2016-2017 Programs Archive

April 2017

PCMC Book Club - THE CREATIVE HABIT by Twyla Tharp

Our Spring Book Club selection will give our creative mind a tune up and give us an opportunity to discuss how creativity plays into project management of non-creative projects.  Check out the PCMC Book Club Page for more information about this semester's book and discussion details.

Check out the Book Recommendations page for some other reading ideas.  

March 2017

March:  Agile Project Management @ the UofM

Format: Table discussion round-robin

Presenters:  Chris Bucksa, University Services Finance & Strategy PMO
                     Amy Winkel, OIT, Enterprise Data & Analytics
                     Jeff Idle, Academic Support Resources IT, Student Data & Analytics
                     Laura Whitesell, Facilities Management, Business Systems & Strategies
                     Ashley Alexander, College of Continuing Education, Professional Development Programs

Have you heard about Agile Project Management and wondered who might be doing it at the UofM? Managing projects at the University of Minnesota environment presents a unique set of challenges. The presenters have taken on those challenges by taking on projects using Agile methodologies, techniques, tools, ideas, approaches to say the least. This event will provide the following:

  • Hear from a number of different areas taking on projects using an Agile approach.
  • Have an opportunity to engage the presenters in a small group dialogue.        
  • Hear what works and does not work regarding agile project management.
  • Connect with others who are looking at taking an Agile approach in getting their work done.
Resources:
Agile Alliance Links:  

January 2017

PCMC's Process Improvement Toolkit Project Kick-Off

Format:  Kick-Off Meeting, Working Session

Facilitated by: Ryan Ceresnak & Kristy Davis, PCMC Steering Committee Co-Chairs
 
PCMC is getting ready to launch our Process Improvement Toolkit for the University community, and we need your help!  If you are interested in helping us finalize the content of the toolkit please join us on Wednesday, January 25th 1:00p-2:30p (Fraser Hall, room B20) for our kick-off meeting. You will be asked to work on a subcommittee requiring somewhere between 5-15 hours of work between January and May.  Your job will be to proofread and perform content review and creation before we make the resources available to everyone.

During this meeting we split volunteers into groups that will be focusing on editing the content that is already created, creating new content to fill in gaps and making decisions on publication format and communication plans to the University community.  

Thank you to all of our volunteers!  Check out the Resources Page.

October 2016

Have You Been Thrown in the Project Deep End? Techniques, Advice, and Stories for Staying Afloat

Format:  Panel Discussion

Facilitator:  
     Sarah Wuest, Facilities Management/University Services, PCMC Steering Committee
Panelists:  
     Sherri Boone, Office of Planning, Space, & Architecture
     Sharon Edelman, OIT
     Ann Freeman, University Relations
     Robert Jankovich, Facilities Management/University Services
 
A collaborative panel to connect professionals across the University, create opportunities to share and learn with each other, raise awareness of existing resources, and how to survive the project deep end. Panelists from across the University will share their experiences with project management at the University of Minnesota.
 
Thank you to our amazing panelists and all who attended. For more information about this panel discussion, please see The Project Deep End Discussion Notes

September 2016

Ecocycle Planning Workshop

Format:  Workshop

Facilitator:  Richard Matson-Daley, IT Liason, OIT

 

Ecocycle Planning Diagram

Ecocycle Planning is one of the methods from Liberating Structures that can help a group, department or organization:

  • review its portfolio of activities and see each of those activities in relation to the whole.
  • identify new activities that are starving for resources.
  • identify old activities that no longer fit their context.
  • identify next steps to move these activities along in their life cycle.

While these discussions traditionally happen with small groups of leaders behind closed doors, this method allows for the inclusion and input of more of the organization, allowing for potentially broader insight as well as greater ownership of the organization’s work at all levels.

In this session we’ll spend some time learning, discussing and practicing this method of planning and portfolio review.

Facilitated by Richard Matson-Daley, Office of Information Technology

Thank you to all who attended! For more information on this workshop, please see: