project and portfolio management for digital libraries

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Project and Portfolio Management for Digital Libraries

Our evolving experience at New York University

Eric Stedfeld and Jennifer Vinopal

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Presentation – part one

•  Brief framework for project management - Project Management Institute - A few principles - Capability Maturity Model

•  Project/portfolio management background at NYU - Common cause with ITS/other divisions - Distinctive needs for Digital Library area

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What is a project?

•  Temporary – has a beginning and end

•  Produces a unique product, service or result

• Can involve a single individual, single organizational unit or multiple organizational units

• Has milestones for deliverables

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What is project management?

•  Application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements

•  Application and integration of 42 processes comprising 5 process groups

•  Identifying requirements, addressing needs of stakeholders, and balancing competing constraints

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Scope “Triangle”

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Scope & Quality

Resources

Project Management Life Cycle

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Project Management Life Cycle

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Project Management Processes

•  5 process groups – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, closing

•  9 knowledge areas – integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communications, risk, procurement

•  42 processes – each with inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs

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Project Management Processes

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Capability Maturity Model

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How is this helpful?

• Drawing upon the knowledge and experience of a wider community

• Understanding the organizational environment for the project – Implementing processes and methods that fit

the context of the project within the organization

– Moving the organization to better practice

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Project Management at NYU’s ITS

•  Project Management Assistance group

•  Beginning – home-grown tool

•  Enterprise-level tool (especially for reporting)

•  Extension to NYU senior administration, other departments

Project Management at NYU Libraries’ DLTS

•  Beginning – ad hoc, individualistic

• Move towards consistency - Common project space and template - Early attempts at portfolio management

• Needs assessment in light of ITS enterprise-level tool

•  Someone with primary responsibility for project/portfolio management

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Project Template

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Portfolio Spreadsheet

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Portfolio Spreadsheet

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Project Management at NYU Libraries’ DLTS

•  Beginning – ad hoc, individualistic

• Move towards consistency - Common project space and template - Early attempts at portfolio management

• Needs assessment in light of ITS enterprise-level tool

•  Someone with primary responsibility for project/portfolio management

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Questions?

•  When is the work big enough to be called a project, and entered into the system?

•  How useful is the reporting system for managing the actual work of the project?

•  How much conformance vs. freedom in how project managers manage their projects, e.g., use of the same project management tool?

•  What level of detail and consistency in reporting on projects?

•  How to balance the work of project management vs. working on the project itself?

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Questions?

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Eric Stedfeld eric@nyu.edu