K n o w l e d g e

Comment: This is a post series expressing my humanitarian side. A friend of mine out of Lake Forest, CA does mission work through his church traveling to China, Rwanda, and Uganda. Recently, he indicated that the projects he had been doing were not progressing as they should and that many of the efforts really did not serve the people well. He attributed the problem to poor leadership and strategies with little or no focus. For example, fundraisers several times a year are more of a social experience in LA, CA than genuinely doing good for the intended people offshore. This got me to thinking. During my military service, I was trained in civil affairs and performed many humanitarian missions of various sorts that ranged from noncombatant evacuation operations (NEOs) to civil affairs missions such as medical operations (MEDOPS) and various reconstruction projects. Often the missions were planned from a standard or template. I thought that the same ideas could serve other efforts by having a purposeful goal and elements efforts to get there.

Humanitarian Projects Built from a Model

Many people and organizations attempt to do good around the world. The US Navy's tagline is a force for good. Many people and organizations purchase then gift equipment and facilities to help those less fortunate. The problem is that a short time later the facilities and equipment fall into disrepair or become inoperable due to a lack of a sustainable infrastructure. Thus, the act of kindness becomes ineffective at resolving the issues it was gifted to overcome and may become a greater burden for the recipient. The challenge is to develop a way to overcome these issues and provide sustainable gifts to these nations and people who require broad-based support. After all, Stephen Covey tells us to teach them to fish and feed them for life.

Making a Brief Case

A considerable portion of the world's population lives in temperate regions without adequate food and potable water. These societies are often isolated from regional and global communities. Efforts to gift supplies and equipment have not produced the results needed for these societies to maintain a sustainable improvement to the quality of life. A new approach is needed.

Many challenges confront the new approach. We will not consider political and social movements that could be counter to these efforts. Some regions have world views that reject aid from people outside their circles or are counter to the values necessary to sustain the new approach. Operating in these regions requires other methods not discussed here. Nonetheless, this is a base model that can be adjusted to local conditions.

This new approach should create a sustainable system that introduces the society to the regional and global economies with the goal to integrate the society into the broader and complex economy. Underpinnings of the regional and global economies include components like a functional supply chain infrastructure (seaports, airports, and roads), ample fresh water, and energy distribution networks. These societies cannot be connected to the broader system until they begin the trek towards improvements which is the objective of this effort. The development of a supply chain cannot begin until energy, water, and food resources are adequately addressed on a fundamental level first. Once renewable food, water, and power resources are available then the injection of external economic influences will enable the people to earn increased wages and further transform their quality of life.

The solution begins by scoping the issue and setting objectives. In this case, the people are in need of the basics; food, water, and power. This further breaks down to fertile and irrigated soil, fresh and potable water, as well as renewable energy. The objective is to design solutions that are low tech, easily sustainable, and ecologically friendly. The success of this endeavor centers on a basic economy to sustain the solution. The design should include natural filtration and purification methods as well as make use of natural sources of nutrients and energy.

This vision is to develop a local economy poised to introduce the local society to regional and global economies by building the sustainable groundwork for the most basic needs of the community. This is a major undertaking often too large for a single organization or government. Thus, armed with this vision a coalition should be built yielding various aspects of the vision to participants of the project.

The Sustainable Groundwork

Many solutions for the base problems exist with some performing better than others. As part of the project planning performance metrics need to be determined. I have completed some basic research into this matter and the following ideas may have some merit as they have been put to successful use around the world.

Natural Water Filtration and Potable Water

Natural water filtration uses earthen filtration and gravity. Natural filtration mechanisms vary by topography and generally involve estuaries (wetlands) and riparian (streamside forest) systems. Within these systems soil composition, vegetation, animals, and micro-organisms play very important roles in purification. Engineering low tech natural purification systems can reflect the local ecosystems or an enhanced system can be introduced. Essentially, a three-stage system of gravity-fed lakes and earthen berms can purify large quantities of freshwater. The source of water can be natural sources such as springs, wells, storm runoff, and general wastewater from the community, etc... The system flows from an estuary lake through an earthen berm composed of aggregates of various sizes (rock, gravel, sand, and clay) into an intermediate lake filled with low oxygen fish. The intermediate lake is gravity fed into a lower lake through a second earthen berm also composed on various aggregates. Anaerobic microbial and insect lifeforms also reside in the berms as well as trees line the lakes assisting in the purification process. The middle and lower lakes could be split into upper and lower halves with rapids or waterfalls providing aeration of the water which is another critical aspect of purification.

The water arrives in the lower lake as purified freshwater but remains non-potable. The water can be used directly in irrigation and watering of animals. In order to achieve potable water an additional level of purification is necessary to remove pathogens and other contaminants. There are natural methods of achieving this objective that usually involves ultraviolet light and methods to raise the water to a pH of about 8.3. Lime, soda ash, and sodium hydroxide usually raise the pH balance. Solar concentrators can focus the sun's energy to a focal line where a pipe containing the fresh purified water is passed through. The focused solar energy flashes the water to steam which is evacuated then condensed killing pathogens and bacteria while leaving heavier sediments behind. The steam evacuation and freshwater draw can be created using the falling water or windmills that drives blowers and pumps. Venturi's expand the steam causing the cooling necessary for condensation in a plenum chamber. The potable water is then siphon fed into a water tower as currently performed in the US.

Figure 1: Earthen Filtration, gravity fed lakes purify water.

The gravity fed lake system is in current use in San Diego, CA and smaller systems are in Florida. The fresh water is fed into the Pacific Ocean after the detention cycle. However, San Diego is undertaking a project to recycle the water's use by placing the fresh water into a reservior for the detention cycle. While the ideal topography is sloping, the system can be built on mesas, plains, and other level topographies but would require earth moving endeavors stair stepping the detention lakes.

Fertile Soil

Figure 2: Composting System

Many areas of the world are inhospitable with the ecology unfit to sustain crops, livestock, or in general human life. In fact, much of the land is undergoing desertification. An operational view of land's ability to sustain human life considers the carrying capacity and capability of the land. While a particular stretch of land may have a low carrying capacity, natural methods are available to improve the lands fertility and carrying capacity. Among these methods is composting waste materials including human waste, Figure 2. This is a low tech process does not require extensive maintenance. This improves sanitary conditions and makes use of organic waste matter in useful ways. Tilling composted waste into the soil creates grasslands for grazing animals that begins a cycle of renewal and economic expansion. The compost may also be used with crops for human consumption. When using the waste for this purpose sustained temperatures must be held for several weeks in order to kill pathogens in the waste. There is a substantial body of works that promotes the uses of compost. Composting Toilet Systems. A complementary approach is the use of Holistic Management and Planned Grazing. In this approach, land is recycled preventing desertification. This approach also provides livestock and crop food sources for the local populations.

Renewable Energy

The vision is to provide the base energy required, the minimum necessary, to support the environmental systems emplaced. This includes pumps, motors, and heat for composting and purification. The sun, waterfalls / rapids, and wind are sources of potential energy to support the base energy requirements. Thus, a system of solar panels and wind or water-driven turbines could supply the requisite power to move water around the purification system. Solar concentrators, Image 1, would focus solar energy to sustain heat levels necessary for composting and purification. The energy production using these methods most likely would exceed the amount necessary for the system to function. The excess energy may be sufficient to provide security lighting during the evening or power cooling fans as additional support to the system.

Image 1: The Solar Concentrator is used to flash water to steam.

Energy is the underpinning of an economy. Without energy logistics and tools that make the economy move would become inanimate. The need for energy to power the full economic engine would be an expanded effort. This requires substantial energy resources. If the society simply does not have access to these resources locally then the connection to the regional and global community becomes more important. For example, Japan imports nearly it's entire economy as raw materials including energy then performs work in order to export the finished goods. Engineering a energy resource for the entire community is a separate effort than this post's intent to present a solution to stabilize the local community.

Building an Economy to Sustain the System

Water purification, energy production, composting systems, and holistic management require services of various sorts. For example, the compost needs to be collected and redistributed. The solar concentrators and condensation system may require cleaning and replacement of the pipes. There is a need to monitor and adjust the natural filtration system with fish and other filtration elements. These are activities that should become part of a local economy. By inclusion in a larger regional or global economy, resources ordinarily not available become available as the local economy contributes to the larger system.

Consider one cycle, a businessman pays a nominal rate to residents for collecting their compost. Then sells at a higher rate the compost to landowners who in turn use it to create grasslands and raise livestock. The landowner also pays for the irrigation services that facilitate the grasslands for the livestock. The landowner then sells the livestock in the market as food. The residents who pay and consume the food, producing the waste for composting. The nominal fee they receive for the compost contributes towards the purchase of more food. These residents also perform other work in which they receive pay from perhaps a manufacturing plant or some other inject from the complex economy originating from the regional or global economy. Other businesses emerge such as fish farms that not only stock the lakes but sell their overstock to the local community as food. The local community provides financial support to the natural purification system by buying the water they consume and paying for fishing rights from the lower lake. Local people are hired and trained to maintain the system. Thus, a local economy boosted by linkage to a regional or global economy can raise up their lives.

In the end, a basic system could be created to support improvements in food production, potable water, and sanitary conditions that contribute towards an basic economy. This jump-starts an economy and begins the movement towards more advanced systems for further improvements to the quality of life. More importantly, the people take ownership of their lives.

These concepts are in successful use around the world. However, they have not been organized into a succinct model or plan. Moreover, the end state of a society meaningfully poised for injection into a regional or global economy has not been advanced in a meaningful way.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Humanitarian Projects Built from a Model Part 2

Commentary: This is a continuation of the earlier Part 1 which focused on an overarching model that drew upon green initiatives to form a model that initiated a movement towards the generation of natural resources and recovery of the lands desolated or desertified. Part 2 is to discuss project leadership, implementation, and economic carrying capacities as well as capabilities.

Humanitarian Projects built from a Standard Model Part II

JT Bogden, PMP

The model presented in Part 1 results in a mega-project. A formal definition of mega-projects does not exist among scholars but the United States government defines mega-projects as major infrastructure projects exceeding $500US million or projects that attract a high level of public or political attention due to impacts on the community, environment, or budgets (Li, Yanfei, and Chaosheng, 2009). Mega-projects are managed differently than the classic PMI project. The difference stems from the scope and complexity of the project as well as a fair amount of political injects are found in mega-projects that are not ordinarily found in smaller projects. Mega-projects require early and broader planning and programs emplaced that detail relationships and policies. Often supply chain design requires the leveling of the playing field in order to prevent dominant actors from controlling the project and allow for problem resolution among competitive supply chain actors. The mega-projects are componentized into smaller more manageable elemental projects. Project schedules are subject to cash flows since funding comes in cycles based on bonds and governmental block allocations (Operating Target Funds) rather than the PMI method of Earn Value Management, EVM, and sunk labor cost. Although, EVM may be applied in the elemental projects. Some elemental projects may already exist or otherwise meld into the overarching model resulting in adaptation of the model to each circumstance. The post Project Complexity Perplexes Procurement discusses the framework necessary to resolve many of the project challenges.

Economic Carrying Capacities and Capabilities of the Land

Carrying capacity is defined as the volumetric ability of a specified plot of land to support an ecological balance of life as determined by food and water requirements. The measure is often expressed as the maximum number of creatures that an area of land can support. Capability is the ability to produce food and water on the land based on; topography, soil composition, and climate. For example, steep and roughed topographies may produce a lot of water runoff and land for grazing animals. Whereas, plains may puddle water and produce crops. Thus, the capabilities to produce food and water vary. Unless humans intervene and modify or enhance the land's capabilities the carrying capacity is limited.

Basic methods of modifying and enhancing the land's capability include natural processes that improve soil fertility, creation of irrigation as well as water resources. Advanced methods of modifying and enhancing the capabilities include hydroponics, fish farming towers, and introducing synthetics to retain water or increase fertility. The primary objective of this project and associated projects is to increase the carrying capacity and improve the capability of the land. This is achieved by improving the quality of soil fertility and freshwater using more natural and synthetic approaches. By increasing the capability of the land, in a capital economy of private land ownership, the wealth extraction increases significantly. In socialized economies, the land is considered dead capital and at an estimated $9.3 trillion globally (Coffman, 2010, p. 59.). The potential to increase individual wealth and improve lives is considerable.

Energy extraction via wind, solar, and hydroelectric is necessary to artificially stimulate the natural systems where they would otherwise marginally perform. Energy injection begins the cycle of improving the capabilities and capacity of the land. Overall, the model is a supervised process that adds economic value and can be throttled or managed. As the land's carrying capacity and capabilities increase, economic value can be extracted which in turn increases the quality of life.&

Most projects are small or very small. Project leadership under these conditions amounts to personality management which can be a challenge in its own rite. Project leadership on mega-projects involves a broader effort establishing programmatic methods of handling the political issues, supply chain innovation, quality standards, and conflict resolution procedures at a minimum. Often on mega-projects, there are many civil and contractual issues that need to be addressed and mitigated ahead of time rather than litigated after the fact. Program management is the approach commonly used to gain control of an operation.

Figure 1: The Mega Project

PMI defines program management as a project of projects which is a myopic and inaccurate description of program management as most operations managers would view the practice. A more accurate description of program management in the operations management realm is to reverse the terms calling the effort a management program. Management programs organize aspects of an operation into policies, responsibilities, and duties that are written into a document. Often management programs detail procedures, training requirements or qualifications, and provide forms or access to systems. A strong leader will foresee, organize, and communicate the management programs to all project actors early in the process. Another aspect of management programs is that they often have performance metrics and in many cases are funded using a variety of methods. These methods include block funding, zero-based budgeting, and a series of grants and recoupments throughout the tax cycle. Management of the funding, including payment cycles, claims processes, and other financials requires controls to prevent over-spending and minimize fraud.

Comment: A scrupulous vendor I had to deal with once. This vendor learned to leverage poor processes and lack of communication in the organization for his benefit by double shipping items. One item would be sent to the loading docks and the other item would be shipped to the front desk. Once signed, the organization owned the item. He then plays stupid but insisted on payment. For my project, I set up a process in which I signed for all inbounds and questioned items mixed in with my orders effectively stopping the double shipments. However, that vendor attempted to get back and reported the organization for software licensing violations after observing several installs of software application that we were recently looking to purchase in volume. I received a letter from an attorney firm essentially seeking to settle for the licensing violations under the threat of further legal action. I had my ducks-in-a-row and responded with an enclosure from a software vendor that we were evaluating the software in question with the vendor's permission. I never heard from the attorney firm again and released the scrupulous vendor from all obligations terminating services. Following these incidents, I began to put together a management program to address other areas that had risks associated with them. Once published, everyone understood the processes and procedures such that I could monitor and manage accountability as well as reduce conflicts and resolve issues more quickly.

Project leadership in a large scale project such as this humanitarian model requires overarching efforts to organize the elemental projects, establishing the processes and procedures that are unique to mega-projects, as well as setting goals and objectives are part of the effort. A greater challenge is to foresee the projects

Implementation

Mega-Project implementation is more complex than a simple or small project. Mega-projects are typically composed of numerous projects varying in complexity and scope. Management programs layer over top and across the entire project. Procurement and supply chains can become complex and wrought with legal challenges as vendors, suppliers, and contractors make claims, challenge contract awards, and demand payments under review for quality and performance issues.

References

Coffman, M Ph.D. (2010). Rescuing a broken America: why America is deeply divided. (1st ED). Morgan James Publishing: NY.

Diamond, J. (2005). Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed. (1st ED). Viking Adult, United States.

Li, Z., Yanfei, X., & Chaosheng, C. (2009). Understanding the value of project management from a stakeholder's perspective: Case study of mega-project management. Project Management Journal, 40(1), 99-109. DOI:10.1002/pmj.20099

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Effects Based Operations

Comment: Effects Based Operations (EBO), to some folks, is controversial but only to the extent that they do not want to be accountable to a result. Furthermore, there is an even smaller percentage that feels the psychological aspects as applied in warfare are not ethical in industry despite marketing campaigns using the same techniques. I was introduced to EBO in the late 1990s and dabbled in its use up to 2005. However, during deployments between 2005 and 2008, EBO gained higher employment but not necessarily the highest acceptance. The most intensive use of EBO was during tours at Commander Naval Forces Europe.

Effects Based Operations

EBO has not been well accepted in many circles as it removes the smoke and mirrors, fudged numbers, and the mask of outrageous successes people often herald even when there is no such success. Hence, EBO does not tell the emperor what he wants to hear and does not leave the emperor naked. EBO is not about how well people do their jobs. Everyone puts forth a reasonable effort and tries hard. EBO is about how well actions were undertaken as an organization, department, or group serves the desired results. Whether competing in war or the marketplace, desired results are being pursued. While war fight tactics are for war, the management method can and should apply to companies operating in a marketplace.

Companies desire profits, market share, supply point control, price control, and other outcomes such as sustainability initiatives. During correct practice, companies express the path to the desired outcomes as a strategy then implement projects to create the desired end-state, a set of required conditions or objectives must be achieved. As in warfighting, companies have limited resources that must be economically rationed and deliberately applied to the efforts that give them the most significant gain or strategic advantage. For example, Warren Buffet operates on a concept of durable competitive advantage as a strategy. Companies need to manage strategy-to-task, and EBO offers an excellent framework.

EBO is nothing more than managing what was set out to be achieved. In a reality check, as business operations are mapped to EBO practices bear in mind these points:

EBO changes the management culture but not the nature or character of the market. The marketplace is a realm amicably at war in which competitive actors seek to deter, deny, diminish, deflect their opponent's advances using a host of tactics, techniques, and practices that shape the market place and attract loyal buyers to their offering in order to capture market share. The character of this marketing war is information-based and psychological.

EBO is not a substitute for marketing methods. EBO is a management method that enhances outcomes. Success is valued based on rationed deliberate actions and results achieved as opposed to the novelty of the means.

EBO causes reactions. Newton's law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. EBO seeks effects that result in outcomes. Therefore, for every EBO action, there is an equal reaction. The question is if the reaction is reasonable or not. If undesirable then adjustments are made to achieve the desired reaction or effects.

Measurements count, EBO captures measurements and links them to strategy. When measurements hit thresholds, then decisions are made as triggers as set into motion. Both qualitative and quantitative measurements are valued.

What-if. Hypothetical situations are abundant, and exploring them can cause paralysis. The fact of the matter is the marketplace and world we live in is dynamic and always in flux. Disruptive technologies change market directions in an instant and poorly support technologies become burdens. Designing adaptive operations to handle complex conditions can reduce organizational latencies and react swiftly to change.

EBO is not complicated but does require deliberate thought and effort. Refer to Figure 1.

Figure 1: EBO Structure and Information Flow

In a nutshell, the effects-based method is a flow of information about progress towards goals and strategies. The ultimate goal is to achieve the end state through deliberate actions in seeking effects and objectives. There are measures of effectiveness that aid in determining when an effect has information-based.

The Effects-Based method is new to the private sector, and there will be a learning curve associated with the method. The Effects-Based method does not change the nature of the organization but does change the management methods on a project by project basis. Therefore, it can be introduced slowly and scaled to the operation. The method also applies to ongoing operations making use of triggers to indicate out of bound conditions.

I published a book, Effects Based Projects, that combines EBO with Agile project management and use hip pocket tools to focus on results more than reports and computer driven artifacts that take time to develop. The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle.

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Effects Based Operations In Project Management

Project Management Series

Project Management Series

James T. Bogden, PMP

I am creating this collective of project management posts in order to focus knowledge of this discipline. Project management is a subset of Operations Management and Engineering. Engineering projects are have some different management methods than business projects. Specifically, engineering project are block funded and use cash flow methodologies versus earned value management with sunk cost and capitalization.

I also strived to look at project management from many angles, present models, and use some thought leadership.

Effects-Based Projects

Effects-Based Operations: Taking Strategy-to-Task

SRA: Putting Strategy to Task

Effects-Based Operations

Fixing Frankenstein: Rogue Monster Projects

Project Complexity Perplexes Procurements

Humanitarian Projects Built from a Model, Part 1

Earned Value Made Easy?

What is Win-Win?

The Tiger Team Improves Outcomes

Project Management Skills beyond Paper Documents

Ongoing Project: Combining Project Management with Hands On Skills

Ongoing Project Manages Business Rules

Creative Process and Project Management

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Effects-Based Operations in Project Management

Comments: Projects are short sided when they seek a deliverable that is not aligned with strategy and does not deliver some sort of business, market, or operational effect. The Effects-Based method seeks to go beyond traditional deliverables aligning strategy-to-tasks and seeks desirable outcomes or effects as a deliverable. This book blends the Agile project methodology with the Effects-Based method as both are iterative and center on high uncertainty and complexity.

In developing this book, I drew on my experience as well as from the works of numerous experts in the business of complexity, effects-based operations, and project/operations management. This first edition while somewhat breakthrough to industry is not new but combined in a new way for business and private sector application.

Effects-Based Operations in Project Management

James T. Bogden, PMP

We have left the Information Age and entered the age of the hybrid. Systems we encounter in our work and everyday life are creating more uncertainty with higher degrees of complexity. Causes and solutions to problems, outcomes, are more apt to produce sales than selling things, services, and slogans. Slogans like family owned means little to a buyer. Likewise, buying things or services is what is being sold but are not in themselves a cause or solution, an effect or outcome, to their predicament. The goal of any project is to create an effect or outcome for the market and the company that ultimately results in a measure of success such as profitability, market share, some sort of messaging, or other measure. Simply initiating a project to do something like install a server, run an ad campaign, or open a new office is short sighted. By doing those activities what is the company seeking to achieve? Ask yourself, Why is this being done? Begin with the WHY then the WHAT will follow.

Complexity is at the root of many challenges in that systems and networks (social, logistical, informational, etc…) have become so complex that when someone takes action that stimulates the system the effect is not easily predictable. However, by reducing the complexity problem to something more manageable not only will the network or system become more understood but outcomes can be limited to a smaller set that becomes more manageable. My new book goes through the process of achieving effects and producing things. I have outlined the chapters four your review.

Chapter two provides a complexity model and means to reduce the problem set to something more manageable.

Chapter three discusses how to formulate strategy in a deliberate and purposeful manner by drawing on one U.S. military method adapted to the civilian domain. Having sound strategy is crucial to having vision, direction, and guidance so that activities may for focused as resources and limited.

Chapter four discusses the general Effects-Based method developing an understanding how to perform the process of taking strategy-to-task then measuring effectiveness.

Chapter five discusses Agile then blends the Effects-Based method into the Agile Micro-dynamic work flow providing a broadened model. The new model expands project efforts beyond a deliverable to attempting to achieve and outcome or effect then selects a means to achieving that effects objective.

Chapter six looks at uncertainty providing hip pocket or on-the-fly tools to access causes and effects then identify risk event for resolution. The complexity model discussed earlier provides a basic means from which to identify risk.

Chapter seven discusses the old-school method of programmed management in lieu of policies and expeditors. The use of policies results in low performing organizations which suppresses aspiring leadership in the organization. Also discussed in this chapter is agility which as principle reason the Agile and the Effects-Based methods

Chapter eight concludes the topic balancing theory and practice.

My focus was to create this process in way that project and operations managers, PMs & OMs, would have tools and methods that are not cumbersome but quick and readily applied. In my experience, PMOs and companies often create administrative overhead that is unnecessary and shifts efforts to making reports and artifacts pretty rather than effective use of time and resources to get the job done.

The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle.

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Please feel free to email me at JamesTBogden@gmail.com or comment here about the book Effects Based Projects..

Effects Based Projects

James T. (JT) Bogden, PMP, MSIT

Effects Based Projects

A Practical Guide that Puts Strategy-to-Task When Complexity and Uncertainty are High

Click To Buy

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to many operational / project circumstances and methods of management. While serving with the United States military at an operational level command, we were forward-thinking deciding to use the Effects-Based method. In practice, we developed our strategies then broke them down into objectives and desired effects. We then initiated projects to achieve those effects.

Often the projects were of high complexity and high uncertainty. While we knew the endstate, the path to the endstate was often difficult to observe. Using methods to discern the complexity, we were able to reduce the challenge to a workable problem set.

The private sector has many challenges, among them rapidly changing business environments and complexity. Professionals tend to rush-to-results. I saw the Effects Based methods as ways that could be applied in the private sector. The Book, Effects Based Projects, discusses the processes and means of achieving effects in place of a rush to results or things. I combine the Effects Based method with Agile to arrive at solutions for effects to deal with the challenges.

The book touches topics on a high level and I try to present hip pocket tools to focus on results more than reports and computer driven artifacts that take time to develop. The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle.

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Effects-Based Operations: Taking Strategy to Task

Comments: This post precedes the release of my book on Effects-Based projects. The planned released date is November 30th, 2019. I discuss the high-level concepts in this post and hope that you find interest in what I write. Please feel free to comment.

Effects-Based Operations

Taking Strategy to Task

James T. Bogden, PMP

The workplace gets caught up in cool things and achieving smoke-and-mirror results. Over the years, I have read countless Request for Proposals (RFPs) that herald unbelievable results by merely employing a new technology or doing what the RFP proposes. The challenge is the focus. The RFP or solution, in many cases, precedes the business then attempts to sell an impact or value to the business as an afterthought. This kind of thinking is backward.

A business should be about nothing more than the monetized exchange of goods and services, commerce, which is the core mission of any business. Even Thomas Jefferson commented on commerce. On March 14th during 1814, Jefferson wrote Horatio G. Spafford remarking;

“Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.” (Federer, 1996, p. 329)

There are only 24 ways to make money. These ways are known as profit models, which differ from a business model. Profit models are about making money. A business model is about the operation and methods such as Software as a Service, SaaS. In this example, the SaaS business model comes with a data center, developers, market channels, and other elements of the operation. A Profit Model associated with SaaS may be one of the Digital Profit Models (aggregator, auction house, Realtime Manufacturing, or Information Mediary Profit) or could be Customer Solution Profit, Specialist Profit, Low-Cost Business Design Profit, or Transaction Scale Profit. Focusing on profit and the business rather than solutions is right thinking. Business first, then seek the solution.

The challenge of focus and right thinking in a world gone mad has a business seeking things or solutions first, then attempting to argue the benefit to the business. Business seeks specific kinds of results first then searches for the means to achieve the result which is also the core purpose behind Effects-Based Operations; seek the effect, then find solutions to that end.

Effects-Based Operations has been in practice by governments and militaries for many decades. Technocrats and warfare commanders alike have sought strategies and objectives by deliberately applying resources as there is an economy of the effort or campaign. The Effects-Based process can become very burdensome if the science of the effects is applied. Fortunately, there is an art to the Effects-Based process that lightens the load. The art of Effects-Based Operations requires hip pocket tools and a deliberate iterative process of:

Creating commerce focused strategies
Reducing complexity to a workable problem set
Creating a living model of applicable systems
Breaking strategy down into objectives and desired effects
An iterative process of systems response reviews to applied reactions
An iterative process of solution projects and applied reactions
Achieving desired effects, objectives, and strategies

There are many working pieces to the Effects-Based Operation. However, by keeping things simple and focused, the effort becomes lighter to handle. The process is also scalable as the entire organization does not have to restructure to support Effects-Based Operations, although the entire organization may participate in Effects-Based Operations at various levels of involvement and focused on a single effort.

The Effects-Based practice is controversial to the extent that operations, organizations, and professionals are held accountable to the desired outcomes. The outcomes can be difficult to achieve if not formulated correctly. Care must be taken not to over complicate effects or attempt to achieve effects not possible.

During my military career, we kept the effects simple with clear and achievable effects. The triggers and indicators used to signal an action or achievement of an effect in many cases were often yes/no, true/false, or on/off type answers. We built spreadsheets that listed the objectives, effects, triggers, and indicators using stoplight graphics and reports in most cases.

I took this experience and my experiences in project management, developing a book that highlights and blends the Effects-Based process with Agile project management. My next goal is to develop a workshop that gives hands-on practicals for Effects-Based projects. I hope that industry refocuses on commerce and the underpinning of creativity, leveraging the common sense and practical techniques I present in my book.

The Book is currently sold on Amazon in print and eBook form for Kindle.

References:

Bogden, J.T. (2019). Effects Based Projects: A practical guide that Puts Strategy-to-Tasks When Complexity and Uncertainty are High. Bogden: Nashville.

Federer, W. J. (1996). America's god & country: encyclopedia of quotations. USA: FAME Publishing, Inc.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Made In The Usa

Made in The USA

James T. Bogden, PMP

Made in The USA alluded to a sense of nationalistic pride in which an individual’s hard work is forged into quality and durability. The unfortunate circumstance is that Made in The USA turned out to be sandcastles in the surf’s wash. The mantra eroded as time passed, entire industries seemed to commoditize. The first attempt to resolve the commoditization problem was to send production offshore, outsource labor, and divest American businesses with foreign ownership diluting the Made in The USA sensibility. Made in The USA became a run-of-the-mill brand alongside Made in Japan, Made in China, and Made in Mexico. As the commoditization worsened, industry gained a growing and influential new partner, The Government, who contributes nothing productive and takes an increasing share of the revenue. At the same time, most business seems to have lost sight of their purpose; policy became king, human labor was treated as robots, narcissism became the new normal in workplace relationships, and sociopolitical causes seemed to have become the focus over commerce. Work had become a drudgery of endless tasks, political correctness, narcissistic personalities, and with little focus on commerce.

In another attempt to overcome the worsening commoditization, investor groups bought up companies using a brand saturation strategy to consolidate incremental market share and sustain earnings since markets were not growing at substantive rates. This effort usually bought companies competing in the same market then bought the tier 1 supply chain, sometimes both upstream and downstream to control the wholesale and distribution channels. Companies became product brands which then became bland as the investor groups sought to standardize production across all the purchased companies seeking an economy of scale to lower production costs. The result has been little difference between brands other than market perception.

The commoditization phenomenon will continue until some phenomenon ends the cycle. While all that sounds dreary, my focus is not on those issues so much in this post. That does set up the discussion on some of the critical factors affecting that commoditization cycle as well as solutions to the problem.

Aside from a maturing product or service, one of the Super Cycles known as the Kondratiev Wave is the underlying driver attenuating profits. The wave is characterized as the 30-year rapid growth cycle of wealth creation followed by a 30-year low growth cycle of increasing commoditization. Repeating the wave is indicated by 20 years at the end of the low growth cycle that has a short economic boom, a bust, a major war (the common phenomenon that breaks the commoditization cycle), then a new way of living upon entering the next rapid growth period. The emergence of this wave was with the formation of modern economies out of feudal Europe. The wave coincides with significant American history; The Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War II, and the current period.

The United States has seen the Dotcom and housing boom, a bust period, and many predict that a major war is coming. Futurists predict that networks, information, and the Hybrid age will be critical factors in the next rapid growth cycle. There are numerous networks to include social, informational, communication, and logistical that will become more important as rapid growth begins. Information is not limited to silicone-based binary data but also biological-based information to include nanotechnologies, the genome, and tri-state logic. The Age of the Hybrid is a blurring of domains to include virtual and physical realities, biological and silicone-based processing, and other domains that will become fuzzy. Out of this prediction by futurists will yield new markets for products and services not yet imaginable.

Given a future vision of the new way of living that is coming and the 30-year boom cycle, industry can be poised to act. Those actions should be based on a free market and free enterprise even though Governments have partnered with industry placing constraints on their ability act.

Free Market Capitalism is creativity in service to humanity. There are numerous instruments used to move the economy forward and overcome commoditization, such as creative destruction, disruptive technologies, as well as other forms of innovation and invention. The old axiom was that necessity is the mother of invention, but the accurate axiom is invention is the mother of necessity. Through invention and innovation, new markets are possible, and with new markets comes wealth generation opportunities. Commerce is the vehicle through which creativity, intellectual capital, is monetized.

In a simple-minded thought, commerce and business cannot exist without people but people will persist without business or commerce and people did persist before the formation of modern complex economies and communal farming. Commerce’s purpose in a free market is to redistribute wealth based on productive value. Business is the vehicle to redistribute wealth. Therefore, business at its core serves humans by providing each human with just rewards for the fruits of their efforts. People who are business owners take a risk and have responsibilities, and they receive rewards for those risks and responsibilities. Owners, at one time, touted about their responsibilities to the staff and their families. Staff perform duties and have responsibilities receiving just rewards for the fruits of their labor. The opportunities are equal, but the rewards are not equal due to the inherent nature of risk and responsibility. Business is really about giving people the incomes that dignify their lives and families. Businesses have to be successful to provide for those people.

Success in the coming rapid growth period begins with proper strategy, deliberate decision-making, and the ability to put the strategy-to-task in a way that manages complexity and risk. Unfortunately, leadership seems to have become distracted trying to stay afloat in commoditizing markets, overwhelming regulation, and social causes that have little alignment to the business. A newer model is needed to refocus industry, and a fresh approach must be employed. Effects-Based methods used by the military and applied to the private sector offer some exciting solutions to put vision and strategies to the task.

The Effects-Based method is an ideal instrument when combined with deliberate strategy development and the proper implementation methodology. Effects-Based thinking is a paradigm shift in thought. The old way of thinking was attempting an increase in revenue, which is a measure of effectiveness and not an objective or inventing a thing. The goal should be to achieve a desired effect or outcome while managing undesired effects or outcomes. Solutions such as inventing a thing, creating a tangible deliverable, or providing a service, are then a chosen means in the process of achieving the effect. A measure and indicators determine when the effect is achieved. In this effect’s framework, there are ways to manage complexity, uncertainty, develop the strategy, and apply actions to pressure points that aid in delivering the desired effect. I will discuss the Effects-Based method in more detail later.

Made in The USA has the possibility of meaning something again, but only if the industry leaders can focus on the core purpose of business and monetizing creativity. The refocusing industry may require Governments to rethink the relationship with industry as well. Corporate Governance should have a stronger alignment with the business; dropping sociopolitical causes not fully aligned with the operation. Then apply deliberate decision making and planning to take strategy-to-task in the rapid growth cycle that is quickly approaching. Significant wealth creation is coming. Will you have the right stuff to monetize creativity and put strategy-to-task?

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

SRA: Putting Strategy to Task

Foreword: Several years ago while in a leadership role over an operationalized telecommunication cell, I was challenged with a variety of knowledge levels within the staff as well as high staff turn over. I needed a method to bring the staff up to speed and continually increase knowledge. After looking around, I drew upon operations management practices and my own educational experiences looking to McGraw-Hill's SRA program. SRA is the acronym for Science Research Associates, Inc but also has become known as Short Read Archive. The concept was short read lessons that drive a point home and were not too time-consuming. In short, learning on the fly. The SRA cards had the assignment on the front and a quiz on the back. This is one SRA lesson without the quiz.

Short Read Archive: Putting Strategy to Task

Discussion

Paradigms of thought are important to various disciplines; engineers, mathematicians, songwriters, politicians, etc… who have unique paradigms or frames of mind they operate within. Project management is no different. This lesson discusses how to think in terms of putting strategy to task or taking a broad vision and putting that to task.

Terms

Strategy: A long term statement that involves an end state and frames at a high level the approach to the achievement of that end state.

Objectives: A smaller elemental goal of a strategy that is focused on a specific accomplishment. Usually, multiple objectives are necessary to achieve a strategy.

Constraint: An externally-imposed limitation or control that is generally fixed and cannot be changed without approval from the external entity.

Restraint: A self-imposed limitation or control that is changeable by an internal or local authority.

Lesson

Putting strategy to task is a challenge. Any strategy is not easily handled for most professionals who are operators who are task and process-oriented with a can-do attitude. Relating strategy to the task is the process of scoping a project and one methodology for this process is effects-based operations. In short, the path to task is:

Doing something in support of an objective causes an effect that is then measured in some way to ensure that it meets an established quality standard. In order to ensure that all actions contribute to the scope, everyone on the project needs to know the strategy as that defines the scope. Strategy is the ‘why’ a project is undertaken. In mobilizing people to task, the ‘why’ is a greater motivator than the ‘what’. The ‘why’ creates a unity of effort and focus for a team.

Supplemental Video: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

The objectives and desirable effects become constraints and restraints for the project. However, constraints and restraints can be other limitations such as legal, financial, privacy, etc… Overall, putting strategy to task involves a deliberate focus.