Renee AlessandriniIT Performance Manager| USLBMSewell, Nj, United States
Hello, my name is Renee Branda (PMP & ScrumMaster). My question is how do I apply the right amount of project governance to Social/Mobile development projects for Brands/Marketing?
We have a well thought out governance process where I work (Campbell Soup); however, we are receiving push back from some of our peers who manage projects for our Marketing business partners. They feel our governance process is 'over head' and we need to be Agile. I aligned the Agile Mehtodology to our internal governance process but still they feel it is burdensome.
Our IT PMs for Marketing deal with Advertising firms, outside vendors to host our websites or develop our mobile apps.
What/How do others apply governance to their Marketing projects and not have it be burdensome?
Things move very fast in this space and sites 'spin' up within '2-week' windows. My concern is that the quality of the build/code, delivery, supportability is lacking due to the lax in overall project governance.
I witness on a daily basis the negative impact of this. Our PPM Governance Council is looking for ways to improve this experience, build a 'light' governance for these types of projects but still have all the best practices and controls in place.
Scott A Olson MBA, PMP, CPSMTeam Facilitation - Program Delivery - Life Sciences - Biotech| Elevating Medicine Manufacturing OutcomesGreater San Diego, Ca, United States
At the Fortune 500 Marketing Project Office I worked, the individual project managers were responsible for final delivery of the product or service, as agreed upon with the product owners or project sponsors. As long as the outcomes met or exceeded customer or product owner requirements there was no hard or fast rules about managing vendors. So you could say it was business need/customer need driven--agile.
Typically the Marketing PM managed vendors. But sometimes an agency may handle specific sub-vendors on the PMs behalf when that made most sense and when that relationship was scoped into SOW or contract.
Based on what you wrote--I'd ask those persons who are pushing-back on you to provide specifics--what needs to change and why? What's the cost or quality impact to the business or customers if we don't make the changes they request? If there is no compelling business need for change but someone else claims there is, the burden of proof or the "business case" for change is on them. Otherwise, if change can't be justified for the business why do it?
Hope this helps. Saving Changes...
arlene trimbleAssistant IT Director| Local GovernmentAlamo, Ca, United States
I agree. Do a quick survey on your governance process and how it promotes project prioritization/features clarity and how it creates project implementation barriers to have a clear understanding of the situation. You can proceed from thereon after getting the responses. Saving Changes...
Despite the fact that your organization is mature as far as acceptance of change is concerned, some of your departments do not want to listen to reason and want to maintain status quo. You have to be the change agent to motivate them with the benefits of agile methodology or whatever governance mechanism you have devised. Saving Changes...
Greg GithensAuthor, "How to Think Strategically." Executive & Leadership Coach| Catalyst & Cadre LLCLakewood Ranch, Fl, United States
Governance is often equated with rules and compliance. It need be defined so narrowly. I prefer to make sure that benefits realization and effective decision making are part of the initial conversations in project and program definition. Saving Changes...
