Leader of the Pack: Megan Ferland, Girl Scouts of Colorado

  Organizational Project Management   PM Network  

Megan Ferland is a real trooper, forging a path into the uncharted territory of project management at the Girl Scouts of Colorado.

As CEO of the Denver, Colorado, USA organization, she oversees the programs, camps and activities of the state’s 31,000 Girl Scouts, along with 10,000 adult members and a full complement of volunteers and staff. Looking to better meet the needs of this large and dispersed group of stakeholders, she spearheaded the introduction of a formal project management methodology in 2009.

“As difficult as it is to implement, if you take the time to go through the planning process and train your staff on how to do project management and why it’s important, you’ll see results,” she says. “It won’t happen overnight, and even today we’re not perfect. But we are so much better today because of the project management tools and processes we are using.”

How is project management helping?

Having a plan, working that plan and refining that plan based on lessons learned has helped us drive better project results. It’s also contributing to a rise in our overall numbers. We’ve seen a 43 percent increase in membership this year, and that’s the first time that has happened in years.

And as people within the operation see better results, that drives buy-in for the project management…

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