Digital White Papers

I L T A W H I T E P A P E R | P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T 6 2 0 1 9 P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T S U R V E Y R E S U L T S following processes while being prepared to be flexible; setting and managing expectations (including the types of projects that the PMO will handle) and communicating the value PM delivers (in language the organization will understand.) And importantly, understand, as one respondent observed, that introducing PM is "a journey not a task" – it takes time. Sound advice! Thank you to all those that took time to participate in the survey. Without such participation and support, the survey would not happen. The collaboration and sharing of information makes the profession better as a whole. ILTA managers than a decrease, with the vast majority reporting no change (the increase was often attributed to an increase in demand for PM services.) A data point that stood out in the 2019 survey related to the biggest challenges organizations is experiencing in PM. This year, we added resource constraints (staffing and time) to the list and that item received the largest response by far (almost 30% higher than the next item, defining/determining project priorities.) PM awareness and promotion came third. In the "other" category, some respondents identified getting lawyers on board as a challenge. Like in 2015, the vast majority of respondents indicated that their organization does not have a formal project steering committee. For those organizations with a steering committee, reviewing project budgets/timelines as well as defining overall strate/goals ranked high as the committee's primary responsibilities. This result contrasts with the 2015 survey, where approve/prioritize project requests received the most votes. In terms of systems and tools being used to manage projects, many respondents selected MS Excel, followed by MS Project, SharePoint and SmartSheet. In the comments, Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Teams, Jira and Confluence were also mentioned. Not surprisingly, project teams use a variety of communication tools including email, in-person meetings, video/web conferencing, collaboration sites and conference calls. Video/ web conferencing saw a big jump between surveys, likely a function of its increasing use in everyday interactions. Project managers continue to be involved in many aspects of the project management lifecycle, although we see project managers less involved in the intake and closeout processes. As for impact on the organization, the majority of respondents identified managing expectations more effectively and having projects more closely aligned with business goals as PM's key impacts. In the comments section, one respondent noted that PM has resulted in projects actually being completed! LPM appears to be gaining more traction, with less respondents reporting that they exploring LPM and more indicating that their LPM program is in progress, formed or mature. Primary responsibility for LPM within an organization now appears to be falling more to designated legal project managers, with dedicated LPM departments getting involved in creating and maintaining LPM templates, providing historical pricing and cost data, developing or approving new AFA proposals, and promoting or sponsoring LPM education. While new LPM tools are emerging, Microsoft products (Word, Excel or MS Project) continue to be widely used, followed by in- house tools. In terms of advice for PM peers, a number of themes emerged. Respondents recommended: getting management buy-in and support; starting small then learn, improve and expand; focusing on projects with provide low risk and high value; building and Heather J. Ritchie Chief Knowledge and Business Development Officer Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP Tracey Pardo IS Business Analyst Cooley LLP

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