Strategic Planning: Turning Vision Into Reality

by J Kendall Lott

Performing strategic planning is not the same thing as planning strategically. This is never clearer to me than in multi-day offsite brainstorming sessions with senior management teams. You’ve got all the tools for successful planning—a highly recommended consultant with a slew of best practice models, easels with big sticky pads, Post-It notes and colored markers, fruit and bagels, even Jenga for break time…what…

From Outputs to Outcomes: Measuring the Value of Public Sector IT Investments

by J Kendall Lott

Federal government agencies make significant IT investments to modernize and increase capabilities, but too often they are left frustrated—”You built what I asked for, but not what I need”—when end users avoid using the new system or software. In addition, government agencies have a responsibility—and added pressure— to ensure that their investments provide an intangible benefit to society and citizens. But when…

Realizing Value from IT Investments Through Persistent Business Integration

by J. Kendall Lott

If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it make a sound? Or did it even fall? These are the questions that federal agencies too often face when internal IT departments or IT consultants deliver a system…but no one uses it.

IT Maturity in Methodologies: The Agile Revolution

IT has long strived for better alignment with business needs and drivers to provide and support systems and software. IT…

“Audit Ready”: The Benefits of Internal Audit

Read or download MPS Consultant Amanda Higley’s full white paper, “The Benefits of Incorporating Internal Auditing Consultants into Information Technology and Cybersecurity,” below.

Audit-and-Compliance-White-Paper-Final-Draft-1.11.2022Download

Everyday Project Planning: A Note-Card Size Guide for Success

By Felicity Noël Keeley, PMP

This article is written for early career professionals in disciplines other than project management, as well as new, beginner, or intermediate practitioners of project management. Advanced practitioners in any discipline can benefit from reading with a beginner’s mindset. Read time: 5 minutes

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge 6th edition, “The project management plan defines how the…

COSS – What We May Be Losing in our Virtual Reality

For the past 15 months we have become accustomed to getting up a little later than usual, grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting down at our workstations to attend to the business of the day – often a string of Zoom meetings, punctuated by running down to the laundry room or slapping a sandwich together for a quick lunch. Now (at least in DC) as the masks are coming off, there is a widespread reluctance to get back to the old workplace routine;…