Change Management Tips and Training

There are not many organisations this year which will not be looking hard at organisation, processes and systems in order to respond to changing market conditions. Change Management has as much to do with leadership and interpersonal skills as it does with project management or systems development.

Whilst techniques for Project Management, Business Analysis, and Benefits Management play an important role, when it comes to delivering change then it is the personal and behavioural aspects which are also crucial to success.

We hope you find these tips useful – and inspire you to delve deeper into the specialist literature, or explore the excellent Change Management training courses accredited by the APMG.

1. Vision & Strategy
People find change deeply disturbing and threatening.  During implementation there may be confusion and chaos.  It is vital that the destination and logic is clear and stable throughout.
2. Communication
You will only start to overcome personal resistance if you can convey the reasons for the change and the reasons why specific actions need to be taken. This needs to be maintained throughout.
3. Involvement
Take those affected through the change drivers and objectives.  There is often much more agreement than you would expect once the facts and hard realities are being openly discussed.
4. Sense of Urgency
To overcome resistance to change you need to build a head of steam. There is no room for complacency.
5. Realistic, Achievable and Measurable objectives
At both personal and organisational levels it is vital that objectives are crisply defined and success can be recognised.
6. Culture
Build a leadership team which is not only empowered to drive the necessary actions – but which also conveys through actions and words the organisational style that you seek.
7. Overcome Road Blocks
Change can be obstructed by dogma, systems, or prominent individuals. You must remove these obstacles or navigate routes around them.
8. Short Term Wins
You are a missionary.  You need stories and parables to tell.  Early wins can help paint a tangible picture of what you are looking to achieve.
9. Create Goodwill
Be respectful and helpful at all times – this will be repaid.
10.  Celebrate and reward
There will be winners and losers.  It is vital that sacrifices are respected and the future team understands when goals have been achieved.

>> Change Management Training Courses
>> Article from Training & Development

Blogalot - April 2010

Data Protection and the Information Commissioner’s Office

They deny there will be scapegoats, but there is speculation that the Information Commissioner’s Office will make use of new powers acquired on 6th April to reinforce its message on data protection. Organisations must be mindful of both heavy fines and highly negative publicity which may arise from breach of statutory requirements.

There is some useful advice on the ICO’s website - and it’s in a surprisingly digestible format.  The FAQs below are based on one introductory section.

The Data Protection Act 1998 establishes a framework of rights and duties which are designed to safeguard personal data. This framework balances the legitimate needs of organisations to collect and use personal data for business and other purposes against the right of individuals to respect for the privacy of their personal details. The legislation itself is complex and, in places, hard to understand. However, it’s underpinned by a set of eight straightforward, common-sense principles. If you make sure you handle personal data in line with the spirit of those principles, then you will go a long way towards ensuring that you comply with the letter of the law.

Does the Data Protection Act apply to me?
Only if you “process personal data”. if so, you must handle the personal data in accordance with the data protection principles. Broadly, if you collect or hold information about an identifiable living individual, or if you use, disclose, retain or destroy that information, you are likely to be processing personal data.

Do I need to notify the Information Commissioner?
If you are processing personal data you usually have to notify the Information Commissioner about this. Failure to notify is a criminal offence. The main purpose of notification and the public register is transparency and openness.

Are there any exceptions?
The Act provides an exemption from notification for some organisations that process personal data only for:
- staff administration (including payroll);
- advertising, marketing and public relations in connection with your own business
- accounts and records

Do I have to reply to a subject access request?
Yes, unless an exemption applies. One of the main rights which the Act gives to individuals is the right of access to their personal data. An individual may send you a “subject access request” requiring you to tell them whether you are processing their personal data and, if so, to provide certain information.

What does “fair processing” mean?
The first data protection principle requires you to process personal data fairly and lawfully. Ensuring fairness in everything you do with people’s personal details is central to complying with your duties under the Data Protection Act. In practice, it means that you must:
•have legitimate reasons for collecting and using the personal data
•not use the data in ways that have unjustified adverse effects on the individuals concerned
•be open and honest about how you intend to use the data
•give individuals appropriate privacy notices when collecting their personal data
•handle people’s personal data only in ways they would reasonably expect
•make sure you do not do anything unlawful with the data.

What is a privacy notice?
One of the requirements of the Act’s fair processing provisions is that certain information is given to the individuals concerned. The oral or written statement that individuals are given when information about them is collected is often called a “privacy notice” or a “fair processing notice”.

Can I use personal data for a new purpose or disclose it to a third party?
It depends. You should keep within the spirit of the intended use advised when the data is collected - and you should explain your modified intentions and, at the very least, give your existing customers an easy way to opt out.

Can I send personal data overseas?
You may transfer personal data to countries within the European Economic Area on the same basis as you may transfer it within the UK.  However, you may only send it to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area if that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of individuals in relation to processing personal data.

Fly to London and Pass Prince2 - 5 days for £995

For customers in mainland Europe, the 5-day Fast Track Prince2 Foundation and Practitioner course is expensive and hard to source

Focus on Training have experienced an increase in customers flying in to the UK to take advantage of the lower course prices in the UK.

Cheap flights to London and 5-day courses from £995 (Including exams) now make this an attractive proposition.

Find out more at Fly and Pass Prince2 for £995

There are also 5-day deals which include hotel and accommodation for £1695

Contact Focus at info@focus-on-training.co.uk or visit the Focus website

Update on ITIL V2 Qualifications

If you want to take the ITIL Manager route to ITIL certification you need to act now!

The OGC has announced the phasing out of the version 2 ITIL qualifications during 2010.  The timing was decided after consultation with itSMF International.

Withdrawal is phased by product:
- V2 Foundation to cease 30 June 2010
- V2 Manager to cease 31 August 2010
- V2 Practitioner to cease 31 Dec 2010
- Foundation Bridge to cease 31 Dec 2010

All of the above will be available for re-sits until 30 June 2011.

This basically means that to achieve ITIL Red Badge you need to be preparing for the final rounds of exams in April or July.  Remember it requires just two courses (beyond Foundation) and you can then use the ITIL Manager’s Bridge to upgrade to the Version 3 ITIL Expert qualification at a later date. 

>> ITIL Manager Training Courses
>> Download Guide “ITIL Qualifications Explained”
>> Buy the latest ITIL manuals

Blogalot - December 2010

Top Project Websites & Communities

Sharing of best practice amongst Project & Programme Management professionals was a central theme at the conference for the public service sector in December.

Helen Goulding of the Audit Commission presented various useful websites and communities. We’ve added a few more to make this “top ten” list. 

1. OGC - http://www.ogc.gov.uk/programmes_and_projects.asp
- the government’s agency promoting more efficient PPM

2. Best Management Practice - http://www.best-management-practice.com/
- from the OGC, APMG and TSO (organisations behind PRINCE2, MSP & ITIL)
- comprehensive information about OGC training and qualifications

3. Best Practice User Group - http://www.usergroup.org.uk/�
- User group associated with the Best Management Practice website

4. I&DeA -  http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=5817020
- Improvement & Development Agency
- Share best practice regarding many aspects of government
- Includes knowledge base of project and change management materials

5. Capital Ambition - http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/capitalambition/default.htm
- London’s Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership
- Toolkits, Shared Projects, Networking, Local Meetings etc

6. JISC Infonet - http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/
- emphasis on the education sector
- toolkits, guides, seminars etc

7. Eastern Development Centre - http://www.easterndc.org.uk/
- Supports NHS organisations - predominantly in east of england
- 60 staff and contractors working on health service projects

8. Association for Project Management - http://www.apm.org.uk/
- The UK’s professional body for project managers
- Information on qualifications
- Regional communities - and special interest groups

9. The Project Management Institute - http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx
- the US based international PM membership organisation
- details on internationally recognised experience based qualifications
- also links to UK (and other national) PMI organisations

10. FOCUS on TRAINING - http://www.focus-on-training.co.uk/
- Find and book accredited training across the UK
- Download guides to popular qualifications
- On-line learning options
- Books (including OGC manuals) at discount prices

Do suggest other useful sites and communities for project and programme management professionals

Blogalot - December 2009

Prince2 and ITIL Training in Amsterdam and Utrecht

Most people recognise Prince2 and ITIL as British qualifications, but not everyone is aware that their popularity and use is growing worldwide

PRINCE2 exams are available in many European languages and also Mandarin, and Prince2 training courses are now available in many European countries

ITIL too is steadily growing across the world

It was with this in mind, that our valiant leader Steve Twine set sail from the shores of old Blighty towards the Netherlands, the second most popular location for Prince2 training. He received a friendly welcome from the natives and signed up prince2 and ITIL training providers for his new Netherlands website www.focus-on-training.nl

So, we can now offer you Prince2 and ITIL training courses in Amsterdam and Utrecht, with more cities and courses expected soon !

Beyond PRINCE2

Skills, Methodology & Experience

Project Management education is growing up.  Puzzled by the fact that there are still far too many instances of underperforming projects even after extensive PRINCE2 training, organisations are starting to think more intelligently about the knowledge and capabilities which make for a successful project manager.

At the Best Practice Showcase in London in June, Eileen Roden summed it up neatly with a cooking analogy. PRINCE2 is an excellent recipe - but simply being able to repeat the list of ingredients and process instructions won’t make you a top chef.

Those who are serious about developing their project management careers need “ticks” against 3 distinct aspects of project management:

1. Project Manager Skills. The basic competencies which are needed to be effective. These cover many of the skills exhibited by successful general managers. You need business and financial awareness, leadership skills, planning skills, negotiation skills - as well as technical skills such as planning and risk management.

2. Project Methodology. Organisations that run projects efficiently will have developed processes and language which are applied regularly and consistently. And across many types of organisation you will find the basic elements are very similar. PRINCE2 is a distillation of these good practices. 

3. Experience. As with so much else, wisdom comes from the accumulation of successes - and a few failures. Training can help you understand how to apply skills and methods to practical situations but there is ultimately no substitute for experience.

Some of the County Councils are actively re-assessing their project management training along these lines: one is looking at a blend of APMP, PRINCE2 and a tailored element specific to their needs. There are even suggestions that we may see greater collaboration between APM and the APMG to combine their respective strengths in skills and methodology.

>> PRINCE2 Training Courses
>> APMP Training Courses
>> PMI Certification
>> Download APM and PRINCE2 Training Guides

Blogalot - September 2009

Agile Project Management - 10 Golden Rules

Successful Application of Approaches such as DSDM Atern and RAD is Underpinned by Essential Rules

Agile project management specialist, Keith Richards, has distilled 10 golden rules based on his personal experience of facilitating and leading agile projects in hundreds of organisations. He shared these at the recent Best Practice User Group Showcase in London.

1. Define the project objective in less than 10 words
- all team members should be able to write it on a post-it note
2. Build a team with those who can say “can”
- “if you think you can’t, you can’t” (Carol Bartz)
3. Go slow early to go fast
- do enough design up front
4. Look backwards to go forwards
- learn lessons along the way
5. Change is great!
- Agile techniques are designed to handle changing requirements
6. To be understood, seek first to understand
- A great bit of philosophy from Stephen Covey
7. Collect actuals - this is the oxygen for your project
- You can’t control what you can’t measure (Tom DeMarco)
8. Use fat communications channels
- Go Face to Face!
9. Work hard at controlling what you can’t control
- Or at least control the consequences of what you can’t control
10. One more day? NO.
- Zero time tolerance - this is the NUMBER ONE rule

>> DSDM courses at Focus
>> PRINCE2 courses at Focus
>> Buy ‘Agile Project Management: running PRINCE2 projects with DSDM Atern’ by Keith Richards
>> Focus LinkedIn group

Blogalot  June 2009

Leadership & Management Training Grants

Have YOU claimed your £1,000 from the Government?

There is a really good scheme operating across England which is designed to help organisations with 5-250 employees improve their management and leadership skills.

It’s flexible, fast and not too bureacratic. In conjunction with your specialist skills advisor YOU choose the training which is right for you. This might well include accredited project management and service management courses such as PRINCE2, MSP, MoR and ITIL. Equally it might be tailored training, coaching or mentoring.

You can get £500 free training with no strings - and £500 on a matched funding basis.

The only disappointment is that there’s only one allocation per organisation.

It was launched as part of the Train to Gain initiative - though this is now being integrated with business support services co-ordinated under the Business Link umbrella.

>> FIND OUT HOW TO APPLY FOR YOUR £1,000

Blogalot May 2009

Seven Strategies for Staying on Top of Your Career

Stay on top of your career and bottom of the redundancy list.

1. Connecting the Dots - Adding Value
Ask yourself what the purpose of your company is, how it makes money, who the client base is, and how you contribute to it.  If you’re in government, ask yourself who’s the end-user or “customer of our services”.

2. Specialising in Your Industry
Survey your skill set.  What other special knowledge can you bring to the table outside your current job focus?  Make sure that your boss knows about it.

3. Building Your Own Brand
Take inventory of your people skills.  What weaknesses did your boss mention at your last review?  What can you undertake to offset those weaknesses while playing to your strengths.

4. Creating a Status Report
Suggest a periodic status report to give your boss an overview of your department’s happenings.  Even if you only send it to one person, make sure it’s the right person - the one who makes decisions about your future.

5. Continuing Your Education
Make certain your credentials are in order.  Go the extra mile to maintain your body of knowledge by going on continuing education classes regularly.

6. Establishing Cross-Sector Knowledge
Write down any unfamiliar terms you hear.  Look them up online or in an industry handbook.  It’s the fastest way to align your talk with your walk.

7. Expanding Your Network
Maintain a database of contacts on which to call when times get tight.  Your network can act as your insurance policy in the event you need it.

These tips come from J LeRoy Ward, PMP, PgMP. They are an abbreviated version of an article appearing in Project Manager Today March 2009. LeRoy Ward is author of the Dictionary of Project Management Terms (3rd edition, October 2008) and executive vice president of ESI International.