(8 votes, average: 8.5 out of 10)
Loading ...NetHope Response To Week 1 Questions
Here are the responses to the Week 1. student group questions from Rodolfo Siles at NetHope:
University of Waterloo Processes
1. We understand we are to do some interviews with your member organizations; do you have any guidelines or suggestions for us? For example (but not limited to): the online survey method preferred, how long to give member organizations to respond to the survey?
R. Most NetHope members prefer online surveys, but keep them simple and to the point. NetHope uses online surveys as a method to gather feedback from its many members, a typical survey usually take no more than 10 minutes to fill, we usually give people seven days to compete. If the questions you have in mind are longer than that I would recommend to break them into separate surveys. A favorite tool used is surveymonkey.com
2. What are NetHope’s expectations in terms of the minimum and possible wish list deliverables?
R. A basic understanding of the current state of project management methodologies within NetHope member organizations. Not specific to each member but as a general overview, perhaps compared using a project maturity level model. This will include:
How the different agencies are using PM and how mature are their processes?
How well understood are the concepts and ideas behind PM (from a PMI perspective approach)?
What are the challenges these agencies face in their IT projects, this may include issues with governance, methodologies, and practices.
Once we have this current state we need to measure the gap with an ideal state as described by the PMI, this will include the current challenges that can be solved by the correct application of a robust PM methodology for example:
Reduce project risks by establishing a risk management process
Increase user’s ownership by including stakeholder feedback during the project life cycle
Reduce uncertainty by incorporating and adaptive (Agile) approach to project management
The NetHope Organization
3. Is there an organization chart available depicting the structure and roles within NetHope and its member organizations? Is there a description of scope and accountability of these roles?
R. NetHope is by design a small organization, an Executive Director who reports to the Board. Two assistants and two full time project managers, most of NetHope work is done via the NetHope committees
4. Who are generally considered key internal and external stakeholders?
R. Internal stakeholders are the NetHope members, external stakeholders are vendors, donors and partners from the IT industry
5. What is NetHope’s vision of the Special Interest Group (SIG), in relation to its formation, deployment and function?
R. The idea of an SIG on IT project managements is that it can take the deliverables from this project and work on the actions we need to improve our IT project management practices, by developing a place were practitioners meet and discuss on how to improve skills and share best practices.
6. Has NetHope encountered corporate or other cultural factors during past projects that affected project performance with its member organisations? If so, what are the primary issues and how have they been managed?
R. This is a good question that we can ask to the NetHope organizations as part of the survey.
7. NetHope operates internationally bounded by differing norms and laws. Does NetHope provide any overseeing guidance for those involved in member organization projects to prepare for this? If so, what are the main processes involved?
R. NetHope doesn’t operate at that level, NetHope as an entity is designed to be a facilitator, coordinator and a catalyst for initiatives that the INGOs have identified as critical. CARE, for example, does operate internationally and each country office needs to adapt the central policies and procedures to reflect the local laws and norms, especially in the areas regarding financial resources.
8. How many member organization projects are initiated each year and of these, what is the average project success rate per year?
R. In 2006 the project committee reviewed about 35 project ideas, out of which 8 became a reality. 4 were lead by members and 4 were lead by NetHope. We don’t have a definitive criteria for projects success.
9. Are there any project management processes at NetHope and its member organizations that should be key focus areas?
R. This could be something that we can discover as part of this research project; by looking at the different processes members use for managing IT projects we can identify what areas are in need of more discipline or maturity. For example, given the nature of our work (non-profit) the focus is less on timely delivery of projects and more on business benefits and user ownership.
Administration
10. Does NetHope provide any capital assistance towards IT infrastructure projects?
R. What NetHope does is to channel Donor resources to the members, for example the Microsoft software donation, hardware discounts and other vendor license discounts. Each NetHope member organization has its own infrastructure projects funded by their own budgets and uses the resources made available by NetHope to help offset some of their costs.
11. Who initiates project ideas? NetHope, its member organizations, or a combination of both?
R. A combination of both, but largely the ideas and proposals come from the members who try to address their needs and use NetHope as a way to get support from other members either by collaborating or sharing resources.
12. What role does NetHope have on projects implemented by member organizations?
R. None, but member organizations have a large role in the projects implemented by NetHope
Documentation
13. Would it be possible to obtain copies of NetHope’s Strategic Business Plan, Charter, and any PM guidelines currently in use?
R. All the information about NetHope should be available on the web site (www.nethope.org). NetHope does not have an IT project Management guideline, what we have are some basic project management proposal guidelines and a simple process to rank proposals, all made by the project committee ( I will send the documents on a separate attachment)
14. Does NetHope have any other documentation that would support this project’s efforts? For example (but not limited to): Statement of Work (SOW), Formal Deliverables List, Project Success Critieria, Limitations List.
R. The NetHope Project Committee has developed some initial documents to help in the ranking and selection of proposals. (See above comment), there is a need to increase our documentation to help NetHope project managers do their work.
September 19th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Thanks for the quick response Rodolfo. The answers are helping our team compose the survey questions and understand the project.
We are hoping to submit draft survey questions this week. Thanks again…
September 20th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Thanks for the quick response Rodolfo. The answers are helping our team compose the survey questions and understand the project.
We are hoping to submit draft survey questions this week. Thanks again…