Project Management

Contracting-Out or Outsourcing In-House Functions – Doing It Right

Contracting-out or outsourcing in-house functions is many times viewed as a panacea to problems an organization is facing or as a sure way to reduce costs, which is not always what happens. Here are some considerations in planning to implement the contracting-out or outsourcing of an-house function. Use these considerations as a starting point; theRead… Read more »

Are You A Project Manager or Project Leader?

For the last few years, I have been working with a colleague on developing a new theory of project management. We argue that the project manager is not a manager in the traditional sense but a blending of manager and leader. This has been written about before by other project management scholars but I believeRead… Read more »

New Inside Story policy: provide your full name for publication or your comment won’t be published

I have had a great deal of respect for the Australian Policy Online (APO), produced by the Australian National University and University of Swinburne. For several years the site has been a fantastic venue for serious discussions of public policy options, and a very useful source for policy resources and research. The site also, withoutRead… Read more »

New Inside Story policy: provide your full name for publication or your comment won’t be published

I have had a great deal of respect for the Australian Policy Online (APO), produced by the Australian National University and University of Swinburne. For several years the site has been a fantastic venue for serious discussions of public policy options, and a very useful source for policy resources and research. The site also, withoutRead… Read more »

Free PMP Exam Sample Question

The following PMP® exam sample question is taken from the Free PMP Exam Simulator at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com – The answer is at the very bottom: —————————— Cultural resistance is the root cause of quality issues according to whom? A.) DemingB.) Malcolm BaldridgeC.) JuranD.) Shelby ——————————Hint: Juran is credited for adding human dimensions to quality management.—————————— AllRead… Read more »

Government Leaders: Do You Have An Apprentice?

I was just listening to a leadership podcast entitled “The Power of Apprenticeship” and I wanted to share some of the lessons from it. In essence, there are three steps to successfully engaging in apprenticeship activities: **************** 1. Selecting – when you see someone that makes you take notice, find a way to personally investRead… Read more »

#ukgc12 Day 1

Summary: Awesomeness Or; happier, more productive. Or; I didn’t realise we were kind of kicking ass as an organisation. Or; I didn’t know I would end up not having time to talk to people. Or; What on earth was Paul Clarke doing even getting out of bed. Or; banking security can teach government security butRead… Read more »

Mentoring

I’m a Fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration. We are making ourselves available as potential mentors for early and mid-career people.Let me know if I can be helpful in the mentoring program. Chris [Gary “Chris” Christopherson]

Key Features of the MAS Program’s Success

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program is the crown jewel of government-wide contracting programs. The MAS program provides customer agencies with access to thousands of contractors offering millions of commercial services and products. State and local governments can use the MAS program’s information technology contracts to meet their needs as well as using MASRead… Read more »