Information Professionals is a Programme and Project Management specialist, able to oversee your major programmes of work, supplement your existing capabilites, or provide an objective opinion for you on your current operation.
Our iPRO methodology, plus knowledge of the industry standards such as PRINCE2, PMBoK and MSP, provide a framework that can be leveraged into a client site either in part or in full. Moving beyond standards, we leverage from experiential learning and pragmatic strategies, to create a successful outcome, rather than rollout a templated or one-size-fits-all approach.
Specific Areas of Expertise
(click headings below to view)- Programme and Project Management
From development of an idea into a fully costed business case, through to complete implementation and post project reviews, Information Professionals’ capabilities span the entire project life-cycle. Our capabilities encompass all major program and project management methodologies including PMBoK, PRINCE2 and MSP, plus our own iPRO methodology in most cases goes above and beyond these standards.
We have particular expertise in managing technology based change initiatives with complex business impacts, and leverage strong capabilities in governance, process and quality to help our clients achieve their objectives.
- Implementation Management
As many managers who have been through an implementation know, basic project management techniques are not sufficient to embed change and make for an effective IT implementation.
A complex new technology often requires significant organizational learning, changes to business processes, and new attitudes and behaviours on the part of managers and staff using the technology. This extended period of adaptation to and assimilation of the new technology requires a discipline that focuses on the period after the delivery or acquisition of the information system, and prepares the organisation with the capability to adapt positively to the change during this time.
- Project Lifecycle Management
From development of an idea into a fully costed business case, through to complete implementation and post project review, every project needs to move through cycles, and defined outcomes must be achieved at each point of these cycles to avoid carrying unnecessary risk forward.
From traditional waterfall methods through to the agile techniques being used more commonly today, the basic concept remains the same, without understanding status and how that relates to where a project should be, means you inherit project risk that your organisation could otherwise avoid.
- PMO Services
From establishing a Centre of Excellence, Programme Management Office or Investment Office from scratch, to reviewing or supplementing an existing capability, Information Professionals’ can ensure that your programmes and projects are properly directed and supported, your sponsors and stakeholders remain engaged and informed, and your internal capabilities have the capacity to grow and mature.
An effective PMO does this, plus reduces risk through more effective programme and project execution. Our capability encompasses all major methodologies including PMBoK, PRINCE2 and MSP, and most importantly our own iPRO methodology, and our vendor and product independence applies to our methodology, technique and toolset recommendations. Information Professionals does not prescribe the one solution for all, and we can adapt to fit within the existing methods and approach, either supplementing what is already working or starting afresh.
Our services include PMO Establishment, PMO Review, and PMO Support and Supplementation. We also provide mentoring and coaching to develop internal project management capacity within your organisation, which includes PMO staff.
- Business Case
From development of an idea, Information Professionals can navigate through to an approved business case, not only to provide funding approvals, but also to focus the organisation on a defined set of objectives, and empower your project manager to deliver on a defined set of results.
We blend programme and project delivery expertise with financial skills, objective and bias-aware estimation approaches, and stakeholder management to arrive at a business case that meets both the formal and informal decision criteria inherent in every organisation.While we can take the lead and develop a business case for you, we can also play smaller roles such as assembling Costing and Benefits Estimates or independently reviewing an existing business case.
- Benefits Management
Once a project is complete, it is not uncommon for questions to be asked of its effectiveness and whether it achieved its objectives. There are many measures available to test this, as they are many benefits that a project can achieve for an organisation. One way of ensuring this information is captured is through a Benefits Management program.
Information Professionals’ Can identify and report on achieved benefits, and while a business case is the text book reference from which benefits are measured, it is possible to identify benefits streams and verify performance if the business case was not finalised, or has moved significantly from its original form. Our Benefits Management services include Establishing Business/Benefits Cases including quantifying, qualifying and prioritising benefits, Developing Benefits Realisation Strategies, Securing Benefits Ownership, linking to KPI targets and performing Benefits Reviews.
- Project Recovery
Project Recovery services create a challenging environment for most Project Managers, and the majority are motivated by their prospect. Project Recoveries create unique circumstances to deliver above expectations, to focus the involved parties on the task at hand, and to create a result that would otherwise not be expected. As such, many project managers jump at the chance for these circumstances.
As such, we are also happy to perform these services for you although they can contain risks for your organisation and for your staff. Depending on the reason for the current stress in the recovered project, staff may be capable of making it through this project but are then vulnerable to departure or reduced productivity in future projects. Both internal and external stakeholders can be impacted and this can damage reputations if not managed with careful consideration of the long-term relationships necessary in every organisation. And if the recover effort is not a one-off occasion, internal capabilities may need to be strengthened to avoid repeats and an exacerbation of the above challenges.
- Management Support and Advocacy
Information Professionals have expert capability yet aim to deliver this capability in pragmatic and simple ways, maximising the prospect of effective implementation. Yet, the problems being solved in most programmes and projects are not trivial and require strong management capability.
Our Management Support and Advocacy includes programmes to support, mentor and coach Project Managers, Programme Managers, Project Board and Steering Committee members, Sponsors and other involved executives.
Most projects create enormous learning opportunities, and even if you attend training, only so much can be learnt that way. Most great learning takes place on the job, and our Support and Advocacy service aims to maximise that experience through experienced facilitators and practitioners.
