Browsing All Posts filed under »Contract Management«

Dirty Consulting Tricks – Subletting the “talent”

October 9, 2012 by

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Bait and switch.  Pitch the A team and send in the D team.  Front load the client engagement up high and deliver low.  Three consulting slang terms for subletting talent or substituting in lesser skilled or experienced talent for the one proposed for an engagement. In program and project management the engagements typically involve the […]

Dirty Consultant Tricks – Leaky Faucet of Billable Hours

October 5, 2012 by

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The leaky faucet, the sieve, the bleeding of billable hours – called different things in different settings they refer to the same concept, a consulting/ contracting company or resource who piles up time and material hours.  It’s also one of three dirty consulting tricks I’ve observed first hand in the last few years.  The irony […]

Dirty Consultant Tricks – Hiding the Crystal Ball

October 3, 2012 by

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Nearly four years ago we began the TAPUniversity Blog.  It’s been based on a mix of our training and consulting delivery.  The first topic was a top 10 things to do for contractors or consultants (or not do).  After a round of consulting assignments, in pharmaceutical and insurance, with other consultants alongside me, I observed […]

2010 in review

January 2, 2011 by

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The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats. About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. This blog was […]

Risk Management Approaches

December 2, 2010 by

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Weaving throughout the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK), ISACA content & CobiT, Lean Six Sigma best practice and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) / PRINCE 2 is the concept of proactively managing risk.  Risk is based on a probability of an event occuring (positive and negative) and the impact should that even […]

Management “Nexus” – the intersection of multiple disciplines

September 14, 2010 by

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Nexus – 1. a means of connection; tie; link. 2. a connected series or group. 3. the core or center, as of a matter or situation. In geek’dom – a moderately successful 1994 Star Trek movie that saw one 700 year old guy named Soran (wonder if they’d been reading Tolkien) not only take on […]

RFP’s – Vendor Selection – Scoring

August 8, 2010 by

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In a Request For Proposal selection process or project a flexibility, well defined rubric  is critical.  That rubric is  more commonly known as score sheets, scales and weights.  The best practice is to define that rubric prior to issuing the RFP – the selection committee needs to know 1) what they are selected and 2) […]

Request For Quotation (RFQ)

July 27, 2010 by

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A Request For Quotation is a seller selection process where the buyer knows what they need and specifies quantity, terms, even target price.  It is a companion, complimentary seller/vendor selection tool to the Request For Proposal.  You might use a RFQ at your work place and not even realize it.  For example purchasing 100 copies […]

Request For Proposal

July 24, 2010 by

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A Request For Proposal (RFP)  is a common way to select for a vendor based solution or product.  They are used when what is needed can be identified and described, but a detailed step by step method may not be known.  RFP’s may result in a fixed bid or cost plus performance contract awarded to […]

Professional Services Project

May 5, 2010 by

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Projects can be classified in different ways, and one common distinction is a Professional Services Project. These projects do not have traditional, physical products as their primary deliverable. Rather, the deliverable is intellectual in nature such as a scientific article, process documentation, or software. The PMBOK® (4th Ed.) defines a project as “a temporary endeavor […]

Negotiating and the PMI Code of Ethics

March 15, 2010 by

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The very succinct first mandatory Respect standard in the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (http://www.pmi.org/About-Us/Ethics/~/media/PDF/Ethics/ap_pmicodeofethics.ashx) is “3.3.1 We negotiate in good faith.” When we negotiate in good faith, we negotiate with good and honest intentions or beliefs. It surprises me that this standard is categorized as a Respect standard rather […]

Contract Changes in the Fourth Edition PMBOK®

January 7, 2010 by

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Contract categorization has changed from the Project Management Institute’s third edition PMBOK to the fourth edition. The formerly simple Fixed Price has been split into three types. The old Cost Plus Fee and Cost Plus Fixed Fee are now both considered Cost Plus Fixed Fee. Cost Plus Incentive Fee has remained the same, except that […]

Bidder Conferences

July 28, 2009 by

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A Bidder Conference is a project management technique used for procurements. It is a technique of the fourth edition PMBOK®’s Conduct Procurements process. They may also be called contractor conferences, vendor conferences, and pre-bid conferences. A Bidder Conferences is a meeting for potential bidders to all fairly understand the buyer’s requirements. If the buyer were […]

Proposal Evaluation Techniques

July 20, 2009 by

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When selecting among multiple potential sellers, Proposal Evaluation Techniques can assist in choosing the best seller. Proposal Evaluation Techniques is a technique of the fourth edition PMBOK®’s Conduct Procurements process. It involves an evaluation committee comparing seller proposals against pre-defined criteria. The evaluation committee is the group of people who examine the information provided by […]

Time and Materials Contracts

April 20, 2009 by

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Time and Materials is one of three broad types of contracts—Fixed Price, Cost Reimbursable, and Time and Materials. Contract Types is a tool of the fourth edition PMBOK®’s Plan Procurements process. Time and Materials contracts are useful when the full scope of the project is unknown. They resemble Fixed Price contracts in that there can […]

Cost-Reimbursable Contracts

April 17, 2009 by

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As project managers work with procurements, it’s important that they understand the different types of contracts. Contract Types is a tool of the fourth edition PMBOK®’s Plan Procurements process. There are a variety of contract types falling under the general categories of Fixed Price, Cost Reimbursable, and Time and Materials. The types of Cost Reimbursable […]

Fixed Price Contracts

April 16, 2009 by

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Project managers increasingly need to be knowledgeable about procurement and contracts. Contract Types is a tool of the fourth edition PMBOK®’s Plan Procurements process. There are a variety of contract types falling under the general categories of Fixed Price, Cost Reimbursable, and Time and Materials. The types of Fixed Price contracts (as termed in the […]

Make-or-Buy Analysis

April 15, 2009 by

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The project management technique of deciding whether certain work should be performed in-house or whether it should be purchased is called Make-or-Buy Analysis. Make-or-Buy Analysis is listed as a technique for the fourth edition PMBOK®’s Plan Procurements process. A project manager may have a Procurement Management Plan for the project that offers guidance in making […]