Project Management Systems

[JC004]

I'm interested in the potential for Project Management Systems in CAP, mainly because:
1.  CAP has distributed teams, which makes project management challenging (e-mail is a beast, and conference calls are less than super-effective in managing projects)
2.  CAP is mostly volunteer (which adds challenges like making it more difficult to track the status of things and keep the ball rolling)

Are there any units out there who have used electronic project management systems like Microsoft Project (yuck), dotproject, etc.?

They'd be great at the group/wing level, and especially if subordinate units could be added to the system.  They could really help at the local unit as well.  (Example: Add all the annual required reports and such to the system, and always be able to track their status, view their due date, and have reference material).

I have some test systems up and I'd like to see who may have done it already.

[JeffDG]

OK, personal bias here, because I think the term "Project Management" gets thrown around by a lot of people who don't really know what it means (and I have the PMP behind my name to show that I do).

Project Management tools (MS Project for example of a low-end one...and if you think that Project is high end, you've not dealt with higher-end ones like Primavera) only assist with two aspects of project management:  Cost & Time.  The other 7 major domains (Scope,  Quality, Human Resources, Risk, Procurement, Communications and Integration) are not well addressed by them at all.

Additionally, things like regular reports and suspense dates are not "projects".  Projects had defined start and end dates.  Ongoing operations management is separate and distinct from Project Management in many, and significant, ways.

[JC004]

I've implemented simple project management systems for volunteer organizations.  Budgets and time for most projects were not a factor in those implementations, mostly.  In fact, I removed the Time and Budget tracking in a couple instances, to simplify the interface.

For most CAP projects, enterprise-level risk or procurement are not a factor.

Communication, however, is, and it has certainly been aided by my implementations.  In fact, I would say having the project management system as a tool GREATLY improved communication by leaps and bounds.  The alternative of a million CAP e-mails is less than ideal.

Remember CAP does not require enterprise-level systems.  At least a couple free systems out there would be fine for CAP volunteers.  But a project like developing a wing-level comprehensive training program or an encampment require MANY individual tasks in the project.

I don't see anything wrong with adding something that's due like a wish list for wing.  Cadet Programs folks need to figure out what the cadets need and report, the ES people need to figure out what they need and report, Aerospace has to figure out what supplies they need, etc. - and that all comes together in the final report.  I don't believe in submitting reports for the sake of meeting a requirement. 

Remember this is different - not what you'd implement for a software company or something. 

We set up the annual financial reports at a project for one non-profit.  It greatly improved the process.  I used a stop watch and analysis tools to streamline all processes.

For CAP purposes, a basic project management system breaks things down into:
What do I need to do?
Who am I working with?
Who is in charge of the project?
When is it due?
What are my resources?

Time tracking and "percent complete" would be a bad use of volunteers' time, and aren't necessary. 

[JeffDG]

But, what you're talking about is not "project" management, it's operational management.

There's no "end date" for the requirements you're talking about, they are ongoing operational requirements.

[Eclipse]

The problem I've had with this, using everything from MS Project, dedicated Google Apps, add-ons, Gantt Chart Excel templates, etc.,
is that far too people in CAP are versed or comfortable working withing these systems, and you usually wind up with
orphaned charts, or people who do nothing but update the system all day (as happens in the corporate world).

Nothing can scare you into action like a decent Gantt chart, but if you don't understand what you're reading it's useless.

The other factor I've seen is that CAP leaders, especially at higher echelons, really hate deadlines and dependencies, and
get very nervous when you start depicting reality in a way that requires them to tell people to get moving (or worse, makes
someone sad).  So again, you wind up being the messenger full of holes.

[JC004]

If I am required to produce a plan for X, that requires multiple offices' participation, it certainly has a beginning and end date.  That may not be how everyone does it, but it's efficient and makes sure everyone is involved - rather than just throwing something together.

A cadet training weekend, an exercise, or an encampment are individual projects that a CAP member might work on.  They all have end dates, distinct tasks, and the participation of many individuals.  These are the end products/services CAP produces, other than a SAR mission or something that wouldn't fit well into such a system.  Submitting for a reimbursement isn't a distinct project - but a cadet weekend is.

I am not advocating CAP implement a big project management training program - just software to track individual responsibilities with distinct tasks and start/end dates, and these are called project management systems.  I didn't name 'em.

CAP keeps adding requirements.  It's difficult to keep track of all the projects a member must work on.  That's a problem in a lot of ways.  A simple tracking system addresses some of the insanity.

I'm not sure I understand.  I know many of these systems don't fully address enterprise-level needs for projects.  But they can meet CAP volunteer needs, which don't involve supply chain management or a corporate quality assurance program. 

[JC004]

The problem I've had with this, using everything from MS Project, dedicated Google Apps, add-ons, Gantt Chart Excel templates, etc.,
is that far too people in CAP are versed or comfortable working withing these systems, and you usually wind up with
orphaned charts, or people who do nothing but update the system all day (as happens in the corporate world).

Nothing can scare you into action like a decent Gantt chart, but if you don't understand what you're reading it's useless.

The other factor I've seen is that CAP leaders, especially at higher echelons, really hate deadlines and dependencies, and
get very nervous when you start depicting reality in a way that requires them to tell people to get moving (or worse, makes
someone sad).  So again, you wind up being the messenger full of holes.

I don't like MS Project, personally.  I think I used it twice for a corporation that insisted.  I'm looking at basic systems that are simple and don't have things CAP volunteers don't need.  I'm wondering if anyone has implemented a system already that they liked for CAP.  When I deployed some of these for non-profits, we were able to get even our oldest/least computer-literate working in them, even if they needed a little help. 

The center of it all for CAP purposes is tracking, communication, and clear deadlines.  I know deadlines can be an issue, but hopefully a commander can address that within their organization.  I've seen resistance to it among volunteers, but in the end I've seen it significantly cut down on time, stress, missed deadlines, forgetfulness, etc.

[Eclipse]

They can and they should, and CAP would be much better off to spend it's monthly "Safety" time, training
leaders and staff on proper project management, but until they do, there is too much "slap at the wall" to
make a lot of headway, and while I've had a lot of the popular buzz-word training, 6σ, ISO, Time Management,
being a poke-with-a-stick user of these systems vs. someone who can explain them (beyond the very basics)
is a different story.

This is timely for me as I've been struggling with trying to find a way within G-Docs to get some Gantt charts or other project
management system in place.  I personally have MS project, but few others do, and it ain't cheap.

[JC004]

I'm hoping to avoid anything that requires learning any nonsense or corporate speak.  I would deliberately avoid anything that has all sorts of procurement pieces, time tracking stuff, or a requirement that you guess what exact percentage of the project you've completed.  I'd like to implement something with simple categories, like:

• Proposed
• In Planning
• In Progress
• On Hold
• Complete

Then simple task assignments, notifications, a references/note section, and a calendar.  Document attachments would be great.  That's about it.

[Brit_in_CAP]

OK, personal bias here, because I think the term "Project Management" gets thrown around by a lot of people who don't really know what it means (and I have the PMP behind my name to show that I do).

Project Management tools (MS Project for example of a low-end one...and if you think that Project is high end, you've not dealt with higher-end ones like Primavera) only assist with two aspects of project management:  Cost & Time.  The other 7 major domains (Scope,  Quality, Human Resources, Risk, Procurement, Communications and Integration) are not well addressed by them at all.

Additionally, things like regular reports and suspense dates are not "projects".  Projects had defined start and end dates.  Ongoing operations management is separate and distinct from Project Management in many, and significant, ways.

Also have a PMP plus years of experience in the field!

Summing up what I've read in the thread....

MS Project isn't cheap and it isn't a good idea for CAP but there are some very nice, simple, 'project planning' tools which will do the job nicely, and won't cost you the earth.

Eclipse is right - nothing like a good Gannt chart to galvanize the team but it isn't the end of the world if you don't have it.  Planning, for example, the annual encampment or similar could easily fit into the definition of a project, even if you recycle the plan for last year and amend as needed.

My personal 'if all else fails' tool is a white board, although that's hard to share.  You can do a nice job with Excel and some of the free-to-download tools will work nicely.   

I'd hunt around - Google is your friend here - and see what's available FOC or that you can adapt using one of the standard MS Office or OpenOffice packages such as Excel.

[JC004]

I have a list that I'm working through.  I think the key is to find something very simple.  If people see a ton of options that include Portfolios, Companies, Time Tracking, Resource Management, etc., there will be confusion. 

If possible, I'd like to find a couple good options and recommend them for other units. 

I like dotproject for some things, but the design itself is a bit complex.  Simple and clean, hopefully free/open source would be ideal.  People should not have to study for the PMP exam to run volunteer projects for CAP.

Observing morale and attitudes toward CAP, I find people getting bummed out and frustrated with increasing complexity.  That's a real shame.  It would be great if there were some tools for people to get a handle on it all.  There's a lot more "I think that's online" and general confusion about processes than there used to be.  That's especially a problem for volunteers.

Are there any free kinds you've used?

[kwe1009]

Not a big fan or MS Project or dotProject myself.  I agree that something simple would be very useful and even time-saving when it comes to planning events.  The biggest issue that I have faced when trying to come up with some sort of tool to help manage the "project" is that people quickly become fearful of it and don't want the "complexity" of using software to help manage and/or plan anything.  The whiteboard is the only thing I can get most to agree to use.

[JC004]

The trick is finding something that is simple, but capable - above a basic to do list - under enterprise-level systems that require training.

[Private Investigator]

James are you talking about a major project at the NHQ level? At the Wing level and lower CAPP 204 pages 16-18 covers what "house painters" need for their activities but if you are talking about a "Michelangelo" activity that is above my part of the food chain. 

[JC004]

No...I don't plan to implement it at National.  CAP's challenges of part-time volunteers, distributed teams, and generally a reliance on a lot of e-mail make for inefficiency.  Their purpose is to serve as a dashboard for everyone involved in the unit's projects. 

Centralize all the unit's projects, and provide a place for both project leads and participants to track, figure out what they're supposed to do, and collaborate. 

It keeps documents linked in a single place, which means no looking for some e-mail with revisions or trying to figure out what your reference materials are.

[SimpleCM]

Microsoft has aggressive pricing for non-profits for almost all of their S/W titles, I think the non-profit price for Project is under $100.  There are several resellers, like Tech Soup and Genesis Technologies that offer MSFT non-profit pricing.

After we adopted cap.gov domain GMail and Google Apps system, we tried out a few PM systems that worked within Google Apps, which was terrific for communicating between members assigned to a project.  In particular, we had a lot of success with ManyMoon, which is (used to be) free for Google Apps educational users.


-- Lt Col Bob Jennings

[Eclipse]

Manymoon was a big disappointment for me - I probably tried to get it running 4 or 5 times at least.
As I recall, there were few features that weren't really just scooping up existing things like calendars and
docs into a single place, and the biggest issue was that "free" evaporated when you started using
sme of the more interesting features, or needed more then one project or lots of users (as is typical in
"free" Google Marketplace apps).

I went to look just now, and I see they were acquired by Salesforce in 2011, don't come up on a Marketplace search,
and their website is a blank white page.  They are apparently now called "do.com" and focused on tracking meetings.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/google-chose-do-com-instead-of-asana-to-get-stuff-done/

I don't see Do in the Marketplace, either.

Mavenlink was a similar issue in regards to usefulness/features/cost, and is very difficult to get rid of if it doesn't fit your needs,
and their integration and support is iffy at best.

I think I might check out Asana and see how that goes, same limit issue for the Free version (15) - not enough for most
CAP projects like encampments or SARExs, or even a functioning unit.

[dwb]

I often think of trying to bring online collaboration tools into CAP.  A big part of it is that you have to wrap your whole team workflow around the tool otherwise it doesn't work. It just becomes one more thing to fill out.

I'm thinking of things like Trello and Basecamp here. I think those tools would be good for a project with a finite end, like encampment or wing conference, but not as effective for managing the daily grind.

Honestly, I keep coming back to email. It's the tool everybody has, and for all its imperfections it's not bad as an asynchronous communication tool.

For my own personal document/note/workflow management, I waffle between Evernote and OneNote, with a good amount of time spent using neither and just trying to keep everything in my head (with varying degrees of success).

I like the idea of project management and collaboration tools in concept, but they're rarely successful with volunteers squeezing in hours here and there to get stuff done.

[TexasBEAST]

My K9 SAR group uses the program <D4H>, or Decisions for Heroes. It certainly ain't flashy, but it integrates reference publications, blank forms, member contact info, qualifications, currency status, on-call/off-call status, event planning, logistics tracking, alert texts/emails/call-outs, and incident documentation. Several different organization staffers have access to manage our site, and all members can post comments.

[LTC Don]

I don't know anything about this package, but it came to my attention from a colleague, is opensource, and is currently being developed well beyond initial release --

http://www.redmine.org/

Perhaps someone may find it useful.

[Holding Pattern]

I'm currently evangelizing the use of Trello in our squadron. Currently it is our IT ticket tracking system and our IT project management system. People can log in to it with their google app ID.

As a reminder, Trello currently does NOT encrypt their data on their servers, so any FOUO data should be saved as a secure google doc and linked to Trello, not stored on Trello.

Out of all the online "project management lite" tools I've used as time goes on, Trello has the most reasonable learning curve for people without a lot of time to learn new stuff, and provides (when used properly) the best "at a glance" status of where things are in a work chain. It also has an audit trail, which is completely unimportant until it is important, at which point it is suddenly REALLY IMPORTANT!