Tuesday 29 September 2009

Project Challenge Exhibition

On the 30th September and 1st October Maven Training will be exhibiting at Project Challenge in Olympia, London.

With around 80 exhibiting organisations, and more than 40 free presentations, this un-missable event provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn from leading industry experts. You will get right up to date with the latest tools, solutions and services at this project event.

If you have previously taken a course with Maven Training, it would be great for you to come and meet us and talk about how everything has been since implementing what you have learnt from your course into your organisation. We can discuss different issues in your organisation at present and find solutions to your needs, just come to stand 29 for a chat about what we can do for each other.

On the 30th September at 12:15pm Zone A, our CEO Melanie Franklin will be presenting to an audience (so get there early) on 'Capacity Building in Project and Programme Management'. This lively, interactive and engaging presentation will focus on increasing individual capacity and maximising available resources to reach and exceed expectations. Then Melanie looks at developing capacity for an organisation as a whole and bringing it all together.

Come and take a seat for an innovative approach to buildiing capacity within organisations where you can hear her views on increasing individual productivity and maximising output.

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Building high performing project, programme and portfolio support offices

By Melanie Franklin, CEO at Maven Training

The PPSO Sig is an opportunity for those performing support roles to meet with their colleagues from other organisations and industries, to debate key issues. I attended the dinner at the end of day one, and gave a presentation on building high performing project, programme and portfolio support offices the next day. One of the things that really struck me about the attendees at this event was their strong desire to really get something out of their 2 days, and to make sure that the event was not just a talking shop.

As it was such a tough audience, I was really grateful that my slot was so well received, with lots of comments on email afterwards saying very similar things "Fantastic presentation at the PPSO group, really like your style!"

For my presentation, i took a client centric view of a support office, as I am currently relying on the PMO at a client to help me deliver a business critical programme against very tight deadlines. I used my current experience to set out what I need from a PMO, and then showed how I thought a highly effective team could help me achieve these requirements. I based the development of a highly effective team on Tuckmans model of team formation, and the group and I explored how the development of a team charter for the PMO can help the team form and storm as quickly as possible, so that the team reaches its 'norming' phase as early as possible. I divided the attendees into small teams, and each of the teams had to build their own charter, and then display them around the room so that the learning could be shared by each of the other teams. After that, we looked at how teams moving from Norming to Performing by sharing capability and each of the teams was invited to create their own ideas of how best to develop capability in their own environments. There were a lot of very creative and innovative ideas, and this session was run as a competition, with the best idea (judged by a PPSO Committee member) winning a very high quality box of chocolates - which I am relieved they decided to share, so I could have a couple!! The winning idea from the capability activity was 'pass it on, pass it back' which describes how experiences of service delivery by one member of the PMO can be shared with others - passing it on, with a feedback loop from other team members - passing it back. So one team member explains their experience to 3 others, they each explain it to 3 others until everyone that would find the experience useful has been informed and had a chance to comment on it.BY

Tuesday 15 September 2009

PPSO SIG Conference

In 2008, P3O, the new Portfolio, Programme and Project Office framework was launched to thePMO community. In September 2009, the ppsosig launches its new conference "From Acorn to Oak: PMO Maturity in your Organisation, Your Team and You" focused on the next steps in growing your PMO.

This two day conference, being held on the 16th & 17th September 2009, will move from awareness to a greater understanding of the current guidance and tools available to assess your organisational and PMO maturity.


Establishing a PMO Team

Melanie Franklin, our CEO at Maven Training identifies and reinforces the key issues in establishing a PMO team. Melanie’s engaging and high energy session will look at the goals of your PMO, roles and responsibilities, the work of the PMO, the skillsets required (hard and interpersonal), working arrangements, abilities and experiences and certification & training for the team.
The session will leave delegates with an overview of the challenges of bringing individuals together in a PMO and address the following topics;
• Support, encourage and control of the members
• Working with Programme and Project staff
• Focus of promoting the benefits of the P3O to the organisation stakeholders
• Developing P3O services and functions
• Developing the use and application of appropriate tools and techniques
• Training and development

Please make sure you register your interest pretty quickly for this unmissable event!

Tuesday 8 September 2009

Working across the Public Sector

Maven Training has worked with a diverse range of public sector organisations, many of whom have become long-term associates because they trust us.

The project, programme and change management training we provide to public sector organisations prepares staff for their roles and gives them a methodology which they can apply to the contractors engaged in the delivery of the products and services being commissioned.

The delegates attending our courses come from a variety of management and specialist backgrounds and are often managing multiple projects. Susan Stevens, Maven Training’s Associate Trainer, has developed courses for clients such as Hackney Council, the Financial Services Authority and the Security Industry Authority.

Susan says, “Although clients operate in different environments, they can face very similar issues. For example many clients need help with leadership issues, working effectively in teams, and influencing stakeholders,” she says.

Maven Training can also adapt its range of courses to suit a client’s specific needs with regards to their own Frameworks. For example for Leeds PCT we developed a project and programme management framework, based on the principles of best practice including PRINCE2®, MSP™ and M_o_R®.

The project and programme frameworks were supported by the development of pages for the NHS Leeds intranet site, providing guidance, examples, templates and points to consider when using a project or programme management approach to work. The training courses provided experiential learning opportunities, where delegates had a chance to practice applying the frameworks using relevant NHS Leeds examples, but in a risk free training environment.

Sometimes the work we’re doing is so well received, new initiatives spring from it. For example, Maven Training’s CEO Melanie Franklin recently spent the day working with young people at Knowsley Council, where we have been helping project management staff get to grips with PRINCE2.

Melanie was aware the young people involved in this process were giving up their time for their community, so she decided to do the same. “It was a real pleasure because all the people involved were so dedicated to the vision of what’s possible,” she said.

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Skype with Maven Training

If you want to contact Maven Training from home or abroad for free then here are a few tips for you to get up and running!

All that you need to place calls using Skype is the following:

- A working Internet connection
- The Skype software download here
- A headset or handset
- Click the contact button at the top of skype

In the list find the person you wish to call, for Maven training type in 'MavenTrainingSales' as your contact.
You will see their details in the main window.



Click the green Call button. You should hear ringing. If you don't hear the other person or they can't hear you, click the call quality icon at the top of your call window.

To hang up, click the red End call button.

Get started now - it really is as easy as that!

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