University of Tasmania, Australia

• What is the Project Office?
• What services does the Project Office provide?/How can the Project Office assist me?
• Who are the Project Office members and what experience/value can they offer?
• What is PMM@UTas?
• What benefits are there in using the methodology to run my project?
• Is training available in the PMM@UTAS Methodology?
• Can anyone participate in the PMM@UTAS Training Course?
• What can I expect to gain from attending PMM@UTas training?
• How do I know if my work should be classed as a project?
• How much do Project Office services cost?
• What is Business Analysis and how can it benefit my workplace?
• I would like a mentor to assist me in managing my project or conducting business analysis work – where can I go for help?
• I am having problems with my project and need confidential expertise to assist. Can you help me?
• What is the Project Management and Business Analysis Community?
• I would like to use existing templates for my projects, where do I go to find them?
• What is PRINCE2®?
• What Projects are currently under management of the Project Office?

What is the Project Office?

The role of the Project Office is to provide a range of project management, business analysis and support services to business units within the Division of Finance and Administration . The opportunity to provide our services to external business units within the University is an ongoing consideration.

What services does the Project Office provide?/How can the Project Office assist me?

• Provide experienced and qualified project managers
• Undertake business analysis for new initiatives
• Mentoring and assistance in the creation and running of projects
• Assistance with project sizing and tailoring of the methodology to suit specific needs
• Project support including materials, project approach, management enquiries
• Document templates and checklists
• Project and Quality Assurance for ongoing project work
• Training in Project Management methodology (PMM@UTas)
• E-Learning in PRINCE2® and ITIL®V3

Who are the Project Office members and what experience/value can they offer?

The Project Office currently has 15 staff members with combined skills and experience covering the areas of project management, business analysis, project support and training. Many of our consulting staff are qualified using the PRINCE2® method of Project Management and have also completed PMM@UTas training.  Further information on the team.

What is PMM@UTas?

PMM@UTas is the project management methodology developed by the Project Office to suit the needs of the University. PMM@UTas is based on PRINCE2® (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) methodology, an internationally recognised and respected generic methodology.

What benefits are there in using the methodology to run my project?

• Alignment with institutional goals and strategies including audit requirements
• Better support for Project Managers with defined processes, templates and practices
• Better control over projects and improved understanding of how well projects are tracking
• Improved management of day-to-day workloads
• Defined roles and responsibilities with clear ownership of projects

Is training available in the PMM@UTas Methodology?

The Project Office offers a 2 day training course in PMM@UTas, facilitated by an internal training provider.  We are currently taking registrations from interested staff and will implement  the next course upon participant interest and viability.  Places are limited to approx 15 participants. For more information go to the PMM@UTas page

Can anyone participate in the PMM@UTas Training Course?

Prior knowledge in project management is not essential.  The methodology training is for anyone involved in projects, including project managers, project support staff and any members within a project team. To date, eight training sessions have been held in Hobart and Launceston, having commenced in February 2008 involving 131 University staff members from diverse fields.

What can I expect to gain from attending PMM@UTas training?

Training involves a combination of theory and scenario based exercises.  Over the duration of the 2 day training course, participants will:

• Gain an understanding of projects and the project environment
• Become familiar with the methodology and its application
• Be introduced to the unique templates and tools developed by the Project Office
• Receive handouts and information including a copy of the training slides and templates

How do I know if my work should be classed as a project?

PRINCE2® defines a project as: “A temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business Case”.  The temporary nature of projects differs from day-to-day workloads which are repetitive, permanent or semi-permanent functional operations.

How much do Project Office services cost?

All Project Office services are charged at a cost recovery rate. This rate is salary plus on costs. Please contact the Project Office for a quote for your project.

What is Business Analysis and how can it benefit my workplace?

Business Analysis is the process of identifying business needs and determining solutions to problems. This is done by means of, interviews, surveys, document & statistical analysis and workflow studies. A Business Analyst acts as a liaison between clients and developers to distinguish requests from needs.
Benefits include:

• Waste reduction and cost saving
• Tailored solutions that address your business needs
• Process efficiency
• Documentation and eliciting of your  requirements
• Improves and measures your return on investment
• Ensure projects are aligned to organisation strategies

I would like a mentor to assist me in managing my project or conducting business analysis work – where can I go for help?

You can direct your query to the Project Office on Project.Office@utas.edu.au or call ext 6316.

I am having problems with my project and need confidential expertise to assist. Can you help me?

You can direct your query to the Project Office on Project.Office@utas.edu.au or call ext 6316.

What is the Project Management and Business Analysis Community?

The Project Office would like to establish a project management and business analysis community within the University. The aim of the community is to:

• share your experiences and knowledge,
• draw on the expertise of others,
• improve standards  on existing methodologies,
• have fun and meet other people

If you would like to participant in the casual meetings or would like further information, please email Project.Office@utas.edu.au or call ext 6316.

I would like to use existing templates for my projects, where do I go to find them?

To find additional information on the templates, please go to the PMM@UTas Templates page. If you would like to know more about how to apply the templates or would like examples that you could refer to, please email Project.Office@utas.edu.au or call ext 6316.

What is PRINCE2®?

PRINCE2® (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a project management methodology developed in the UK on the experiences of scores of projects, project managers and project teams. Used in over 150 countries worldwide, PRINCE2® is a generic methodology applicable to any type and size of project. For more information go to the E-Learning page.

What Projects are currently under management of the Project Office?

The Project Office is currently managing several projects within the Division of Finance & Administration, largely within IT Resources and consulting on several more. A register of current projects is maintained by the Project Office.