James Madison University College of Business Professor, Paula Daly, reflects on her experiences teaching the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery’s Senior Managers’ Course in ERW and Mine Action and provides a list of best practices for senior mine action managers

Daly, Paula S.

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James Madison University

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 18 Issue 3 The Journal of ERW and Mine Action Article 5 November 2014 10 Best Practices for Effective Program Management Paula S. Daly James Madison University (JMU) Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal  Part of the Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Daly, Paula S. (2014) "10 Best Practices for Effective Program Management," The Journal of ERW and Mine Action : Vol. 18 : Iss. 3 , Article 5. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol18/iss3/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact dc_admin@jmu.edu. 22 feature | the journal of ERW and mine action | fall 2014 | 18.3FEATURE 10 Best Practices for Effective   Program ManagementJames Madison University College of Business Professor, Paula Daly, reflects on her experiences teaching the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery’s Senior Managers’ Course in ERW and Mine Action and provides a list of best practices for senior mine action managers.by Paula S. Daly [ James Madison University ]Over the past 10 years, I have had the privilege of teaching in several management training cours-es for senior managers working in mine action/ex-plosive remnants of war (ERW) programs around the world. These programs, developed and conducted by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) at James Madison University (JMU), provide training in transferra-ble management and leadership skills. Since 2004, CISR has trained more than 270 mine action/ERW managers represent-ing 47 countries. The Senior Managers’ Course (SMC) covers many different management-related topics, and most partici-pants report that the training adds something new and useful to their management skills toolbox. One of the most interest-ing and beneficial aspects of the training is the opportunity for participants to engage in thoughtful discussions, in which col-leagues who understand the unique challenges of working in the mine action/ERW field can share ideas and best practices with peers.I have found these discussions interesting and enlightening, and have incorporated many of the insights and examples that were shared by participants into subsequent courses. Drawing on these discussions, I compiled a list of 10 best management practices that can significantly improve the effectiveness of mine action/ERW programs or organizations:1. Create organizational goals and objectives that derive from, and align with, the strategic plan. Implementing an organization’s strategy effectively is the key determi-nant of organizational performance. Goals and objectives in every area (e.g., clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance) and at every level of the organization should be clearly linked to the strategic plan. Additionally, every employee should understand how his or her job supports the successful execution of that plan. The long-range stra-tegic plan provides the basis for mid-range tactical plan-ning at the divisional level and specific short-term action plans within functional areas of the organization.2. Share the vision. Senior level managers are responsible for translating the organization’s vision and mission into explicit goals and objectives that inspire and motivate. Those in leadership positions must develop and maintain credibility and trust and model the behaviors that are ex-pected of employees throughout the organization. When communicating with stakeholders (internal and external), leaders should clearly identify program goals and expec-tations, and should recognize and/or reward achievement of, or progress toward, stated goals. Participants from CISR’s Senior Managers’ Course in ERW and Mine Action in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, visit the Tajikistan Mine Action Centre.All photos courtesy of CISR.1Daly: 10 Best Practices for Effective Program ManagementPublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 20142318.3 | fall 2014 | the journal of ERW and mine action | feature3. Devote resources to developing and nurturing relation-ships. Managers must understand and convey how various stakeholders impact, and are impacted by, organizational decision-making. The diverse wants, needs and expecta-tions of stakeholder groups such as donors, government entities (e.g., ministries), implementing partners and in-ternal employees must be taken into account when setting and prioritizing organizational goals and objectives and when allocating resources for implementation.4. Design a structure that facilitates achievement of orga-nizational goals and objectives. The managerial hierarchy should be clear and evident, and consist of the minimum number of hierarchical levels needed to execute the orga-nizational strategy. The structural design should enhance coordination and communication between units and in-dividuals and foster strong working relationships among employees in functional areas. Clearly-specified job roles are essential to prevent role conflict and ambiguity for employees. Management should develop and maintain an organizational chart and detailed job descriptions that are readily available to all employees.5. Consistently monitor and evaluate performance. Organizations need to develop and maintain a performance measurement system or framework (e.g., Balanced Scorecard) in order to accurately gauge their progress toward stated goals. A framework allows for systematic collection, analysis, utilization and reporting of objective performance data, which can support and improve decision-making within the organization. A performance measurement system provides timely information on the relevance, success and cost-effectiveness of people, processes, programs and activities throughout the organization.6. Invest in human capital development. Human capital is the combined intelligence, skills and expertise of organizational employees. Management of human capital focuses on how to employ, deploy and evaluate the organization’s workforce and successfully use people as assets. Effective organizations invest in employee training and development, and utilize human resource management practices that attract, retain and motivate qualified and high-performing individuals. Benefits of investing in human capital development can include improved motivation and morale, increased productivity and quality of work, greater job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and reduced absenteeism and turnover.7. Create a culture of transparency and accountability. Transparency and accountability start with top manage-ment. Successful programs depend on managers to dem-onstrate desired values and behaviors (honesty, integrity and responsibility) in daily interactions with employees. Managers must develop internal control systems through-out the organization, such as sound financial management policies and practices. For example, compliance with rec-ognized accounting standards and regularly scheduled budget reviews helps to ensure honesty and transparency in transactions and record keeping. Clarification of indi-vidual behavioral expectations can be achieved through managerial tools such as value statements, detailed job descriptions, performance feedback and ethics training. When managers assign responsibility for outcomes to spe-cific individuals or groups, and track measureable results, accountability increases. Additionally, providing access to information and empowering employees to make deci-sions fosters an environment of trust and increases em-ployee confidence and commitment.8. Develop, implement and maintain an information- management system. Access to accurate and relevant in-formation is critical to effective decision-making. Informa-tion is a source of power and influence. One way to empow-er employees is to ensure that they have the information necessary to successfully complete job tasks and respon-sibilities, and to encourage participation in organizational decision-making. Identifying, acquiring, organizing, ana-lyzing/evaluating, securing, maintaining and disseminat-ing information are important components of information management. The proliferation of information technology Paula Daly lectures about capacity building at CISR’s 2014 Regional SMC in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.2Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 18, Iss. 3 [2014], Art. 5https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol18/iss3/524 feature | the journal of ERW and mine action | fall 2014 | 18.3Paula S. Daly, Ph.D. is a professor of management at James Madison University’s College of Business. She earned her doctorate in business ad-ministration from the University of Texas at Arlington (U.S.). Daly’s re-search has been published in nation-al and international journals such as the Journal of Organizational Behavior, International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice, and International Journal of Technology Management. Her cur-rent research focuses on management issues in cross-cultural settings. Daly has taught in CISR’s Senior Managers’ Courses since 2004, when she assist-ed in developing the curriculum for the first course. She continues to serve as lead instructor, and to advise and assist CISR on course content and structure.Paula S. Daly, Ph.D.Professor of ManagementCollege of BusinessJames Madison University800 S. Main Street, MSC 0205 Harrisonburg, VA 22807 / USATel: 540 568 3038Email: dalyps@jmu.eduWebsite: http://jmu.edu/cob/  management/daly.shtmlhas vastly improved the ways in which information can be accessed, stored, transmitted and utilized, but it also requires ongoing investment in hardware, software and employee training.9. Allocate resources to build organi-zational capacity. Building capac-ity requires systematically invest-ing resources in internal systems and external relationships to create or enhance organizational abilities. Developing capacity starts with as-sessing and prioritizing program or organizational needs and then developing support among stake-holder groups for those priorities. Capacity building goals and objec-tives should be evident in the orga-nization’s strategic plan and annual action (or activity) plans. Typically, capacity building focuses on one or more of the following areas: internal management systems (e.g., informa-tion system), external relationships (e.g., donors or implementing part-ners), leadership (e.g., management training/development), and internal structures (e.g., employee training for new job tasks/responsibilities). Any capacity building initiative should be subject to a basic cost/benefit analysis to ensure that the anticipated benefits outweigh the costs (both financial and nonfinan-cial) that will be incurred.10. Encourage flexibility, adaptability and agility. The most effective or-ganizations routinely monitor and adjust to changes in the external and internal environments. Instabil-ity (e.g., social, political, economic) often creates situations that are unprecedented and for which the organization has no existing plan of action. An organization where employees can deal positively and constructively with uncertainty and rapid change will be more responsive to shifting conditions, expectations or needs, and will adapt more suc-cessfully. Situational analysis, rapid decision-making and reallocation of resources are often necessary in changing conditions. Managerial tools, such as contingency planning and organizational slack, can in-crease an organization’s ability to re-spond successfully to unanticipated disruptions in the environment.Every organization is unique, and I encourage you to evaluate your mine action program or organization consid-ering the best practices identified above. A good place to start for any program looking to increase effectiveness is with a basic assessment of organizational strengths and weaknesses. Incorporat-ing one or more of the best practices discussed previously may enable your organization to reduce errors, improve resource utilization, increase stake-holder satisfaction and enhance organi-zational performance. The SMC was originally sponsored by the U.N. Development Programme and since 2010 is funded by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA).Participants, faculty and staff from the SMC in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.3Daly: 10 Best Practices for Effective Program ManagementPublished by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2014

10 Best Practices for Effective Program Management

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10 Best Practices for Effective Program Management

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