NewYork2008:PM Principles - Software and Database Development

Software and Database Development
Session consisted of mostly people who work for non-profits, although a few people that also work for companies that consult for non-profits and some that consult independently. There was a wide range of project management and software project management experiences in the group.

Question: Why does it seem that people are moving more towards software development projects?
- People want to use software to resolve issues but would like to leave the project management to others
- Industry is buying into software, but pre-packaged programs don't exist for that industry

Pain points:

• Interface between project and IT departments
• Feeling responsible for the growth of the whole field
• Figuring out what people actually want (needs assessment)
• Different types of personalities on the team
• Politics interfering with the management of the project
• Corporate refugees adjusting to the culture of non-profit
• The many hats one project manager has to wear
• Not enough systems thinking
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Scope changes in the middle of the project - how to prevent? & -how do deal?
• Competing interests
• The accidental PM
• Split between techies and non-techies
• Immediate demands vs. best practices
• Rationale for variation
• The initiate to plan phase is where most of these come up

Interests:

• Collaborating with others
• Solutions for dealing with non-profit culture
• Some high-level technology training for the upper management

Tools:

• Magic 8-Ball
• Basecamp
• Book about Project Management, by Project Management

Additions to framework

• Testing is a big part of the monitoring
• Possible research between initiate plan

Things that help:

• Communication
• Managing expectation
• Defining ownership
• Empathy
• Customer Service
• Assume that there is going to be a crisis. The test is how you handle it.
• Anything is possible