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Stand-up meetings are the heart of an Agile project. During a stand-up meeting, the most important information is shared and roadblocks are removed. This makes the stand-up meeting essential for the success of the project. What happens during these meetings? Each team member shares what they did yesterday, what they intend to do/achieve today and discuss potential obstacles that could help them get on with their work.  

What is a stand-up meeting

A stand-up meeting is a team meeting held in a standing position at the start of each working day. All technical and business specialist team members should attend along with the project manager, sometimes called the Scrum Master. The stand-up meeting gives you the basics to stay in control of the project: tracking progress based on the features planned for each sprint is your control mechanism. The stand-up meeting is made to align the team and to share the progress made. Completed features are reported in stand-up meetings, as well as on the feature board, in the team room.  

Five important rules for stand-up meetings

1. Duration,
2. Focus,
3. The team leads,
4. Listen attentively,
5. Use the information.

1. Duration

The duration should be about 15 minutes, max 30: the stand-up meeting must be short and to the point. Participants remain standing so that the meeting is fast, optimistic, and active.

2. Focus

The stand-up meeting is not to resolve problems. If there are any problems they should be reported and discussed after the stand-up meeting, and reported to the group the following day. Not to solve problems, might be the most difficult habit to break. The idea however is that if you manage the problems after the meeting, you make sure that only the necessary team members are part of the discussion.

3. The team leads

The project manager takes the role of an observer, leaving space for the team to lead. As a project manager, you should look at the problems that have not been solved and remove the roadblocks for the team. Additionally, you should ensure that the risks are diminishing and after the stand-ups, you should communicate the status to key stakeholders, so that they are informed of the progress of the project.

4. Listen attentively

The project manager’s job during the explore phase is to protect and increase the productivity of each team member by leaving them to manage the distractions that can slow down their work. If features are lagging behind, find out why to try to make changes as fast as possible and take note so that lessons learned can be applied. Here are some things to observe during daily meetings:

• is the team collaborating or is there tension in the air?
• Are there any risks that may impact future sprints?
• Is there a common problem that you can help solve (after the meeting of course)?

There is a lot of valuable information you can get from your stand-up meetings if you are careful and take action when needed. Stand-up meetings help you figure out how to do this by giving you a visual of what the team faces each day.

5. Use the information

Make sure that issues mentioned in the stand-up meeting are resolved in a timely manner: your issue log will give you the mechanism to determine if issues are growing in volume. As in non-Agile projects, keeping a record of issues is necessary. This can be an indication that something is going wrong and that you should consider changes.  

How to improve your stand-up meeting

1. Change the presentation order every day,
2. Assign a person on the team the role of "timekeeper",
3. Hold the meeting at the same time every day,
4. Make sure that the meeting always ends on a positive note,
5. Include your colleagues working from remote.

1. Change the presentation order every day

Always changing the order adds energy to meetings;

2. Assign a person on the team the role of "timekeeper"

In this way to have the group well concentrated. 30 to 60 seconds per person is enough. For each sprint, the timekeeper must change.

3. Hold the meeting at the same time every day

4. Make sure that the meeting always ends on a positive note

Let the team share the victories achieved after the last meeting. For example:

• did the business really like what it saw in the last product review?
• Was a resource on the technical team able to overcome an issue the team is particularly proud of?

Sharing victories is a great way to keep your spirits high and show progress is being made.

5. Include your colleagues working from remote

Do not see remote working as a hindrance but change the format of the stand-up meeting by using an online meeting tool! Stand-up meetings of just 15 minutes can be important and useful - now all that remains is to commit to making your stand-up meetings focused, short, and flawless. Cause commitment is the real key factor to success!

Maddy is a staff member of the Process and Project Management of the Quality and Strategy department of AZ Sint-Maarten, a hospital in Belgium. Over the years she gained lots of hands-on experience with Project Management and is currently responsible for the PMO.  

What's your current job title? What is it you actually do?

I am a staff member of Process and Project management. My position is part of the Quality and Strategy department within AZ Sint-Maarten (hospital) in Mechelen. Within my position, I have different roles and responsibilities, of which:

• Responsible for PMO, which includes the following:
• • Follow up all current projects in preparation of the Project Management Committee (the decision-making body).
  • Capture all project ideas and convert (translate) them into a concrete project definition in preparation for PMC (depending on the go / no go decision of the project).
  • Prepare the agenda for PMO + PMC.
  • Project coaching this can differ from refining a project definition to coaching during the entire project planning/execution.
  • Providing all documentation regarding project work within the hospital.
  • Provide training on project management, both group and one-on-one training.

• Project manager for larger cross-departmental projects (often hospital-wide projects).
  • I filled in this role during the run-up of the relocation to the new hospital, currently, I am involved in less cross-departmental projects.
  • Project leader of the project and development of our new mission and vision (starting from 2021).

• Lean coach / lean expert, we recently started implementing a lean philosophy which includes continuous improvement. My role is to guide the entire process of cultural change, partly by supplying methodologies and coaching.

• Supervisor process optimization, using the lean methodology.

• Strategic preparations of all kinds aimed at the whole range of "quality".

 

How did you arrive at your current position?

I started at AZ Sint Maarten as main responsible / coordinator of reception services and patient administration. Within this role, I started an optimization process and this led to my new role within the Quality and Strategy department in 2011. While working at the Quality and Strategy department, the organisation decided to put a separate organ in place solely focused on project management. AZ Sint Maarten started this service in 2012 and I got the position as 'project employee'. At this point in time, we started our PMO and I have been actively involved with this. To further develop myself I started a Master in Management and Policy of Healthcare and partly due to this in 2016 I got promoted to my current position. From my current position, I have been appointed as Project Leader of various projects related to the relocation to the new hospital. I managed the ‘telephone’ project, which included the process, number plan, devices, different types of calls etc. But also worked in the project regarding waiting room management (including tools), communication screens, implementation of SmartAIM (application for identity and access control) & badges. Another crucial project I have been part of is the moving of patients to the new structure.  

You work in a hospital, you think the hospital sector approaches PM differently than other sectors? If so, how?

Yes, I am sure about it. Within the Hospital sector, it is very difficult to be able to appoint "dedicated project managers". Operationality and BAU (business as usual) are always given priority, as the main responsibility of the hospital is to provide care. Project management and change always come at a second place and it is difficult to fully assume the role as Project Manager. As a result, Project Leadership must often (usually) be taken up within the hours of another position and has become a very sensitive topic in terms of financing.  

What are the types of challenges that you face in Project Management and how do you overcome these challenges?

The biggest challenge is to keep everyone aware of the structures that we set in place, the fixed agreements that must be followed before a project can and has the approval to start. This calls for persistence and a certain "stubbornness". I realized that I have to push others to see the importance of the structure. This is a delicate process and I noticed that sometimes it is wise to let the topic rest for some time. Only to push again after! The organisation needs a certain structure, but this cannot be enforced. You have to systematically make this visible and show that the structure does contribute to efficiency and success. On the other hand, there is the challenge of the constant trade-off that has to be made between theory and practice within Project Management. Within Project Management, you must invest sufficient time in the "administrative" part, such as project definition, project progress, planning, documentation of decisions, etc. Often that documentation is considered "too much" / "too bureaucratic", but it has to be done nonetheless. We always approach this from a pragmatic approach and do not take it to the extreme, but we advocate minimal processing of the Project because this is the only way to ensure that Projects can be followed up, supported and lead to success.  

I know that the hospital you work for just merged with two other hospitals. How was that handled?

Between 2016 and 2018 we had a slightly different project approach than the "normal PMO" as we were in the middle of the relocation. This "temporary PMO" concerned a whole programme of projects with a clear structure.     The structure was followed very strictly. All other projects were discontinued/postponed. During that period we were guided by consultants, 1 of whom acted as 'PMO' as I was active within the projects themselves. In 2019, after we moved in, we took a close look at the entire operation of the PMO and we have been working on the new operative PMO since 2020.  

What are the benefits of the PMO and how can you measure these?

The PMO provides a clear overview of current affairs, steering towards our strategic objective (mission/vision). It helps us to do things right instead of doing the right things and offers structure to the organisation. In addition, there is the advantage that the PMO has on my position, as it leaves me with more time so that I can take on the role as a "coach" within projects. This improves the way of working in the organisation in a project-based manner and helps the organisation acquire more maturity. How do we measure the benefits? Current projects are closely monitored and if anything deviates from the original plans, this is put on PMC's agenda. As a result, we keep 'the pressure high' and people do not fall into normal operationality. This helps us that projects do not get ‘forgotten’. We have a tool that contains all projects so that status follow-up is (almost) continuously 'up to date'. From this tool, we can create reports and provide an overview of all people involved in the project.  

Did the global pandemic change the approach to PM in hospitals? How?

Yes, projects are running late and there are some that are no longer relevant due to new complications. In our case, this mainly means that there is a delay in the dissemination of knowledge about project-based working. For example, I was delayed in my guidance in drawing up project definitions. A delayed project definition automatically means a delayed start date of the project.  

What kind of advice would you give to the PM staff in hospitals to prepare for the future coming years?

Ensure a good internal project structure and provide clear role descriptions within this structure. Especially if there is a cultural shift needed towards a more active project management structure. IT projects and business projects in hospitals cannot be fully compared and neither can project management. Business is often a "change process" that needs to be tackled differently than simply installing an ICT application. It is also advisable to have someone in the "lead" in the follow-up of projects - a position similar to my position. This person is responsible to constantly push for the same goal. The entire operation of PMO takes time and is also a cultural change in the organisation. Do not underestimate this!  

What are three things you have told yourself that you would like to learn in the near future to develop yourself as a professional?

• I already know lots about the Lean methodology, but I want to master it more and more through an enormous amount of practice and practical examples.
• More knowledge and expertise regarding the budgeting of PMO and portfolio (TCO).
• Explore different coaching techniques, in order to offer the right coaching at the right time to reach the set goal.

 

Maddy Silverans

Maddy is a staff member of the Process and Project Management of the Quality and Strategy department of AZ Sint-Maarten, a hospital. Over the years she gained lots of hands-on experience with Project Management and is currently responsible for the PMO. Maddy has her Black Belt Certification and also works as a coach. Maddy is a true go-getter due to her history and love for sports.

MSP stands for Managing Successful Programmes and is a programme management methodology. MSP represents proven good practice in the successful delivery of transformational change through the application of programme management. Programme management has become an increasingly essential skill worldwide as it is increasingly being recognized as key to enabling organisations to manage transformation. Transformation through effective leadership and strategic control help organisations survive and prosper in a constant and increasing change. MSP Managing Successful Programmes has been utilized by many different organisations to help with this transformation. MSP is used worldwide and has to adapt to a wide variety of programmes, situations and environments. This makes MSP extremely flexible, very comprehensive and widely applicable. MSP provides a structured framework to manage programmes. It helps organisations break large programmes down into individual projects, each clearly defined.  

What are the benefits of using MSP?

Organisations need to respond to continual change in order to survive and grow. MSP provides a base to design and run programmes so that organisations can deliver their strategy and gain measurable benefits from change. MSP helps organisations and individuals manage their projects, programmes and services consistently and effectively. The key benefits of implementing MSP are the following:

• MSP combines the quality of rigour with the flexibility to respond to specific situations.
• MSP provides a practical, step-by-step approach for designing and running successful programmes.
• MSP covers key principles, governance themes and the processes needed to deliver change.
• MSP advises on how to embed, review and apply MSP to achieve high-quality outcomes.
• MSP includes real-life examples of how to apply best-practice programme management.

 

Key elements of MSP

MSP exists of three different groups: the principles, the governance theme and the transformational flow processes.  

The MSP Principles

These are derived from positive and negative lessons learned from programme experiences. They are the common factors that underpin the success of any transformational change. The principles are: 1. Remaining aligned with corporate strategy It means that at no point of time, the programme should deviate from the strategic goals of the organisation. 2.Leading change This emphasizes that change should be led effectively. Envisioning and communicating a better future It aims at having all stakeholders and the programme employees aligned. 3. Focusing on benefits and threats to them This ensures that all benefits are realized and threats to them are managed. 4. Adding value It means that the programme should add value to the organisation. 5. Designing and delivering a coherent capability This focuses on delivering a capability that is useful and in sync with the programme objectives. 6. Learning from experience This aims at not repeating the mistakes that might affect the success of the programme.  

The MSP Governance theme

This defines an organisation’s approach to programme management. They allow an organisation to put in place the right leadership, delivery team, organisation structures and controls, giving the best chance for success. MSP defines the roles and responsibilities of all who need to form part of the leadership of a programme. Effective leadership of a programme is achieved through informed decision-making and a flexible management regime. The key roles involved are:

• Sponsoring group.
• Senior responsible owner.
• Programme manager.
• Business change manager.
• Programme office.

 

The MSP Transformational flow

This provides a route through the lifecycle of a programme from its conception through to the delivery of the new capability, outcomes and benefits.  

MSP Certification Scheme

The MSP certification scheme has two main levels:

MSP Foundation

The Foundation level introduces the MSP method. The MSP Foundation exam aims to confirm that you know and understand the MSP method well enough to be able to work effectively with, or as a member of, a programme management team working within an environment supporting MSP.

MSP Practitioner

The Practitioner level gives you the knowledge to not only understand but actively use and tailor MSP to your specific needs. The MSP Practitioner exam aims to confirm whether you have sufficient understanding of how to apply and tailor MSP in a range of different programme management environments and scenarios.  

How to get MSP Certified

In order to obtain your MSP Certification, you need to take a classroom or online training with an AXELOS' Accredited Training Organisations (ATOs).

QRP International is an official ATO for MSP, accredited by Peoplecert on behalf of Axelos. We are authorized to deliver MSP Foundation and MSP Practitioner classroom, corporate and virtual courses. Source: Axelos  

You must have heard about site reliability engineering (SRE). But do you know what it means and what the differences and similarities between ITIL 4, SRE, and DevOps are? First of all, all these frameworks or 'Best Practices' can add value across your IT value chain. They all answer the need of IT leaders to focus on how to best develop high-performing teams that both enable and accelerate their company’s digital strategy. These three frameworks share some core points:

• Culture: they all introduce a collaborative and connected culture
• Value: the three best practices increase the focus on delivering value with speed and quality for stakeholders
• Automation: automation is used to reduce waste and errors made by humans.

According to the 2019 survey “Upskilling DevOps” by the DevOps Institute, 66 percent of the respondents are adopting DevOps, 47 percent are applying ITIL as a best-practice framework, and 10 percent use (SRE) practices. And many of the teams surveyed were using all three.  

ITIL 4

ITIL 4 is the last evolution of the service management framework from Axelos. It introduces a new Service Value System (SVS) that is supported by 7 guiding principles. The framework is now more aligned with DevOps and Agile, introducing some DevOps practices such as value streams and continuous delivery. All members of the IT organization are involved and they work together to facilitate value creation through IT-enabled services. The key components of the ITIL 4 framework are built upon the service value chain, that delivers value upon demand or opportunity through 7 guiding principles, governance, practices, and continual improvement.

Focus

-service functionalities -non-functional requirements of availability, performance, security, and maintainability.

Purpose

Emphasizes service quality and consistency and aims for improved stakeholders’ satisfaction through ensuring value from the perspective of the stakeholders.  

SRE

Site reliability engineering (SRE) is Google’s approach to service management, introduced in a book of the same name. SRE is a post-production set of practices for operating large systems at scale, with an engineering focus on operations. It introduces the role of the SRE team, which is a defined job role within organizations. The team members are software engineers who are intended to perform operation functions instead of a dedicated operations team. The reliability of production systems and therefore its users are supported by an engineer who applies SRE site principles to manage availability, latency, performance, efficiency, change management, monitoring, emergency response, and capacity planning.

Focus

Non-functional requirements of availability, performance, security, and maintainability.

Purpose

Emphasizes the development of systems and software that increase the reliability and performance of applications and services. SREs also have on-call responsibilities which means they need to be available to provide a service or support.  

DevOps

DevOps is the creation of multidisciplinary teams of Dev and Ops to replace siloed Development and Operations that work together with shared and efficient practices and tools. The key members of a DevOps team are members from the development, operations, and security team who all are working on the software lifecycle in conjunction with each other to improve software quality and speed of software development and delivery with the goal to improve customer experience. DevOps aligns with Lean principles and Agile.

Focus

Speed and quality of functional (application features, etc.) and non-functional requirements of availability, performance, security, and maintainability.

Purpose

Achieve improved quality while managing adequate velocity of software and services for the line of business.  

ITIL 4, SRE, and DevOps: similarities?

• All three methodologies encourage collaboration among the different stakeholders across IT and with the business and/or product owners.

• All three address the key topic of change management. ITIL 4 using change management governance; SRE with the concept of an “error budget” (it allows changes to be made by the SRE team until the error budget is “spent.”); DevOps teams are continually managing changes that typically are gradual.

• They are supported by a vast set of automation tools. Some tools claim to focus on DevOps, others automate key processes. The automation tool landscape is complex and continually changing.

• They also focus on continuous learning and experimentation. The skills for each methodology might change but basically, they all need a combination of automation and process skills, soft and functional skills, business, and technical skills.

 

ITIL 4, SRE, and DevOps: differences?

The key differences among the methodologies are in:

• Team topology
  • ITIL 4 does not require the team members to be on one team.
  • SRE is a defined role with a defined title.
  • DevOps team topologies vary, but most effective DevOps teams are a single team with the same objectives and metrics.

 

• Metrics
  • ITIL 4:  meeting of service level objectives.
  • SRE: reliability of applications and services, with a focus on service level objectives and service level indicators.
  • DevOps: deployment frequency and time to restore.

 

• Certifications
  • The ITIL framework provides solid governance for IT and enterprise service management process optimization and improvements for medium and large organizations. Certifications are available at foundation, managing professional, strategic leader, and master level.
  • Courses to learn and understand SRE is available from Google and others.
  • DevOps certifications are available at the foundation and additional levels. The governance model is mostly done through self-organization.

 

When should ITIL 4, SRE, and DevOps be used?

You can adapt ITIL 4 anytime, there are no requirements of previous ITIL versions. ITIL 4 introduces and governs common best practices and language to improve customer satisfaction, service availability, and financial efficiencies. ITIL 4 also addresses organizations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, and value streams and processes.   SRE can be adopted via the introduction of an SRE engineer as a formal team member either within a DevOps team or within a Service Management team. SRE can also be adopted by organizations that don’t have any exposure to ITIL 4 or DevOps. Key usage is when reliability is a stated goal of the organization, and the system is undergoing any growth in users, complexity, and/or the number of configuration items. A key benefit of SRE teams is the creation of self-service tools and automation scripts to address the reliability and performance of applications and services which eliminates manual work.   DevOps adoption can take place anytime. Key trigger points are the demands of improved delivery speed and quality of software, products, and/or services to its stakeholders. One key benefit is that it brings cultural transformation, improves speed and quality on how software is developed and delivered. It builds on Agile software development and service management techniques and encourages the use of automation to reduce manual work of skilled individuals to focus on more value-adding tasks and activities. DevOps highlights the reliability, maintainability, and operability of software across all its team members.  

Conclusions

All three methodologies can co-exist together to align teams, meet stakeholder's demands, and improve the value delivered.

No matter which framework/s you choose, you need to focus on:

1. A common vision and a purpose
2. Infusing and managing a culture of care
3. Making decisions and making them visible
4. Defining metrics and measures before you start while continuing to prove the value of your efforts to your stakeholders.

Digital transformation is not achieved immediately across an organization, organizations should start with Best Practices and methodologies that fit their needs by starting small, then learn, build expertise, and scale-up. Source: Stop the Arguments: ITIL v4 and SRE and DevOps All Are Transformation Aids by Eveline Oehrlich, DevOps Institute © 2019 DevOps Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Within ITIL 4 there is a lot to do about ‘control’ related to plan and improve activities. These are two specific aspects of the ITIL 4 Value Chain. The ITIL Strategist Direct, Plan and Improve module goes into depth on this topic and provides guidance to ITIL users when it comes to controlling.  

ITIL v4: Control

If we have to establish the direction, we need to define what the control is supposed to be. In ITIL 4 there is the concept of "shared government", which dispels the myth that government is linked to just the board of an organisation. Leading an organisation can be applied at many levels and each level has its own authority. In fact, each employee has a perimeter that he/she governs, has some form of authority, directs the actions to be taken and defines what the results are. ITIL emphasizes that beyond the sphere of control, people also have a sphere of influence, which means that resources can influence the decisions made by others.  

How to use ‘control’ according to ITIL 4?

ITIL 4 recommends to design and implement a goals cascade. This cascade must start from the goals and objectives that we set for ourselves. What follows are the definitions of the necessary indicators and the metrics that will support them.  

How to design a cascade

Often we start by the use of data-collection tools and collect information that is not always useful. Instead, here we start from the objectives and then define the indicators and metrics. The design of the measurement system cascades (in the image from top to bottom) is from purpose to metrics.

Of course, the measurement will then feed the indicators through the metrics, which will support the objectives and finally the ultimate goal of our needs (from bottom to top in the image).

So if it is true that it does not make sense that all decisions are taken at the same level, as it slows down the decision-making process, it is necessary to build a widespread authority. A widespread authority is created by delegating as much as possible. One way to do this is by using a metric cascade that provides the tools so that everyone can make the best decisions based on the information that he/she receives in regards to his/her own level. If the scope of control is too narrow it will always lead to pushing decisions upwards, which is something that should be avoided. If, on the other hand, the control area is too broad, there is the risk of making strategic decisions at lower organisational levels. On the one hand, restricted control leads to escalation and therefore longer times, on the other hand, less restricted control could lead to decisions with risks that are not carefully evaluated. We must therefore try to mitigate the risks by training people or providing guidelines so that decisions are aware and structured. The ITIL 4 Direct, Plan and Improve module provides the practical skills necessary to create an IT organization in continuous improvement, with a strong and effective strategic direction. ITIL DPI provides a practical method to plan and implement continuous improvement with the necessary agility. Learn more about the exam here.     ITIL® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.

Olivia Le Jeune is project director for the transformation of the operational model of French Retail Banking and President of PMI France.  

What is your current job, what do you do?

I have been a project director for 3 years at the head of Retail Banking in France. Previously, I held a position which consisted of developing and establishing a project management community, at the level of the Société Générale group. Here we set up certification courses for our employees in France and internationally, in particular PMP® and ACP®, and that is how I joined the PMI (Project Management Institute). Société Générale is one of the biggest partner companies of the PMI, due to its number of certified employees (+600). My role was, therefore, to conceptualize and set up professionalization courses on 3 levels:

• Junior project manager
• Certification courses for project managers
• Project director

We gave form to the entire project management sector through thematic conferences. I was in charge of what was called "Project Bars" or "PM coffee". To start a new discussion or conference, we would start a topic, for example, "The cloud in project management, what does it mean to you?" We would then have this discussion with all sorts of employees with different profiles. We created interactive discussions on themes and collected feedback, which allowed us to raise certain issues or needs from the field. This is how we came to set up training courses and workshops at the group level. The initiative started face-to-face and following its international success, we carried out "blended project bars" both face-to-face and remote, simultaneously.  

How did you come to have a career in project management?

I own a master's degree in chemistry but due to the economic context of the time and the arrival of the euro, I was recruited into the banking sector as a programmer analyst. In those days, service companies were looking for scientific profiles because there were not enough computer scientists available. A few years later, I entered the world of project management, as an MOA project manager. I learned a lot from the service company, where I worked for over ten years. It allowed me to acquire a very diverse knowledge, to see a lot of customers, many ways of working and adaptability. In 2007 I responded to an offer from Crédit du Nord for a program PMO position. During the 5 years I worked here, I started to develop my expertise in PMO program and project management. Subsequently, I joined Société Générale. In 2016 we organized events in partnership with PMI and Microsoft, where I met a member of PMI who wanted to organize a national forum in Paris. He was looking to put together a team to set up the project, including an assistant, and I accepted the challenge. I was in charge of the second edition in 2017 and a year later I joined the board of directors of the PMI chapter France, with sponsorship and national projects as a mission. I was elected president of PMI France last year and re-elected this year. I am the second woman in France, elected president of a chapter and the first at the national level.  

Where did you get the idea of launching the Women by PMI initiative?

Statistics show us that only 25% of people involved with PMI are women (20% worldwide). We understood there was a need to create the Women by PMI project and we did so after very interesting discussions with our partner companies. The idea came from one of our volunteers working within the Schlumberger group. In view of the figures and her experience, she had the idea of creating a community of women at PMI, like the one at Schlumberger. The community focuses on Women in order to educate them about project management, PMP training and certifications.  

Why do you think the percentage of women is so low?

Project management, wrongly, is often associated with IT since job openings as a project manager are often related to IT departments. IT departments are mostly made up of more men than women. However, the world of project management is not limited to IT and encompasses a wide range of sectors where male and female are equally divided. The Women by PMI project is precisely the opportunity for us to spread information and show that project management is not only linked to the information system and IT. There is just as much need for project management in a business direction, in real estate, marketing, finance, ... I had the opportunity to interact with a young woman who felt that she was not concerned with project management in her daily life since she has the role of Product Owner. In reality, it is quite the opposite, the Product Owner is an integral part of the project. We, therefore, wish to redefine the definition of project management to clarify the discipline and all that it encompasses. I think there are a lot more women who do project management on a daily basis but are not necessarily aware of it. By informing professionals, men and women, and by clearly defining project management, we could easily increase these statistics.  

What does the Women in PMI project entail precisely?

Through this initiative we want to:

• Develop and professionalize certain companies which to date do not have knowledge of PMI and what it can provide at the corporate level.
• Popularize what project management is, the professions and what it encompasses, in order to facilitate the understanding and recognition of professionals.
• Inspiring thousands of women.
• Increase the PMI community, both in terms of professionals and partner companies, which I would like to point out are absolutely heterogeneous, from all profiles and sectors.

 

What about the practical side of the project?

Our aim is to further spread the professionalization of project management, through certifications, training courses and also mentoring. The focus is mostly, but not limited, to women. We organize a lot of initiatives, networking events, PM coffee to enable women to create and develop their own network, either with partner companies or among themselves. We held an event in November 2019, in partnership with Schlumberger for the launch of the initiative, as well as two themed networking events before the lockdown, which were all very successful. Unfortunately, all our initiatives since February have been cancelled.  

How can I join the initiative?

You can join the initiative as a member: you can register for online events as soon as they occur and participate in face-to-face events. The COVID-19 crisis has slowed the development of the initiative, but as soon as the situation allows it, we fully intend to resume our efforts. We would like to welcome new volunteers to support us and actively participate in the development of Women by PMI. This project is a real added value, beneficial not only for women but for the entire project management community and for all the people who do project management thinking of not doing it. We want to support professionals in their development, particularly through the mentoring project. Indeed, being and feeling accompanied by a senior project management mentor is a real advantage. What is extraordinary about this initiative is the meeting and mixing of all these women who share varied experiences and skills, whether they are members or not, volunteers or not, there is an enormous wealth that emerges from the diversity of the community, however intercultural it may be. To all the women of the community: know that you are welcome!   Fabiola Maisonnier Project Manager PMI France, Olivia Le Jeune President PMI France, François Delignette Sponsor of the initiative  

Olivia Le Jeune

Olivia is project director for the transformation of the operational model of French Retail Banking and President of PMI France.