Question

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

QUESTION 1

Improving Capability with Project Management Certifications: Telstra’s Story
Author: Project Management Institute (PMI)

Many of us live in a world where a nearly limitless amount of information is available. Some 3.2 billion people, almost half the globe’s population, use the internet, according to a report from International Telecommunication Union. As a result, being “connected” has emerged as one of the most critical, and sometimes controversial, aspects of everyday life.

Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company, and firmly believes that the more connected the person, the more opportunities they have for success. That’s why its strategic goal is to create a brilliant, connected future for everyone.

To help fulfil this mission and be known as an organisation that continually delivers successful projects, Telstra utilises Project Management Institute (PMI) frameworks, standards, and certifications to cultivate talent, standardise qualifications across its Global Services Practices (GSP) division, and support career paths for its project managers.

Focusing on Customer Delivery the GSP division, which is overseen by Telstra’s Global Project Management Services business unit, delivers high-end technology consulting, design, and deployment across all of Telstra’s technology offerings. Established in 2013, GSP’s major product portfolios include network services, unified communications and collaboration technologies, and security and cloud services.

Senior industry leaders were hired to boost the division’s capabilities, and in only two years, the number of employees grew to more than 1,500. Every day, GSP manages an average of 2,000 unique customer engagements, which range from “everyday” projects to multi-million dollar transition and transformation projects.

The Need for Strategy In order to continue to deliver world class service, Telstra has developed a clear strategy for its professionals, including project managers with formal career paths and professional development plans.

Although Telstra had significant talent within its project management community, not all project management roles were consistently or clearly defined, especially when it came to skills and credentials needed to support customer demands.

PMI research has revealed that more than half of high-performing organisations support project, program, and portfolio management through the use of standardised project management practices throughout the organization.

Telstra needed a certification model that would provide confidence for its customers and ensure that projects would be delivered in a consistent, reliable, world-class manner. This was the impetus for Telstra to establish a formal certification program for its project management community.

Most significantly, this strategic initiative received support from the highest level of management.
“Our vision of becoming a world-class technology company won’t be achieved without world-class project management. It’s central to the way we work, and fundamental to our ability to deliver a brilliant, connected future for our customers,” said Telstra CEO Andrew Penn.

QUESTION 1

Telstra achieved success through pertinent resource management. Constraints and limited resources are encountered when undertaking projects. Discuss and provide examples of the constraints and limited resources. Your discussion must include solutions to common problems when undertaking projects.

QUESTION 2

Communication should have been one of the success factors for Telstra. Identify the communication skills required in project management and discuss what effective communication management entails.

Answer 1

Question 1 Examples of constraints and limited resources are finances, time, skilled manpower and quality raw materials at competitive prices. The constraints often include the allocation of resources between different projects, managing the scope of projects with changes in client requirements, technological skills that have few experts and experience. Physical distances and different timings across globe also are constraints.

The solution includes planning and risk management with forecasting, budgeting, training and control of the project schedule.

Question 2. Communication skills required in project management includes knowledge of different cultures, objectivity and clarity in communication, skills for verbal, written and electronic communications. Effective communication management skills are understood clearly and proper sharing of information is done. It has less scope for leaving any communication gaps or lapses for incorrect information being relayed among the team. It is on time and encourages open exchange and feedback for clarification and follow up.