I'm developing a project scorecard for board reporting of project health/quality, based on the PMBOK knowledge areas. It surprises me that there isn't a knowledge area for governance, since it's such an integral part of facilitating project success. Governance is inherint in other knowledge areas, but not emphatic. I realise that PMBOK is not the be all and end all of project management dogma, but it seems odd. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why this is, whether there are any good reference points for this topic, or what you would do in my place? I'm thinking I'll just create another score element called "project governance" and develop the scoring criteria and weighting from other annals of good practice. Many thanks. Saving Changes...
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Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Jeannie, excellent post. Many people have commented on the lack of PMI and PMBOK support for the management processes and best practices that encompass and extend upon project management such as governance, portfolio management, not to mention audit, validation and compliance areas directly related to project management such as SDLC and change management vis a vis the published ITGI standands for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. It seems incredible that the new edition of the PMBOK has no best practice context for governance, portfolio management, and audit and validation (SOX compliance). Some defend this and position the PMBOK as a single project best practice as explained in the "Guide to the PMBOK", third edition, section 1.1, "Purpose of the PMBOK Guide" and the PMI defenders also point to OPM3 as the PMI standard for organizational project management best practices. Others agree with you. To release the PMBOK third edition and not touch upon these pressing issues tends to relegate the PMBOK to the PMP certification business, one might be left to think. Nonetheless, there are a few organizations that have spent quite a bit of time focusing on providing customizable best practices that help you quickly set up just what you are seeking to do. That is, extending upon the project management best practice, PMBOK, to provide project management office (organizational) best practices for such things as governance, portfolio management, SOX compliance, etc. To see a PMBOK based framework for this used by project organizations of all sizes, have a look at Processes On Demand by BOT International. To see a CMMI based framework for this used by a number of companies, have a look at ProcessMax by PragmaSystems. Both of these solutions are intuitive, HTML based, easy to implement and maintain, and work with the tools and IT infrastructure that most companies already have and know. Best regards and good luck!. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Customer Care, BOT International
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1 reply by Vincent Guerard
Apr 15, 2016 11:31 AM
Vincent Guerard
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Thanks Mark I will look them up
Saving Changes...
Bernard GorePortfolio, Programme & Project Professional| NZ PoliceWellington, New Zealand
Governance is deliberately not included as a knowledge area as this would incorrectly isolate it - EVERY knowledge area includes governance aspects, and this is how it should be - it is pervasive through everything else.
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1 reply by Vincent Guerard
Apr 15, 2016 11:35 AM
Vincent Guerard
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I think all area of knowledge should include Governance and Compliance, name or implied. It should come from the organization.
I will go with Bernard on this. Project Governance is an over-riding set of rules and policies by which the projects have to comply with. Project management deals with management of a project and governance is established before project is planned, therefore it has not been included as a knowledge area. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Feb 19, 2006 4:44 PM
Replying to Mark Price Perry
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Dear Jeannie, excellent post. Many people have commented on the lack of PMI and PMBOK support for the management processes and best practices that encompass and extend upon project management such as governance, portfolio management, not to mention audit, validation and compliance areas directly related to project management such as SDLC and change management vis a vis the published ITGI standands for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. It seems incredible that the new edition of the PMBOK has no best practice context for governance, portfolio management, and audit and validation (SOX compliance). Some defend this and position the PMBOK as a single project best practice as explained in the "Guide to the PMBOK", third edition, section 1.1, "Purpose of the PMBOK Guide" and the PMI defenders also point to OPM3 as the PMI standard for organizational project management best practices. Others agree with you. To release the PMBOK third edition and not touch upon these pressing issues tends to relegate the PMBOK to the PMP certification business, one might be left to think. Nonetheless, there are a few organizations that have spent quite a bit of time focusing on providing customizable best practices that help you quickly set up just what you are seeking to do. That is, extending upon the project management best practice, PMBOK, to provide project management office (organizational) best practices for such things as governance, portfolio management, SOX compliance, etc. To see a PMBOK based framework for this used by project organizations of all sizes, have a look at Processes On Demand by BOT International. To see a CMMI based framework for this used by a number of companies, have a look at ProcessMax by PragmaSystems. Both of these solutions are intuitive, HTML based, easy to implement and maintain, and work with the tools and IT infrastructure that most companies already have and know. Best regards and good luck!. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Customer Care, BOT International
Outstanding Mark. Some really good solution recommendations. To add some context here:
Dear Jeannie, excellent post. Many people have commented on the lack of PMI and PMBOK support for the management processes and best practices that encompass and extend upon project management such as governance, portfolio management, not to mention audit, validation and compliance areas directly related to project management such as SDLC and change management vis a vis the published ITGI standands for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. It seems incredible that the new edition of the PMBOK has no best practice context for governance, portfolio management, and audit and validation (SOX compliance). Some defend this and position the PMBOK as a single project best practice as explained in the "Guide to the PMBOK", third edition, section 1.1, "Purpose of the PMBOK Guide" and the PMI defenders also point to OPM3 as the PMI standard for organizational project management best practices. Others agree with you. To release the PMBOK third edition and not touch upon these pressing issues tends to relegate the PMBOK to the PMP certification business, one might be left to think. Nonetheless, there are a few organizations that have spent quite a bit of time focusing on providing customizable best practices that help you quickly set up just what you are seeking to do. That is, extending upon the project management best practice, PMBOK, to provide project management office (organizational) best practices for such things as governance, portfolio management, SOX compliance, etc. To see a PMBOK based framework for this used by project organizations of all sizes, have a look at Processes On Demand by BOT International. To see a CMMI based framework for this used by a number of companies, have a look at ProcessMax by PragmaSystems. Both of these solutions are intuitive, HTML based, easy to implement and maintain, and work with the tools and IT infrastructure that most companies already have and know. Best regards and good luck!. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Customer Care, BOT International
Governance is deliberately not included as a knowledge area as this would incorrectly isolate it - EVERY knowledge area includes governance aspects, and this is how it should be - it is pervasive through everything else.
I think all area of knowledge should include Governance and Compliance, name or implied. It should come from the organization. Saving Changes...
Greg GithensAuthor, "How to Think Strategically." Executive & Leadership Coach| Catalyst & Cadre LLCLakewood Ranch, Fl, United States
Too many times, PMs confuse governance with government in the sense that they are trying to create a set of regulation-like rules that require compliance.
I'm not saying that governance is bad, but I am suggesting that people way over-emphasize it as a "good thing" and quickly forget that the purpose of governance is to enhance the desired outcomes and outputs of the organization. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Governance also gives you the senior management support to drive decisions and priorities. Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
It might also be worth looking at project and programme maturity models - I seem to remember there being one in the back of the MSP manual that covered a lot of governance-related stuff. If nothing else, it might give you some criteria to include in your weighting and KPIs behind your scorecard. Saving Changes...
"In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed - but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
