Ned Johnson, Director or Project Management. Presentation given at the 2014 Digital PM Summit in Austin, TX on the topics of: audiences for project status reports, core project information, and how it can efficiently role up into portfolio reports. http://dpm2014.com/

1. Ned Johnson
Director, Project Management - Team
Detroit
@nedjohn
1
Project Status & the
Portfolio

2. STATUS
2

3. • Importance of status
• The complexity around audiences for project status and their priorities
• Sample Project & Portfolio Level Reports
• Open conversation
3
Topics

4. Why status?
4

5. Because, after all, don’t let anyone tell you
a PM job is just about status reports.
5

6. If you do status right then you can focus on
the real work of project management.
6

7. Thinking two steps ahead
Team building
Barrier busting
Relationship management
Strategic thinking
Planning
7

8. Always knowing who is supposed to do
what by when (and making sure they
know it too…)
8

9. You do all that stuff well, then you…
9

10. earn your place at the center of a project…
10

11. Status and the complexities of your
audience
11

12. Team size and communication channels
12

13. 13
clients PM
account qa tester
art director UXA
analytics copywriter
developers strategist

14. business
analyst
clients
account qa tester
art director UXA
analytics copywriter
developers strategist
14
business
analyst
clients
account qa tester
art director UXA
analytics copywriter
developers strategist
pm
Project 1
Project 2

15. 15
qa tester account
UX art director
copywriter analytics
finance developers
Senior
mngt
hr
qa tester account
UX art director
copywriter analytics
finance developers
Senior
mngt
hr
Seo ola
pm
Agency Sr.
Mngt.
Internal
Operations
Client Sr.
Mngt
Muckety-mucks

16. N(N-1)/2=
your communication
links
N is the number of people interested in your
16

17. Things get complicated quickly
17
2(2-1)/2=1
3(3-1)/2=3 4(4-1)/2=6

18. 18
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Communication Links
Those interested in your project(s)

19. Different people have really varying
levels of interest in project status
19

20. What your audiences are thinking
I am paying a
lot of money for
this. It better be
cool and done
on time.
My boss is
paying a lot of
money for this.
It better be cool
and done on
time.
I promised a lot
when I sold it. It
better be cool
and done on
time.
20
This is about to
start costing the
agency money.
What’s going on?
Can you keep them
off my back. Let
me work and I
promise it will be
cool. Not sure
about the on time
or money thing.

21. Power & Interest
Keep Satisfied
Regular, high level communications.
Is it Red, Yellow or Green and when.
(Sr. Level Client, Agency Leads)
POWER
Interest
Manage Closely
Focus your efforts
here. Daily communications.
(Your day to day team, including client.)
Monitor
A courtesy phone call or email
occasionally.
Keep Informed
Generally weekly, but detailed
information.
(Other department leads, agency
operations.)

22. Audiences and Channels of
Communications
•High power, interested people: Manage closely.
22
•Daily standups, actionable meeting minutes, tickets/tasks, issue
and change logs, status meetings and reports
•High power, less interested people: Keep satisfied.
•Steering committee, monthly report outs, workstream and portfolio
level reports
•Low power, interested people: Keep informed.
• In-Person quick updates, status reports, email of important
activities
•Low power, less interested people: Monitor
• Occasional email, quick in-person update

23. 23
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Communication Links
Those interested in your project(s)

24. Power & Interest
Keep Satisfied
Regular, high level communications.
Is it Red, Yellow or Green and when.
(Sr. Level Client, Agency Leads)
POWER
Interest
Manage Closely
Focus your efforts
here. Daily communications.
(Your day to day team, including client.)
Monitor
A courtesy phone call or email
occasionally.
Keep Informed
Generally weekly, but detailed
information.
(Other department leads, agency
operations.)

25. Levels of Status
Tool Who & Purpose Frequency
None - The team
and I are
inseparable. Does a
status report even
matter to them?
Project Health
(PHS) Status
Report
Workstream Project
List
Total portfolio
view
25
Project Team –
We communicate all
day, everyday.
Manage Closely,
Keep Informed –
The project story, with
gory details.
Project stories at a
glance.
What’s going on
in my kingdom.
Ongoing
Spend quality time
once/week.
If you do PHS well
this should be
automatic.
If you do PHS well
this should be
automatic.

26. If you set up a few rules, keeping all
those audiences happy doesn’t have
to mean a unique, customized report
for each audience.
26

27. The Project Health Status Report
27

28. Project Health Status Report Manage
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Core Project Information
What just happened, and what’s happening next.
Key project milestones. A common language.
Risks and issues. OK, you want the truth?
Closely
Keep
Informed

29. Core Project Information:
• Common naming, numbering scheme
• Key project member names
• Project health color
• High level project summary
• Description of key project issue if yellow or red
Red
There is a problem and at this time we do not
have a plan to correct it.
Yellow
There is a problem, but we have a plan to
correct it.
Green All is well.
Project Health Status Report
Manage
Closely
Keep
Informed

30. Project Health Status Report
What just happened, and what’s happening next.
• Key accomplishments
• Planned activities
• The status of those planned activities.
30
Manage
Closely
Keep
Informed

31. Common Milestones
• Key milestones, using the same naming convention on each project
• There can be additional milestones in the plan
• Assume many items will run simultaneously
Manage
Closely
Keep
Informed
Project Health Status Report

32. Project Plan
Core Project Information
• Key milestones, using the same naming convention on each project
• Project Plan milestones populate portfolio level charts

33. Workstream Project List (e.g. Ford Truck)
Keep
Satisfied
Keep
Informed
Core Project Information Key project milestones. A common language.
33
Milestone
Project Name PM Client Name Project Manager Account Manager Percent
Complete
Project Health
Project Health Project Summary Project Goals SOW Approval Wireframe
Approval
Analytics Plan Creative
Review
Creative
Approval
EHO QA Handoff Acceptance
Testing
Go Live
5785-E-MYCO-Lincoln 2016 MKZ MYCO Jim Peters Sharma; Gunjan Miser; Paul 2/17/2015 2/27/2015 4/7/2015
4413-B-SITE-Lincoln 2014 Concierge 2_5
Discovery
Jim Peters Sharma; Gunjan Miser; Paul 10/15/2014 11/13/2014 1/23/2015 1/23/2015 2/20/2015 3/27/2015 5/12/2015 5/28/2015
4414-B-SITE-Lincoln Conierge 2_5 Desgin -
Deploy 2015
Jim Peters Sharma; Gunjan Miser; Paul 10/15/2014 11/13/2014 1/23/2015 1/23/2015 2/20/2015 3/27/2015 5/12/2015 5/28/2015
4415-B-SITE-Lincoln 2015 Concierge
Ongoing Maintenance
Jim Peters Sharma; Gunjan Miser; Paul 10/15/2014 11/13/2014 1/23/2015 1/23/2015 2/20/2015 3/27/2015 5/12/2015 5/28/2015
4416-B-SITE-Lincoln AEM Transition and
Concierge 3_0 Discovery
Jim Peters Sharma; Gunjan Miser; Paul 10/15/2014 11/13/2014 1/23/2015 1/23/2015 2/20/2015 3/27/2015 5/12/2015 5/28/2015
4417-B-SITE-Lincoln 2015 AEM and
Concierge 3_0 - Design to Development
Jim Peters Sharma; Gunjan Miser; Paul 10/15/2014 11/13/2014 1/23/2015 1/23/2015 2/20/2015 3/27/2015 5/12/2015 5/28/2015
• Core project information from Project Plan meta data fields
(pull down menus)
• Project Plan milestones populate portfolio level charts
• Project Plan health indicator populates portfolio level charts

34. Portfolio View
34
Keep
Satisfied
Keep
Informed
• All data driven from project plans
• All active and planned projects available with filters
• Project Plan start and end dates
• Health, % Complete, Go Live Dates
Project Owner Name PM Project Health Project Name Percent
Completed
Status Go Live
Nykiel; Debbie Red 5624-E-SITE-Ford 2014 CMS Content
Migration - Phase 3
18 9/12/14 - This project covers UI development; change
mgmt and content migration from NGBS to AEM.
Specifications UAT to complete by 9/16 - migration to
Husted; Tracy Green 8521-G-PLTF-Ford 2015 Ka Directors Chair
Global Digital Launch
87 QA in progress with FPO assets. Tech team still waiting on
videos from the TVC to implement. Delay of receiving
videos is putting this project at risk.
10/15/2014
Ormos; Natalie Yellow 9191-O-TSUV-Ford 2015 Expedition Launch
- OLA
44 Paid Digital Advertising production in support of the 2015
Expedition Launch. Yahoo making updates from our
feedback. No I/O issued yet and production can't begin
10/20/2014
Sheibar; Andy Yellow 4285-B-SITE-Ford 2013 Social Redesign 54 10/30/2014
Kalousdian; Katherine Red 9193-O-CCUV-Ford 2015 Mustang Launch
Display - OLA - Mobile
74 Mustang Launch OLA plan. STATUS: New In market date is
Oct 8th. Design assets are routing and being revised as
10/31/2014
Brzuszek; Elaine Yellow 4384-B-ONGO-2014 Content Studio -
Coastal Beat
70 Content Studio always on for Super Segment Sustainment.
Green bag creative ready for 7/26 onsite live date.
Working on social posts as well as VOX proposal.
11/12/2014
House; Leslie Green 5761-E-MYCO-Lincoln 2015 MKC Black
Label - PDM Reveal
0 BP @ MYCO. 11/21/2014
Brzuszek; Elaine Green 9188-O-ONGO-Super Segment Sustainment -
OLA
75 Overarching plan for the ongoing support of the Super
Segment Sustainment project Core team. Updates in status
12/11/2014
House; Leslie Green 5765-E-MYCO-Ford 2016 Medium Duty -
PDM Reveal
0 PDM Project only. Possible scope change to include
configurator. No BP configuration requested for CY 2014.
12/18/2015
Levine; Heather Red 4398-B-ONGO-2014 Content Studio -
Coastal Beat Good Cities
76 Sustainment coastal beat project with good.IS. Team is
working on influencers list, timing, and deliverables with
the vendor. SOW to be completed next week with the final
12/19/2014
Sheibar; Andy Green 4325-B-SITE-Ford 2014 YouTube Channel
Consolidation
56 12/9/2014
Paruszkiewicz; Steve Green 8504-G-ASTS-Ford 2015 Ka Rich Media
Assets
69 4/16/2015
Ditto; Dean Yellow 5634-E-SITE-FL 2013 Mobile CPO Refresh 46 Yellow due to aggressive timeline 4/22/2015
Dupuie; Jody Yellow 9180-O-TSUV-Ford 2015 F-150 Pre-Launch -
OLA
76 We Test, You Test Campaign. Missing some go live dates
due to traffic, CMP changes and vendor issues.
4/7/2014
House; Leslie Green 5651-E-MYCO-Ford 2016 Explorer- PDM
Reveal
0 Brand team working to provide H&As. BP reveal 11/18. 5/29/2015
Dutton; Emily Yellow 4397-B-SITE-2014 Ford Trucks YouTube
Refresh
76 You/We Test YouTube Refresh 8/29/2014
Woloszyk; Diane Yellow 4395-B-SITE-2015 Lincoln MKC Launch
Campaign
90 TEN content launched via maintenance task 8.4.14. Client
approval of MM content week of 8.11.
9/5/2014

35. • Take time in your company to define your own unique set of core
project information.
• Educate clients and all audiences on level of information they should
expect and when.
• Make it part of job expectations for project managers to maintain your
organizations preferred level of common project details.
• The rock stars figure out how to fill in the grey areas through other
formal and informal communications on a project by project.
35
Takeaways

36. If you do status right then you can focus on
the real work of project management.
36