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Federal IT Reform
In a radio interview with host Francis Rose, R-G President and COO Mike Sledge provides insights on the latest OMB guidance for managing IT projects and recommends best practices for program managers. "In Depth with Francis Rose," Federal News Radio 1500AM, June 29, 2010
Federal News Radio, May 11, 2009
Contracts Awarded
This article briefly describes a recent Robbins-Gioia contract win for $2.6 million with the Army (Logistics Modernization Program effort at Letterkenny Army Depot).
The Washington Post, May 11, 2009
Read All About It…
This article by Austin Russ, senior executive consultant and chief enterprise architect with Robbins-Gioia, provides an overview of “The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You,” by Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten.
Projects@Work, April 20, 2009
Management Issues
This radio interview focuses on a panel that Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, was to lead at the Interagency Resources Management Conference (IRMCO) on April 19-22 in Cambridge, Md. The panel was to discuss the issues of openness, transparency, and accountability that government managers face today.
Federal News Radio, April 1, 2009
Fed 100 Winner: Emory Miller
This article profiles Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia and one of the 2009 Federal 100 Award winners. The article highlights his work on a study exploring program managers’ perceptions on the growing trend of program failures. The report “proposes groundbreaking legislative and policy changes that could yield better results from federal programs.”
Federal Computer Week, March 23, 2009
The First 90 Days
This book review by Robbins-Gioia Senior Executive Consultant and Chief Enterprise Architect Austin Russ examines Michael Watkins’ The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels. The book provides new leaders with advice and frameworks for analyzing their situations and developing a customized transition plan in their new positions. Austin takes a look at the book’s ten transition challenges and ways to overcome them within the first 90 days on the job.
Projects@Work, March 16, 2009
Successful Programs Require Independent Management and Oversight
In his byline, Robbins-Gioia’s Emory Miller examines how the government can effectively manage outsourced programs with a shrinking acquisitions workforce. He suggests that the government should use stringent criteria when selecting a contractor to help manage a program’s cost, schedule and technical performance; these criteria include avoiding conflict of interest, selecting contractors with program management as a core competency, and applying performance-based contracting.
Federal Computer Week, March 5, 2009
Virtual Virtues
This blog entry briefly details an article originally posted on Projects@Work. The entry discusses working with virtual teams in various geographic locations and how to use a virtual presence to bridge the gaps. The initial article and blog entry cite trusting in your employees and establishing an electronic communications standard as some of Jon’s best practices.
@task, February 19, 2009
Why Software Development Projects Fail, Part III: Methodology
This third in the series of articles on software development discusses how the choice of methodology can lead to either project success or failure. Jon Hughes observed that clients often have their method selected before engaging R-G. “We usually comply with what they ask for unless we realize that there is a cultural inhibitor to doing a spiral or agile development that will make it unsuccessful,” he said. “If someone wants to do a spiral development methodology, but is not willing to commit resources (and) time to periodic reviews, there is a fundamental problem.”
CIO Update, February 18, 2009
Why Software Development Projects Fail, Part II: Requirements
This is the second in a series of five articles that examine software development, specifically, the reasons for failure and how to avoid them. This article addresses the importance of defining requirements and ways to accomplish this. One best practice is to interview end users. “Ideally it would be best to assemble all users in one room: executives who will use the system for reporting and decision making along with those who will be using the software to do their jobs,” said Jon Hughes, vice president of Robbins-Gioia’s Technology Solutions Group.
CIO Update, February 11, 2009
Pre-Check, Please
This article briefly details the importance of completing a project pre-check during the initial stages of any project, featuring Stephen Hawald, director of process refinement and optimization practice at Robbins-Gioia.
Projects@Work, February 4, 2009
Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution Webcast Series
This blog entry briefly details a Robbins-Gioia and Microsoft webcast on Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) solutions for government.
Project Server Blogs, January 30, 2009
John Gioia: Innovative, caring executive
“He was a man way ahead of his time in technology and program management,” said John Marselle, Robbins-Gioia CEO, about R-G co-founder John Gioia.
Washington Technology, January 14, 2009
Gold Standard for a New Order
This article is adapted from a graduation speech given by Emory Miller, senior vice president at Robbins-Gioia, to the 2008 graduating class of the CIO University at General Services Administration (GSA). Emory offers seven management tips to the new graduates.
Federal Computer Week, January 12, 2009
John Gioia: Program management innovator
This appreciation about John Gioia quotes Emory Miller, a senior vice president at R-G, who said that John established and expanded the company just as the discipline of program management was maturing in the federal government.
Federal Computer Week, January 12, 2009
Godspeed John Gioia (Nov. 11, 1932-Dec. 26, 2008)
In his article, Chris Dorobek quoted the article posted about John on RobbinsGioia.com: “John Gioia’s larger-than-life personality was topped only by his big heart.”
DorobekInsider.com, December 31, 2008
John Gioia dies at 76
“He was a spirited industry pioneer and a resolute business leader who built a firm of enduring value for this country,” said Robbins-Gioia CEO John Marselle in a statement issued on Monday, December 29.
Washington Technology, December 30, 2008
FCW Insider: Federal Program Management Community Loses a Giant
This blog entry briefly details the life of John Gioia, co-founder of Robbins-Gioia.
Federal Computer Week, December 30, 2008
Pay Your Rent, and You'll Get a High Rate of Return
This article is adapted from a graduation speech that Emory Miller gave to the 2008 graduating class of the CIO University. Emory paints a picture of the improvements that have occurred in the federal workplace over the last 40 years.
MeriTalk, December 22, 2008
Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO): Best Practices and PMOs
In his byline, Steve Hawald, director of Robbins-Gioia Process Refinement and Optimization practice, discusses best practices for an enterprise program management office.
MeriTalk, December 22, 2008
New Report Charts the Future of Federal Program Management
This press release outlines the policy and legislative recommendations of the Council for Excellence in Government’s Program Management Steering Committee, the result of its study based on input from federal program managers. Robbins-Gioia’s Emory Miller spearheaded the report.
MeriTalk, December 16, 2008
It's Okay to Hire a Guard for the Henhouse as Long as You Don't Hire a Fox
In their joint byline, Robbins-Gioia’s Emory Miller and Steve Furman, vice president of business systems, examine how the government can effectively manage outsourced programs with a shrinking acquisitions workforce.
MeriTalk, December 9, 2008
In Flux
This article outlines the problems facing managers during times of economic uncertainty. “The ability to change and adjust is easier for companies that have invested in the tools, training, and people that make companies agile and efficient because they have the necessary information to make good decisions,” said Keith Kerr, managing director of the practice development group at Robbins-Gioia.
PM network, December 1, 2008
The Next President's Guide to Program Management
This video clip features an interview with Emory Miller, senior vice president for government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, and his advice to the next president in terms of program management. “Program management is what we do in agencies, it’s how government moves, how it innovates, how it accomplishes its mission,” Emory says.
MeriTalk, November 3, 2008
When Disaster Hits Home
This article discusses the work of Marie Danco and Bret Platt, both principal consulting managers with Robbins-Gioia, in assisting a federal agency in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Projects@Work, October 9, 2008
Contractor of the Year Awards Announced
On October 7, 2008, the sixth annual GovCon Awards honoring the leaders and legends in the government contracting community were presented—and two Robbins-Gioia finalists took first place. John Marselle was named executive of the year in the $75-300 million category, and Mary Anne Schubert, R-G Defense Logistics Agency customer from Warner Robins, Ga., was named public sector partner of the year.
Washington Technology, October 8, 2008
Program Management Falls Short
OMB’s current Management Watch List identifies 413 IT projects worth about $25.2 billion as being poorly planned, poorly performing, or both. In response to a recent Council for Excellence in Government survey, program managers listed several issues, one of which was that meeting OMB’s reporting requirements is too time-consuming, taking time away from focusing on strategic decisions. In his analysis, John Madej, Robbins-Gioia civil division president, noted, “If agencies are doing proper project management, reporting to OMB is just a byproduct of what they are already doing. Those that see it as a burden are typically not doing the proper project management [activities] and that’s why they see it as additional work.”
Federal Computer Week, September 15, 2008
Managerial Shortages
This article notes that the growing shortage of in-house senior program managers is leading some agencies to rely more heavily on system integrators and other contractors. John Madej advises agencies to establish a separate program management office to oversee the performance of these contractors to ensure that agency needs are met.
Federal Computer Week, September 15, 2008
Miller: Independent Oversight Works
In his byline, Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, cites an OMB report stating that 413 federal projects valued at $25.2 billion in 2008 need better planning, management, and oversight. He proposes independent program oversight, a management function performed by individuals free from conflicts of interest, as a business best practice that leads to project success.
Federal Computer Week, September 8, 2008
Time Marches On—How is Your Fund Doing With E-Discovery Capabilities?
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Bob Lorenz, principal consulting manager, and Penny Quirk, director of records information and optimization, examines four key components of the new e-discovery guidelines, citing Michigan’s Municipal Employees Retirement System records management program as an example of what organizations can do to be prepared for litigation.
The NAPPA Report, August 2008
Awards Program to Honor Augustine
The sixth annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards will take place on October 7, 2008. R-G is one of five finalists in the $75-300 million contractor of the year category; John Marselle is one of four finalists in the $75-300 million executive of the year category; and Mary Anne Schubert, our DLA customer from Warner Robins, is one of two finalists in the public sector partner of the year category.
Washington Technology, September 4, 2008
Data Preservation for Legal Actions
This article by Penny Quirk, director for the Records Information Optimization Practice at Robbins-Gioia, discusses the importance of a successful data preservation program in conjunction with a comprehensive records and information management program.
Computer Technology Review, July 28, 2008
R-G’s transformation service offering
This show featured Robbins-Gioia’s Keith Kerr, managing director for practice development; Stephen Hawald, practice director for refinement and optimization; and Paula Pierce, practice director for human capital management. They discussed R-G’s transformation service offering—and why organizations must change or die.
MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show, July 24, 2008
Grassroots PPM: 4 Best Practices
The article by Peter Schmidt, principal consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia, focuses on best practices for small and mid-sized companies in the process of determining a need for project portfolio management.
Projects@Work, July 21, 2008
The five deadly sins and five commandments of projects
Jim Johnson, founder and chairman of The Standish Group, and Herb Strauss, chief strategy and marketing officer of Robbins-Gioia, join radio host Scott Draughon to examine the five deadly sins involved in project failure—and the virtues required for project success.
MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show, July 17, 2008
Records management
Penny Quirk, R-G’s director of the records optimization and information (RIO) practice and Bob Lorenz, R-G site lead at the Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS) of Michigan, discussed the critical need for electronic records management—and what can happen if records management is ignored.
MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show, July 10, 2008
IT and Investment Governance
R-G Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Herb Strauss was the moderator for this radio show, introducing Scott Mairs, managing director for R-G's Financial Services Group, and Samantha Dunbar, managing director and head of the Corporate and Investment Banking Program Management Office at Wachovia. Scott and Samantha highlighted Wachovia’s development of its governance model, the business drivers that got it there, and steps for taking governance to the next level at Wachovia. Herb then introduced R-G's Jon Hughes, vice president of the Technology Solution Group, and John-Michael Scott, Enterprise Project Management product and practice manager. Jon and John-Michael explored R-G’s and Microsoft’s Capital Planning & Investment Control automated solution and its role in helping agencies respond to and leverage today’s challenging compliance environment.
MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show, June 6, 2006
Ariz. Assembles Project Experts
This article examines Arizona’s project management certification program as a growing trend in government. Herb Strauss, Robbins-Gioia’s chief strategy and marketing officer, noted that today’s program managers need to understand and manage a broad slate of risks associated with large technology programs.
Federal Computer Week, July 7, 2008
Ready to Dig in: Program Management
This article examines essential components of good PM: repeatable processes, communications, metrics, and sound requirements. The Customs Modernization project is presented as a testament to PM processes and procedures. “As soon as a need or an opportunity is identified, the project manager ought to be assigned,” said Keith Kerr, managing director of the practice development group at Robbins-Gioia.
Washington Technology, June 30, 2008
Navy takes EA concept to heart
This article outlines enterprise architecture initiatives in the U.S. military, discussing a federated architecture approach and a new best practice, the EA center of excellence. Austin Russ, enterprise architect at Robbins-Gioia, said such centers can be productive if they reduce unnecessary or redundant efforts or improve the overall quality of the results.
Federal Computer Week, June 30, 2008
Double Vision
The article focuses on project and portfolio management software that agencies can use to gain control over their operations. “The quality of the tools to support the process surrounding it is evolving,” said Jon Hughes, vice president of the technology solutions group at Robbins-Gioia. “Some do it better than others.” The article includes a checklist for selecting the correct tool as a sidebar and lists Robbins-Gioia’s website as a resource for project management.
Government Computer News, May 26, 2008
Don’t Be Surprised by e-Discovery
This article provides five steps to improve an organization’s ability to produce records needed for legal proceedings through e-discovery. Penny Quirk, principal consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia said that agencies can take advantage of enterprise architecture as they pursue e-discovery.
Federal Computer Week, April 14, 2008
Tools Help Managers Map Road to Project Success
This article focuses on selected IT and management tools that can help projects succeed, and provides insight from industry thought leaders. “We [the government] do OK at planning and tend to launch well,” said Emory Miller, Robbins-Gioia senior vice president. “But before long, projects are in a lot of trouble because the government does not provide active oversight.” The article suggests that disciplined oversight is key to project success, and includes Miller’s description of R-G’s independent program oversight (IPO) offering. It goes on to note Robbins-Gioia’s version of capital planning and investment control (CPIC) as “another tool to help guide a project from beginning to end.” Keith Kerr, Robbins-Gioia solutions director, explained that R-G’s CPIC Central solution “helps agencies to see the value of their projects, giving them the ability to evaluate and prioritize resources against them.”
Federal Times, April 7, 2008
Independent Program Oversight: An Answer for Major Weapons Systems’ Success?
This article by Emory Miller, Robbins-Gioia senior vice president, examines why Department of Defense (DoD) projects fail—specifically major weapons systems—and looks at independent program oversight (IPO) as a possible solution to the problem.
Defense Acquisition Review Journal, April, 2008
ADVICE+DISSENT: Managing Technology Fostering Innovation
This article focuses on how federal managers can embrace risk as necessary to innovation versus shunning it as a career-limiting strategy. “Someone might be hindered because they've done something for the past 20 years and are not aware that the world has changed dramatically,” said Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia.
Government Executive, April 1, 2008
The Homeland Security Top 25 and Rising 10
This article is an annual report on the top 25 vendors to the Department of Homeland Security. Robbins-Gioia is 12 on the list of the top 25 contractors for Customs and Border Protection, which was the top spending agency in DHS.
HS Today, April 1, 2008
Government Contractor Ethics 08 Rankings
Robbins-Gioia has been listed as one of the recipients of the “Best Small Company Government Contractor Ethics Program” for its ethics and compliance initiatives in the 2008 Government Contractor Ethics Program Ratings released by the Ethisphere Institute. The article highlights 35 contractors with the best ethics programs overall, as well as the top 10 private company programs and the 5 most outstanding small company programs and notes that these latter groups deserve particular credit and recognition—their efforts at creating and maintaining an ethical environment exceed many of the largest spenders of taxpayers’ money.
Ethisphere Magazine, Quarter 01, 2008
Robbins-Gioia: Morale Impacts Bottom Line
This article discusses how R-G helped GTSI return to profitability. The company suffered a net loss of $16 million in 2005. R-G identified the problem as a human capital management (HCM) issue and used a five-phase plan that it helped GTSI to implement. Now, turnover at GTSI is down to just 15 percent, and GTSI’s stock has more than doubled.
Consulting Magazine, March and April, 2008
Project Management Skills Still in Short Supply, CIO Council Finds
Despite OMB initiatives to improve the number and skills of federal project managers, a CIO Council assessment reported that the number of qualified PMs remains stagnant. “Program management is a core competence of government, yet we don’t recognize it for the impact and the benefits it can have on success of government in delivering outcomes,” said Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia.
Federal Computer Week, March 13, 2008
O’Brien Discusses Her New Role as Robbins-Gioia President
In this interview, Marie O’Brien talks about her role as president of Robbins-Gioia’s defense and intelligence division and the challenges of growing a business, benefits of diversity, and her leadership style.
Executive Biz, March 5, 2008
Design Your Master Data Governance Program to Best Serve Your Organization
This article by Penny Quirk, principal consultant manager at Robbins-Gioia, focuses on the importance of designing a master data management program specifically to fit the needs of your organization. “Many organizations house master data in various databases and/or software applications, ranging from the very simple to extremely complex,” Penny writes. “Consequently, managing this data can become extensive and resource draining. The need for management must go beyond simply ensuring that the data is complete and correct—it must be part of the overall governance of the organization.”
DM Review, February 21, 2008
Records Management Rollouts
This article by Bob Lorenz, principal consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia, and Cheryl Strait, executive consultant at Robbins-Gioia, focuses on best practices for selecting and implementing an electronic records management system.
StateTech, February 4, 2008
When Do I Turn on Project Management?
In his byline, Pierre Monacelli, Robbins-Gioia senior vice president, products and services, writes about the importance of investing in project management at the beginning of a project’s life cycle.
IT Today, February 4, 2008
Make Good Data Great
Smart executives are learning that the extra care involved in creating a solid data architecture can produce immediate and long-term benefits. “Organizations come to a point where they need a reliable source of consistent data,” said Shani Hernandez, Robbins-Gioia program manager.
Federal Computer Week, February 4, 2008
Whose Grass Is Greener?
This article by Ann Sachs, senior consulting manager for Robbins-Gioia, focuses on three types of project managers—corporate, consultant, and independent—and discusses advantages, disadvantages, and career tips for each.
Projects@Work, January 31, 2008
SOA Equals Opportunity and Preparedness
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Austin Russ, chief enterprise architect, and Laura O’Neal, Defense Intelligence Division analyst, outlines steps organizations should take before committing to Service Oriented Architecture.
Align Journal Online, January 30, 2008
Chart A PMO Vision
This article by Don Page, R-G operations director of Customs and Border Protection/Immigration and Customs Enforcement, focuses on the importance of articulating a complete vision for a PMO and provides a list of six elements that should be defined in its charter.
Projects@Work, December 18, 2007
Amtower Off Center
In this radio program, Mark Amtower and guest Emory Miller of Robbins-Gioia discuss program management and its various applications in the federal market.
Federal News Radio, December 14, 2007
Aligning IT to the Strategic Plan: Why It’s Permanently Number One on Your To-Do List
This article, the second in a series by Cheryl Strait, principal consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia, provides steps that organizations can follow to ensure they are ready for an e-discovery.
Align Journal, December 12, 2007
Leading by Example
This article focuses on the importance of mentoring and training in the workplace, featuring insights from Robbins-Gioia’s Jennifer Stanford, director of the workforce performance group, and Paula Pierce, principal consulting manager, strategic human capital management.
Consulting Magazine, December 5, 2007
Are You Ready to Advance Your Organization’s e-Discovery Capabilities?
This article, the second in a series by Cheryl Strait, principal consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia, provides steps that organizations can follow to ensure they are ready for an e-discovery.
PM World Today, December 5, 2007
Flexibility Takes Over From Plans in an Agile World
This article discusses the applications of agile in developing business strategy and software. While agile is effective in cutting through red tape, Michael Homendy, software engineer at Robbins-Gioia, pointed out that it is not for every project.
Financial Times, November 21, 2007
Past Due
In his byline on leaders in U.S. history, Robbins-Gioia Senior Consulting Manager Keith Kerr uncovers guiding principles that can be applied to modern business management: preparation, perseverance, a common framework, leadership with action, and the readiness to seize opportunities, wherever and whenever they may arise.
Projects@Work, November 19, 2007
The 'just do it' program manager
This article focuses on the rising stature of program managers in government. A quote from Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, concludes the article. “You can think of government as whole bunch [of] programs,” he said. “Program managers have responsibility for delivering those programs to citizens and businesses and for being the stewards of the government’s resources and capabilities. That’s a high calling.”
Federal Computer Week, November 5, 2007
ERP Implementation Failures and the Philosopher’s Stone
This article focuses on failures in ERP implementation, and looks at how they can be addressed and prevented. The author, Ipshita Basu Guha, references the results of a Robbins-Gioia survey. She writes, “Most commonly the failure can be attributed to human aspects. A Robbins-Gioia (provider of management consulting services located in Alexandria – Virginia) Survey stated that 51 percent “viewed” that their ERP implementation as unsuccessful.”
Express Computer, November 5, 2007
Are Your Project Files Ready for an e-Discovery?
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Cheryl Strait focuses on e-discovery and the steps that organizations can take to prepare for it. “Identifying and collecting electronically stored business records can cost organizations a great deal of time and money,” Cheryl writes. “Not properly producing records in response to an e-discovery request can cost a company even more—millions of dollars—in fines and penalties.”
PM World Today, November 2, 2007
The Perils of Dirty Data
This article focuses on the importance of data cleansing and validation—and includes horror stories of what can go wrong. Penny Quirk, principal consulting manager for Robbins-Gioia's records and information optimization (RIO) practice area, was interviewed for the article. “Organizations making dramatic changes in technology without putting forth the necessary time and effort to manage the data reconciliation, integration, and conversions can become victims of bad data,” she said. “As data is moved from one source to another, the number of chances for it to become bad is astronomical.”
InfoWorld, October 29, 2007
Are You Ready for AJAX Risks?
This article is an excerpt from the book, Enterprise AJAX: Strategies for Building High Performance Web Applications, by David Johnson, Alexei White, and Andre Charland. The excerpt focuses on the three main risk areas of AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)—technical, cultural, and marketing—and references the results of a survey conducted by Robbins-Gioia when discussing technical risks. The authors write that unlike other kinds of risk, technical risk can actually result in a project not being completed, adding that “Some studies have shown that 50% of enterprise software projects never go into production (Robbins-Gioia Survey, 2001).”
Computerworld, October 28, 2007
Know-Go
This article by Jim Tisch, Robbins-Gioia’s director of knowledge management solutions, focuses on virtual collaboration and management of a project and provides examples of online rules of engagement, key best practices, and support tools used to successfully deliver a real-life major enterprise knowledge system. “Businesses must embrace the Web as a platform and utilize its strengths for managing geographically dispersed project teams,” Jim writes, adding, “Remember that technology is an enabler, not a silver bullet. You need rules of engagement, strong project management methods, a disciplined team with communication skills, and support from management in place to ensure success.”
Projects@Work, October 25, 2007
Keep An Eye On ITIL
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Lori MacDonald focuses on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, ubiquitous in Europe and making inroads into the United States. Lori provides an overview of what ITIL is, as well as tips on how to get started using it. She notes that adopting ITIL doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing choice, adding, “Because ITIL is a series of related processes, organizations can make a decision to implement some or all of them."
Projects@Work, September 6, 2007
Managing Projects for the Government
This article (page 26) is a sidebar to the cover story “Project Management: Hire a Temporary Asset.” Kenneth McKellar, Robbins-Gioia defense division Mid-Atlantic operations director, remarked that some customers are “very specific about what they want.” He added that for other customers, “….involvement is usually minimal because most customers trust Robbins-Gioia to do the job it’s hired for.”
Material Handling Management, August 2007
10 Perspectives on EA
This article examines enterprise architecture, featuring 10 insights from 10 different industry experts. Austin Russ, chief enterprise architect at Robbins-Gioia, explained that EA is a set of analytical and management disciplines that enable an organization to understand how its assets support its mission—and how to reallocate those assets if necessary. He cautioned that EA should not be limited to IT. “Technology does not drive the business. It enables it,” he said.
Federal Computer Week, August 27, 2007
Agile Program Management: Oversight or Overkill?
This article by Darren Jerome, management consultant with Robbins-Gioia, focuses on the role of project management within the Agile methodology. “There is a role for program management in Agile, although the means are a little different,” said Jerome. “Program management is often used for IT projects, however it is even more important for Agile projects because things move quickly and can fall off the rails if they are not managed. As a result, as small problems are worked out, big ones are solved as well.”
Projects@Work, August 20, 2007
Getting the Message Out
This article examines the tension between the need to establish IT best practices—and the challenge to identify and agree upon them. Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, remarked that although repositories of best practices are useful, they are not necessarily ideal for knowledge transfer. He added, “…when you engage a person in dialogue, you learn a lot faster. When we get too mechanized in how we organize best practices, we may not be efficient. The more collaboration we have among people of like objectives, the more efficient we are.”
Federal Computer Week, August 20, 2007
Present Your IT Budget
In this article, which ran as the cover story of the CIO – Asia print edition, a variety of experts shared their insights on how to present a successful IT budget proposal. Robbins-Gioia’s Keith Kerr pointed out that some CIOs manage their budgets as portfolios of investment opportunities to lend structure to a budget planning process, adding, “It helps you build a business case.” This article also appeared online in CIO.com (http://www.cio.com/article/104609/How_to_Present_Your_IT_Budget/2)
CIO.com, August 2007
E-Discovery
More than half of the 70 senior records management professionals surveyed at the most recent conference of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators said their e-discovery processes were ineffective or needed improvement, according to the Robbins-Gioia’s ARMA survey featured in this article. The article also provides instructions to view the full report.
Government Computer News, August 13, 2007
Move IT on Over
This article by William Dan Roberts, principal consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia, focuses on IT management, specifically providing steps to avoid pitfalls when relocating a data center. “Agencies can plan for the little things that can foil an otherwise successful move,” writes Roberts. “Good project management guiding the relocation effort will increase your chance of success.”
FedTech, August 2007
Managing the Risk of Increased Competition Among Federal Contractors
This article by Donald May, formerly of Robbins-Gioia, focuses on the risk of increased competition among federal contractors, and looks at how contractors can be successful. “The implementation of proper risk mitigation techniques helps control unknown factors and improves a contractor’s chance for success,” May writes. He adds that that with proper risk mitigation techniques, as well as an eye towards honest and ethical work, contractors can put themselves in position to succeed.”
Contract Management, August 2007
The Drive for Teleworking
This article looks at reasons why teleworking is catching on, as well as why some organizations are still reluctant to take part. Pierre Monacelli, senior vice president of project management leadership at Robbins-Gioia, pointed out that managers need to be educated about the value of telework. “It’s not just setting up somebody at home with a laptop,” he said. “Managers with strong management skills usually don’t have a problem with telework.”
Government Computer News, July 23, 2007
EVM: A Dash of Cold Water
This article looks at the Social Security Administration’s successful integration of earned value management, noting that the agency shares EV data across the board. Dennis White, Robbins-Gioia’s EVM practice area manager, remarked, “Once [an EVM] system—and system is defined as people, processes and tools—has been established and matured, the biggest benefit is going to be enhanced planning. You will know what it takes to do things. You will get better at estimating and can do more realistic scheduling. You will be able to set up performance from the front end, as opposed to measuring everything from the back end.”
Federal Computer Week, July 16, 2007
Does Your PMO Mentor?
This article focuses on developing mentoring programs within a project management office and includes the insight of two experts, including Robbins-Gioia’s Paula Pierce, practice area manager for strategic human capital management. Pierce noted that R-G is currently working with the USDA CIO in a mentoring program, adding, “At the USDA, the scores that they use to measure their business cases for IT investments have gone up substantially, they are having to do a lot less re-work, and they are getting approval for more IT projects because their business cases are better and it is all because of this program.”
Projects@Work, June 28, 2007
USDA Shows Its Project Management Chops
This article focuses on the USDA’s in-house project management training efforts to increase success rates for information technology programs. It also discusses Robbins-Gioia’s role in the training program.
Government Computer News, May 7, 2007
At Dulles, a Long-Awaited Welcome Center
This article focuses on the recent opening of a lounge at Dulles airport for traveling U.S. service members, operated by the USO of Metropolitan Washington. "A project like this doesn't just happen," said John Marselle. "It's not always an easy sale." The lounge will serve an estimated 40,000 military travelers a year.
The Washington Post, May 3, 2007
Image is Everything
This article discusses the importance of project managers developing their own personal brands as a way to connect with team members, stakeholders, and upper management. Tricia Davis-Muffett, Robbins-Gioia vice president of marketing, noted that acknowledging her team is a desirable part of her personal brand. “You will blow any brand apart with the loss of trust,” commented Bruce Anich, vice president of operations for Robbins-Gioia’s civil division. “It’s the most important element and should be at the top of your list of brand attributes.”
PM Network, May 2007
International Aid
This article discusses the different PM skills required to manage global versus domestic projects. Pierre Monacelli, senior vice president at Robbins-Gioia, warned against the temptation to micromanage. He advised, “Think of micromanagement as the flipside of empowerment—and empowerment generally delivers better results.”
PM Network, May 2007
Professional Services: Top 100 Contractors
This article is a listing of the top 100 professional services contractors in the 2006 fiscal year. Robbins-Gioia is listed at number 93.
Federal Times, April 23, 2007
Picture this: Fundraiser for the Troops
This photo shows R-G CEO and USO-Metro Board Chairman John Marselle with Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson, and other attendees at a fundraiser on March 27 for the Washington chapter of the USO. The event raised more than $500,000 to support military service members and their families in the Washington area. Robbins-Gioia was the primary sponsor.
Washington Technology, April 23, 2007
To Define What A Mashup Is
This article focuses on examining the definition of mashups—a combination of data from different sources not initially meant to interact with one another—to see how the definition changes based on who created the data and what the data includes. Robbins-Gioia Director Of Knowledge Management Solutions And E-Business Jim Tisch discussed how this emerging technology can be applied in enterprises. In a knowledge management context, mashups can be employed to reuse information that would otherwise remain hiddent in application silos.
SD Times, April 15, 2007
Low Cost
This article by Robbins-Gioia Director of Workforce Performance Jennifer Stanford presents five ways to establish a healthy project management culture with a limited budget. “Rather than simply trying to create a PM culture, organizations should focus on creating a results culture that uses PM practices to ensure and measure the journey toward success,” she writes.
Public CIO, April 3, 2007
Deliverables
This article presents the results of various surveys, including Robbins-Gioia’s Program Management Bill of Health Survey , administered to healthcare professionals. The Robbins-Gioia healthcare survey found that the top three drivers for improving project management capabilities and/or optimizing organizational processes were (1) enhancing quality of products and services; (2) optimizing efficiency; and (3) improving productivity.
PM Network, April 2007
Get Ready to Listen
This article discusses the results of a Washington Technology survey conducted on agency officials who read Government Computer News. Darci Allen, director of proposals for Robbins-Gioia’s civil division, remarked that some agencies penalize contractors when issues develop, making it tempting for companies to hide problems. She suggested that the opposite should hold: the penalty should be for contractors who see a problem and try to keep the agency from learning of it. Lisa Pellegrin, a Robbins-Gioia communications consultant, said that both sides need to communicate expectations when beginning a contracting relationship. “Then both sides have to live up to it,” she added.
Washington Technology, April 9, 2007
7 Ways to be Collaborative
This article by Robbins-Gioia Senior Vice President Emory Miller identifies seven characteristics of collaborative program managers, demonstrating ways that they can succeed in the new business environment by networking, seeing the big picture, mentoring, knowing how to sell to and include people, mitigating stovepipes, and valuing independent PM.
Federal Computer Week, April 2, 2007
Study: Government Outpaces Private Sector on Telework
This article focuses on the difference on telework adoption between the public and private sectors. It reveals the results of a recent national telework study conducted by CDW-G and includes comments from Robbins-Gioia’s Jon Hughes and Tricia Davis-Muffett. This story was also featured in the National Journal’s Technology Daily.
Government Executive Online, March 22, 2007
In the Zone
This article focuses on how much risk an organization can handle and how to manage it. Robbins-Gioia’s Patricia Zornes commented that most companies create a risk matrix for every project in the portfolio, noting that the level of acceptable risk varies by organization. “For some organizations, a $100,000 impact might be too much. For other organizations, a $1 million potential hit might be acceptable,” she said. “It depends on the organization, and its size and characteristics.”
PM Network, March 2007
Don’t Go There
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Jim Picard recommends using a portfolio management approach to
help organizations decide whether or not to pursue offshore projects. He notes, “Using this approach,
companies can determine if a foreign move aligns with corporate strategy and objectives, see how it
scores against other internal investment priorities, and develop a sound business case defining the
opportunity and establishing quantifiable metrics and monitoring criteria.”
Projects At Work, February 20, 2007
What’s in your toolbox?
This article focuses on the certifications, such as CMMI, ISO, and ANSI, which government contractors
must now attain to meet customer demands. “Just having the certification or book knowledge isn’t a
guarantee of performance... It’s being able to implement and practice and prove your results that are
more important,” said Jennifer Stanford, Robbins-Gioia. Robbins-Gioia’s Stephen Hawald suggested that
contractors leverage similar tasks involved in different certifications, such as the CMMI and the ISO
9001:2000. He pointed out that because both certifications are designed to help organizations manage
repeatable, well-organized, quality projects and programs, “there’s about a 95 percent overlap between
the two models.”
Washington Technology, February 12, 2007
Getting to Green: The Bounce Effect
This article provides advice for agencies on how to improve e-Gov President’s Management Agenda
scores and stay “green.” Robbins-Gioia’s Austin Russ discussed why agencies often experience volatile
scores, adding that the best strategy is to relate and leverage PMA criteria to improve performance.
FedTech, February 7, 2007
Don’t Forget the End User
This article discusses how to include all end users in an era of competing demands. Bob Woodruff from
Robbins-Gioia noted that it is important to get the most knowledgeable users involved up front—and make
sure that the user group stays consistent throughout the whole development process.
FedTech, February 7, 2007
The Bond Between Program Management and Contract Management
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Kathey Tonnacliff focuses on the relationship between program management
and contract management. “Interestingly enough, the intertwined disciplines that are key to making programs
successful are also key to customer success,” Kathey writes. “A contracts manager who realizes that good
program management is essential for business success will also make her customer successful. Likewise, a
program manager who realizes that good contract management is the foundation for program success will also
achieve customer success.”
Contract Management, February 1, 2007
LMP Takes Another Step Toward Modernizing Army Logistics
This article discusses the success of Tobyhanna Army Depot, a primary user of the Logistics Modernization Program,
in standing up the Material Management Division as part of its larger Production Planning and Control (PPC)/Master
Planning Scheduling (MPS) initiative. The implementation centralizes the ordering of materials for the entire depot
into one organization, saving time and money. PPC Task Order Director Tony Zelinski credited team members, including
Robbins-Gioia.
Service Contractor, Winter, 2007
BPM 2.0
This article focuses on the current state of the Business Performance Management (BPM) market and includes
comments from Scott Mairs, managing director, Robbins-Gioia Financial Services Group, who discussed some of
the factors pushing BPM software into the operational mainstream of organizations. "SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) has
required greater transparency of information and more collaboration interdepartmentally, which has helped drive
the operational adoption of BPM," Scott noted.
Business Finance, January 12, 2007
Goodbye Clerks, Hello Knowledge Workers
“Government acquisitions then were grand and complex programs; it was difficult to define requirements for them,”
said Emory, a former GSA executive and Trail Boss manager. “But we realized there were many success stories in
government about delivering against these types of programs. There was very much an understanding by everyone that
something like Trail Boss was needed.”
Federal Computer Week, January 8, 2007
The Virtues of Virtual
“Nothing can hurt a distributed project more than an issue coming up in one location where no one knows where
to take that problem,” Jon said. “So you want to start with a policy on the tools that you will use. You need
a communication plan distributed to the entire team. The plan should make clear how everyone contacts their
leadership and how to raise issues up the chain.” The people, processes, and tools paradigm that Jon offers is
highlighted in a sidebar at the end of the article.
Projects@Work, January 4, 2007
A Little Respect
“When people know you can manage effectively, they’re not going to question your abilities,” Maureen said.
“They are likely to respect your decisions even if they don’t like them.” (Unfortunately, this article is not
available online. It is from a special publication sent only to PMI members. If you belong to PMI, please read
this article and share it with your coworkers!)
PMI Leadership in Project Management, December, 2006
IT Project Managers Will Be in Demand in ‘07
Marcus Simms, vice president of strategy at Robbins-Gioia, noted that industry is starting to see a real mass
adoption of PM. He added that enterprise resource planning projects, with their notorious schedule slips and cost
overruns, are the place where project managers are most often needed.
Baseline, December 13, 2006
Seven Steps to a Successful EVM Implementation
Dennis writes, “The primary initial benefit of EVM is an improvement in common project management practices.
If an organization follows these steps, it is well on its way to maximizing capabilities to meet organizational
goals.”
DM Review’s DM Direct, December 12, 2006
GSA’s Proposed Merger of Policy Shops May Create Political Tensions
Robbins-Gioia’s Emory Miller noted that the merger would open the channel for communication about cross-agency initiatives.
Government Computer News, December 11, 2006
Business Performance Management—Lessons from the Field
Steve writes, “Using a structured measurement methodology and framework with your performance measure will help
with front-end planning and focusing your management energies on future trends and potential problems, risks and
issues of the organization's data management function. In that way, senior management can make the necessary and
appropriate actions in a timely manner.”
DM Review’s DM Direct, December 8, 2006
Chain Reaction
This article, based on an interview with Robbins-Gioia CEO John Marselle, Robbins-Gioia’s chief executive officer,
discusses the philosophy, events, and opportunities he has used to create his career. “I've always been results-oriented
and that's why it's such a great fit for me here at Robbins Gioia because we have a very great results culture,” said
Marselle. “We are the preeminent honest broker helping customers achieve their objective and results today.”
Projects@Work, December 7, 2006
New At the Top
This article focuses on critical chain project management, featuring insights on CCPM implementation at Warner
Robins Air Logistics Center from Robbins-Gioia’s Dawn Morgan. “The method eliminates all individual tasks from
being date-driven,” Dawn explained. “When people are given actual dates, they tend to miss them more often than
not. Now, we eliminate all dates except for a drop deadline and particular large key deadlines along the way.”
The Washington Post, November 20, 2006
USDA Selects Prime Project Managers
This article focuses on the project management training program that Robbins-Gioia developed with the USDA and provides
a case study of the project. “With such a huge investment in IT projects, there is an inherent risk that those dollars
could be not managed well if you don’t have people with good project management skills in charge,” said Chris
Niedermayer, USDA associate CIO for information and technology management. Robbins-Gioia’s Jennifer Stanford went
on to discuss the program’s ultimate goals, stating, “We want to achieve an organizational transformation using the
tools that program management offers.” Among the program’s benefits, “There’s now a much larger universe to draw upon
when we’re looking for someone to run a big project,” Niedermayer said.
Projects@Work, November 20, 2006
Ethics Starts Here
This article focuses on ethics and chief information officers and discusses how many CIOs are responsible
for creating an ethical culture at their agencies. It includes comments from Corey Booth, SEC CIO. “You can’t
rely on the letter of the law in all cases to enforce ethics,” Booth said. “At the end of the day, more important
than training is having leadership of the organization asking the right kinds of questions and creating the right
kind of cultural environment, pushing on conventional wisdom, challenging assumptions.”
Federal Computer Week, November 20, 2006
High Culture
This article, which consists of interviews with government and industry executives, focuses on the
role that leadership plays in shaping agency culture. One common theme is that stable and adaptable
leadership fosters effective agencies. “If your agency has a core value of being innovative, but every
time you bring a new idea to your boss it gets shut down, that’s not a good alignment,” said Mike Sledge,
president of Robbins-Gioia, LLC.
Government Leader, November 14, 2006
Grow Your Own Contracts Staff
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Andrea White focuses on how organizations can build their own contract
management teams by creating in-house internships. She explains the way Robbins-Gioia executes this program
to show how other companies can implement a similar strategy.
Contract Management, October 1, 2006
Human Resources: Building a Plan for Your People
In this article, industry experts give advice on federal workforce planning, even more critical as
federal employees retire at a greater and greater rate. Paula Pierce, Robbins-Gioia senior consulting
manager for strategic human capital management, commented on two of the suggested strategies: make sure
there is buy-in at the top and put the plan into action.
Federal Times, September 25, 2006
Dollar Wranglers
This article focuses on how to manage the budget for IT projects and provides tips and tools that can help
project managers stay on track. Douglas Brown, head of the IT Project Management Office for the Securities
and Exchange Commission and Robbins-Gioia customer, offers advice.
FedTech, August 2006
Power in Pairs
This article focuses on the relationship between contracting officers and program managers, offering
suggestions to help them reach their goals from Andrea White, vice president for contracts and business
support at Robbins-Gioia.
FedTech, August 2006
Six Steps in the PM Evolution
This article by John Madej, division president for civilian agencies and homeland security at Robbins-Gioia,
focuses on six significant advances in project management over the past 25 years.
Projects At Work, July 27, 2006
Charter-ing Your Courses
This article focuses on how to create and follow through on a charter for a corporate university, using Robbins-Gioia University
as the example. (This article shows R-G’s thought leadership and innovation in educating its employees.
Note: After you click on the link, enter “charter” in advanced search to display the article.)
Training, July 2006
PGA TOUR Teams up with America Supports You and USO of Metropolitan Washington to Raise Funds for U.S. Troops and Their Families
This press release announces Robbins-Gioia’s sponsorship of the America Supports You charity golf tournament on September 11, 2006.
BusinessWire, July 17, 2006
Robbins-Gioia Renews Partnership with Learn.com and Highlights a 50% Increase in Student Enrollments Using LearnCenter
Based on a Learn.com press release, this announcement publicizes the extension and expansion of Robbins-Gioia’s
partnership with Learn.com. “LearnCenter and Mentor have revolutionized the way Robbins-Gioia delivers training
and our success is demonstrated by a 50% increase in employee enrollments,” said Ann Sachs, manager of Robbins-Gioia
University.
PR Web, July 15, 2006
See the Forest and the Trees
Recent project overruns, GAO concerns, and the OMB mandate have propelled Defense agencies to
renew their commitment to EVM. “The biggest difficulty with doing EVM successfully is doing it
properly, and to a large degree, that means doing it with the right amount of vigilance,” said Tom
Bowman, EVM practice director at Robbins-Gioia LLC.
Defense Systems, July/August 2006
The Strategy Lifecycle
This article by James Picard, executive consultant and director of assessments and quality
assurance at Robbins-Gioia, describes the essential tasks and major components needed for
strategic planning.
Projects At Work, July 17, 2006
Get Smart
This article focuses on business intelligence and how it can highlight how and where improvements need
to be made within a company or project. Bruce Anich, PMP, vice president of operations at Robbins-Gioia,
said, “There’s a limit to the amount of information that humans can process, and business intelligence
helps them sort out what is important from what is not.”
PM Network, July 1, 2006
ICF International Announces Program Management Award with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
This article announces ICF International’s BPA win from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It briefly
details Robbins-Gioia’s inclusion on the ICF team, which will supply professional and program management support
services to all components of the DHS.
TMCNet, June 26, 2006
Limp Kites and Unfulfilled Projects
This article by Emory Miller, Robbins-Gioia’s senior vice president for government affairs,
focuses on the use of project management in government projects. Emory introduces eight critical
program management principles that form a basis for good governance.
Public CIO, June 2006
Making EVM Matter
This article focuses on the Federal Information Resources Management’s 11th annual Emerging Issues Roundtable
discussion on earned value management. Robbins-Gioia’s EVM Practice Area Manager Dennis White was one of the 10
participants. “I think one of the biggest benefits in earned value is it forces us to focus on the scope of the
work,” Dennis said.
Federal Computer Week, June 19, 2006
A Healthy Agency is Key to Leadership Continuity
This article by Emory Miller, senior vice president for government affairs at Robbins-Gioia,
identifies 12 key attributes of a healthy organization and how they contribute to successful
continuity of leadership.
Government Leader, May/June 2006
Ten Things the Marines Taught Me about Project Management
This article by Zane Crockett, consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia ties rules for small-team infantry
units to PM principles.
Federal Times, May 22, 2006
Vendors Pitch Software to Take Over Routine Tasks
This Chief Learning Officer press release cites Jennifer Stanford’s byline, “For Chief Learning Officers, Alignment is Key,”
in the March 2006 edition of CLO. The article explains that without equal participation between the learning and corporate
strategy organizations, workforce alignment will not occur.
Federal Computer Week, April 24, 2006
CLO Feature Illuminates the Benefits of Goal Alignment Models: Robbins-Gioia Management Architecture Sustains Entrepreneurial Spirit
This Chief Learning Officer press release cites Jennifer Stanford’s byline, “For Chief Learning Officers, Alignment is Key,”
in the March 2006 edition of CLO. The article explains that without equal participation between the learning and corporate
strategy organizations, workforce alignment will not occur.
Yahoo! Finance, May 16, 2006
Step Up to Results
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Jennifer Stanford explains how agencies can combine project
management training with mentoring to create a results-driven culture, pointing to a four-pronged
workforce development approach—assess, develop, mentor, and measure, to achieve this transformation.
FedTech, May 2006
Congress Blamed for Poor E-Gov Performance
This coverage focuses on the recently released Executive Branch Management Scorecard for the second quarter of
this fiscal year, which revealed lowered e-government scores for agencies, with downgraded scores for nine
agencies due to a lack of progress in instituting e-government initiatives. OMB said agencies often have
difficulty getting congressional approval for funding needed to cover the cost of e-government services.
Austin Russ, chief enterprise architect at Robbins-Gioia, noted that the score cards measure performance on
five initiatives, but the most dramatic change appears to be in e-government.
Federal Computer Week, May 15, 2006
GAO Chief Takes His Message to Town Hall USA
This coverage focuses on the financial message of Comptroller General David Walker, warning about the danger of ballooning budgets and massive deficit. Emory Miller, senior vice president of government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, remarked,
“Program and project management and managing toward delivering results is a proven and effective tool.”
Federal Times, May 10, 2006
MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show
Tricia Davis-Muffett, R-G marketing VP, and Austin Russ, R-G enterprise architecture practice area
manager, were interviewed by radio host Scott Draughon regarding the upcoming ArchitectureGov conference.
Tricia and Austin discuss the value of PM in addressing enterprise architecture in government and the
experience Robbins-Gioia brings to this initiative. The show is listed next to the date 4/22/06; you can
hear Tricia and Austin 54:27 minutes into the audio.
MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show, April 22, 2006
Executive Spotlight with Michael Sledge
This interview with Robbins-Gioia President and COO Michael Sledge reviews his background
as well as what’s new at Robbins-Gioia and in the industry.
Potomac ExecutiveBiz, April 20, 2006
Applying Project Management to Your Data Integration Project
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Cheryl Strait and John Volpe points out that PM methodologies can be used
to break down a data integration and/or warehousing project into three manageable events: developing a business
case, securing executive support, and planning and initiating the project. The authors cite A Practical Application
Guide for the PMI PMBOK, Version 1, by Robbins-Gioia’s Robert Lorenz, as one of their references for the article.
DM Review’s DM Direct, April 18, 2006
Federal Government Making Progress on Management Scorecard
This coverage announces a report by Robbins-Gioia revealing the results of a historical analysis of the
Executive Branch Management Scorecard—citing consistent progress in some areas and uneven advances in others.
Projects At Work, March 23, 2006
It’s All in the Technique
This article by Cheryl Strait, Robbins-Gioia practice area manager for PMOs and core PM, discusses how records
information management professionals can use PM tools and principles to create or improve their companies’ records
management programs.
PM Boulevard, March/April, 2006
For Chief Learning Officers, Alignment is Key
This article by Jennifer Stanford, Robbins-Gioia’s director of professional development, examines how chief learning officers can
earn a seat at the C-level table if they can demonstrate their contributions to the organization’s strategic goals.
TECHLEARN INSIDER, March 2, 2006
CBP Awards $112M Contract to Robbins-Gioia
This article details Robbins-Gioia’s five-year, $112.5 million blanket purchase agreement from Customs and Border
Protection. It also describes the work Robbins-Gioia will be doing for the agency, specifically noting the first
task order for $3.9 million.
Federal Computer Week, March 20, 2006
Agencies Seek Cure for Project Management Woes
This coverage focuses on project management issues raised at the Information Processing Interagency Conference
last week. The article highlights insights provided by Mike Sledge, Robbins-Gioia’s president and COO, during
the conference. He cited statistics indicating that 18 percent of IT projects fail completely and an additional
53 percent exceed their budgets, experience schedule delays or perform poorly.
Government Computer News, March 20, 2006
Invest in Employee Education—and Make Sure it Pays Off
This article by Jennifer Stanford for the Federal Times Commentary page examines how agencies seeking project
management training must look past the “check-the-box” mentality if they want to achieve real success.
Federal Times, March 17, 2006
First Take: Yes, Mr. Johnson, Agencies Really Do Make Progress
This article focuses on a report created by Austin Russ, Robbins-Gioia practice area manager for enterprise
architecture, that charts the quarterly President’s Management Agenda scores since the 2001 baseline. The report
also provides the score histories for each of the 30 measured agencies.
Government Computer News, March 21, 2006
Do More With Less
This article examines how organizations are using enterprise resource planning to manage projects
better, quoting Robbins-Gioia’s Bob Woodruff.
Program Management Institute, March, 2006
A Stronger Role for the CIO
This article examines the shifting role of the federal CIO from technology expert to more of a business
strategist, quoting R-G customer and SEC CIO Corey Booth.
Federal Times, March 2006
Case Study: Back On Track
This case study discusses the materials management division project that Robbins-Gioia
recently worked on with the Anniston Army Depot.
Projects@Work, March 2, 2006
(A free subscription is required to access this article.)
Anniston Army Depot: Kicking Learning into High Gear
This story highlights the Anniston Army Depot’s commitment to training and delves into recent learning programs it
has developed.
Chief Learning Officer, February, 2006
Talk To Me!
This article by Bruce Anich, Robbins-Gioia’s vice president of operations, civil division, focuses on how mentors
can help build effective communication channels through on-the-job training.
Projects@Work, February 16, 2006
(A free subscription is required to access this article.)
You Can Keep that Long-Term Project on Track—Here's How
TThis article examines best practices for keeping long-term projects on track. Gino Marchetti,
Robbins-Gioia site director for the Homeland Security Department’s Customs Border Protection (CBP)
Modernization Office, spoke about the importance of identifying project risks and clearly understanding
project requirements.
FED TECH, February, 2006
Smooth Moves
This article focuses on IT relocation projects and how to achieve a successful move through detailed planning.
Robbins-Gioia consultants John Long and John La Jeunesse, who worked together on the major IT relocation of the
Veterans Benefits Administration, offered their insights.
FED TECH, February, 2006
Become a Better "People Person"
This article examines the importance of communication in managing successful projects. Jack Cline,
deputy commander at the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) and Robbins-Gioia customer, discussed how listening
enabled the success of the recent installation of a new IT system at ANAD.
FED TECH, January, 2006
FileNet to Highlight Risks of Non-Compliance With Records Management Regulations During Nationwide Mock Trial Tour
FileNet announced its sponsorship, along with Fujitsu Consulting, Network Appliance, and Robbins-Gioia, of a nationwide
mock trial tour to show what happens when companies fail to retain and dispose of corporate documents properly, including
electronic records.
PR Newswire, January 19, 2006
Opportunity Knocks for CIOs
This article examines the advanced education and training opportunities developing for chief information officers
as their responsibilities shift and change. This education and training comes in the form of graduate-level classes,
as well as short intense programs, such as the CIO Boot Camp offered by the Center for Excellence in Government
which Securities and Exchange Commission's CIO Corey Booth participated in last autumn.
Federal Computer Week, January 9, 2006
7 Habits of Highly Effective CIOs
This article is modeled after the book, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," and examines seven habits of highly
effective CIOs. Corey Booth, CIO of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Robbins-Gioia customer, is quoted in
the article.
Federal Computer Week, January 9, 2006
Transformational Project Management
All meaningful change comes from within—even when it comes to program management. This article by Robbins-Gioia’s
John Conti focuses on how companies can transform their own project management programs to deliver success.
Chief Project Officer, October 5, 2005
Feds train to achieve Six Sigma results
Six Sigma is not a short-term fix—it should be a way of life, notes Patty Sparks, Anniston Army depot’s continuous
improvement manager. Increasingly, DOD agencies are investing in Six Sigma training to achieve process improvement
and project efficiency.
Federal Computer Week, October 3, 2005
5 Keys to Performance-Based Contracting
This article offers five tips for companies to adjust to performance-based contracting. Andrea White, director of
contracts and support services for Robbins-Gioia, provided expert advice for three of the five areas: getting started,
tying payment closely to performance, and managing contracts. “Flexibility is crucial,” White said, adding that it is
important to realize that change will occur.
Federal Computer Week, September 5, 2005
Using Lean Six Sigma as the Basis for Project Management Scorecard
In this article, Sylvia Palm, a Robbins-Gioia executive consultant, focuses on the benefits of integrating Six
Sigma and project management standards. The article discusses the importance of statistical and process
improvement tools in using Lean Six Sigma for PM scorecards. Palm contends that for an organization to evolve to
a higher maturity level, it needs “to dedicate significant resources and attention to project management process
improvement and their measurement systems.”
Chief Project Officer, September 1, 2005
Survey Says: Serve Your Customers Well, Produce Quality, Deliver Results
This article by Robbins-Gioia’s Patricia Davis-Muffett and Carina Veksler focuses on recent Robbins-Gioia research
that asked respondents from a variety of industries to rank their organization’s top business priorities, where efforts
were focused, what drivers motivated those efforts, and what processes were in place to achieve the desired results.
Survey results showed that core success factors included serving customers well, producing quality, and delivering
results.
Chief Project Officer, August 1, 2005
Done Deals
This news brief states that Robbins-Gioia was awarded a follow-on task order to provide program management support
services for the Acquisition and Program Management Support Division within the Office of Acquisition at the Transportation
Security Administration. The award is valued at $3.7 million.
Projects@Work, July 29, 2005
People Places
This news brief mentions that Robbins-Gioia has appointed Michael Sledge as division president for
civilian agencies and homeland security. Sledge will oversee engagements with federal civilian
agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Herman Velasquez has been
named president of the commercial solutions division (CSD). He will plan and direct all aspects of
CSD operations and initiatives, including sales, delivery, professional services, and solution
support to commercial enterprises.
Projects@Work, July 29, 2005
The Ins and Outs of Project Management
This article discusses the importance of people skills to project management, noting that they are
best taught in interactive classroom settings. Jennifer Stanford, director of professional
development at Robbins-Gioia, said that project managers in her training seminars note that their
toughest challenge is expectations management—when the project team’s and customer’s thoughts are
not aligned. She said that project management training that doesn’t stress soft skills is
overlooking a critical piece of project management.
Training Magazine, July 1, 2005
Pass the Information, Please
This article focuses information-sharing among federal, state, and local agencies. Robbins-Gioia’s
customer, Lee Holcomb, chief technology officer within the office of the chief information officer
at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) noted that information-sharing is the highest priority
and that there is technical progress and significant successes in DHS information sharing. In
addition, the article focuses on the structure and connection of different databases, data labeling,
and service-oriented architecture. Holcomb said that there are tools being developed to move
information between multiple domains without a lot of human interaction.
HS Today, July 1, 2005
Business Notes—Robbins-Gioia, LLC
This brief mentions how Robbins-Gioia won a $3.7 million contract to provide program management
support services to the Transportation Security Administration.
Washington Times, June 27, 2005
Consulting
This brief announces that Herman Velasquez was appointed president of Robbins-Gioia’s commercial
solutions division.
Washington Business Journal, June 23, 2005
T&F Informa buys conferences group IIR Holdings
This news item announces that academic and professional publisher T&F Informa PLC said it plans to
conferences and customized training business IIR Holdings Ltd for 1.4 billion. IIR had revenues in
the last year to December of 572.6 million, up 20.2 percent from a year earlier and boosted to the
tune of 42.5 million by a five-month contribution from the acquisition in 2004 of Robbins-Gioia.
Forbes.com, June 1, 2005
The Big Fix
This article focuses on how government agencies keep big projects on track and lessons learned from the
previous project fixes. Louis Samenfink, executive director of the Office of Modernization for Customs
and Border Protection’s (CBP) 1.3 billion Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) project, said that
continuity is bolstered by having a solid, knowledgeable program management staff. Stephen Hawald,
Robbins-Gioia executive consultant to CBP on the ACE project, said “Once you get over $750 million and
you get into the billions, it’s a whole different set of skills.”
Government Leader, June 6, 2005
Diplomatic Relations
This article features four executive interviews on the connection between customer relationship management
success and project management best practices. It includes a discussion with Robbins-Gioia customer, Jack Cline,
deputy commander at the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD). In its work for the Tank Automotive and Armament Command,
ANAD overhauls and repairs all heavy-track combat systems—with a budget in excess of $1 billion. To deliver on
customer expectations, ANAD uses formal project management processes, including lean manufacturing. As a part
of the process, a project officer is assigned to each value stream. Cline said, “You must have someone who
understands project management and touches both internal and external customers.”
PM Network, June 1, 2005
Speed Limit
This article details best practices for accelerating IT projects. When an IT project requires a rushed timeline,
there are some IT-specific best practices--on top of basic project management techniques—that can compress the
schedule. Considerations when accelerating an IT project timeline include budget, opportunity cost, available
resources, and potential outsourcing. Bob Woodruff, assistant to the CEO at Robbins-Gioia LLC, said, “It’s not
just the cost in terms of blowing the budget, it’s the opportunity cost of the slippage. Exceeding the budget
by 10 percent may not be significant compared to the lost revenue foregone through being late.”
PM Network, June 1, 2005
Beyond Skill Building
This article by Robbins-Gioia Director of Professional Development Jennifer Stanford focuses on organizations
seeking a blended learning approach, combining knowledge transfer with behavioral changes toward performance
management. Stanford writes that simply teaching new skills is not necessarily going to produce the desired
behavior change and performance improvement. The environment must be available for students to successfully
use their newfound skills.
Chief Project Officer, June 1, 2005
All Together Now
This article provides an overview from systems integrators and industry experts on planning and executing
successful integration projects. Bob Woodruff, assistant to the CEO at Robbins-Gioia LLC noted, "The most
critical phase of the project includes really understanding its purpose before it starts and interviewing
all stakeholders to find out their definition of what will make the project successful." He advised avoiding
projects without sufficient executive sponsorship or funding, pet projects that provide only short-term gain
and projects that have ill-defined requirements.
Computerworld, May 30, 2005
The Future of Business on the Web: Panel
This article focuses on the May 10 panel discussion at the CIO Leadership Conference among Gary Beach, publisher
of CIO magazine; Jim Leto, president and CEO, Robbins-Gioia; Satish Maripuri, COO, Lionbridge; and Alex Kormushoff,
executive vice president and general manager, Worldwide Field Operations.
CIO Magazine Online, May 10, 2005
IBM's Recent Past Holds Lessons for Federal Leaders
The article focuses on IBM's efforts to make its organization more efficient, including eliminating inefficient
business processes and creating new cultural values. The article mentions Robbins-Gioia's recent study, which
noted that government agencies are increasingly keying in on improving business processes; 40 percent of respondents
said they were focused on improving efficiency.
GovExec.com, May 6, 2005
Iraq's Costly Repairs
This news story features Robbins-Gioia customer, Jack Cline, deputy to the commander of Anniston Army Depot.
In the interview, Cline said, “This year, we're going to execute in excess of a billion dollars, and that's a
new environment for us.”
CBS Evening News, May 2, 2005
Comings and Goings
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Rob Bongiovi was appointed president of Robbins-Gioia's defense division.
Bongiovi previously served as senior vice president and general manager of Air Force operations at
Robbins-Gioia.
Federal Computer Week, May 2, 2005
With or Without Strings
This article by Emory Miller, Robbins-Gioia senior vice president of government affairs, focuses on Federal
funding processes for state and local IT projects. Based on research and interviews with federal and state
CIOs and other executives, the article asserts that few state and local IT officials are happy with how the
federal government funds IT projects. The article goes on to address whether the process should change and how.
Public CIO, May 1, 2005
General assumes a new command
This article features the appointment of Rob Bongiovi to president, defense division, Robbins-Gioia. One
of his goals is helping defense depots “deal with the surge of activity” due to the Iraq and Afghanistan
conflicts. Robbins-Gioia CEO Jim Leto said that Bongiovi’s military experience will make him an asset to
the division.
The Washington Times, April 25, 2005
Give and Get
After training and certification, project managers ultimately learn by doing, which is why mentoring
programs can be invaluable. When senior project leaders share their knowledge and experience with
junior counterparts in a real-world context, both the individual and the organization benefit. The
best programs combine flexibility, follow-through, and recognition. Jennifer Stanford, director of
professional development for project management consultancy Robbins-Gioia, noted "Even if you have
good intentions, you have to look at the mentor program as a project itself. You need a charter and
a program plan or it ends up being a bunch of good ideas with no follow-through. If a mentoring program
is not a high-level priority with senior visibility, it will fall through the cracks."
Projects@Work, April 21, 2005
(A free subscription is required to access this article.)
Robbins-Gioia Announces Appointment of Maj. Gen. Rob Bongiovi
April 18, 2005
This press release announces the appointment of Maj. Gen. Rob Bongiovi (USAF, Ret.) as president of the
defense division. Bongiovi previously served as senior vice president and general manager of Air Force
operations for Robbins-Gioia. In his new role, Bongiovi will oversee business development, solution delivery,
and operations for Robbins-Gioia's defense division, which supports all services-related work for the company.
The press release appeared in the following publications:
CBS MarketWatch
Yahoo Finance
Forbes
Hoover's Online
Morningstar.com
Finance Canada
Vantage Link
FML eXchange
Greater Richmond Technology Council
Hiploid, Inc.
ITTown.com
Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman
OpticalKeyhole.com
Potomac Tech Wire
Recruiter.com
SearchTheWeb.com
SecuritySales.com
VaNewswire.com
Virginia Business
WCPO.com
WMSLUK.com
WVEC.com
FaairSearch.com
Armbrust Aviation Group
Crain's Cleveland
DallasNews.com
Keeping Data Flowing – In the quest to build leaner, more nimble agency systems, attention turns to data
To organize data, government agencies must develop common definitions for the types of data agencies possess.
According to OMB, "The data reference model's primary purpose is to promote the common identification, use and
appropriate sharing of data/information across the federal government.” The OMB has tapped Michael Daconta, DHS
metadata program manager, to advance the model. "The management strategy volume will include a section on
governance”, Daconta said. “Industry executives say governance is an important issue, noting that incentives are
needed to foster interagency data sharing and collaboration."
Federal Computer Week, April 18, 2005
Sharing Drives DHS Data Project
DHS plays a pivotal role in the government's effort to improve the sharing of terrorism-related
information among agencies. DHS officials are translating the responsibilities into a data architecture.
The latest data reference model is an important focus for DHS this fiscal year. "It is all about using
reusable components to create our XML exchange packages," said Michael Daconta, DHS metadata program
manager and leader of a working group that is refining the data reference model. He noted that metadata
registries and repositories are maturing and becoming much more affordable.
Federal Computer Week, April 18, 2005
Robbins-Gioia Reveals Emerging Industry Focus on Process Improvement
March 28, 2005
This press release discusses the components of Robbins-Gioia’s Process Refinement and Optimization (PRO)
solution and features supporting quotes from META and Gartner industry analysts. The press release
appeared in the following publications:
CBS Marketwatch
Forbes
Yahoo Finance
Hoover's Online
Morningstar.com
Finance Canada
Vantage Link
FML eXchange
Greater Richmond Technology Council
SecuritySales.com
Virginia Newswire.com
Virginia Business
WMSLUK.com
On the Circuit
This article mentions Jim Leto's participation in the March Federal Information Technology Summit
in Park City, Utah. One topic discussed was GTSI's emergence as one of the first product distribution
companies to comply with DOD RFID technology standards.
Federal
Computer Week, March 28, 2005
Robbins-Gioia Releases Survey Results on Project Offices and Governance
January 24, 2005
A press release based on a Robbins-Gioia survey, "Project Offices and Governance Practices Minimize Project
Redundancy--Reducing Company Costs," found that organizations with established governance practices, processes,
and accountability activities in place showed a lower level of redundant projects and initiatives in their
organizations. The press release appeared in the following publications:
CBS Marketwatch
Dallas Morning News
Finance Canada!
FMLX
MorningStar
Richmond Technology Council
StarWeb
Yahoo! News
Vantage-Link
Virginia Business
Virginia Newswire.com
ANAD Selects Robbins-Gioia as Partener of the Year
Robbins-Gioia LLC, a program-management services company, was selected as the Anniston Army
Depot’s 2004 partner of the year from among 120 competing companies.
"I was very honored when I received the news of our selection," said David Sparrow,
manager of Robbins-Gioia’s Anniston operations. "I believe (the depot) and (Robbins-Gioia) have
formed an outstanding partnership that is second to none, and we look forward to a wealth of
shared successes in the future."
Depot Commander Col. Alexander Raulerson presented the award recently at a depot luncheon.
The Virginia-based company has provided program-management services to the depot for the past
10 years and has long been active in the community.
Robbins-Gioia was a key sponsor for the depot’s Army Emergency Relief Campaign golf tournament
last June and its 5K run, an annual event held last February.
The company also is a corporate member of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and its military
affairs committee and co-founder of the new Anniston satellite chapter of Redstone Arsenal’s
Association of United States Army chapter. Robbins-Gioia is a private, nonprofit educational
organization that supports the active duty Army, National Guard, reserve, civilians, retirees,
and family members. It has been dedicated to delivering management-consulting solutions to
government agencies and Fortune 500 companies for more than 20 years.
Anniston Star, January 10, 2005
The year ahead in business: Companies eye contracting policies,
Congress and conversation in 2005
Momentum for share-in-savings models is growing in the federal government. While
earlier attempts to introduce the share-in-savings approach have failed to gain support,
the observers say that 2005 could be a pivotal year for the concept. The contracting
method calls for vendors to make more of an upfront investment in projects but allows
them to share in the savings generated. "Today, there is high interest in
share-in-savings," said Emory Miller, senior vice president for government affairs at
Robbins-Gioia. Office of Management and Budget officials have received 45 share-in-savings
business cases for review, which means agency officials are preparing to issue solicitations
based on the paradigm.
Federal
Computer Week, January 10, 2005
For Governance Models, Look to the Government
This article by Emory Miller, senior vice president for government affairs at
Robbins-Gioia, recommends that to achieve progress and meet Sarbanes-Oxley
requirements, companies should approach it as a governance instead of a compliance
issue. Companies can look to historically regulated government agencies for best
practices, which include institutional standing, public trust, accountability,
checks and balances, oversight, self-learning, integrity, and full disclosure.
Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal, July 1, 2004
Tank Goodness
This article describes Robbins-Gioia’s role in developing the Abrams Integrated
Management material tracking system. AIMMTS is the system of record at the Anniston
Army Depot, where Abrams tanks are serviced. George Sheppard, Robbins-Gioia AIMMTS
project lead said that instead of every work center having its own ledgers or
spreadsheets, there is now one database and one system. James Coley, indirect
support manager, said that when the system is complete, Anniston will realize cost
efficiencies.
inboundlogistics.com, April, 2004
PMO SPEEDS SUCCESS FOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITY
The Transportation Security Coordination Center began as an empty building with no
facilities, utilities, or security. Within a program management framework, the TSCC
(now Transportation Security Operations Center) transformed itself on schedule and
on budget into a state-of-the-art facility with systems enabling intelligence
gathering on the country’s transportation infrastructure.
Click to Download Full Article [PDF 65k]
Project Management Institute, PM
Network, Project Management
Institute, Inc., 2004. Copyright and all rights reserved. Material from
this publication has been reproduced with the permission of PMI.
Army PEO goes for the edge
This article discusses the technology evaluation best practices of Robbins-Gioia's
customer Emerson Keslar, CIO of the Army's Program Executive Office for Command,
Control and Communications-Tactical at Fort Monmouth, N.J. Part of the PEO's job
is to evaluate and apply state-of-the-art IT to support tactical weapons systems
on the modern, digitized battlefield. "We really try to promote an environment
here of bringing in new products and technologies and trying to adapt them very
quickly," Keslar said. The article specifically focuses on the support that
Robbins-Gioia provided for the PEO's recent rollout of Microsoft Project 2002,
which lets PEO managers track the status of 35 different weapons programs across
the organization. Previously, each program had its own system for managing data.
Government Computer News, November 22, 2004
Vital Checks for Better Health
This article details how earned value management can help keep IT projects on
track in the government. For example, at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Modernization Office, EVM was incorporated into the Automated Commercial
Environment program. Dave Morrell, the office's team leader for project
management and Robbins-Gioia customer, predicted wider adoption of EVM among
government IT program managers. "EVM is a substantial improvement over the
subjective indicators often used in projects reporting past performance, and
[the strategies] provide the project manager with more reliable tools with
which to predict future performance," he said.
Federal
Computer Week, November 15, 2004
Holistic Approach Reinvigorates Management
This article discusses portfolio management and its benefits as agencies work
to prioritize IT programs and allocate budgets accordingly. Robbins-Gioia's Wei
Tang provided background on the importance of portfolio management, stating,
"Portfolio management allows executives to survey IT investments across the
entire organization. It shows them a system inventory, redundant systems,
investments in systems, investment risk, and the progression of projects within
the portfolio." Robbins-Gioia's Keith Kerr provided tips for getting the most
out of portfolio management processes. He advised agency officials that
information gleaned from portfolio management must not be used to micromanage
or second-guess decisions made at the project level.
Federal
Computer Week, November 15, 2004
Robbins-Gioia Offers Services on $610 Million Contract
Based on a press release, this article states that Robbins-Gioia, LLC, is part
of a team that has been awarded the $610,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite
quantity Combined Advisory, Assistance, Systems Engineering and Technical
Assistance (CAASETA) contract to provide advisory and assistance services and
engineering and technical assistance for HQ Air Force Space Command, Peterson
Air Force Base, Colo.
Business Wire, November 1, 2004
Expect Some Changes in the Ranks of Appointees
This article discusses political appointee changes that occur around every
presidential election. "Some of the best thinking comes during times like
this," said Emory Miller, who worked for 4 agencies during a 36-year federal
career before becoming senior vice president for government affairs at
Robbins-Gioia LLC. "You have the ability to think freshly and anticipate
possible changes and opportunities to make your case for what you think is
best."
Government Computer News,
October 25, 2004
More Oversight on Combat Systems Spending
This article discusses the 2005 Defense Authorization bill approved by a House
and Senate conference committee, noting that although it promises more
regulation, the bill provides rapid acquisition authority for combat commanders
and increases the duration of multiyear task-and-delivery order contracts from
five to ten years. Andrea White, Robbins-Gioia director of contracts, said that
adding an extra five years to multiyear task-order contracts will reduce
administrative overhead for DOD officials and their contractors.
Federal
Computer Week, October 18, 2004
10 Must Reads for Government IT Managers
This article provides reading recommendations from IT leaders, including Gene
Bounds, chief operating officer, Robbins-Gioia LLC. Bounds recommends Women
Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide by Linda Babcock and Sara
Laschever. He noted that the book "draws on research to help us identify
differences between men and women in their propensity to negotiate for what
they want. From my perspective, negotiation as a workplace skill is seldom
addressed in terms of cultural and gender differences that managers should
understand and value."
Federal
Computer Week, September 20, 2004
USPTO Goes Digital
This article details Robbins-Gioia's customer, the USPTO and its Public Patent
Application Information Retrieval, or PAIR project, which will allow the public
to search and review patent applications and decisions on the Web. "We're
saving in the multiple millions.... We can hire more patent examiners with the
savings," said Nick Godici, USPTO commissioner of patents. The article notes
that in the future, all applications will not only be retrieved also filed
electronically. "It's been a sea change," said Robert Weir, president of The
National Intellectual Property Researchers Association, an organization of
patent searchers.
Federal
Computer Week, August 30, 2004
Project and Program Management Processes Boost Profits
This article discusses the Robbins-Gioia survey linking effective project and
program management processes to top-line results. Key findings include the fact
that 62 percent of companies with active project management offices reported
"healthy" or "very healthy" profitability. The article appeared in the August
print edition and online.
Quality Digest,
August 2004
The Funding Equation Starts at 300
This article details the process for developing solid business cases and
managing IT investments. Robbins-Gioia's Keith Kerr and customer Debbie
Flickinger of the Customs and Border Protection modernization office are
quoted. "The 300 is not just a one-time thing," said Kerr, director of the
solutions group and business-case product manager for Robbins Gioia, which
provides program management services to the CBP. He added, "Unfortunately,
that's the way a lot of people approach this. They try to get a good score so
they get the funding, then they put it in the closet, move on and then go
through this fire drill again the next year." Flickinger and Tony Fotouh, also
from the CBP, are included in the article photography.
Government Computer
News, August 16, 2004
Leadership at the depot changes hands
In a hail-and-farewell ceremony, Col. Gerald Bates, commander of the Anniston
Army Depot for the last three years, passed the leadership position to Col.
Alexander Raulerson, former chief of plans, programs, and exercises at Fort
McPherson, Ga. Bates listed improving the depot's infrastructure; handling an
increased workload; and creating partnerships with defense industry companies
such as Robbins-Gioia, among others, as key developments.
The Anniston Star, August 14, 2004
The Source of the Problem
This article states that a formal governance program is critical to outsourcing
success, noting that half of all outsourcing efforts fail. Eric Gioia and
Patricia Davis-Muffett of Robbins-Gioia offer a roadmap for managing outsourced
projects more effectively. Gioia said that frequently, organizations don't have
the in-house resources to manage vendor relationships. Davis-Muffett said,
"We're applying core project management competencies-requirements, definition,
risk management, cost and performance management schemes-to this problem."
Projects@Work,
August 10, 2004
Lessons From Hurricane Hugo
This article by Hal Hunt of Robbins-Gioia details the importance of a disaster
recovery plan, illustrated with specific lessons learned during Hurricane Hugo.
Hunt highlights areas such as training, equipment protection, and
communications planning as key considerations for a disaster recovery plan.
eCommerce Times,
August 5, 2004
Army group chapter has grown, seeks still more members
With the help of Robbins-Gioia and a few other corporate members, the AUSA’s
satellite chapter in Calhoun County has increased its membership to 136—and is
looking for more.
The Anniston (Alabama) Star, August 4, 2004
Robbins-Gioia Receives TSA Order
The Robbins-Gioia TSA Win is included in Federal Times' Business Report this
week. The news brief notes that Robbins-Gioia will provide program management
support services for the Acquisition and Project Management Support Division of
the Transportation Security Administration.
Federal Times, July 26, 2004
An Enterprise Performance Guide
This byline article by Tom Borland of Robbins-Gioia outlines six steps for
success in implementing an enterprise performance methodology.
DM Review, July 24, 2004
Enterprise Performance Management: An Executive-Level Implementation Guide
This bylined article by Tom Boland of Robbins-Gioia outlines six steps for
success in implementing an enterprise performance management methodology.
DM Direct Newsletter, July 23, 2004
Robbins-Gioia brings Shelton onboard
July 19, 2004
This press release, announcing the appointment of former Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman Gen. Hugh Shelton to the Robbins-Gioia board, appeared in the
following publications:
Federal
Computer Week
Yahoo! Finance
Finance Canada!
Vantage Link
CNN Money
Dallas Morning News
Recruiter.com
Greater Richmond Technology Council
Security Sales & Integration
VA Newswire
Virginia Business
TSA Win
Robbins-Gioia LLC of Alexandria won a $999,000 order to provide program
management support services to the Transportation Security Administration's
Acquisition and Program Management Support Division. The company will provide
models, templates and mentoring to improve the effectiveness of TSA programs.
Washington
Post
, July 18, 2004
Don’t Stop Thinking About the Value
This in-depth article discusses the challenges that IT executives face as they
work to ensure the systems implemented deliver value for their organizations.
The article includes results from the Robbins-Gioia portfolio management
survey, noting that while more than 70 percent of companies surveyed had a
portfolio management process, 30 percent of companies make a practice of using
portfolio management, and only 17 percent used it well.
CIO
, July 15, 2004
Robbins-Gioia Nabs TSA Deal
This article discusses Robbins-Gioia's recent TSA win, highlighting both the
BPA and the first task order win. It also references our previous work at TSA.
Washington
Technology
, July 13, 2004
Robbins-Gioia Awarded TSA Blanket Purchase Agreement and First Task Order
July 12 and 13, 2004
The following publications included coverage of the Robbins-Gioia TSA win
release:
Forbes
Federal
Computer Week
Virginia Business Magnet
VANewswire
Security Sales & Integration
Greater Richmond Technology Council
Dallas Morning News
CNN Money
Aviation Today
Finance Canada
Yahoo! News
Lycos
On the Case
This article focuses on business case software solutions, and makes reference
to Robbins-Gioia's business case offering, noting that Robbins-Gioia was one of
the first companies to create a business case solution.
Government Computer News
, July 12, 2004
The TSP debacle: Could it happen at your agency?
This cover story details the problems with the TSP project from a "lessons
learned" perspective. Robbins-Gioia’s Denis Brown, senior vice president of
homeland security, offered thoughts on the value of independent program
management oversight. "The Defense Department has used independent evaluators
on weapon projects for decades, but in the last few years, more and more
civilian agencies are beginning to realize they are necessary," Brown said. He
warned that an independent evaluator doesn't guarantee a project's success,
saying, “We can't always stop things from going wrong, but we can let you know
the project is in trouble in time to do something about it.”
Federal Times
, July 12, 2004
Studies in Excellence—Sharon Mazur
This special FCW issue profiles the best government program managers.
Robbins-Gioia customer Sharon Mazur, acting executive director, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection Modernization Office, is included. The article outlines
her responsibilities, what makes her a good program manager, how she got where
she is, and the best advice she’s ever received about program management.
Federal
Computer Week, July 12, 2004
Anniston Area AUSA Members Cited for Outstanding Work
Robbins-Gioia employees Jacklin Carlson, Lezlee Davis, and Clint Sprayberry
were recognized at a May 25, 2004, AUSA meeting for their volunteer work in
helping to revitalize AUSA in the Calhoun County area. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gerald
G. Watson, president of the Anniston Area Satellite Chapter of AUSA, wrote, “…
I want to personally thank you and the entire Robbins-Gioia team for your
outstanding service.” In the same issue, Robbins-Gioia is listed as a corporate
member of the AUSA Redstone-Huntsville Chapter.
The Salute (quarterly newsletter of the Association of the United States Army),
July 7, 2004
Robbins-Gioia Gets Ready for the World
This article details Robbins-Gioia’s preparations to become part of the
Institute for International Research. Robbins-Gioia President and CEO Jim Leto
said that his company, which has a reputation for being a project management
consultant for federal agencies, will branch out. The article points to
international and commercial opportunity, noting that Robbins-Gioia will focus
more attention on the commercial market.
Federal
Computer Week
, July 5, 2004
For Governance Models, Look to the Government
This article by Emory Miller, senior vice president for government affairs at
Robbins-Gioia, recommends that to achieve progress and meet Sarbanes-Oxley
requirements, companies should approach it as a governance instead of a
compliance issue. Companies can look to historically regulated government
agencies for best practices, which include institutional standing, public
trust, accountability, checks and balances, oversight, self-learning,
integrity, and full disclosure.
Sarbanes-Oxley
Compliance Journal
, July 1, 2004
Project and Program Management Processes Reap Profits for Companies
June 30, 2004
The following publications included coverage of the Robbins-Gioia press release
announcing survey findings that organizations with project and program
management processes in place, such as project portfolio management and project
management offices (PMOs), are more profitable than those without them.
Forbes
VA Newswire
Virginia Business Magnet
Dallas News.com
CNN Money
CBS Marketwatch
The Charlotte Observer
ICMark.com
Finance Canada.com
Moningstar.com
Yahoo! Finance
Hoovers Online
Optical Keyhole.com
Security Sales & Integration
News@Searchtheweb.com
Greater Richmond Technology Council
DCD Business
Good Consultants Leave Their Knowledge Behind
This article by John Madej, general manager for civil agencies at Robbins-Gioia
LLC, describes the important role of knowledge transfer in consulting
relationships and offers federal agencies advice for working with their
consultants to realize the full benefit from these relationships.
Federal Times,
June 28, 2004
Beating the Budget Clock: How Some Agencies Bring Sanity to Financial
Management
This front-page article discusses the difficulties many federal agencies face
in managing their budgets strategically. Most must frantically spend every
penny of their budgets by Sept. 30, the end of their fiscal year. Daniel
Krausse, a senior budget analyst for Robbins-Gioia, explained some ways
managers can make end-of-the-year procurement easier.
Federal Times, June 21, 2004
AO Runners Go The Distance
Bruce Anich, Robbins-Gioia senior consulting manager, Project Coordination
Office, Office of IT, is mentioned as one of several AO team members who have
run in past Marine Corps marathons to build camaraderie. Anich is
training for this year's marathon in October.
Spotlight, published by the Public Affairs Office of the Administrative Office
of the U.S. Courts, June 2004
Robbins-Gioia Partners With RecoveryPlanner.com
June 14, 2004
These articles announce Robbins-Gioia's partnership with RecoveryPlanner.com.
They position Robbins-Gioia as a player in the business continuity and disaster
recovery arena and communicate the value of the relationship with
RecoveryPlanner.com in providing a comprehensive solution.
Continuity Central
TMCNet
Yahoo! Finance
Contract Awarded
This news brief mentions that Robbins-Gioia, LLC, of Alexandria won a
$98,933 contract from the Army Material Command for program management support.
Washington
Post, June 14, 2004
Center Will Keep Airports In The Loop
This article details the creation of the Transportation Security Coordination
Center (TSCC), a facility dedicated to integrating intelligence and operations,
to coordinate countermeasures to prevent and respond to terrorist threats
across all U.S. modes of transportation. The article mentions Robbins-Gioia's
contributions and team members, including an operations manager, two financial
analysts, two master schedulers, and a civil engineer.
Access
Control and Security Systems, May 2004
Custom Training Gives Some Agencies an Edge
This article focuses on the two different approaches to project management
training: sending employees to courses or providing in-house training. It
details the Department of Agriculture's choice of Robbins-Gioia to teach
project management to its staff. “One of the advantages of using a consultant
is that we can customize the training to reflect Agriculture’s specific rules
and methods,” said Jennifer Stanford, Robbins-Gioia director of professional
development.
Federal Times, May 17, 2004
Consultants Help Managers Organize, Execute Projects
This article highlights the role of consultants in helping agency project
managers perform effectively. It features Robbins-Gioia's work with the
Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection modernization
office on the Automated Customs Environment project. “Having a company like
ours gives Customs early visibility into what may go wrong in time to fix it,”
said Gino Marchetti, Robbins-Gioia site director.
Federal Times, May 17, 2004
Team Member Profile of the Month
This article highlights the PM contributions of Hal Hunt, PMP, consulting
manager at Robbins-Gioia, LLC. Hal is a highly experienced international
program manager who has successfully managed programs or been a member of
program teams in the United States and seven foreign countries. Since returning
to the United States, he has been a founding member of the PMO office for a
major e-Gov initiative at the USPTO and is now supporting DHS’ US-VISIT PMO.
PPMS (Program Management and Portfolio Management) Community Voice, May
2004
Oklahoma Aerospace Technology Summit & Expo Special Section
Robbins-Gioia is listed as an exhibitor at the Oklahoma Aerospace Technology
Summit and Expo.
The Sunday Oklahoman, May 9, 2004
Defense Contractors Tackle DHS Integration Needs
This article discusses the challenge of integrating significant amounts of data
to support the DHS mission. The article references the fact that Customs Border
Protection recently became the first federal civilian agency to attain a level
2 rating under the Capability Maturity Model for Software Acquisition. Stephen
Hawald, executive consultant from Robbins-Gioia, said, "The CMM rating provides
the customer with confidence that the acquisitions are aligned with the
enterprise architecture and are interoperable with other information systems
within the bureau and the department as a whole."
Homeland Defense Journal, April 2004
PMO Speeds Success For Transportation Facility
This case analysis details the TSA's success in building the Transportation
Security Coordination Center—and the role Robbins-Gioia played in supporting
the effort. The article is placed opposite the inside front cover and quotes
Bill Eaton, Robbins-Gioia site lead. A project summary sidebar outlines the
schedule and notes that the project was completed under budget.
PM Network, May 2004
Defense Contractors Tackle DHS Integration Needs
This article discusses the challenge of integrating significant amounts of data
to support the DHS mission. The article references the fact that Customs Border
Protection recently became the first federal civilian agency to attain a level
2 rating under the Capability Maturity Model for Software Acquisition. Stephen
Hawald, executive consultant from Robbins-Gioia, said, "The CMM rating provides
the customer with confidence that the acquisitions are aligned with the
enterprise architecture and are interoperable with other information systems
within the bureau and the department as a whole."
Homeland Defense Journal, April 2004
MSG and UD Seniors Collaborate To Develop PDA Application and Web Interface
for Facility Management
This article by Robbins-Gioia Senior Consultant Connie Wiest describes the
mentoring that MSG staff offered to University of Dayton seniors involved in a
project to develop a personal data assistant application and web-based
interface for MSG’s facility management team.
Wright-Patterson Skywriter, April 30, 2004
Federal Contracts Awarded in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
This news brief mentions that Robbins-Gioia, LLC, of Alexandria won a $98,933
contract from the Army Materiel Command for program management support.
States News Service, April 27, 2004
DOE pushes back release date for final RFPs on Idaho contracts
Robbins-Gioia is listed as one of 22 potential bidders on two major DOE
contracts. The current Idaho National Engineering & Environmental
Laboratory will be merged with the collocated Argonne National Laboratory West
to create a lab that will be the center of DOE's nuclear energy research.
Bidder responses to the final RFP on the management and operations contract
will contain research proposals. The cleanup contract will deal with the site's
legacy waste. The final RFPs are expected in May. (This article is available
online only with a paid subscription. For more information on the contracts,
see www.id.doe.gov.)
Nucleonics Week, April 22, 2004
Keeping Planes Safe
GAO developed a report that outlined several challenges related to the
MAN-Portable Air Defense (MANPADS) program. (MANPADS, small portable weapons,
are attractive to terrorists because they are lethal, concealable, inexpensive,
and relatively simple to operate.) Keith Kerr, director of solutions
development at Robbins-Gioia, said, that the GAO report advises that the
Department of Homeland Security understand the differences, threats, and
alternatives and cohere this information. He added, "It's about setting up a
disciplined approach and making it work by breaking the development into
chunks: What type of training do your people need? Do you have all spare parts
in place?”
Government Executive, April 2004
Tank Goodness
This article describes Robbins-Gioia's role in developing the Abrams Integrated
Management material tracking system. AIMMTS is the system of record at the
Anniston Army Depot, where Abrams tanks are serviced. George Sheppard,
Robbins-Gioia AIMMTS project lead said that instead of every work center having
its own ledgers or spreadsheets, there is now one database and one system.
James Coley, indirect support manager, said that when the system is complete,
Anniston will realize cost efficiencies.
inboundlogistics.com, April 2004
Business Briefs; Management Meeting
This news brief notes that Doug Brown, consulting manager with Robbins-Gioia
LLC, will speak at the monthly meeting of the Project Management Institute
Central Illinois chapter in Bloomington.
Journal Star
(Peoria, Ill.), April 13, 2004
Federal Contracts Awarded in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
This news brief mentions that Robbins-Gioia won a $99,983 contract from the
U.S. Army's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny
Arsenal, N.J., for program management support for the multi-role armament and
ammunition system.
States News Service, April 6, 2004
The Agenda
This overview of the federal mandate to improve project performance holds up
the Customs ACE project as a positive example in the section "Measuring
Intangibles." Robbins-Gioia customer Charles Armstrong is quoted. In the
section, “Making the Case,” Robbins-Gioia Vice President of Marketing Tricia
Davis-Muffett noted that developing good business cases requires good project
management, adding, "You have to get realistic data about what the ROI is going
to be, and a lot of the data comes out of the project management process."
Projects@work,
April 5, 2004
DHS Strikes Deal With Industry
The article notes that the Department of Homeland Security recently awarded a
blanket purchase agreement to nine companies for program management support
services, listing Robbins-Gioia as one of them. Challenges the companies face
include a small agency staff in proportion to its projected portfolio; legacy
and interim management processes already in place; DHS' size and complexity;
and conforming all work to DHS security requirements.
Federal
Computer Week, April 5, 2004
In your Backyard
This article discusses the GSA/CIO Council's CIO University as a way for
federal workers to get academic credentials in IT. Emory Miller, a founder of
the program and former GSA official who is now senior vice president for
government affairs at Robbins-Gioia, LLC, said, “We had an influence on what
universities were teaching. It helped them get attuned to what is happening in
the government."
Federal
Computer Week, April 5, 2004
Strength in Numbers; New maturity ratings scheme wins support among systems
integrators
This article discusses the new Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)
that is replacing the older, well-established Capability Maturity Model. Gene
Bounds, Robbins-Gioia COO, said that the value of a CMMI rating is what it says
about the underlying organization. Stephen Hawald, a Robbins-Gioia executive
consultant, added, “People who aren’t on the bandwagon now are going to find
themselves falling behind.”
Federal
Computer Week, March 29, 2004
Appointments
This news brief notes that Robbins-Gioia of Alexandria named Jon Love senior
vice president, commercial operations.
The
Washington Post, March 29, 2004
Women in defense: a national security organization
The article recognizes Robbins-Gioia, among other companies, as a supporter of
the Women in Defense organization. It also notes that Robbins-Gioia recently
hired WID Secretary Marie Danco as a project manager.
National Defense, March 2004
Defense industry supporters want local chapter of Army association
Supporters of the local defense industry want to revive a local chapter of the
Association of the United States Army, filling an advocacy gap that was created
after Fort McClellan closed. In particular, they want to show support for the
Anniston Army Depot, which is under threat from next year's base cuts. Dave
Sparrow, site manager for Robbins-Gioia and one of the recruiters for the
chapter, said, “We're trying to get as much participation as we can.”
The Anniston Star, March 16, 2003
Emory Miller: Blazing a Trail
This article focuses on the importance of training and education within the
federal government, particularly the role of project management. Emory Miller,
formerly with the General Services Administration and now with Robbins-Gioia,
provided commentary on evolving the government's training programs noting that
for IT managers to be successful, they have to have a broad perspective, ask
intelligent questions, and understand how multiple factors influence the
decisions they make.
Federal
Computer Week, March 15, 2004
Fed 100 Winners
Announcing the Fed 100 winners for 2004, this article provides background
information on two winners nominated by Robbins-Gioia, Doug Bourgeois and David
Zeppieri.The awards recognize individuals from government, industry and
academia who significantly influenced how the federal government used, bought,
or managed information technology in the previous year. The judges this year
were especially interested in issues that related to the President's Management
Agenda. While they did not discuss the agenda in specific terms, their choices
reflected its general aims, including electronic delivery of services,
cross-agency collaboration, and results-oriented management.
Federal Computer Week,
March 15, 2004
ANAD & Robbins-Gioia Celebrate 10-year Anniversary
This article by Dave Sparrow, Robbins-Gioia site manager at the Anniston Army
depot, describes the anniversary event on February 27, 2004, commemorating
R-G’s and ANAD’s 10 years of successful partnership.
Tracks, March 11, 2004
Who's On First
This news brief states that Jim Leto, Robbins-Gioia president and chief
executive officer, has been appointed to the board of EzGov, Inc. EzGov
provides software and services that make government more accessible.
Washington
Technology, March 8, 2004
Rethinking Procurement: Army ITES Offers Performance-Based Contracting,
Speedier Tech Refresh
This article discusses the fact that the Army's $1 billion Information
Technology Enterprise Solutions (ITES) contracts introduce performance-based
contracting to the Army for the first time. They were awarded in two lots, one
for IT products and one for services. Mike Sledge, Robbins-Gioia senior vice
president, said that the government is getting a "solution that addresses their
basic business problems." (This article is not available online.)
Federal Computer Week, March 8, 2004
Problems solvers: Computer firm spends 10 years with depot
The article notes that Robbins-Gioia recently celebrated 10 years as a tenant
at the Anniston Army Depot and outlines the company’s innovative solutions to
the depot’s production needs. Attendees included Jim Leto, Robbins-Gioia
president and CEO, Col. Gerald Bates, depot commander, and Sherri Sumners,
Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce president. “Anniversaries are like
celebrations for friends and family, and that’s how we feel about
Robbins-Gioia,” Sumners said.
Anniston (Alabama) Star, March 5, 2004
DHS Bureau Standardizes Software Acquisitions
Based on Robbins-Gioia's announcement that the U.S. Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection achieved a SA-CMM Level 2 rating, this article notes that
Robbins-Gioia helped the CBP establish its software purchasing process. Stephen
Hawald, Robbins-Gioia executive consultant, said that large modernization
efforts are often canceled because of a lack of a "controlled process
discipline." He added that the benefit of CMM is that it provides a proven
software acquisition framework.
Government Computer
News, February 24, 2004
Who's on First
This news brief notes that Emory Miller, formerly GSA’s director of
professional development, will join Robbins-Gioia as senior vice president for
government affairs on March 1.
Washington
Technology, February 23, 2003
Industry Wrapups: EZ Decision
his news brief states that Jim Leto, Robbins-Gioia president and CEO, has
joined the board of EzGov, Inc., which provides software and services to make
government more accessible. Other EzGov board members include former U.S. Rep.
Jack Kemp and former Dunn & Bradstreet Software Chairman John Imlay. (See
page 2 of the article.)
Atlanta Business Chronicle, February 20, 2004
Hereabouts: 2 Green Countians receive certification
This news brief mentions that Sarah Fulton and Tom Lesnoski, employees of
Robbins-Gioia, LLC, passed an exam to receive the Project Management
Institute's Project Management Professional Certification.
Dayton Daily News, February 19, 2004
GSA signs first SmartBuy deal with ESRI
The GSA last week signed a five-year contract for the SmartBuy enterprise
licensing program from the geographic information systems vendor ESRI. A GSA
press release said the SmartBuy initiative will save tens of millions of
dollars by leveraging the government's consolidated buying power. Emory Miller,
who ran the SmartBuy program for GSA before retiring in December and is now
Robbins-Gioia senior vice president for government affairs, is quoted in the
article.
Government Computer
News, February 19, 2004
Washington
Technology, February 19, 2004
Snapshots
This article shows a pie chart based on findings from Robbins-Gioia's recent
survey of project managers. Sixty-six percent of the companies surveyed have an
infrastructure, such as a PMO, to manage major projects; twenty-nine percent do
not.
Computerworld, February 16, 2004
(see page 46 of the print version)
The Almanac
In one of the articles in this collection of PM news briefs, Robbins-Gioia
Executive Vice President Eric Gioia and Marketing Vice President Tricia
Davis-Muffett offer three tips to run a PMO. Another article shows a pie chart
based on findings from Robbins-Gioia's recent survey of project managers. Two
percent of the companies surveyed manage projects perfectly, two percent manage
them very poorly—and sixty-nine percent manage them sometimes well, sometimes
not.
Computerworld, February 16, 2004
Decision Support: Outsourcing relationships don't stop at negotiations, part
2
Part two of a two-part series, this article discusses how to best implement a
governance process. Governance is defined as a set of processes run by a joint
committee, which includes members of the client and supplier's team. Once the
outsourcing relationship is under way, Robbins-Gioia President and CEO Jim Leto
noted, "the quality of management provided by the client is one of the most
important factors in whether the relationship succeeds or not." The article
goes on to outline three ways to secure outsourcing success.
TechRepublic,
February 11, 2004
Comings and goings
Emory Miller, who retired from the General Services Administration last month,
will join consulting firm Robbins-Gioia LLC March 1 as senior vice president of
government affairs.
Federal
Computer Week, February 9, 2004
Another View: At OMB, Green Does Not Always Mean Go
Eric Gioia's bylined article focuses on OMB's Federal Enterprise Architecture
agenda. Gioia, executive vice president of Robbins-Gioia, notes that OMB's
architecture goals go beyond instilling a disciplined business case development
process to include linking IT investments to outcomes relevant to customers.
Gioia warns, though, that it is not enough to generate return on investment-the
return must also create value against an existing government mission. He
recommends two additional steps to focus resources: prioritize projects against
the agency's overall strategic and mission agenda and collaborate whenever
possible.
Government Computer News,
February 9, 2004
Decision Support: Design Outsourcing Relationships That Yield Long-term ROI,
Part 1
This article focuses on how enterprises can develop and manage successful
outsourcing relationships. This first of a two-part series closely examines
goal alignment and agreement challenges. Jim Leto, president and CEO of
Robbins-Gioia, notes that very early on in the relationship, both parties must
engage in focused, direct communication about goals. Leto advises "to start
with the identification of goals, since once these are clearly understood, the
prospective partners are in a better position to clearly recognize which
financial, performance, and/or strategic metrics are appropriate for measuring
success."
TechRepublic,
February 9, 2004
Tips for crafting better outsourcing relationships
This article explains that although each service level agreement is unique to
the type of service being purchased, there are twelve questions to ask yourself
as you review an SLA. Robbins-Gioia's Director of Contracts Andrea White
provided the content for this article.
TechRepublic,
February 6, 2004
Robbins-Gioia snags project management deal
Homeland Security department officials have recently awarded Robbins-Gioia,
LLC, a five-year blanket purchase agreement for project management support
services. Mike Sledge, Robbins-Gioia's vice president for civil agencies, said,
""I think this will help provide consistency across the board in the way
projects are implemented, executed and reported on."
Federal
Computer Week, February 3, 2004
Robbins-Gioia Hires Emory Miller
Federal
Computer Week, January 30, 2004
GSA’s Miller to join Robbins-Gioia
Government Computer
News, January 30, 2004
GSA’s Miller to join Robbins-Gioia
Washington
Technology, January 30, 2004
Programmed for Success
This thought leadership profile discusses PM's crucial role in merging 22
disparate agencies into the Department of Homeland Security. Robbins-Gioia CEO
and President Jim Leto, COO Gene Bounds, and Homeland Security Unit Chief Lou
Nappi discuss how the company has assisted DHS in Transportation Security
Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and U.S. Visit programs. Robbins-Gioia
customer and Transportation Security Coordination Center Director Curt Powell
said, “I knew Robbins-Gioia was unique. Their customer service is like none
I’ve ever seen.”
Public CIO, February 2004
Making systems work
This column by Jim Leto, president and CEO of Robbins-Gioia, LLC, addresses
whether training courses will solve the fundamental problem of poorly managed
or under-managed IT projects in the federal government. “I doubt it,” Leto
wrote, adding, “There must be a commitment throughout the ranks to making
program management a priority and providing the time and money to get it right
and make real progress.”
Federal
Computer Week, January 26, 2004
DHS Bureau Organizes to the Max
A strong governance structure goes a long way towards maximizing performance—
especially when the performance involves a large and complex modernization
program. The article addresses Robbins-Gioia’s role in the Automated Commercial
Environment (ACE) system modernization at the Homeland Security Department's
Customs and Border Protection. “We have a broad responsibility at Customs and
Border Protection,” said Jim Wallin, executive consultant for Robbins-Gioia
LLC. “We interface with some 104 other agency offices that are dependent on
goods coming across the border, so we have a fairly significant outreach
program to other agencies.”
Government Computer News,
January 26, 2004
Set Goals, Track Progress to Rein In Contract Costs
Run as a sidebar to the article named above, “Survey: Project Management
Training Cuts Redundancy” is based on a Robbins-Gioia press release discussing
the results of two R-G surveys. One finding is that organizations using
business-case processes are able to eliminate more than 90 percent of
redundancy in projects.
Federal Times, January 19, 2004
Learn from the Pros
Nearly 80 percent of IT organizations report they lack enterprise project
management capabilities, according to a META Group report. Although consultants
are in greater demand than ever, they need people skills to ensure an effective
working relationship with their customers. Mike Sledge, senior vice president
for civil and state, Robbins-Gioia, LLC, explained that the first step is
gaining the customer’s trust. Then, he added, “Through an educational process,
we help executives understand why it may be beneficial to change. Once they
understand, they can lead the organization to say, ‘This makes sense, and
here’s why we’re doing it.’"
PM Network, December 2003
VA Aces Business Case Exam
This article highlights the fact that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
accepted all 59 information technology (IT) business cases for the Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2005. OMB requires business cases, known as
Exhibit 300s, for all major IT acquisitions. Their purpose is to identify risks
associated with each purchase and determine the degree to which agencies' IT
plans comply with the President's Management Agenda. "The VA is so successful
because they have coupled the education and certification with program
management practices and standards that the entire organization follows," said
Jennifer Stanford, Director of Professional Development at Robbins-Gioia LLC.
Federal
Computer Week, December 1, 2003
Taking Stock Two Years Later
In today’s post-September 11 environment, the federal government is backing a
multitude of domestic defense initiatives, many of which rely on information
technology. The Department of Homeland Security's Automated Commercial
Environment (ACE) was initially conceived as an import information
modernization program, but has lately gained a homeland security role. For
example, ACE includes a Web portal where shippers will disclose what they are
importing. Scott Campbell, senior communications consultant at Robbins-Gioia
LLC, said, “ACE will provide the IT platform to enable and implement the tenets
of C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism).”
Federal
Computer Week, December 1, 2003
Work in Progress
Attempts at public-sector IT procurement reform, in process for more than a
decade, have offered mixed results so far. But as Joe Dawson, vice president of
business development for Robbins-Gioia, pointed out, "Program management is
starting to get its due as it is now getting involved in establishing
governance and metrics so that everything is measured and structured." He also
noted that as the OMB process is strengthened, more responsibility is placed on
agencies to have trained program managers whose work may begin well before
contract award.
Public CIO,
November 2003
Managing the contractors: Agencies and integrators learn to balance program
management duties
Government information technology implementations are growing increasingly
complex—and so is their management. The key to success is for agencies to make
their requirements clear and check the integrator's progress along the way. The
biggest mistake an agency can make is to think that program management is as
simple as writing a check and then standing back. Gene Bounds, executive vice
president and chief operating officer, Robbins-Gioia LLC, said, “"Programs slip
one day at a time. They don't slip because you get 12 months down the road and
find out they're behind by 10 months.”
Federal
Computer Week, November 10, 2003
OMB Keeps Risk on the Radar
The Office of Management and Budget requires capital asset plans, more commonly
referred to as Exhibit 300s, for all major IT acquisitions. But according to
some experts, OMB may have ventured into risk avoidance rather than risk
management. “OMB is pushing hard to make sure that agencies in their 300
reports identify and eliminate risks in their budgets,” said Glenn Dunnington,
senior program manager at Robbins-Gioia LLC. “The problem is that it is really
important to balance risk and return."
Federal Computer Week, November 3, 2003
Managing from the Get-Go
Government officials are working to build a strong management structure even
before the first pieces of the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator
Technology system (a massive border exit/entry system) are released. Steve
Furman, vice president of business systems for Robbins-Gioia LLC said that
mapping a clear management framework gives agencies a view into every level of
their systems, so that when Congress or auditors have questions, agencies have
the answers.
Federal
Computer Week, November 3, 2003
Tools and Techniques for the Risk Manager
A number of software tools and management frameworks are available to assist
government risk management initiatives. Although software packages may be
improving, Keith Kerr, a senior consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia LLC, noted
that they have yet to catch on in government. Instead, Kerr emphasized the
value of solid risk management processes over technical tools.
Federal
Computer Week, November 3, 2003
Do Your Project Managers Measure
Government agencies are increasingly looking to hire project managers who have
a Project Management Professional certification. However, Eric Gioia, executive
vice president of Robbins-Gioia LLC, pointed out that a project manager needs
the practical experience of working with a major project to be a capable
manager. “You have to bridge the gap between the academic into the practical,”
Gioia said. “You need lessons learned; you need to be burned a couple of
times.”
Federal
Computer Week, November 3, 2003
The Art of Gauging Risk
Despite the shortage of risk management in government, most agree that new
national security concerns and growing budget deficits have underscored the
need for risk management as the way to increase the success of IT programs.
Keith Kerr, a senior consulting manager at Robbins-Gioia LLC, said, "I think we
are seeing more people with the title risk manager and usually they are set up
in the program office. However, you have to be careful how you assign risk.
Both the program manager and the functional manager in an organization have to
own risk."
Federal
Computer Week, November 3, 2003
HUD Creates Central Program Office
"HUD Creates Central Program Office," stated that the Department of Housing and
Urban Development plans to create an enterprise program management office
to manage cross-department programs, ensure quality assurance, and guide
program and project managers. Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of
marketing for Robbins-Gioia LLC, said that agencies must achieve a supportive
culture for the enterprise office to be successful.
Federal
Computer Week, October 13, 2003
Shoe-String PR Technology Awards
PRSourceCode and AdWeek's Technology Marketing recognized Robbins-Gioia as the
silver award winner of the Shoe-String PR Technology Awards. Robbins-Gioia was
acknowledged for success in developing a repeatable process for consulting
solution launches to build brand.
AdWeek's Technology Marketing, October 2003
RCI gets Army managed services contract
Resource Consultants Inc. has won a $202 million contract for desktop services
with the Army's Information Management Support Center. RCI's team includes
Robbins-Gioia.
Washington
Technology, October 5, 2003
The Agenda: Making the Case
This article cites Robbins-Gioia’s findings that 25 percent of organizations
have a policy requiring business cases for IT projects, but only 5 percent use
their business cases as a baseline to evaluate project results. Robbins-Gioia
is the only non-analyst organization of the sources (Aberdeen Group, Forrester
Research, and Meta Group) cited.
Projects@Work, Setpember/October 2003
The Closeout: By-the-Numbers Look at Project Trends
This cover story discusses ways in which federal agencies, including USDA, HUD,
and Customs are managing IT projects with more discipline, insight, and
cooperation as mandated by the President’s Management Agenda. As part of the
wave of management reform, OMB has implemented strict guidelines for evaluating
and funding projects in 2004. Robbins-Gioia Vice President of Marketing Tricia
Davis-Muffett said that if the business case isn’t there, agencies won’t get
approval.
Projects@Work, Setpember/October 2003
Agencies take a comprehensive approach to managing IT assets, and expect
their missions to profit
This article discusses the government's IT portfolio management philosophy. In
the government, IT is treated as a collection of assets to be monitored and
manipulated for maximum results, much like a stock or real estate
portfolio-except that the goal is to increase mission effectiveness rather than
profits. Rex Lovelady, account manager for defense agencies for Robbins-Gioia,
LLC, noted, “-- to institutionalize the process and get through that change
management takes a lot of time." Rod Turk, senior consulting manager for
Robbins-Gioia said, "You can -- put a dashboard together that allows a CIO
to see exactly where his [portfolio assets are] at any given point in time.”
Robbins-Gioia DLA customer David Falvey summed it up: “You’ve got to make it an
enterprise process, not just an IT process.”
Government Computer
News, September 22, 2003
Project Management Aids Customs' ACE
This article discusses Robbins-Gioia's role in Customs and Border Protection’s
requirement to do a better job overseeing costs, schedules, and risks in its
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) project. Robbins-Gioia has given
structure to the work that the ACE staff and contract teams at the Homeland
Security Department are going to perform, said Charles R. Armstrong, executive
director of the bureau's Modernization Office. He added that Robbins-Gioia has
helped the bureau develop strategies for cost reduction, quality control,
leadership skills, and reaching Level 2 of the Software Acquisition Capability
Maturity Model. It is estimated that ACE will save up to $4.4 billion over its
life cycle.
Government Computer News,
September 22, 2003
Unraveling the IT Tangle
When the Department of Homeland Security was formed, it inherited 22 different
IT systems, many of which are unable to interact. The disparate databases store
names differently and also store financial and other data in distinct silos of
information. This spring, DHS announced it is reorganizing its IT
infrastructure and planning to merge these assets into an “IT portfolio.” Glenn
Dunnington, Robbins-Gioia senior program manager, said that other federal
agencies are also pursuing IT portfolio management; the goal comes from
Congress, which mandated that they make the most of their information
infrastructure.
Homeland Defense Journal, September 2003
ESI and R-G Team to Offer Project Management Curriculum; Companies Create
One Complete Solution for Two Major Government Challenges
Taken from an Robbins-Gioia news release, this item discusses the cooperation
of Robbins-Gioia and ESI, a PM training company, to help government customers
meet requirements for PM certification and score better on business cases.
Business Wire, September 3, 2003
Project Managers Need Sharp Political Skills
Eric Gioia and Andrew Anderson authored this article, which points out that
that great project managers are more than technicians; they are politicians.
Project managers in the federal government must possess the art of influence to
get projects approved, funded, and staffed, and be allotted enough time to do
the job right.
Federal Times, September 1, 2003
Management Challenged
About 1,400 federal IT projects are under OMB scrutiny, and 700 of them don’t
have qualified managers. To meet OMB requirements, a qualified project manager
must be assigned to each IT project listed in the 2005 budget. Tricia
Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing for Robbins-Gioia, said,
"Traditionally, IT projects have had a poor track record with project
management." The article notes that Robbins-Gioia assists federal agencies
through transition periods when project managers are in short supply.
Government
Enterprise, Fall 2003
Firm Leads Course on Project Management
This coverage results from Robbins-Gioia’s press release announcing its
partnership with the USDA to provide project management training. Jennifer
Stanford, Robbins-Gioia's director of professional development, said, "Course
participants will be poised to meet Office of Management and Budget
requirements for improved project management. Good PM practices are tied to
good reporting."
Federal Times, August 18, 2003
DCI and IIL Bring World-Class Exhibition to New York During the Enterprise
Project Management Conference
DCI, a high-tech trade show producer, and International Institute for Learning,
a PM training company, announced their Showdown Panel and exhibition will be
held during the Enterprise Project Management Conference, August 26-28, in New
York City. Robbins-Gioia is participating in the panel and exhibition.
Business Wire, August 11, 2003
For Business Cases, It's the Thought that Counts
This article discusses some of the results of Robbins-Gioia's business case
survey, including the requirement for business cases in IT investments, funding
process for technology projects, and funding of the right IT projects. Carina
Veksler, senior market intelligence manager from Robbins-Gioia, pointed out
that companies that have a business case policy deliver their technology
projects on time and within budget 40 percent more often than those who don’t
and whether they follow their policy consistently or not.
Baseline
Magazine, August 2003
USDA to Train Project Managers
This article focuses on the recent announcement that Robbins-Gioia was awarded
a one-year contract to train USDA personnel in program management. In addition,
the story provides brief background into the OMB and OPM's project management
initiatives.
Federal
Computer Week, August 5, 2003
Methodology removes guesswork: A structured approach to selecting
outsourcing partners reduces risk and improves ROI
This article by Robbins-Gioia Account Executive Andrew Anderson recommends a
structured vendor selection methodology to reduce risk and ensure projects
deliver anticipated ROI. It discusses the phases of the vendor selection
process.
Communication News, August 2003
Robbins-Gioia Wins USDA Training Work
This feature focuses on the recent announcement that Robbins-Gioia was awarded
a one-year contract to train USDA personnel in program management. Jennifer
Stanford, Robbins-Gioia's director of professional development, is quoted.
Washington
Technology, August 5, 2003
Project Management Offices: Interest in Project Management on the Rise
This article discusses the growing popularity of PMOs in corporations. R-G
marketing Vice President Tricia Davis-Muffett is quoted extensively. She
explained that PM is one of the best ways to gain a hands-on approach to
accountability and financial control.
Workforce Strategies, a Bureau of National Affairs publication, July 28,
2003
Colby Africa
This article profiles Colby Africa, executive vice president, information
technology, and president, PM Boulevard.
It includes background on his career path and current responsibilities at
Robbins-Gioia. Africa discusses how executives can/should stay competitive in
the area of project management, and explains the PM Boulevard value
proposition. The author notes, "Africa says success lies in knowing what the
customer is all about. For project managers, efficiency means everything. PM
Boulevard delivers a virtual palette of immediate experts, training, materials,
and management capabilities that guide project managers."
Washington Business Journal, July, 17 2003
The Source of the Problem: A formal governance process is key to reaping
outsourcing benefits.
Half of all outsourcing efforts are failures, according to the Gartner Group.
Eric Gioia, Robbins-Gioia executive vice president, pointed out, “Too often,
clients don’t have the human resources and in-house skills to focus on managing
those relationships.” Tricia Davis-Muffett, Robbins-Gioia marketing vice
president, explained Robbins-Gioia’s outsourcing/vendor management solution:
“We apply core project management competencies--requirements definition, risk
management, cost and performance-management schemes--to this problem.”
Projects@work, July/August 2003
Lessons Learned: Who would you rather work with--the government or the
private sector?
Tricia Davis-Muffett, Robbins-Gioia marketing vice president, is featured in
this column, saying, “At this point, I think we prefer the government, though
the give and take between the two sectors is what keeps us healthy.” Her photo
is included.
Washington Business Journal, July 11-17 2003
At the crux of collaborative projects: joint business cases
The Office of Management and Budget has raised expectations for agencies to
deliver joint business cases for the fiscal 2005 budget request. Robbins-Gioia
Business Case Product Manager Keith Kerr said that relating the business case
to each agency’s strategic plan is the place to start -- but even so, agencies
may struggle with developing joint business cases. “Agencies don’t have a
history of going through all these thought processes together,” he said. “It
takes a lot of hard planning.”
Government
Computer News, July 7, 2003
The 2003 M Awards
The summer 2003 issue of the American Marketing Association's quarterly journal
recognized Robbins-Gioia as the chapter's Marketer of the Year and winner
in the Professional Services Category. The article notes that Robbins-Gioia's
marketing, operations, and training departments led a cross-functional team in
organizing the company's undifferentiated PM offering into market-focused
solutions. The campaign is achieving its goals of creating a more informed
sales force and increasing the company's thought leadership position through
press and analyst relations. The sales pipeline is up 60 percent and media hits
34 percent from the same time last year. The Marketer of the Year award was
based on the company's highest scores in the areas of effectiveness,
creativity, and ROI.
Insight, Summer 2003
Agencies Seek Business Case Help
This article examines the increasing need in the federal market for business
case help and discusses the business case work that Robbins-Gioia is doing with
Customs. Charlie Armstrong, executive director of the Customs and Border
Protection Modernization Office and Robbins-Gioia customer, said it becomes
easier to build business cases after the first iteration because the processes
are in place. Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president, marketing, Robbins-Gioia,
said Robbins-Gioia's business case solution was developed in response to
customer requests.
Federal Computer Week, June 30, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Analyzes Business Processes
This article was developed in response to the business case analysis solution
launch. It notes that Robbins-Gioia launched a new package to help government
and commercial customers measure and improve business processes.
Robbins-Gioia's vice president of marketing, Patricia Davis-Muffett, said that
many Robbins-Gioia customers had been asking for help to integrate their
business cases into their project management strategies. Customer Charlie
Armstrong, executive director for the Customs Border Protection Modernization
Office, said his agency went to Robbins-Gioia "to assist us in doing a lot of
the planning, the overall program management, some of the contract management
components and what we call human capital planning."
CRN.com
, June 20, 2003 (Computer Reseller News)
Robbins-Gioia Appoints Catherine Yandel as Senior Vice President Of
Corporate Development
This article was pulled from an R-G press release. In her new position, Yandel
is responsible for strategic planning, solutions and methodologies, training,
and IT. Jim Leto, chief executive officer, Robbins-Gioia, said, "She is
definitely the right person for the job. Her outstanding leadership skills and
ability to manage high-growth environments is right on track for
Robbins-Gioia."
Business Wire, June 16, 2003
In the Winners Circle
This news item reports on The American Marketing Association's D.C. Chapter
first annual M Awards winners. Area marketers were honored last month. Top
marketers for 2003 included O'Keeffe & Co. for high-tech and Robbins-Gioia
for professional services. Robbins-Gioia, with headquarters in Alexandria, also
received the Marketer of the Year award.
The Washington Times, June 16, 2003
Give and Take
Federal agencies are outsourcing IT work at an ever-increasing rate, but
they’re adding their own technology jobs at the same time. The reason for this,
according to this article, is that the White House is prodding federal agencies
by to rev up their e-government programs. Robbins-Gioia executives question
whether a training program can really equip federal managers to manage the
government’s most complex programs. Jim Leto, Robbins-Gioia CEO, suggests that
agencies consider outsourcing program management support in a separate contract
from the main outsourcing program.
Government Executive, June 15, 2003
Tips from the Trenches
This article examines issues and topics to consider both before and after
signing an outsourcing contract. It notes that CIOs must look carefully into
vendors' viability and financial stability before and after a contract is
signed. Robbins-Gioia CEO, Jim Leto, said, "If everyone ... knows what the
expectations will be .. that's more than half the battle."
CIO, June 15, 2003
Get A Grip
This outsourcing overview provides practical advice on how to make sense of
outsourcing opportunities. It discusses the importance of matching
organizational needs with solutions and outlines the pain points outsourcing
addresses and the benefits that can be realized. This article discusses
Robbins-Gioia's work with Verizon Federal.
CIO, June 15, 2003
Outsourcing Strategies: What, When, and Where?
This outsourcing strategy piece offers advice on determining what and when to
outsource and how to avoid common pitfalls associated with piecemeal
outsourcing. Project management is discussed, and Robbins-Gioia's work with one
of the largest global telecommunications providers is referenced.
CIO, June 15, 2003
A Progress Report On Amex-IBM; Company Seen Among The Early Adopters Of
Vendor Management
This article discusses American Express Co.'s successful outsourcing deal
with IBM Global Services. Before signing the $4 billion, 7-year deal,
American Express spent a year analyzing its technology operations, negotiating
with IBM, and drawing up a contract. Now, a year into the relationship, Amex
says that all that groundwork is paying off. An element of effective vendor
management is an ability to gauge the vendor's performance using solid baseline
statistics. Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing at
Robbins-Gioia LLC, is quoted as saying, "Often, the client company does not
spend enough time defining what it wants to accomplish and its current state in
terms of what it's spending, so the metrics for success for the vendor are
hazy."
The American Banker, June 5, 2003
The Closeout: By-the-Numbers Look at Project Trends
This coverage was generated from Robbins-Gioia's EPMO survey results. It notes
that while 30 percent of organizations with an EPMO say that they manage
projects "very well," only 14 percent of organizations without an EMPO make the
same claim.
Projects@work, May/June 2003
Robbins-Gioia Launches Business Case Analysis Solution
The article notes that the BCA offering helps organizations implement a
consistent process for conducting investment analyses and links that process to
existing project management practices and data. Robbins-Gioia developed the
solution in response to client requests, especially those regarding OMB's
Budget Exhibit 300 submissions. In a related survey, Robbins-Gioia found that
just 25 percent of respondents have a policy requiring business cases for IT
and follow that process.
BusinessWire, May 27, 2003
Vendor Tailors Template For Creating Business Cases
This article discusses the Business Case Solution launch. The article provides
an overview of the Robbins-Gioia solution and mentions the enhanced ProSight
offering. Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing, Robbins-Gioia,
noted that preliminary project management "saves lots of time and makes the
business case much more powerful and likely to get approval. But it must show
real data-how long the project will last, the cost, the return on investment,
when ROI will be realized, potential risks and risk mitigation."
Government Computer News, May 27, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Earns Marketer of the Year Award
These articles were pulled from a Robbins-Gioia issued press release announcing
the receipt of two American Marketing Association, D.C. Chapter (AMA-DC)
awards. Robbins-Gioia's marketing, creative, solutions, and training teams were
recognized for excellence in marketing strategy, innovation, risk-taking,
leadership, and return on investment. The AMA's DC Chapter presented
Robbins-Gioia with the Professional Services award and Marketer of the Year.
Jim Leto, CEO, Robbins-Gioia is quoted in these releases.
CBS Marketwatch, May 21, 2003
Lessons From The Field
This article examines the OMB mandates for improving project management across
the federal government. The article suggests that federal agencies can learn
from the work state and local governments have been doing over the last several
years. Gene Bounds, executive vice president of operations for Robbins-Gioia,
discusses the importance of first establishing organizational processes.
Federal Computer Week, May 19, 2003
In the Know
This article focuses on the need for knowledge management. The author discusses
how knowledge management can boost project effectiveness, how technology can
access hard to find and tacit data, and where to begin when setting up a
knowledge management structure. In this article, A. Andrew Anderson,
Robbins-Gioia, offers four steps for successfully planning a knowledge
management system.
PM Network, May 2003
Keeping IT Running
This article reviews business continuity planning since 9/11. The writer notes
that there has been a lot of talk surrounding BCP, but how much action? Gene
Bounds, executive vice president, operations, for Robbins-Gioia, is quoted as
saying "executives are 'revisiting and re-evaluating their readiness level.'
Although business leaders realized the 'organizational benefits of disaster
recovery (DR) plans' before and immediately after 9/11, they now view them as
absolutely critical in view of the increasing threat of terrorist attacks and
the geopolitical state of the world."
SC Magazine,
April, 2003
Preparing for the Worst: A Best Practices Guide to Disaster Recovery
Planning
While many organizations recognized the benefits of disaster recovery plans
before September 11, the criticality of these plans is even more pressing.
Organizations are also realizing that not only must a disaster recovery plan be
detailed enough to provide for all possible disasters, it must be simple enough
to actually use. This article, by Gene Bounds, Robbins-Gioia's executive vice
president of operations, describes the elements that should be included in a
business continuity plan.
Contigency Planning & Management, April 2003
Robbins-Gioia Launches New Service
This article discusses the work Robbins-Gioia is doing with the Customs Office.
Robbins-Gioia was hired to serve as an independent consultant to oversee IBM
and provide program management support. The article quotes Jim Leto, CEO of
Robbins-Gioia, and Patricia Davis-Muffett, Vice President of Marketing.
Washington Technology, April 7, 2003
Software Improves Maintenance Costs
This article focuses on the Anniston Army Depot and the increased demands in
workload due to war efforts. Additionally, the article credits Robbins-Gioia
for keeping the depot on-track. Robbins-Gioia's Director of Operations, David
Sparrow notes that Robbins-Gioia has increased its analysis work to help the
depot plan for war-related requirements. Sparrow is quoted as saying, "We are
trying to incorporate this analysis in our monthly routine, so should this
[conflict] continue or come again, we are already prepared for it."
Washington Technology, April 3, 2003
Today's Project Manager
This article examines the project management industry and specifically, the
role of the project manager. Developed in a panel format, this article includes
discussions from industry professionals about the state of today's project
managers and their world. Jennifer Stanford, director of professional
development, Robbins-Gioia is one of five panel members.
PM Network, April 1, 2003
MS Project 2003 Pre-Implementation Scorecard
This article, by Robbins-Gioia’s Darren Jerome, points out that a
pre-implementation assessment of organizational requirements and
readiness/constraints will provide a more comprehensive means of determining
what specific MSP 2002 capabilities are suited to your organization, and when
and whether you should implement them.
The Project Network, March 2003
Greater Dayton IT Alliance's Outgoing Chief Gives Credit
This article discusses Rick Kitchen’s move from the Greater Dayton IT Alliance
to join Robbins-Gioia as vice president of business development, Dayton
operations.
Dayton Daily News, March 25, 2003
Tool can help build outsourcing plan
This article discusses the launch of Robbins-Gioia's outsourcing/vendor
management solution, noting that “the benefits of such a solution include
earlier issue identification and resolution because the project management
office is motivated by resolving issues, accountability directly to the end
user rather than to a third party, and an objective opinion about vendors’
performance levels." Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing for
Robbins-Gioia is quoted in this article.
ADTmag.com,
March 24, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Addresses Outsourcing Marketplace; Program Management
Consulting Firm Releases New Outsourcing and Vendor Management Solution
This article discusses Robbins-Gioia’s launch of a new packaged offering for
outsourcing/vendor management. It explains that the Robbins-Gioia solution is
comprised of a suite of tools, processes, and expertise that apply program
management to outsourcing arrangements. Eric Gioia, executive vice president
for Robbins-Gioia, noted, “Too often, clients don’t have the human resources
and in-house skills to really focus on managing those relationships, and when
you don’t manage your outsourcer, you never reap the benefits you sought in the
first place.”
CBS Marketwatch, March 24, 2003
Firm offers agencies outsourcing help
This brief provides an overview of the vendor management solution, noting that
the solution "includes tools, processes and expertise to help agencies select
vendors, create appropriate management structures, set performance measures,
and manage projects and vendors." The article quotes Robbins-Gioia’s Jim Leto,
CEO and Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing.
Federal Computer Week, March 24, 2003
Firm Offers Project Management To Help Agencies With Vendors
This article discusses the launch of Robbins-Gioia's outsourcing/vendor
management solution. It notes that the solution will "help agencies apply
project management principles to selecting vendors, overseeing them, and
creating performance measures." Jim Leto, CEO of Robbins-Gioia, said, "The need
for outsourcing management is an emerging trend among civilian agencies. The
Defense Department already has independent program management offices."
Federal Times, March 24, 2003
Col. Jacob N. Haynes
This article was included in a Fed 100 wrap-up, which profiles each 2003
winner. Avon James, president of Robbins-Gioia, said, "He started with one hell
of a handicap. SPS is supposed to supplant the services that people were
already using and familiar with. When that happens, people will do anything
they can to sabotage it."
FCW.com,
March 24, 2003
Customs Takes Careful Steps To Expand IT Project
This article discusses how Customs is lowering the risk of failure for its $1.5
billion modernization project. Jim Wallin, site director for Robbins-Gioia
noted, "It is taking Customs longer to get it done than other organizations
because it doesn't usually do large acquisitions like ACE. It didn't have an
acquisition heritage to draw from." He added, "The project is designed to be
completed in increments rather than a big-bang, do it all at once approach. It
is being built to be flexible and scalable."
Federal Times, March 24, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Launches Vendor Management Service
This article provides an in-depth overview of Robbins-Gioia's
outsourcing/vendor management solution. It notes that managing relations with
outside vendors has become a critical task for many companies, and some are
turning to third parties for help. Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of
marketing for Robbins-Gioia, said, "Usually the people who are accountable for
[vendor management] are extremely busy....They may be the C-level person or
just below and they don't have the wherewithal to dig into it."
Internet World, March 24, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Launches Program Management Service
This article discusses the launch of Robbins-Gioia's
outsourcing/vendor management solution, and highlights the work underway at
Customs. Jim Leto, CEO of Robbins-Gioia, said, "How often does a major project
come around? The CIO organization isn't staffed to manage that kind of an
implementation. There is not a hit team of program managers walking around in
the government going from major project to major project." Additionally,
Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing for Robbins-Gioia, noted,
"The value that a company such as Robbins-Gioia brings comes from its experts
who have done this over and over again, on very high-risk, high-dollar
endeavors."
Washington Technology, March 24, 2003
Kitchen Departing IT Alliance
This article discusses Rick Kitchen’s move from the Greater Dayton IT Alliance
to join Robbins-Gioia as vice president of business development, Dayton
operations.
Businees News of Dayton, March 7, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Appoints Rob Bongiovi Head of Air Force Operations
This article announces the appointment of Maj. Gen. Robert Bongiovi (USAD,
Ret.) as Robbins-Gioia’s senior vice president and general manager of Air Force
operations. Gene Bounds, executive vice president of operations for
Robbins-Gioia notes, “We are tremendously honored to have someone of Rob’s
reputation and capabilities on board and are eager for him to jump in.”
CBS Marketwatch, March 5, 2003
E-Business Boom
This article examines the e-Business trend, noting that project managers will
have to function more as change agents, focusing on an increasingly complex
customer and supplier relationship. Today's e-Business requires shorter time
frames, tighter budgets, and the ability to operate with more ambiguity. John
Long, Robbins-Gioia, discussed the need for security and VBA customer, Frank
Kush, discussed the many layers of e-Business.
PM Network, March 2003
Enterprising Ideas: PMOs Boost Organizational Efficiency
This article discusses the results of an enterprise program management office
(EPMO) survey conducted by Robbins-Gioia. The survey was designed to determine
the impact of EPMOs and program management offices (PMOs) on the businesses
they serve. Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of marketing for
Robbins-Gioia, said, “Because of tightening markets and recent national
tragedies, these new priorities have emerged. EPMOs provide the view
organizations need to navigate risk, control spending, and instill stakeholder
confidence.”
PM Network, March 2003
A Guide to ERP Success
This article, authored by Ron Axam and Daren Jerome of Robbins-Gioia, focuses
on the challenges and issues that organizations face when implementing an ERP
infrastructure. It examines barriers to success, common mistakes, and the
benefits that can be gained from leveraging an enterprise program management
office (EPMO). This article summarizes the roles and core functions of an EPMO.
EAI Journal, February 2003
Jim Leto Appointment
This brief discusses Jim Leto’s appointment to chief executive officer,
Robbins-Gioia. It notes that John Gioia will continue as chairman of the board
and Avon James as president.
SIGNAL, February 2003
Making it Work: Good Project Management Can Help the Bottom Line
This article discusses the importance of project management for biotechnology
companies. Darren Jerome, head of operations for Robbins-Gioia’s Ottawa office,
is quoted extensively throughout the article. “Project management is the glue
that integrates various elements into a common team,” he said.
Biotechnology Focus, February 2003
Federal Contractor Arms Itself with New CEO, Scouts Workers
Robbins-Gioia CEO Jim Leto's mission is simple: "I grow things," he says.
Brought in to help the company compete in an increasingly crowded marketplace,
Leto's goal is to reach $100 million in annual revenue. Analysts agree that
Robbins-Gioia is well positioned in terms of program management capabilities
and experience."
Washington Business Journal, February 28, 2003
OMB Puts Agencies on Notice
The OMB notes that this $21 billion risk is a result of business plans that do
not clearly lay out objectives and performance goals. "There are some champions
who are really grasping the benefits [of business cases and project
management], and like any change management process, there are some lagging
behind," said Robbins-Gioia VP Laura Nash. "But there are enough seeing the
benefits to really drive this forward."
Federal Computer Week, February 10, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Helps UATP Soar to New Heights
This article announces a three-month, $150,000 contract with Universal Air
Travel Plan (UATP). Robbins-Gioia will help UATP develop business plans for
nearly 20 key initiatives identified by the UATP board as priorities. This
release quotes Kent French, managing director of Robbins-Gioia’s Eastern
commercial business unit.
CBS Marketwatch, January 27, 2003
Who's On First
This brief discusses Jim Leto’s appointment to chief executive officer,
Robbins-Gioia. It notes that Jim Leto was formally with PRC and AT&T and
that John Gioia will continue as chairman of the board.
Washington Technology, January 22, 2003
Architecting Safety
This article is a byline contribution from A. Andrew Anderson, vice president,
Robbins-Gioia, and discusses the challenges states face in meeting the demands
of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the benefits that a PMO
infrastructure can provide. Key components that should be included in the PMO,
such as portfolio management and vendor management, are discussed.
Homeland Defense Journal, January 22, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Re-Kindles Program Management
This article discusses Robbins-Gioia's EPMO solution announcement. It includes
background information on EPMOs and notes the three levels of the solution
offering. The first is an assessment of an existing EPMO or of
organization-wide practices; the second is implementing an EPMO in a small to
mid-size organization; and the third is creating a full EPMO organization for
larger organizations to tie together the program management office
infrastructure. The article includes quotes from Patricia Davis-Muffett and
Laura Nash, Robbins-Gioia, as well as positive feedback from industry analyst,
Anna Danilenko, IDC.
Federal Computer Week, January 13, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Expands Work at Army Depot
This article was pulled from a Robbins-Gioia issued press release discussing an
expansion of services with the Corpus Christi Aviation Depot, Texas.
Robbins-Gioia will be expanding its program management services under a
$184,000 minimum contract. Robbins-Gioia originally joined the Depot in 1993 to
implement the Programmed Depot Maintenance Scheduling System. Sal Reza,
Robbins-Gioia operations manager is quoted as saying, “Their legacy systems
reporting is augmented by personal spreadsheets, databases and logbooks.” The
firm intends to eventually “fuse information from several production systems
into a single cohesive enterprise scheduling and reporting application.”
Federal Times, January 13, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Supports NYPD Technology Modernization Efforts, NYPD
Recognizes Robbins-Gioia Support
This article was pulled from a Robbins-Gioia issued press release announcing
its pro-bono work with the NYPD. Robbins-Gioia is assisting the NYPD by
providing free technology assessment, and providing program management support
to the new Computer-Aided Dispatch emergency dispatch system. Andrew Anderson
is quoted in the release, saying, “We (Robbins-Gioia) were able to provide best
practices related to screening candidates for this important role.”
Additionally, he said, “Too often, decisions are based on personalities and
politics. The NYPD committed to this initiative, recognized the importance of
creating an objective, structured process.”
CBS Marketwatch, January 13, 2003
Robbins-Gioia Refines PDMSS on Helicopters
This article was pulled from a Robbins-Gioia issued press release discussing an
expansion of services with the Corpus Christi Aviation Depot, Texas.
Robbins-Gioia will be expanding its program management services under a
$184,000 minimum contract. Robbins-Gioia originally joined the Depot in 1993 to
implement the Programmed Depot Maintenance Scheduling System. Sal Reza,
Robbins-Gioia operations manager is quoted as saying, “Their legacy systems
reporting is augmented by personal spreadsheets, databases and logbooks.”The
firm intends to eventually “fuse information from several production systems
into a single cohesive enterprise scheduling and reporting application.”
Inlumen NewsAlert.com, January 6, 2003
Careers in Gear
This article profiles several up and coming consultants, including Susan Bopp,
Robbins-Gioia’s director of DOD northeast operations. In this profile, Susan
Bopp discusses her current responsibilities, including an implementation of
Microsoft Project 2002; her past experiences; and her thoughts on the future.
Patricia Davis-Muffett, Vice President of Marketing, was also quoted in this
article as saying, “We have an informal system of subject-matter experts who
work horizontally across business units. Susan is definitely entering that
category of being a major subject-matter expert in this solution. So as our
business model evolves…that may mean a more prominent position in the company.”
Consulting, January 2003
Getting IT Right
The White House’s point man for improving federal IT project management - Mark
Forman, OMB’s associate director of IT and electronic government - is focusing
on bringing better-qualified project managers into government.
FederalTimes.com, November 18, 2002
Vendor Management Helped with New System
A USITC director talks about overhauling his agency's electronic docket system,
the largest IT project the agency ever faced. He discusses the importance the
agency placed on project management, its selection of Robbins-Gioia, and
Robbins-Gioia's role, noting the vendor management responsibilities. "Their
first task was essentially to help us put together requirements and a
solicitation for the systems integrator work - that is one thing that has been
working very well," Smith says.
GCN.com,
November 18, 2002
Ready With Plan B
Vendors are feeling the pressure to implement network systems able to withstand
potential disasters and threats. The article looks at the need for contingency
plans or disaster recovery plans to be flexible and well-fit to the individual
needs of each organization. Several offerings in the market are discussed.
Information from Robbins-Gioia's business continuity survey is cited in a
pull-box in the article.
Infoworld, September 9, 2002
Studies: Business Has Been Slow to Prepare for the Worst
Despite the amount of attention given to disaster recovery and contingency
planning last year, many businesses in D.C. and nationwide are still unprepared
to handle a disaster. Robbins-Gioia recently completed a study on business
continuity and disaster recovery planning. The study, consisting of more than
170 business executives and project managers, revealed that companies are not
communicating important details within their organizations. "Not as much has
changed as people expected," says Patricia Davis-Muffett, vice president of
marketing for Robbins-Gioia. People have underestimated what it would take to
have a solid plan in place. The critical success is making sure everyone knows
what to do when something happens."
Washington Business Journal, September 5, 2002
Just Do It: Part One of a Series
Understanding the seven stages of the implementation cycle is highly important
on starting a benchmarking program. Lou Metcalf, sales director of
Robbins-Gioia, explains the planning change phase, “"Typically, in your early
organizational meetings, you’ll want to get [a handle on] not only the
technical strengths of the members of the group, but also what background and
experience they might have in other areas. "
Business Finance Magazine, September 1, 2002
The ABB Edge
ABB (activity based budgeting) has been around for almost a decade and has
received significant lip service it is still a little understood beast. This
article examines what exactly ABB is, what the pain points are, and how to
overcome them - successfully implementing an ABB strategy. Tom Bowland, account
manager of Robbins-Gioia , "A major U.S. military department began using
activity-based costing three years ago, with the ultimate goal of attaining the
characteristics of a performance-based organization. That department saved $34
million in the first year [of using ABC/M]. Now that those objectives have been
achieved, the department is widening its effort to link its outputs with its
budget."
Business Finance Magazine, September 1, 2002
Robbins-Gioia Teams With the California Franchise Tax Board to Increase
Compliance with Tax Filing Laws
Robbins-Gioia announced a new program win with the California Franchise Tax
Board. Robbins-Gioia's program management efforts will drive new efficiencies
within the California Franchise Tax Board's non-filer compliance system. INC
project manager Tom Nast is quoted, "Robbins-Gioia's 'can-do' approach to
project scheduling was a key ingredient in the California Franchise Tax Board's
INC Project success. The R-G schedule and related products gave us clear and
accurate reporting for our executive management."
CNN Money, August 27, 2002
HIPPAA Compliance as a Business Issue
Health care organizations face numerous challenges when trying to achieve HIPPA
compliance. Leveraging program management support is a way to empower
organizational transformation. Pierre Monacelli, account executive of
Robbins-Gioia, writes, "As HIPAA compliance consists of 90 percent policy
improvements and 10 percent technology improvements, program management
expertise and knowledge is invaluable. Health care providers-hospitals,
specialty centers, and physicians-must view HIPAA as an opportunity to improve
overall processes. Program management can provide a sound strategy to steer
through the compliance process and achieve business evolution and
transformation."
For the record, August 26, 2002
Biotech Industry Survey
Robbins-Gioia recently released the results of their business continuity and
disaster recovery planning survey. The survey, which included more than 170
respondents, was designed to examine the business continuity/disaster recovery
arena, measuring current levels of maturity and priorities for the future. Jay
Casale, executive vice president of Robbins-Gioia, said, "It's really in the
communication and training that the rubber meets the road. You can have the
best plan in the world, but if no one knows what to do in the event of the
problem, the plan doesn't do you any good. This is one area we've focused on
with our clients -really making sure the plans they develop are easy to execute
and at the top of employees' minds."
Black Enterprise Magazine, August 26, 2002
Robbins-Gioia Teams With the California Franchise Tax Board to Increase
Compliance with Tax Filing Laws
Robbins-Gioia announced today a new program win with the California Franchise
Tax Board. Robbins-Gioia's program management efforts will drive new
efficiencies within the California Franchise Tax Board's non-filer compliance
system. INC project manager Tom Nast is quoted, "Robbins-Gioia's 'can-do'
approach to project scheduling was a key ingredient in the California Franchise
Tax Board's INC Project success. The R-G schedule and related products gave us
clear and accurate reporting for our executive management."
CBS Marketwatch, August 22, 2002
Colonial Bank Harnesses Robbins-Gioia Program Management Support to Modernize
Collateral Monitoring Systems, Enhance Operating Efficiency
Robbins-Gioia is teaming with Colonial Bank to enhance operating efficiencies
within the bank's Mortgage Warehouse Lending Division. Gene Bounds, executive
vice president of Robbins-Gioia, "Changes in the financial services market are
driving increased competition and entirely new business models. This is forcing
banks to evolve and realign internal processes and operations."
Yahoo! Finance, August 8, 2002
Portfolio Management Optimizes Project Selection, Resources
Pharmaceutical companies need to more aggressively manage their development
portfolios due to an increasingly difficult business environment. This article
discusses the portfolio management process and the role of the Chief Resource
Officer (CRO). "Project management is all about doing things right, but
portfolio management is designed to determine whether a company is doing the
right things," explains Paul Gunville, Robbins-Gioia’s vice president of
portfolio management.
Bio/Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Report, August 2002
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