http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47-68-86-101_STO46393,00.html


Stop Wasting Your Workers


The quickest way to overcome a shortage of skilled workers is to make better
use of those you have. Consider project managers, who now spend half their
time on projects doomed to failure


By Barbara Gomolski
(Jun. 26, 2000) I have been watching the IT labor space for years, but
recently heard what I think is one of the more compelling explanations (and
remedies) regarding the much-hyped IT skills shortage.
Gopal Kapur, who heads up a project management consultancy called !!The
Center for Project Management##, suggests that the labor shortage is grossly
exaggerated. What is really going on are major inefficiencies in how
companies use their existing staff.


Kapur suggests companies are wasting a significant portion of their IT
manpower - possibly as much as 50% - on inappropriate projects, those that
fail completely or are scrapped somewhere along the line. His argument is
supported by the staggering statistics that put the rate of project failure
anywhere between 50% and 70%.


If the industry accepts that at least half of all IT projects fail, why do
so few people talk about this when trying to identify remedies to the skills
shortage?


Could IT departments get their work done if they just had more people? No
doubt. But I think that argument is like saying, "My car gets two miles per
gallon; I'm going to need a really big gas tank to make that long trip."


More qualified IT professionals in the market would certainly give companies
more hiring choices. But the remedy to the shortage of skilled IT workers is
clearly not just a question of getting more people. Companies need to use
the ones they have more efficiently and effectively.


Kapur agrees. He says IT in general - and project managers specifically -
could greatly help the tight labor situation by filtering out some of those
doomed projects before they become projects.


This can be done by asking tough questions like, "Why are we doing this
project?" and "What would happen if we didn't do this project?"


Project managers don't ask these tough questions, Kapur says, because they
don't think it's part of their job. They are afraid to anger or upset
project stakeholders and they don't think their opinions on business issues
will be valued by business leaders.


Project managers should cast aside dictated schedules in favor of more
accurate ones, and develop accurate estimates. They must also learn how to
monitor the vital signs of their projects in truly meaningful ways.


If your company thinks its staffing woes are a result of the labor market,
consider whether better project filtering and improved project management
might make a difference.


If any company can eliminate or deliver an early death blow to even half of
the projects that are doomed to failure, the availability of staff will
improve considerably. Specifically, the project managers, business
consultants, IT architects, application developers, database experts and
system integration staff who are tied to dead-horse projects will be freed
up.


In addition to project due diligence, the following steps will also help
companies do a better job of using their current IT staff:


* Improve the way IT staff is deployed. In the days when project lasted
three years, the deployment of IT professionals within organizations was
less of an issue. Now, however, with the average project lasting months and
not years, companies must become much more adept at efficiently deploying IT
resources.


Some firms may benefit from software packages designed for this purpose.
Regardless of how you automate this function, efficient deployment requires
that you know what's in your IT skills portfolio at any given time, and
where those resources can best be used.


* Better metrics and measurement for IT professionals. In the absence of
good metrics and measurement for success, it is impossible to deploy IT
professionals effectively.


Tying individual performance ratings to project outcome will allow you to
determine where individuals have the most impact. This information can then
be used to deploy them where they can make a positive contribution. w


Barbara Gomolski is a research director at !!Gartner Group Inc.## in
Stamford, Conn. Contact her at barbara.gomolski@gartner.com