In a time when budgets are tight -- and smaller agencies are required to report project metrics in the same way as their larger counterparts -- organizations need project management (PM) more than ever.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires qualified program managers to direct major IT investments. Even organizations that aren't subject to OMB requirements must still find ways to be more efficient. Technology changes rapidly, and the ability to adapt to change, manage risks and assign critical resources is needed across IT organizations. Using sound PM practices to inform that efficiency is a proven plan for success.

But how do you get that plan going? What is the best way to instill a PM culture throughout your organization? Organizations that successfully practice PM find that the efficiency gains save money for the enterprise.

Every year, IT projects cost billions of dollars more than expected -- whether from cancellations or costly rework. The only way for IT organizations to improve a project's likelihood for success is to take project management to the next level and work on the institutionalization piece.

How do you take IT professionals and turn them into project managers? The quickest and most efficient way is to set up a PM training program. IT professionals today are faced with more responsibility to manage projects -- yet their past professional training typically has not covered PM. Like IT skills, PM skills require combining education with practical experience.

The key for smaller organizations is to ensure they are focusing on results. Rather than simply trying to create a PM culture, organizations should focus on creating a results culture that uses PM practices to ensure and measure the journey toward success.

Equipping the IT work force with the skills needed to practice PM requires the processes and methodologies to carry out the new discipline, and the tools and metrics to track and measure success.

The following is a high-level road map for determining the right PM training program for your organization -- and your budget.



1. Determine your project's organizational structure and key stakeholders.
When working with an organization interested in PM training, I usually begin with one functional area first -- typically IT.

When I ask about the results the IT area wants to achieve -- which groups it supports and the projects it manages -- the answer I often receive is that the entire organization is affected by the PM function, and the PM training program will eventually service the entire organization. If you want to establish a project management office (PMO) in your organization, ensure that employees understand and are committed to its structure and governance. Leadership buy-in is key to its success.

The Gartner Research report, How to Determine Where and How Many PMs Your Organization Needs, validated a PM rule of thumb: For an IT project, approximately 5 percent to 15 percent of the budget should be dedicated to PM functions required to carry it out.

CIOs considering developing a PM training program can use this percentage range to get an idea of how much a project will cost. The number of projects, their dollar values and their levels of visibility in the organization can help the CIO determine the best way to manage them. Don't be afraid to ask other functional areas within the organization to pitch in. When organizations share in the financial commitment of PM training, their commitment to a PM culture that produces results is much more likely to happen.

In my PM training experience, I've found that when students come from across organizational functions in an agency, the training program becomes more than just about improving PM skills -- it is about improving collaboration and communication within the agency.