Ensuring Compliance and Consistency in an R&D Environment: The PPPL Office of Project Management
Authors: T. Dodson, T. Stevenson, T. Egebo, R. Strykowsky, S. Langish, and M. Williams
Abstract:
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)
Office of Project Management (PMO) is responsible for
oversight, coordination, and implementation of all project
management processes. Per DOE Order 413.3B, the PMO will
ensure the proper and standardized management of projects
within the organization according to the Project Management
System Description (PMSD) and Engineering (ENG) procedures.
The PPPL PMO provides oversight functions for the physics
research, engineering, R&D, operations, and facility projects.
This oversight is provided through Work Planning, Design
Verification, Cost and Schedule review, and Project Status
review. A team consisting of a Cognizant individual, Planning
and Control Officer, and Responsible Line Manager pilots jobs
and projects through the procedure process and oversight
functions to accomplish work. For capital projects, a Project
Manager will oversee a team of Cognizant individuals according
to a Work Breakdown Structure system. For smaller jobs, the
Cognizant individual will serve as the Project Manager.
PPPL jobs are often R&D and prototypes due to the research
environment. The identification of technical, cost, schedule and
ES&H risks early in the project life cycle is imperative to avoid
limitations and mitigate these risks. Another key function of the
PMO is to manage resource conflicts and prioritize work through
the use of the monthly Project Status Review Board (PSRB). Staff
training is also provided by the PMO and is critical to the success
of the project management function across the organization.
During the past year, the PMO effort has been focused on
assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
(SWOT), improving procedures, mapping the work flow process,
and training job and project staff for improved performance.
Extensive input to the PMO from stakeholders through audit
findings, report recommendations, and departmental review has
also been incorporated. The PMO continues to support a Major
Item of Equipment (MIE) upgrade project on the National
Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) and is supporting
preparation for Earned Value Management System (EVMS)
certification later this year.
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Submitted to: 38th International Conference on Plasma Science & 24th Symposium on Fusion Engineering/ICOPS 2011 SOFE, Chicago, IL, June 26-30, 2011
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Download PPPL-4668 (pdf 882 KB 5 pp)
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