Consultant PM trying to get cooperation from client team...
Anonymous
Here goes:
1. I'm an independent consultant PM in week 3
2. Client has NO one familiar with PM (and no formal process for much of what they do)
3. Client brought me in after they issued SOW agreement for client assessment project and put team together
4. Team consists of dept heads/mgrs already overburdened and reluctant toward formal processes
I designed BR spreadsheet for experts to enter questions, answers, rating, etc. I consolidated their questions into spreadsheets so all they had to do was enter in answers and could rate requirements as they went along. One expert hand-wrote answers, another typed theirs into word doc to insert into spreadsheet fields later...
One week after interviews and no one has started gap analysis although I’ve sent several emails requesting status updates. Client didn’t want me to work this week since they only want to pay certain amount of hours. (I’ve worked almost 10 hrs free and never told them.)
My direct contact is person previously assigned as PM and asked if I was going to perform gap analysis. I said that it would be better for experts to perform gap analysis since I don’t know their product capabilities.
This is a very short project for assessment. I’ve tried conference calls, but difficult to get everyone there. We have only a couple weeks left to do assessment, estimate COGS, etc. I was told they do this all the time and several change mgmt people who came in with ‘procedures’ ran with their tails tucked.
Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Anonymous, if emails and conference calls don't work, don't do them. Find out what does work and be assertive. Don't be rude, but don't let the actions of others put your assessment project in jeopardy. If you have to, schedule time and sit with those experts and help them fill out your interview assessment. You can prepare the analysis of the interview responses. If you need technical help for the assessment, make a note of those areas and reach an agreement from the person in charge to give you what you need or to accept the consequences. The "monkey" is on your back. No one is going take it, so you have to get if off yourself. Leverage the fact the you are the paid consultant. Cheers. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
