Empowering Summer Interns Through Standard Work Practices

  Agile   PMO   Talent Management  

Standardized work practices are more than just operational tools: learning, collaboration, and performance accelerators. According to PMI's Pulse of the Profession (2023, 2024), organizations that embrace structured methodologies consistently outperform their peers.

At Farm Credit Mid-America (FCMA), integrating hybrid project management and repeatable processes has created fertile ground for intern success. This article highlights how FCMA's Project Management Office (PMO)—called the Process Improvement & Execution (PIE) team—empowered two summer interns in 2025 to deliver high-impact solutions using a scaled-down, yet robust, project framework.

The projects included:

1. Project 1 (Matthew McBride): Development of a dashboard to track the adoption of a cloud-based work operating system
2. Project 2 (Candence Fairchild): Collection of user feedback to inform a new hire training program

Background about FCMA’s Intern Program
FCMA’s intern program is crafted to give college students the real-life experience they need to develop and chase their career goals. The program’s purpose is to create experiences that lead to the understanding of FCMA, develop transferable skills, build a talent pipeline, and create FCMA advocates and allies.

The internship program provides students with the opportunity to gain …

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