Project Management Innovation
View PDF (PDF, 119 KB) (Posted 1/27/09)
Trends and Issues
IThe Volpe Center solves national transportation problems and issues through the proper execution of customer projects. The Office of Management Budget and the General Accounting Office have increasingly called for better program and project management processes across Federal agencies to ensure the most efficient and effective use of federal dollars to produce results. The practice of project management helps the Center to focus efforts on our customer's mission by aligning priorities, leveraging resources, and delivering high quality services. The Volpe Center has adapted and implemented industry standard project management practices across the organization. The Center also continues to increase the number of certified Project Management Professionals among its supervisors and project managers.
Project Management Overview
The Volpe Center is working to improve the performance of its project managers. Implementation of project management standards and training on best practices increases customer satisfaction and reduces project risk and the cost of doing business across the Center. Increasing customer satisfaction with how we manage projects has helped to increase Volpe Center's contributions to achieving the Nation's transportation goals. The Volpe Center also provides high-level oversight and guidance to Volpe Center management to meet the Center's project portfolio information requirements and compliance with project management-related directives.
Project Management Highlights
- Develops standards and templates that can be tailored for different project sizes and customers.
- Offers customized project management training on business practices of the Center: all new project managers are given a four-day training course in best practices for managing projects.
- Provides ongoing consultation support to individual project managers and teams through a variety of tools, reports, and guidance that address a range of simple needs to complex requirements.
- Integrates the Center's financial reporting systems with project management tools.
- Serves as champions for improving and simplifying Volpe Center business processes to fully support the project manager. Identification and management review of the Center's high visibility projects.
- Continuously improves the Center's project management expertise through training, seminars, newsletters and technical assistance.
- Encourages cross Center collaboration on lessons learned and sharing of effective practices and processes.
- Provides training and support to increase the numbers of certified Project Management Professionals across the Center.
- Has trained over 220 Volpe Center staff members in Microsoft Enterprise Project Management; 33 staff members have received their project management certification
