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Project Management Office receives ITRMC award

ITD’s new project management process, created as part of its commitment to improve efficiency, received a state technology award from the Information Technology Resource Management Council (ITRMC) this week in Boise.

“ITD’s Project Management Office (PMO), a Center of Excellence” received the award for Data, Information and Knowledge Management. The office created and implemented new processes for leveraging and managing funding, data, programs and new projects across the department.

“The PMO provides transparent, standardized management practices, risk assessments and funding forecasts for all IT projects,” according to the award nomination. “Exposing project sponsors and end users to the immediate and long-term benefits of project management has elevated department-wide expectations and increased the value and quality of all PMO products and services.”

ITD formed a Project Management Office in 2007 to manage all department IT projects. Before formation of the PMO, an inventory of the department’s active IT projects determined only 22 percent were on schedule and within budget. The department had little or no information on the number of IT projects, their schedules, resource needs, scopes or budgets.

Projects were completed on a “first in, first out” basis rather than using well-defined project-prioritization procedures. Lack of enterprise planning among program areas resulted in inefficiencies.

Forming the PMO and staffing it with experienced, highly qualified project managers and enterprise architects resulted in dramatic improvements. The PMO now completes 94 percent of all projects within budget, and completes 81 percent of them on time (based on a 13-month rolling schedule).

This is significantly above the national average of 12 percent of projects completed within budget and on time (as reported by the Standish Group). With creation of the PMO, the department has an online portfolio that lists every IT project. The portfolio identifies team members, budgets, schedules, project descriptions and risk ratings.

The PMO conducts a cost-benefit analysis for each project to ensure the right solutions are being implemented and to improve the department’s effectiveness and efficiency.

The department’s current IT Project Portfolio contains $51 million in projects (funded by the sponsoring divisions or districts). Projects are managed by the PMO as resources allow, however, the PMO provides risk-management services for all projects in the portfolio.

Projects now are much more likely to be completed on time and within budget, and customer service has improved dramatically. Customer surveys show that 92 percent of PMO customers are satisfied with its services and products.

Photos: ITD's Scott Stokes and Shannon Barnes accepted the ISTRMC technology award for creation of the Program Management Office (above, left); staff share the statewide honor (top).