Tenets for lean U.S. Army project management offices

摘要

Secretary of Defense William Perry directed DoD to develop a restructuring plan for the acquisition organization to accomplish a personnel reduction, reduce the acquisition process costs, and eliminate activities that are either unnecessary or not cost-effective. To this end, DoD and the Services initiated acquisition reforms aimed at changing the management and conduct of research, development and acquisition projects and more closely emulate world- class commercial companies' best practices. Objectives at the heart of these initiatives are to increase product quality and user satisfaction, decrease cycle times and costs, obtain predictable results, and reduce Government acquisition management overhead. This research examined the current state within the Army PMOs, the current environment in which Army PMOs operate, and the significant policies that influence the Army PMO organizational designs. The research examined world-class commercial corporations and military project management processes and the author interviewed project management personnel to identify the minimum core PMO processes and responsibilities, characterize opportunities that might meet the goals and objectives to obtain lean PMOs, and develop a supporting set of tenets. The results of this research can be used as a guide for the challenges faced in the ensuing organizational redesign efforts in the Army.