability: resetting stakeholder expectations, sharing accountability, and measuring success for project development, execution, and closing.
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills
Biography: Courtney Johnson serves as the Assistant Director of Post-Award Project Management at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland. Ms. Johnson joined ARLIS in late 2024 after over ten years of civil service as federal financial and program management professional at the General Services Administration, followed by an exciting tenure as a Business Operations Manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
Ms. Johnson has spent most of her career helping technical professionals navigate the complexities of executing federal programs. She has extensive experience building federal programs to achieve congressionally mandated goals, including building, justifying, and executing federal budgets. She also has experience managing federal contracts as a former Contracting Officer’s Representative, and leading internal change management projects to maximize program efficiencies.
Ms. Johnson holds a M.B.A from Loyola University Maryland and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland.
