Project Management

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: —————————— You are managing a hardware design project in India with locally trained engineers but your client is based in the U.S. You are unable to meet your client face-to-face andRead… Read more »

Bridges to Revolution

I have long believed in bridges. No, not just to get me across lake Washington, but to shoot the gaps. A long time ago, in law school, I had the honor of being taught labor law by an incredible thinker, scholar and doer, Jim Jones at the UW Law School. In awe I asked himRead… Read more »

Including ODCs on MAS Service Contracts Can Be a Win For All

Last week the Comment of the Week focused on the opportunities for GSA leadership as customer agencies increasingly look to the agency for procurement solutions. The Comment further observed that “GSA’s commercial item contracting leadership through the MAS program can be the lynchpin in providing savings and value for customer agencies.” GSA has a wonderfulRead… Read more »

OK, I’m a Mentor. Now What?

After I posted this NAGC Mentoring Program announcement earlier this week, I got to thinking, “what are people’s expectations for mentoring?” So, I ask you, good people, what do you think makes a mentor? A mentee? Any good experiences to share, either as a mentor or mentee, and what expectations do you think are reasonableRead… Read more »

Leadership and Entrepreneurship

Leaders need to be Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are creators. They work with little structure or resources. They see opportunity and have the internal drive and resourcefulness to make it reality. A Leader will benefit from developing entrepreneurial skills such as identifying new areas for development, initiating new projects, spotting opportunities, and encouraging managers to create newRead… Read more »

Brand Yourself

As I pounded away on the health club elliptical machine yesterday morning while watching Republican Sen. Jim DeMint on “Morning Joe,” I was once again reminded of the importance of “branding” yourself (or your agency, your product, your program, etc.) whenever you’re speaking in public. Here’s the setup: DeMint was invited on the show toRead… Read more »

Used to be a public servant, took an arrow to the knee

Don’t worry if you don’t immediately recognize the verbiage, “taking an arrow to the knee” is an internet meme popularized by the action/role-playing video game Skyrim. In Skyrim … … the town guard non-player characters (NPCs) have several stock lines they repeat when the player walks near them, including a bewildered statement about “curved swords”,Read… Read more »

California IT project falls behind

California’s most recent government technology effort is running into some hurdles. The Financial Information System for California (FISCal), was supposed to streamline IT costs and staffing but seems to be hitting snags for exactly those reasons. So far, the project has cost over $60 million with final costs stretching into over a billion over theRead… Read more »