Project Management Office
About
The IT Project Management Information Services team provides leadership for planning, developing, implementing, evaluating, and managing campus-wide and cross-divisional information technology initiatives. The team supports the College with technology process improvement and technology effectiveness capacity, which includes: IT process improvement, IT project management, change management, strategic planning support, program analysis and evaluation, and technology plan development support. The team also oversees and provides oversight and consultative services related to IT software and technology contracts. PMO performs assessments, consulting and facilitation services for new and existing IT contracts related to licensing compliance, utilization, infrastructure/enterprise compatibly as well as identifying and leveraging efficiencies
To effectively manage projects within our portfolio, IT PMO will strive to:
- Support Information Technology Governance to prioritize, develop and implement approved projects
- Uphold strong relationships with all stakeholders
- Provide project documentation to inform leadership and technology planning
- Ensure successful project outcomes
- Develop communication plans to assist project team members
- Utilize best practices and methodologies for project management (PMBOK) and service management (ITIL)
- Create collaborative and supportive project environments
- Support IT contract management and compliance
Project Planning
The IT Project Facilitators are embedded in the project, review and monitor project health; create project oversight reports; escalate project risks and issues; and assist project staff in developing appropriate risk and issue mitigation strategies. Throughout the various project phases, the IT Project Facilitator conducts the following:
- Evaluates the strength and health of the project throughout its duration by attending project meetings; reviews project plans, documents, reports and processes; and collaborates with the Subject Matter Expert and the IT team.
- Identifies and reviews project issues and risks and provides feedback on mitigation strategies.
- Compares actual project status to the planning assumptions approved through the Project Approval documents.
- Issues a written report to Hartnell's Cabinet, which is an objective third party assessment of the project鈥檚 health and progress.
- Provides written reports at each project committee meeting to ensure all oversight parties and executive stakeholders are informed of project status and progress.
- Reviews and provides feedback on project approval requests and project planning documents.
- Escalates, tracks, and monitors project risks and issues.
T Project Facilitators provide feedback to departments to help plan and monitor projects and to bring projects to successful deployment. The Project Management Office focuses on ensuring that the scope, schedule, and costs associated with each project are adequately defined, planned, and monitored.
During the course of the project oversight, IT Project Facilitators focus on the top five issues that often derail state projects. They are:
- Governance: How is the project structured? Are decisions made timely at the appropriate level of authority? This includes not just the plan for action, but the action itself. Execution of governance can ensure issues are addressed timely and escalated to the appropriate authorities to reduce risk to the project portfolio.
- Risk and Issues: What are some of the risks and issues affecting the project鈥檚 success? Are they properly identified? Who is allowed to raise risks and issues? How is it done? Are risk mitigation and issue resolution strategies identified, appropriate to the issue, deployed, and managed?
- Interfaces: Will the (new/enhanced) system interface with another? Who owns the system? Does this require data sharing with other agencies/entities?
- Data Migration and Conversion: This is often the driving force behind an IT Project; is there a requirement to migrate and convert vast quantities of data? Has all the data been properly identified? Is data cleanup required? Will conversion occur prior to migration? Parameters are critical here, as are time frames.
- Schedule: A baselined and fully resource-loaded schedule is necessary for thorough project planning. Is the schedule being maintained to show actual completion dates, and thus start dates for dependent activities? Does the schedule properly identify all predecessors and successors?
- How do I get started on a project with IT?
The first step in understanding your project needs is to complete a New Project Request, Technology Consulting Request, or Enterprise Software Review.
- I want to change our systems, but I don't know what we need or have. What should I do?
If you would like to have a discovery meeting to dig deeper into your needs, please fill out a Technology Consulting Request. We'd love to meet with you!
- What is the PMO's availability or timeframe for projects?
Services are available during normal business hours. Once engaged, your Project Facilitator will adjust to your project and business work hours depending on resource allocations.
- What is the PMO currently working on?
To see our comprehensive project portfolio as well as active projects, please see our Project Management Office dashboard.