News

Jeff has over 25 years of experience in project and program management. He has carried out end-to-end IT projects in multicultural environments. As Programme Manager and PMO, Jeff organized the P3O installations at NEC Computers and Fortis Bank. He managed the program offices of the largest transformation programs of NEC Computers and BNP Investment Partners. He is a multilingual trainer for AgilePM, PRINCE2, MSP, P3O, and MoP, able to provide courses in both English and French.  

What is your current function? What are you working on at present?

These are changing times. Last year, I did a lot of bespoke Project Management training for a major international client of QRP. And last year, I was also an author! I used the lockdown to finish a book that I had been working on for 10 years. This year, I am marketing my book. I am also delivering various QRP courses.  

How did you build a career in Project Management?

I started off in the UK as a programmer and business analyst. When I moved to France, I became an IT project manager. The projects got bigger and bigger – I ran two big projects in Argentina and the USA. And I innovated: in the mid-’90s, I introduced Agile techniques into a global project. The next career move was to become program manager of the worldwide Y2K initiative for NEC Computers. Then I moved sideways. After Y2K, I set up an IT PMO for NEC Computers and I was program office manager (PMO) for two major business transformation programs.  

What is the biggest problem or challenge today in Project Management that you have found in your career?

The biggest challenge is to get an entire team of project managers to use a common project management method. There is a huge payback if everyone uses the same method. But it is hard to do – the method has to be simple but effective, and there has to be strong engagement.  

What advice would you give to the PPM community?

Whatever your role in PPM, build a real Community of Practice to share and develop your good practices. That means practices that really work in your organization. Proven solutions, not textbook solutions.  

Could you tell us about your book “Lean3 Project Management”?

When I was working at NEC Computers, a senior manager introduced Lean Manufacturing into the company. It was sensational: a huge, positive change. Ever since then, I have been trying to work out how to transfer the best of Lean Manufacturing into Project Management. Many concepts will not translate – the factory is based on repetitive processes whereas each project is a one-off. So I was panning for gold. It was hard to find, but, yes, there were nuggets waiting to be found… I started writing a book ten years ago, and the answers came slowly, year by year. By 2019 I had a working draft – and some clients who were thinking along the same lines as me, to test out ideas. In 2020, during the Covid lockdown, I had time to bring everything together, and publish the book. I am really pleased with the final book. The subtitle of the book is “Lean Project Management for repeated project success”. My vision is the Project Factory, where project management is industrialized and success is repeatable. My book is the starting point for that vision.  

A final word?

I started working with QRP International in 2006, when it was a 3-man start-up. Today, 15 years later, QRP has grown considerably. I am still a QRP trainer. Over the 15 years, I have given a huge range of training courses in 13 countries and have worked with some really great clients. It has been a truly interesting journey.  

Jeff Ball

Jeff has over 25 years of experience in project and program management. He has carried out end-to-end IT projects in multicultural environments. As Programme Manager and PMO, Jeff organized the P3O installations at NEC Computers and Fortis Bank; He managed the program offices of the largest transformation programs of NEC Computers and BNP Investment Partners. He is a multilingual trainer for AgilePM, PRINCE2, MSP, P3O, and MoP, able to provide courses in both English and French.

With the adoption of the ITIL 4 framework, the concept of a service life cycle on which ITIL v3 was based has been replaced by a more holistic approach. The processes in ITIL 4 have been replaced by 34 practices. This change has given organizations more freedom to define tailored Service Transition processes. The Service Transition Manager is responsible for planning service transactions for operational use and coordinating the necessary resources. He/she must oversee and control all changes to a product’s lifecycle so that changes are made with minimal impact on IT services. In particular, a Service Transition Manager must approve products, determine that new, modified, or discontinued services meet operational expectations and do not have a negative impact on customers, users, and the company. The Service Transition Manager must also verify that the service works in both foreseeable and abnormal situations and can be supported in the event of failures and/or errors.  

Main responsibilities of the Service Transition Manager

The Service Transition Manager is responsible for managing all the complexities related to old and new services. He/she also manages the unintended consequences irremediably related to the modification of services and service management processes or the introduction of new services. The tasks also include the management of changes to existing services (such as expansion, reduction, change of supplier, modification of requirements or availability of skills, transfer of services to and from other service providers) and management of deactivations and interruptions of services, applications and/or other service components. Specifically, the main responsibilities include:

Speed up decision making

A Service Transition Manager must be able to speed up many processes if there is a need. In order to do so, the service transition manager must be able to plan and manage changes efficiently and effectively. He/she should also see to it that the adoption and management of the change and the effectiveness of the standardization of the transition activities are promoted well.

Stakeholder communication

One of the main tasks of a Service Transition Manager is communication with stakeholders. The goal is to ensure that transactions take place smoothly and without incurring blocks or problems. Defining a clear and linear communication plan is certainly a fundamental part of the profession.

Track data & provide management information

It is essential to keep track of all the steps of a transaction, whether it is a combined global plan or an individual transition plan, or even release plans. Only when it is clear what the goals of a transformation are, it is possible to understand what data is needed. Gathering all the information from the beginning will make it easier to progress quickly into the more advanced stages of a job.

Budgeting and accounting for service and resource transaction activities

In larger organizations, a Service Transition Manager may also be hired for budgeting activities for their areas of expertise.

Management and coordination

Among the main responsibilities of a Service Transition Manager, there are certainly all the management and coordination activities on multiple levels. Obviously, it is not about managing all the requests in the IT field but mainly those involved in the activities of Service Transition and the provision of Early Life Support (ELS), resources that can include people, test environments, hardware, and software licenses. Risk management is one of the key tasks of this role. Then there is the coordination of service transition activities between projects, suppliers, and service teams (in collaboration with project managers and other staff, if necessary).

Guarantee quality

The Service Transition Manager must ensure that the final delivery of each service transition meets the agreed customer and stakeholder requirements specified in the service design package. It is the duty of the Service Transition Manager to ensure that service changes create the expected business value.

Maintenance and monitoring of progress

The Service Transition Manager is held accountable for maintaining and monitoring progress for every aspect of the service transaction: change, configuration, test, release and deployment, and any intermediate steps. It must also monitor progress in actions and work to mitigate possible risks.

Organizational knowledge 

In-depth knowledge of the organization and its potential value and the identification of all the people involved within the IT organization. How to best use this knowledge and support the employees are certainly extremely important skills for a Service Transition Manager.  

Why is a Service Transition Manager essential within an organization?

The role of the Service Transition Manager is to accompany the services and products from the construction or modification phase to the operational one. Ensuring that everything takes place with the least possible number of errors and obstacles. The role of conjunction between the organization and the customer is essential to ensure constant quality standards and to ensure customer satisfaction and improve various aspects of the work team.

Xavier is Senior Consultant and accredited trainer ITIL 4 Foundation & Intermediate, ITIL v3 Foundation, Practitioner & Intermediate, ITIL MALC, ITIL Expert, DevOps Foundation, ISO20000 Foundation, Lean IT Foundation, Lean, Kaizen, Scrum Master, DevOps Leader, DevOps SRE, DevOps continuous delivery, Integrated Service Management (ISM).  

What is your background, your current position and your mission?

I studied electrical engineering and after my graduation, I followed a job opportunity to work as a computer maintenance technician. This is when I entered the IT branch. I have worked 43 years in the IT sector and am currently a consultant and trainer in Western Europe and Africa.  

What are the recurring issues that you see in IT services?

Communication in the broad sense of the term is still the Achilles heel of various departments. Professionals do not communicate enough, they communicate badly or not with the right people. Generally speaking, communication takes place in a reactive rather than a proactive form. There is of course a communication problem between IT management and business management, but the communication problem is, unfortunately, a global problem, which exists at all levels.

Communication in ITIL

If we analyze the ITIL V3 decision-making level scheme, companies are organized like pyramids. The communication problem I am talking about is a global problem for the company, it is present at each level and between each level. This lack of effective communication leads to many misunderstandings and shortcomings but above all a lack of trust between the stakeholders. This is a big issue because trust, found in the concepts of ITIL and DevOps, is the key to the success of IT-based businesses. In an ITIL environment, communication is more than ever at the centre of the challenges. ITIL 4 offers a framework focused on process automation, optimization of collaboration and communication across the enterprise, as well as the integration and development of service management beyond IT ( such as HR, finance or customer support). Why such an emphasis on collaboration? Simply because collaborating means working together for a common goal. Collaboration is only possible if you communicate effectively. At the strategic level, effective communication between corporate management and IT leadership is critical to ensure that the IT department is and will be well aligned with corporate strategy. IT needs to deliver value to its customers, which is one of the 7 ITIL guiding principles: put value first. This principle is accompanied by a set of components and activities described in the Service Value System (SVS) and implemented by the organisation to enable value creation. This system exists and works only if communication is effective. The practice of relationship management allows the IT department to understand what value means for its interlocutor and its satisfaction criteria with respect to the IT deliverable. The modules of the ITIL 4 Strategic Leader course, namely DITS and DPI, provide a link between the management of the company and the IT management. It is through communication at the governance level that an organisation will be able to align IT governance with corporate governance. Communication allows you to know the business rules to apply in computer programs to be aligned. It is the company that communicates whether the deliverable must be compatible with such or such software, the rules to comply with GxP, the Basel II / III agreements and the national rules to be observed. At the tactical level, communication helps identify customer needs and requirements to establish SLAs. Circumstantial communication is needed at all levels, whether strategic, tactical or operational, with different circumstances and different stakeholders. At the operational level, it will be necessary for the employees of the service centre, who are in contact with the users, to communicate correctly and effectively to know who is the interlocutor, what is the reason for his call and what are his expectations in terms of value. . The ITIL 4 Foundation and ITIL Specialist Create Deliver and Support modules allow the operational level to better understand aspects of communication between stakeholders.

Communication in a DevOps environment

In a DevOps environment, we find communication in two (culture and sharing) of the 5 perspectives and values ​​of DevOps, based on the “CALMS” model:

• Culture
• Automation
• Lean
• Measurement
• Sharing

Communication in Scrum

In a Scrum environment, there are the different meetings that build internal trust in the development team: . Daily Stand up meeting It optimizes team collaboration and performance. This meeting also facilitates alignment with customer needs. . Sprint planning The creation of a plan collaboratively by all members of the Scrum team. This meeting also facilitates alignment with the PO and customer needs. . Sprint review This meeting is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the increment achieved and adapt the Product Backlog if necessary. During the Sprint review, the Scrum team and stakeholders discuss what has been done during the Sprint. To conclude, each best practice has its own way of addressing the issue, but communication is omnipresent and at all levels, whether in an ITIL, DevOps or Agile/Scrum context.  

What are some concepts that you think are relevant to study in the near future to develop as a professional?

Lean, Agile, DevOps and ITIL 4 are the essential foundations. What would be interesting would be to create very in-depth and practical training modules that take the best of the 4 Best Practices, but based on profiles/professions. For example a module for user support, one for transition, one concerning relations between internal customers (SLA) and external customers (contracts) and a last on the management of operations. The professionals who follow a module like that could learn the best of the 4 methods and benefit from the experience of the trainer to deepen the practical side. I think it would be better not to train in ‘silo mode’ but rather to follow a transversal training where professionals can find examples of their daily life, sometimes agile, sometimes a little less. This training would allow, in addition to being motivating for the participants, to really train the staff and to respond to another big issue in IT services, namely the search for talent. → Also read: Communication in virtual projects

Marta Binaghi collaborates with various voluntary associations active both nationally and internationally. She is the proud owner of a PRINCE2 Foundation certification.  

What is your role and what do you do specifically?

I have been collaborating as a volunteer with the Kibarè Onlus association (http://www.kibareonlus.org/) since 2014. That year I participated in a mission in Burkina Faso during which I was able to meet the child I had been supporting remotely for some years. I realized how many basic human rights are taken for granted in Italy, such as health and education, and how it is necessary to commit oneself so that they can truly become universal rights. Our association is small, so volunteers must necessarily be versatile! So far I have mainly dealt with the graphics but I have always helped with fundraising campaigns aimed mainly at making the association known locally.  

What does Project Management look like in a non-profit organisation? Do you have a particular use case that you would like to tell us about?

As mentioned, so far we have carried out different projects, we set up a nutritional centre and schools, one of which aimed at integrated education among able-bodied and disabled children. All these projects have been made available thanks to the donations of our supporters, private and companies, including QRP. We always wanted to participate in some calls for non-profit organisations for international cooperation projects but, frankly, none of us had the necessary training to present a convincing application for funding. Thanks to the PRINCE2 course given to us by QRP, we now have the skills to draw up a complete and solid project. This knowledge has enabled us not only to convince institutional investors to support the activity of Kibarè Onlus but also to help us to promptly and efficiently monitor the progress made. This gives us the capabilities to promptly manage the requests for change and the unexpected events that we inevitably have to face in a context as unstable and different from ours as that of Africa. I think that in some way Project Management can represent the winning compromise between the monolithic conception that we have of the intervention from Italy and the day-to-day decision-making approach of our local partners in Burkina. We have just started our new project, a kindergarten in a quarry on the outskirts of the capital Ouagadougou, where children can be cared for while the mothers are engaged in mining. I hope to be able to put into practice at least some of the guiding principles that I learned during the course and that I have already shared with the board of directors of Kibarè.  

What are the biggest challenges for a Project Manager working in your industry?

I think that the greatest difficulty is bridging the distance (not only physical but above all cultural) between our country and the foreign country where we are intervening. Many procedural aspects are often taken for granted and some requests can certainly seem bizarre to local partners. On the other hand, we underestimate the obstacles present in the area (lack of infrastructure, bureaucracy). Finding the necessary documentation can be an odyssey and the resources (especially human) to successfully complete a project are scarcer than people think. It has already happened, as an association, that we started an ambitious project and had to stop. Not for lack of funding, but because we realized, fortunately in time, that the local partner could not properly manage the complexity of the intervention. Returning therefore to the initial question, I could answer that the biggest challenge for a Project Manager active in international cooperation is to establish whether a project is feasible and to monitor that it remains so. → Download now: PRINCE2 2017 Project Initiation Document (PID)  

What skills do you think are fundamental for a PM in the non-profit sector?

I believe that the Project Manager profile is multidisciplinary by nature; however, there are three skills that in my opinion are essential to be successful in managing a non-profit project: listening, team organization and courage. Listening skills are crucial for anticipating risks and opportunities in the uncertain context in which non-profit organisations often operate. International cooperation connects different worlds such as Africa and Europe. The geographical, but above all, cultural distance requires extreme attention to any signal from the stakeholders that allows preventing, and at least promptly resolve, accidents along the way. Non-profit organisations frequently operate with a hybrid organisation, which combines paid staff and volunteers. While the paid staff usually have a clear role in the organisation, also the team organization of the volunteers is key. It is essential that the project manager values ​​the volunteers by assigning them clear responsibilities, albeit consistent with their availability of time and their interests. I mentioned earlier the painful decision to shelve an ambitious project. In the changing context of the non-profit, the project manager must constantly monitor the expected benefits of the project and its probability of success. The project manager must demonstrate the courage necessary to question the continuation of the project if the development of these indicators requires it.  

Marta Binaghi

Marta Binaghi collaborates with various voluntary associations active both nationally and internationally. She is the proud owner of a PRINCE2 Foundation certification.

IT services deal with stakeholders throughout the ITSM (IT service management) organisation and in almost every process. Stakeholders are the human component of the service and are all those that have an interest in IT services. Stakeholders include also users and/or customers. Even though often taken for granted, stakeholders are vital to achieving the organisation’s objectives. Without stakeholders, an IT service does not exist. They are the ones who carry out the main processes and who provide the resources to ensure business continuity. Stakeholders are key for ITSM and consequently key in ITIL 4.  

Internal and external stakeholders

Stakeholders can be divided into two main groups, internal and external.

Internal stakeholders

• They are those that work within the same organisation (think of the employees of the ITSM organisation, the team, management, partners etc.).
• When speaking about internal IT providers, these can also be internal customers.

External stakeholders

• They are those that are not part of the same organisation. These stakeholders can be external customers and/or users, suppliers and vendors.

 

Different Stakeholders

Within ITIL there are many different stakeholders identified. The four major stakeholders, without whom IT service management cannot survive are the following.

. Service provider

They provide IT services such as internet, email, specific tools and network maintenance

. Customer

Somebody that pays for the service, both internal and external. As the customer pays for the service, he/she puts in demand and agrees on service levels.

. End-user

One that uses the service. This person might not be the one paying for the service but is entitled to use it.

. Supplier

Another organisation that provides services and/or products. For example, hardware and/or software suppliers are the basis of the provided IT service.  

Stakeholder relevance

By being clear as to who the stakeholders of your IT service are, you are able to define the supporting organisation, processes and interfaces between. Stakeholders are basically (directly and indirectly) responsible for the delivery of services. If you understand who the stakeholders are, what their interests are and how they are/will be using your services you can understand their demands towards the services. Once you do so, you will be able to respond with appropriate capacity and adapt to the different stages of the IT service lifecycle. Some vital functions that stakeholders perform are:

. Continual improvement

Through constant monitoring and evaluation of processes, stakeholders will guarantee continual improvement.

. Objectives and strategies

Both small and large, immediate and long term objectives and strategies are based on the needs of all different stakeholders involved.

. Implementation and delivery

The implementation of processes and tasks, but also the service delivery, will depend on the efficient work of stakeholders.  

ITIL 4 specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value

However important the stakeholder might be, often organisations do not give them the attention that they need. Organisations tend to focus on certain factors like efficient processes and appropriate technology. To reverse this thought and focus on the human component of IT services, Axelos launched the ITIL Drive Stakeholder Value – module. The module helps ITIL practitioners to increase stakeholder satisfaction. The ITIL DSV module is part of the ITIL 4 Managing Professional stream. The module is about engagement and interaction between service providers and stakeholders, including the conversion of demand to value via IT-enabled services. The module is built around the customer journey – from both parties engaging, agreeing to work together and interacting to co-create value. It encourages the service provider to help the consumer to continually improve.  

Key elements of driving stakeholder value

Changing the scope and approach of the traditional IT technician, the DSV module helps create awareness about how the interaction between provider and stakeholder will influence their ultimate experience and therefore the organisation’s success. The capabilities to develop are:

. Ensuring high satisfaction levels

When consuming a service, the experience should be just as important as the outcome

. Using human-centred design

Achieve better usability and experience by understanding how the customer feels when using a service

. Customer Experience (EX) and User Experience (UX) design

Achieving quality outcomes based on experience agreements

. Stakeholder communication

Listening and understanding what each party wants and needs, understanding the dynamics and co-create value   QRP organizes ITIL 4 Drive Stakeholder Value courses, both virtual and onsite. Find out more here. Source: Axelos

The ABC Scrum Master course is aimed at anyone who wishes to get sufficient knowledge and understanding of Agile Principles and the Scrum Guide to start helping teams and organisations adopt Scrum. The ABC Scrum Master exam is a closed-book examination and is intended to address the knowledge and skills that demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and understanding of the Scrum Framework. Let’s dive into the characteristics of the exam!  

Examination Target

• Anyone involved in product & solution development using the Scrum framework
• Scrum Masters, managers and Scrum team members
• Aspiring Scrum Masters
• Solution Developers & Testers
• Team Leaders
• Process Owners & Managers
• Individuals involved in product delivery using the Scrum framework

 

Exam Format

• Language: German, English, French
• Duration: 40 minutes (50 for non-native speakers)
• Materials: No materials
• Closed book exam
• Questions: 50
• All 50 questions are Objective Test Questions (OTQs)
• Pass Mark: 34 marks or above
• Level of Thinking: Bloom’s levels 1 & 2
• Exam Format: Online or Paper
• Certificate Format: Online

The online certificate is usually included in the exam fee, you could ask for a paper certificate from the Exam institute after your exam.  

Exam Sample Questions for ABC Scrum Master Exam

There are a number of different test styles used within the exam. All test styles are based on the selection of the correct answer from a choice of 4 options. The test styles are Standard, Negative, Missing Word, Select (list), Select (evaluation).

Example ‘standard’ OTQ

Which is a Scrum Event? a) Q b) R c) P d) S

Example ‘negative’ standard OTQ

Which is NOT a Scrum Value? a) Q b) R c) P d) S

Example ‘missing word’ OTQ

Identify the missing words in the following definition of Scrum. Scrum is a framework within which [ ? ], while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value. a) Action Q b) Action R c) Action P d) Action S

Example ‘select (list)’ OTQ

How should a Scrum Master serve an Organization? 1. It does Q 2. It does R 3. It does P 4. It does S a) 1, 2, 3 b) 1, 2, 4 c) 1, 3, 4 d) 2, 3, 4

Example ‘select (valuation)’ OTQ

Which of the following statements about the use of Scrum are true? 1. It does Q and R 2. It does P a) Only 1 is true b) Only 2 is true c) Both 1 and 2 are true d) Neither 1 or 2 is true → Read now: What is a Scrum Master? Role and Responsibilities  

ABC SCRUM Master Objectives

The objective of the examination is to enable you to demonstrate an understanding of the Scrum Master Concepts (or Rules), Roles, Events and Artefacts. The learning objectives for ABC Scrum Master are:

• Gain a deep understanding of the Scrum Framework – the theory, practices, roles, rules and values – as defined in The Scrum Guide.
• Understand – in detail – the role of Scrum Master and how the role interacts with different members of the Scrum Team and other stakeholders.
• Master the Scrum principles to better understand their application when returning to the workplace.
• Understand how to construct an effective development team with an appropriate mix of skills and experience.
• Know how to act as a servant-leader for the Scrum Team, promoting and enabling self-organization to create high-value products.
• Learn how to facilitate Scrum Events and remove impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress.
• Help Scrum Product Owners shape and refine product backlogs to guide early and incremental delivery of valuable products.
• Drive adoption of the Scrum framework for more effective product and solution development, working with stakeholders and other Scrum Masters to improve its effectiveness.

 

ABC SCRUM Master Certificate

The validity of the ABC Scrum Master certificate is a lifetime. This certificate will never expire. QRP International is a Scrum Master Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) by APMG, is authorized to deliver ABC Scrum Master courses and can prepare you for the examination leading to the ABC Scrum Master Certification.