Performance Improvement Proposal: Project Management ... · Introduction Our client for this...

Performance Improvement Proposal: Project Management Institute (PMI) Hampton Roads Chapter

Team: Dennis Dulaney, Michael Frempong, Chandler Hopkins, and Leah Waite

PMI Performance Improvement Plan

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Introduction

Our client for this performance improvement/needs assessment project was the Project

Management Institute Project Management Institute (PMI) is “the world’s largest not-for-profit

professional membership association for the project, program, and portfolio management

profession.” This organization was designed to equip its members with project management

knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and best practices through professional development

units (PDUs) and dissemination of industry publications. Additionally, PMI offers its members a

host of other benefits, which include; library of on-demand webinars, scholarly research articles,

professional networking opportunities, communities of practice, career search resources, and

discounts on credential and certification exams (i.e. PMP).

PMI’s Hampton Roads chapter holds their member meetings on the first Wednesday of

every month, primarily in Newport News. Their meetings begin with a cocktail and networking

session, followed by a brief speed networking period. The members are then served dinner, with

a guest speaker presentation ending the night. Each meeting costs members $30 if they elect to

pay in advance or $40 at the door. Meetings are open to non-members, but costs them $40 in

advance or $50 at the door. Certified project managers are able to earn 1 PDU for attending

dinner meetings.

After conducting a needs analysis and interviews with key stakeholders (i.e. PMI executive

board, previous PMI leaders), team JMU concluded that the chapter was experiencing low

member engagement and participation levels. These stakeholders revealed that the chapter

maintained a stable membership base in terms of numbers. However, they continued to observe

patterns of low attendance at chapter meetings, low interest in obtaining leadership positions

within the chapter, and low interest in participating in volunteer opportunities.


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Performance Gap

With the completion of this project, PMI Hampton Roads chapter would like to obtain

sufficient statistical data from team JMU’s member survey. These survey responses will allow

the chapter’s executive board to identify areas within the chapter that are in need of

improvement. Ideally, the executive board would like to use these responses to create an

interactive and engaging environment that encourages members to participate in chapter

activities and contribute knowledge, ideas, and constructive input. Members should want to

attend all meetings, apply for leadership positions, participate in volunteer events, and engage in

professional development workshops.

The approach that is being used now is centered on word-of-mouth and member

participation. The current approach does not offer any real incentives for members to step up and

fill leadership positions. There is great need for improvement in this area, due to the stark reality

that the organization must have leaders to function. The disconnect, between the need for

committed volunteers and the actual amount of members that are engaged, could ultimately be

the demise of the organization.

Methods

Team JMU used a multitude of platforms to collect data in order to assess and eventually

create recommendations for PMIHR’s need including: conference calls, interviews, and a

member survey. The conference calls served as an informational tool that allowed Team JMU to

learn and maintain updated information about the PMIHR group. Initially, it served as the

discussion platform for PMIHR’s need, expectations, and deliverables. As the process


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progressed, the conference calls served as check and balances to ensure a clear and consistent

line of communication between the teams.

Another form of data collection that was used was interviews. The conference calls were

used when assessing and interviewing key members of the PMIHR group including Rachelle

Ingram (President Elect), Myron Bartko (Analytics), and Eric Sivertsen (President) about the

overall mission statement and goals of the institution. Furthermore, Team JMU conducted a

phone interview with the former President, David Offenkrantz (Regional Mentor), from the

Washington D.C chapter of PMI to learn about successful approaches he had taken in the past to

promote member engagement.

The final form of data collection was a member survey to gauge member’s opinion of the

current membership with PMI. The survey was developed through Qualtrics and a link was

provided to the PMIHR team. This process was conducted in order to respect PMIHR’s

confidentiality standards. The survey was provided to members for a period for approximately 3

and a half weeks. PMIHR provided email encouragement to members to take the survey. At the

time of closing, there were 73 surveys completed and 81 started.

These results allowed team JMU to create valuable recommendations and achieve the

completion goal. The questions that team JMU created were directed at evaluating potential

issues that current members may have with PMI. The survey was aimed at learning current

barriers that members felt were evident in order to diagnose why member’s engagement was so

low. The survey allows team JMU to report positive feedback with the evaluation process, to let

PMIHR know what they are doing right. Open-ended questions allowed an open dialogue about

what members really want from the organization to help PMIHR guide their focus for the future.

The remaining questions served to guide team JMU through underlying reasoning for member’s


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opinions and compare to see if there were common trends that were perhaps outside of the hands

of PMIHR.

Results

In our needs assessment survey we asked questions to get a better understanding on the

demographics of the PMIHR chapter. The response rate we received was representative of about

8% of the chapter membership. The job titles of those that responded ranged from teacher to

senior cyber security manager, with a large number of the respondents holding senior level

positions. Over 90% of the respondents have previous project management experience, and of

those with project management experience, roughly 79% of them have worked as project

managers for 8 years or more. The pie chart below details the various sectors that the

respondents work in.


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When asked why respondents joined PMIHR, a majority (62%) stated that they joined for

professional development, yet when asked about how active they were with PMIHR, more than

half (55%) reported they were either rarely active or not active. The respondents overall reported

that they were quite satisfied with PMIHR, and didn’t perceive any barriers to participation, as

seen in the charts below.

Are There Any Barriers to Participation?

How satisfied are you with PMIHR?


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The reasons for member inactivity were asked in subsequent questions. Our findings

from the administered needs assessment survey highlighted a couple different reasons. The three

main reasons as to why members aren’t engaged were location, meeting time, and cost. In our

recommendations section, we provide PMIHR with actionable tasks to alleviate some of the

members concerns that were highlighted in our needs assessment survey.

Recommendations

● Inconvenient meeting location and time:

○ Alternate meeting locations and times

■ Online/virtual meetings-Webcast format-allows interaction between

presenter and audience

■ Multiple meeting locations

● Lack of relevant meeting content


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○ More focus on professional development (i.e. high caliber speakers, workshops

covering a diverse set of topic areas, job fairs)

● Meeting fees

○ Package deals - purchasing a number of meetings/events upfront = lesser cost

○ Members have option to not eat dinner in order to reduce cost

○ Lightening the dinner menu to reduce cost

■ Breakfast meetings

● Smaller meetings-allow for more engagement

● Mentorship program (Matching certified PMs with non-certified members of PMIHR)

○ Engaging new professionals in matching them with a certified PMP

○ Members attend first meeting free-instill confidence and engagement in new

members

● Job postings via email/website

● Further focus on receiving other certifications than PMP

● Increased social media presence

Conclusion

After compiling the data from the member survey, team JMU has identified a disconnect

between PMI executive board’s definition of “member engagement” compared to its

members’ perceptions. For example, questions such as “How would you rate your overall

satisfaction with PMIHR?” and “Are there barriers to participation?” reveal that members are

in fact satisfied with PMIHR’s offerings and do not perceive there to be an overwhelming

amount of barriers that discourage participation. Team JMU perceives there to be a positive

correlation between the two variables of engagement and satisfaction. Therefore, our team


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suggests that PMI executive board clearly define member engagement in terms of chapter

expectations while establishing an appropriate standard (i.e. Members that miss more than

two meetings in six months will lose PDUs) in order to reach their desired environment.


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References

PMI Hampton Roads - General Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.pmihr.org/content.php?page=General_Information


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Appendix A

PMI Member Survey Welcome to the PMI Hampton Roads Survey. This survey is designed to assess the experience and member engagement of the PMI Hampton Roads Chapter (PMIHR). This survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. We appreciate your time and attention to completing the member survey. Thank you, PMIHR Chapter To begin, we would like to ask you a few questions about your experience with project management and with PMIHR. Please specify your job title. Do you have experience working as a project manager? m Yes (1) m No (2) Answer If Do you have experience working as a project manager? Yes Is Selected How many years of experience do you have as a project manager? m 0-1 (1) m 2-3 (2) m 4-5 (3) m 6-7 (4) m 8+ (5) What sector do you work in? (Please indicate the one that you primarily identify with) m Oil & Gas (1) m Information Technology (2) m Telecommunication (3) m Professional Services (4) m Financial (5) m Government (6) m Health care (7) m Other (Please Specify) (8) ____________________


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How long have you been a member of PMIHR? m 0-1 year (1) m 2-3 years (2) m 4-5 years (3) m 6-7 years (4) m 8+ years (6) m Not a member (7) Why did you become a member of PMIHR? m Industry knowledge (1) m Volunteer opportunities (2) m Professional development (3) m Discounts on certifications (4) m Networking (5) m Receive industry publications (6) m Project management ethics (7) m Other (8) ____________________ Have you ever held a leadership position within PMIHR? m Yes (Please specify the Position) (1) ____________________ m No (2) How would you describe your level of activity within PMIHR? m Not active (1) m Rarely active (2) m Somewhat active (3) m Very active (4) m Extremely active (5) Approximately how many chapter member meetings have you attended since joining PMIHR? m 0-1 (1) m 2-3 (2) m 4-5 (3) m 6-7 (4) m 8+ (5)


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Are there any barriers to your participation with the PMIHR Chapter? m Yes (1) m No (2) Answer If Are there any barriers to your participation with the PMIHR Chapter? Yes Is Selected What barriers to participation have you experienced within PMIHR? m I do not have time to participate (1) m The events are not applicable to my job role (2) m The meeting times are not convenient for me (3) m The meeting locations are not convenient for me (4) m I do not see the value in chapter participation (5) m Other (Please Specify :) (6) ____________________ What value do you see in PMIHR chapter participation? What would you like PMIHR to offer its members?


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Do you have any certifications? m Yes (1) m No (2) Answer If Do you have any certifications? Yes Is Selected Which certifications do you have? (Please select all that apply) q Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® (4) q Project Management Professional (PMP)® (5) q Program Management Professional (PgMP)® (6) q Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)SM (7) q PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® (8) q PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® (9) q PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)® (10) Did PMIHR provide you with the knowledge and resources to obtain your certifications? m Yes (1) m No (2) On a scale of 1-5 (1 being strongly disagree, 5 being strongly agree), how well do you feel PMIHR: ______ Provides industry knowledge (1) ______ Provides volunteer opportunities (2) ______ Offers professional development opportunities (3) ______ Provides information on project management ethics (4) How would you rate your overall satisfaction with PMIHR? m Very Dissatisfied (14) m Dissatisfied (15) m Neutral (16) m Satisfied (17) m Very Satisfied (18) To conclude the survey, please provide some basic demographic information about yourself.


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How old are you? m 18-24 (1) m 25-34 (2) m 35-44 (3) m 45-54 (4) m 55-64 (5) m 65-74 (6) m 75+ (7) Please indicate your gender. m Male (1) m Female (2) What is the highest level of education you have completed? m Some high school, no diploma (1) m High school graduate, diploma or GED (2) m Some college credit, no degree (3) m Trade/technical/vocational training (4) m Associate Degree (5) m Bachelor's Degree (6) m Master's Degree (7) m Professional Degree (8) m Doctorate Degree (9) Do you have any comments or concerns that were not addressed by this survey? Thank you for your time and feedback. If you have any questions or concerns please address them to Rachelle Ingram at [email protected].


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Appendix B

Question: What would you like PMIHR to offer its members? • Nothing more than is being done now. I noticed several PDU links which are awesome, that is

always a challenge (getting new PDUs) • No response • Nothing new to suggest • I have not been a member long enough to answer the question. • More Education/Professional Development opportunities • Cheaper methods to prepare for the PMP (PMI) qualification exam. • lunch meetings or "Hampton-‐side" evening meetings( • More training opportunities. • Database/Service for PM career opportunities. • Employment information. • use as a resource with PM issues • Job postings, satellite meeting sites. • Maybe some locally produced CBT on subjects specific to our area (i.e. government, defense

industries, shipbuilding/manufacturing, ship repair, etc.) • Unsure at this time. • More opportunities to interact -‐ perhaps "brown bag" lunches to discuss specific PMP issues,

techniques and approaches. • Cheaper option to attend meetings without meals so that they could benefit from

speaker/networking without paying for dinners. • Additional ways to earn PDUs • One area that I think they need to review is how they engage new PMPs. Since it is roughly 5

people per month passing the test, what about reaching out to new P&Ps to have them attend the first meeting for free. There would be a cost but getting them engaged, possibly with someone assigned to meet them and introduce them to others, would get the new member activated. How many people pass their test and then never come to a meeting.

• I live in Williamsburg and the meetings in Norfolk are not convenient (drive time) so more meetings in Newport News would allow me more participation

• I cannot think of anything that isn't already being offered. • Breakfast and or lunch small group meetings. • none noted • no change to current offerings • Ability to allow more members to participate in chapter activities. • More networking opportunities, PM job listings • Webinars • PDU opportunities • Periodic focus training in specific area, e.g., risk management, joint cost/schedule analysis. • Community service opportunities. • Feedback or response to email requests and inquiries. • Meetings with interesting lectures worth PMP credit and networking opportunities.


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• Job fairs • Consider lighter fare at meetings to reduce cost of participating. Although the dinner is good,

members cost $30/meeting is significant with not reimbursed by the employer. • The same offerings in course work and meetings • I would like to see more work toward certification beyond the PMP. There is a lot of focus

toward getting the PMP but not as much after that. • Varied location and times alternating for monthly meetings instead of always in same place at

high cost in evenings only • I think they are doing a good job. The Professional Development Day is terrific. There may be

an opportunity for some Local Interest Groups, but that would depend on participation requirements for sustainability.

• Intensive PMP test preparation classes on weekends or evenings after normal work hours. • A framework to know the members better. Maybe a group activity to know each other better. • Better learning opportunities at the dinners. Apply & learn from others at the tables. Mix up the

tables so we meet more people. Watch the speaker before we do for quality of message and delivery. April 4th meeting was painfully poor.

• Larger variety of training course to maintain PDUs. • Core speakers from outside areas, who are knowledgeable and experienced on large projects,

risks, EVM, etc. • Community volunteer opportunities • Team already does a great job. • More presentations on scheduling. • PDU opportunities are a big thing for me. • Can't think of anything • Online Training • More events with higher caliber presenters or events (co-‐ sponsored maybe) like a TED

conference • Training, networking for job opportunities or building a customer base, social events


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Appendix C

Question: Do you have any comments or concerns that were not addressed by this survey? • None • I answered No to the question "Did PMIHR provide you with the knowledge and resources to

obtain your certifications?” because I had my PMP cert. before the PMIHR Chapter was founded.

• Not at this time. • I would like more chapter meetings to have a professional development focus. Networking is

nice, but chapter re-‐caps and previews provide little value when they are the main focus of the meeting. You can always give previews and recaps for ~10 minutes at the start/end of each meeting.

• It is a "Hampton Roads" Chapter, but all meetings occur in Virginia Beach. Also, there should be chapter quarterly trainings for earning PDUs.

• A useful question would have been to ask current employment status -‐ early career, late career, seeking employment, seeking skills development, etc. Also, you hinted at why members participate, but didn't ask relevant questions: networking for professional development versus networking for future job options, my other concern is the cost of attending functions. Being currently barely employed -‐ 'between' PM jobs -‐ paying for PMI membership plus local membership plus $35 dinners puts a strain on my budget. Also, meetings are rarely announced early enough to obtain an early bird discount if I don't watch that account daily and flag the messages as distinct from the 100 job search emails I get daily

• No. • I have only been a member for 2 months. • No • None • I joined PMIHR for a Graduate class in risk management. Using my response will probably skew

the data away from people who have joined for professional reasons.' • I recently joined PMI and PMIHR. I have received information from PMI, but have not heard

anything regarding membership with PMIHR with the notable exception of this survey. I would find it useful if I was given essential information regarding how the PMIHR chapter functions. Perhaps even providing sponsors.

• No • I've recently changed jobs within the same company. Most from a straight mechanical PM role

to a more strategic role. With my new schedule it is sometimes difficult to attend meetings. Part of my New Year's resolutions is to attend more PMIHR meetings.

• I hope that this information can be used to better chapter involvement. • Great idea to undertake this effort! • None • No • N/A • The recent event in Virginia Beach was a very welcome change. I have found Norfolk

inconvenient and Newport News a deal breaker -‐ I won't attend meetings on the other side of the tunnel period.


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• No • No • Will the aggregated information be made available to the members? • In these tight times, many companies are not as generous with things like professional fees,

conferences, etc. Might be a good service to think of ways to provide services like PDU's education, etc. at low cost to the user. You might actually collect more revenue by lowering costs by creating greater volume.

• PMIHR does a good job as evidenced by the large growth in membership since I joined. Speakers are usually very informative on a wide array of topics.


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Appendix D

Chart 1.

Chart 2.

Are There Any Barriers to Participation?


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Chart 3.

Chart 4.

How satisfied are you with PMIHR?

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