Program Management in Defense and High Tech Environments (Best Practices in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management)

Program management in a technical environment is as much art as it is science. Effective program managers are able to combine management and leadership skills for the good of the program and the people entrusted to them. This book illuminates the entire life cycle of the programfrom the customers original concept to successful completion. It includes many helpful ideas and insights into why programs and program managers can fail. Much more importantly, it provides insights about how program managers can succeed. Program Management in Defense and High Tech Environments is organized as a chronological "tale" of a program life cycle, with "side trips" that cover the important concepts of leadership, claims and claims avoidance, earned value measurement (EVM), communication basics, negotiations, and coaching. The book begins with an overview of program management, discussing the role of program managers, their required skills and experience, and the types of programs and contracts. The remainder of the book provides more detail on the program managers role and the environment in which he or she works. Understanding that academic explanations of program management activities can be dry, the author uses true-to-life stories to present the nuts and bolts of the work. These stories illustrate the science of program management and the art that is necessary for success. The book discusses many of the common program pitfalls. It explains how to detect and avoid scope creepthe unintended expansion of program scope. It details both internal and external scope creep and stresses the importance of constant vigilance to prevent cost overruns and schedule delays. Program Management in Defense and High Tech Environments is a comprehensive guide for early- and mid-career program managers to understand what they need to do to be successful. It is also a valuable resource for later-career program managers who want to learn through other program managers successes and failures. Content: Overview: Program Management in the Department of Defense (DoD)/High Technology EnvironmentRole of the Program ManagerQualifications, Experience, Talents, and SkillsTypes of ProgramsTypes of ContractsOrganizational Overview-Departmental InterfacesSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsLearning the Ropes: Understanding the Culture, the Customer, and the Program CapabilitiesThe Program in the Company CultureThe Program and the Customer (And His or Her Culture)The Program and the TeamEnd of Chapter QuestionsIdentifying OpportunitiesThe Program Manager's Knowledge Is KeyProgram Manager OpportunitiesEnd of Chapter QuestionsPre-Proposal WorkUsing Pre-Proposal Efforts to Develop a Winning ProposalOther ConsiderationsSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsThe Proposal Process for a "Typical Program"The Important Pre-Proposal PeriodTo Bid or Not to BidDeveloping the Strategy-Getting Started"Price to Win"Leading the Proposal TeamBuilding the TeamProposal Preparation-Storyboarding and Team DynamicsPricingPricing Strategies and Risk ManagementReviewsBusiness Reviews-The Sign-Off ProcessNoncompetitive ProposalsWinning and Almost Winning the Contract-Final NegotiationsContract RefinementBut What if You Lose?What if You Lost for the "Wrong Reason"?End of Chapter QuestionsPlanning the Program and Starting WorkThe Management PartThe Leadership PartSourcingOutsourcing Work PackagesOutsourcing ProductBuilding the Program CultureEnd of Chapter QuestionsRunning the ProgramLeadership StylesMaking Progress and Monitoring ProgressMonitoring Progress-MetricsFocusing on QualityManaging the CustomerIdentifying and Avoiding Performance TrapsGetting "Stuck" and Getting "Unstuck"Customers as MotivatorsKeeping Senior Management EngagedDetecting Trouble and Determining What To Do About ItWhen Problems Get Really BadCountervailing Forces and PrioritiesDetecting and Avoiding "Scope Creep"-InternalDetecting and Avoiding "Scope Creep"-ExternalScope Creep-In SummaryMonitoring Versus ControllingCost Control in the TrenchesMonitoring Schedules-Program ReviewsLeadership and CaringProgram Changes and ContinuityManaging External ChangesCelebrating Victories-Confronting DefeatsDealing with Individual Performance ProblemsDiagnosing and Resolving ProblemsCelebrating the Success at the End of the ProgramSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsClaim Identification, Claim Management, and Claim AvoidanceLate GFEDefective GFEDelayed Approvals or Contract ActionsInappropriate Disapprovals or CommentsNoncontractual DirectionFlawed Technical SpecificationsDefective InformationClaims Against YouOther Considerations in Claim ManagementSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsLeadership ModelsLeadership: Getting People To Do What You Want Them To DoSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsCommunicationsCommunications among the TeamWhat About Communication outside the Team?Communication with the CustomerA Critical Communication SkillSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsEarned Value ManagementApplying EVM TheorySummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsNegotiationsContract NegotiationsCustomer Negotiations-Ongoing ContractsInternal Negotiations-Work BudgetsSupport Groups-Negotiations with Support GroupsSupplier NegotiationsSubcontractor NegotiationsSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsCoachingRecognizing Influence in CoachingDetermining When to CoachSummaryEnd of Chapter QuestionsInheriting a Program Already in ProgressBecoming a Member and Leader of the TeamImportance of ContinuityFresh EACSummaryEnd of Chapter Questions This book illuminates the entire life cycle of program management from the customer's original concept to successful completion. It includes many helpful ideas and insights into why programs and program managers can fail and provides insights about how program managers can succeed. It is orgnized as a chronological "tale" of a program life cycle, with "side trips" that cover important concepts of leadership, claims and claims avoidance, earned value measurement (EVM), communication basics, negotiations, and coaching. Topics include: overview of program management; role of program managers, their required skills and experience and types of programs and contracts; program manager's role and environment. McCarthy uses true-to-life stories to present the nuts and bolts of the work to illustrate the science of program management and the art that is necessary for success. -- Edited summary from book Chapter 1. Overview : program management in the department of defense (DoD)/high technology environment -- chapter 2. Learning the ropes : understanding the culture, the customer, and the program capabilities -- chapter 3. Identifying opportunities -- chapter 4. Pre-proposal work -- chapter 5. The proposal process for a typical program -- chapter 6. Planning the program and starting work -- chapter 7. Running the program -- chapter 8. Claim identification, claim management, and claim avoidance -- chapter 9. Leadership models -- chapter 10. Communications -- chapter 11. Earned value management -- chapter 12. Negotiations -- chapter 13. Coaching -- chapter 14. Inheriting a program already in progress