Toronto, ON — Twelve per cent of chief information officers (CIOs) anticipate adding information technology (IT) personnel in the second quarter of 2009 and four per cent plan staff reductions in the next three months, according to the latest Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. This represents a net eight per cent increase. The majority of respondents, 78 per cent, plan to maintain current staffing levels.

The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CIOs from companies across Canada. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half Technology www.rht.com, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis.

Key Findings

Help desk/technical support and data/database management are the job areas experiencing the most growth.

Desktop support is the technical skill set most in demand, overtaking network administration, which also led as the top skill in the first quarter.

One in five IT executives who plan to add staff will hire a mix of full-time and contract workers.

“With the current economic environment, it is not surprising that companies are being more prudent with their hiring”, said Sandra Lavoy, a vice president with Robert Half Technology. “To improve efficiencies and manage expenses, companies are looking for help desk and technical support professionals as well as data/database management specialists”.

Twenty per cent of CIOs who plan to add staff will hire a mix of full-time and project workers, while 41 per cent plan to make a full-time hire and 33 per cent plan to add contract workers. One-half of executives cited high or increased IT workloads as the primary factor driving hiring demand, followed by routine hirings for vacant positions at 28 per cent. Corporate growth or expansion was the third most cited answer with 15 per cent of the response.

CIOs cited company-wide layoffs (57 per cent) and the impact of the financial crisis on their company or industry (25 per cent) as the reasons for reductions in IT personnel during the second quarter. IT projects being put on hold received 4 per cent of the response.

Skills in Demand

When asked which technical skill sets were most in demand in their IT departments, 76 per cent of CIOs cited desktop support. Network administration (LAN, WAN) and Windows administration followed closely, with 75 per cent and 74 percent of the responses, respectively. (Note: CIOs were allowed multiple responses.)

Help desk/technical support was the job area experiencing the most growth, cited by 15 per cent of CIOs. Data/database management and networking followed closely, each receiving 12 per cent and 11 per cent of the response, respectively.

Industries Hiring

CIOs in the professional services and wholesale sectors are most optimistic about hiring in the upcoming quarter. Twenty-six per cent of professional services executives interviewed plan to add staff while no one plans on reducing the size of their IT workforce, for a net 26 per cent increase. In the wholesale sector, 20 per cent of CIOs anticipate hiring more staff and 2 per cent expect staff reductions for a net 18 per cent increase.

About the Survey

The quarterly IT Hiring Index and Skills Report was developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. First published in 1995, the study is based on more than 270 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of Canadian companies.

Since 2006, I have been giving project management courses as part of a master degree in “Management by Project” for three associated French engineering schools, in Lyon, Rouen and Aix-in-Provence. This master program is being extended to two new schools next fall, Nancy and Toulouse and in 2010 to Paris and Nantes. I might end up passing more time there than in Canada to coach and teach project management.

The French, as a whole, are a very creative people when it comes to many project-related endeavours, particularly in the field of international construction projects. They are engineering geniuses and fantastic bridge builders, both in France, for example the Millau Bridge (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/03/europe_the_millau_bridge/html/1.stm) and the Normandy Bridge (http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0000048), as well as outside their country, for example the Rio-Antirrio Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio-Antirio_bridge) . So why this sudden fascination with project management, a domain that they apparently seem to control?

The recent rising of project management as a preferred mode of action is in line with the economic and social pressures of our current times, the Project Age: an era characterized by an ever changing business environment, high uncertainty and globalized human activities. It is also viewed by many as a major solution to deal with and adapt to the present world economic unrest.

But the type of project management we are talking about here, and which is required to deal with the current times, is a new type of management that has nothing to do with the project management paradigm of large construction projects. A major construction project is basically one that is highly hierarchically structured and uses dedicated full-time resources, something that works just like a well oiled traditional Taylorian organization. No wonder the French are good at realizing those large projects, since strong hierarchy and the cult of the “chef” (commanders-in-chief in an organization, be it the CEO or a service director) is an integral part of the French culture, an attribute that is almost impossible to change, even in very severe conditions that might call for a different way of organizing things.

The new project management is mostly a multi-project management paradigm, with ever changing targets, met through very few resources working part-time on a multiple projects, in an environment of unclear strategic priorities. In such conditions, a simple employee can basically end up deciding the strategic fate of a project by agreeing or not to work on it. So this type of project management goes really against the grain of the French culture; it will take very serious economic mayhem for it to be accepted as a way of doing business.

When I go to France to give these courses, I realize how hard it will be for those young graduates to get this new project management paradigm to work in their organizations, if anyone wants to take the chance of giving a job to those counter-culture prophets. I believe this is an extreme case of what is happening in our own Taylorian-inspired (not to say Orwellian) institutions, here in North America or, basically, everywhere else in the world. Project management today is not what it was when the first men landed on the moon or when the first PMBoK was written. It is more complex and calls for more collaborative, agile approaches to get highly-diversified project stakeholders to end up really sharing the same interests and working as a team. A friend of mine, an international expert in business governance, was telling me recently that managing a business endeavour, with the help of highly diversified, multiple-interests teams of uniquely knowledgeable, non-interchangeable people, is not anymore a matter of planning, commanding and controlling …. but rather a matter of being able to ask for help using the word “please” and to never, ever forget to say “thank you” with genuine humility. He says that power based on hierarchy and authority just does not work anymore in the business place.

So, I believe, based on what I am seeing in many organizations, that getting the new project management to work is not only a major cultural challenge for the French. It is a cultural challenge for a majority of organizations all over the world. And it represents a major paradigm shift for many project managers and their professional associations.

Companies translate their business plans into a series of projects. Some of the projects are relatively simple and others quite complex and involve multiple departments, activities and suppliers. But all need to be led and managed. Most companies have project managers to head up these projects. Actually, what is really needed to lead teams and manage projects are project leaders. Leaders who have the responsibility to make the team effective in delivering the objective of the project, solving the problem that has been identified and delivering the results that compensate for the expenditure of human and financial resources. Leaders!!!

The reality is most projects have become administrative nightmares for the project managers and team members. Instead of having a laser sharp focus on the project and what needs to get done, the focus has blurred and is buried in layers of administrivia. Gantt charts, status reports, teleconferences, updates, meetings and forms have become the norm. Some of these are necessary but are they effective? Tracking projects is taking up too much of the leader’s time. Often progress is less than originally expected and costs are higher.

So how do successful companies utilize project management effectively?

We have been working with a colleague who has a great deal of experience in leading projects and with project leaders. Dr. Margery Mayer is part of the 4Views, a consulting group, in which we also are principals. She created a simple form that forces the thinking up front and keeps the daily focus on the action that needs to take place and not on the massive reports.

Margery created and has used the One Page Project Charter found below. It is developed by the project leader and sponsor before the project gets started and is used by the leader, the team, the sponsor, the finance organization and anyone else involved up through the executive team, if need be, to drive action and maintain focus. You will note the emphasis on ONE PAGE. This forces crispness of thinking and keeps the team from being led off track by “add ons” or other distractions. It provides a snapshot of what is expected, when it is expected and the progress being made. If the team should fall behind, the appropriate action and effect on the project are clear. The team time is spent in thinking, and taking action for success and not in the administrivia of report writing or updating. This does not replace Gantt charts as they have a more granular level of detail. This is a quick snapshot of how the project is progressing.

Feel free to copy the format and use it on your next project. We have seen success with it across a broad range of industries. Let us know how you use it.

Project Charter

Date____________ Revision # ______________- © Dr Margery Mayer

Project Objective

A concise simple statement of the objective of the project to ensure that everyone is clear and the information is consistent. This object should support the goals and objectives of the company.

The Problem

State EXACTLY is the problem that the project will solve.

Benefits

The specific revenue, profit, cost savings, efficiency increase etc that will result from this project.

Scope

What is going to be included? This also may detail what is not included. The more extensive is the scope, the greater the cost and risks.

Completion Criteria:

Clearly specify what will be achieved, what is the expected result or outcome.

Deliverables and Major Milestones

#	When	What	Date complete
1
2
3

Assumptions

This could include among other items

• What resources will be provided and by whom? Availability of members, etc.
• Changes to scope or resources may incur additional costs
• Turn around time for approvals must be stated
• Escalation process might be identified

Resources

Project Leader:	Margery Mayer	Contact info
Sponsor:	Exec/Mgr.
Team	Responsibility	Contact info
A	Analyst
B	Engineer
C	Programmer
D	Customer Service

Definitions

For example

• Revisions – reexamine, alter or correct existing work
• Change orders – substitute one thing for another, add new ideas or concepts, variation on original work or idea.

Scope Changes

Changes bring costs and these are to be documented.

Change Orders			Rev
#	Date	$	#	Date	$
667	8/1	3,000

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Dr Margery Mayer and John Maver are Principals in The 4Views consulting group. The 4 Views is a team of senior consultants who provide clients with breakthrough business results by identifying the root causes of problems and then providing the solutions that drive profitability. Our systematic approach covering plans, processes, people and profits (the 4 Views) generates measurable results across a broad range of industries. Leading change that drives efficiency and profitability has led to the creation of upgrades across the organization such as increasing the impact of project management.

We are currently facing a challenging economic climate which is forcing many companies to cut costs in order to survive.  There are different ways of doing this, and unfortunately, a popular one is slashing employees, projects and even entire departments.  Consequently, almost everyone in the business world is now looking for a way to justify their work to upper management and other stakeholders in order to be spared.

Many executives do not fully understand the value of the PMO in their organization, endangering the survival of the PMO when the time comes to cut back.  In fact, Josh Nankivel of PMStudent.com recently polled project managers about how the economic climate is affecting them, and he found that 27% had experienced project cutbacks, 14% had experienced PM layoffs, 11% had experienced financial scrutiny of projects, and 10% had experienced project staff reductions.[i]

The answer to this problem is threefold: PMO managers first need to focus resources on the right projects, then ensure that these projects are successfully executed, and finally, effectively communicate the value of these projects to upper management.

Step 1: Refining the Focus

The PMO’s primary responsibility is to manage and execute projects that are central to the organizational goals and objectives.  This requires an understanding of both the business strategy and the projects that fall beneath it.  Beyond that, it is important to know which projects are short-term, mid-term or long-term.  During a recession, many long-term projects are abandoned.  On the other hand, if you work solely on short-term projects, you will not be needed once they are completed.  For this reason, it is best for PMOs to focus their efforts on a combination of short- and mid-term projects that align with company strategy.

Step 2: Executing Projects on Time and on Budget

Prioritizing projects is important; successfully completing them is imperative.  No organization has any use for a PMO that does not achieve its goals and get things done.  There are several key components to accomplishing this.  First, project managers need visibility into resource allocation in order to avoid over- or under-booking project team members.  This will also ensure that no projects are taken on that your resources cannot accommodate.  In addition, team members need to track their time by task in order to provide actuals, helping project managers to understand true project costs and estimate future projects with accuracy.

When project managers can understand what resources are working on and measure actuals against forecasted timelines, they have a better handle on project problems, allowing them to address them faster and with more success.

Step 3: Communicating Results to Management

Once you have the positive project results, you need to ensure that top executives at your company are aware of them.  Fortunately, some solutions for managing resources and projects also have dashboards and reports to make this information quite clear.  This gives you an opportunity to tell the executives, “These are all the projects we are working on to help achieve our organizational objectives, and here is data that proves that we are executing them successfully.”  How can they possibly argue with accurate, up-to-date project data?

According to a statistic in the Project Times from “Shouldn’t there be a Middle-Enterprise Project Management System?”, 35 million project managers use Microsoft Excel as their primary project management tool, and 20 million use Microsoft Project.[ii] These tools can be useful in their own ways, but they certainly cannot provide the type of data that management needs to see from the PMO.  Rather, a solution that incorporates both project plans and time tracked against each project (by task) must be implemented in order to help executives see what the PMO is striving for and how well they are measuring up against these goals.

In 2008, Gantthead.com published an article entitled, “Is Your PMO a Profit Center?” which states, “Companies have long struggled with being able to measure the benefit of a PMO…”  The writer goes on to give readers the following advice: “Consider financial measurement for your PMO… and you may just find that senior managers look at your PMO with a whole lot more respect.”[iii] Such respect, which would have been valuable in the past, is absolutely crucial now.  Let’s face it: You wouldn’t be working on a project if some executive didn’t think it would have a positive return on investment (ROI), so these are the numbers that executives want to see.  If you can prove that you are bringing in a significant return on investment and keeping project costs down, they will not perceive you as useless overhead that can be cut without consequence.  PMOs who recognize this and use it to their advantage will have staying power, while others will not.

Prove It!

Ultimately, the best way to avoid being viewed as ‘project management overhead’ is to deliver real value to the organization, which means executing projects successfully.  It is not enough to create elaborate project plans.  The goal of the PMO is to execute these projects and help move the business towards its objectives.  Once you have a firm grasp on resource availability and have your team members tracking their actuals, you will be able to keep tabs on how the projects are going, as well as know who to talk to when there are bumps along the way.  Executive visibility into all of this data is also essential.

PMOs today have a choice – they can either justify their existence by highlighting their achievements and illustrating their true value, or they can fall by the wayside when cuts are made.  A project management solution that combines project tracking with financial reporting enables the PMO to speak the language of the executive and therefore succeed where others fail.

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Curt Finch is the CEO of Journyx (http://pr.journyx.com), a provider of Web-based software located in Austin, Texas, that tracks time and project accounting solutions to guide customers to per-person, per-project profitability. Journyx has thousands of customers worldwide and is the first and only company to establish Per Person/Per Project Profitability (P5), a proprietary process that enables customers to gather and analyze information to discover profit opportunities. In 1997, Curt created the world’s first Internet-based timesheet application – the foundation for the current Journyx product offering. Curt is an avid speaker and author, and recently published All Your Money Won’t Another Minute Buy: Valuing Time as a Business Resource. Curt authors a project management blog at www.project-management-blog.com.

[i] http://svprojectmanagement.com/impact-of-the-economy-on-project-management
[ii] http://www.projecttimes.com/articles/322-shouldnt-there-be-a-middle-enterprise-project-management-system.html
[iii] http://www.gantthead.com/article.cfm?ID=240289