1. Hitachi Consulting’s Project Management Mentoring Program

2. Program Introduction
Over the last several years, Hitachi Consulting has successfully mentored hundreds of students in CU’s project management course; student projects can range from BI, to process re-engineering, to development of marketing plans, etc.
The mentoring program provides a way of connecting experienced professionals with students to provide them with different perspectives and potentially some good counsel with respect to successfully executing class projects
This fall semester, starting in mid-September, our consultants will participate in three sessions in which we field questions from students about their class projects, mentoring them from project initiation through a final presentation
Each of the three sessions is 2-3 hours in length and takes place in Boulder; mentors can also attend a fourth session—the student team’s final presentation in December
Project teams typically have 4-8 student team members
Client sponsors may attend mentoring sessions
Optimally, the same mentor(s) work with the same team over the course of the semester

3. Program Introduction - Continued
About CU’s Project Management Course
The intent of the undergraduate course is to acquaint the student with “multidisciplinary aspects of project management, including the relationship between schedule, project cost, and performance.”
Course content is based on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) methodology; PMI is the institution that grants the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
Course activities are as follows:
Early September, students select projects offered by real companies; student teams are then expected to execute the project from initiation & planning through execution & presentation of findings
Mentors often act as a third party “interpreter” between what the client is saying and what the students are hearing; we also identify potentially important tasks that may need further attention
Project documentation will be published prior to each mentoring session to a Internet-based collaboration site, which allows mentors an opportunity to scan briefly key elements of project deliverables
A final student team presentation outlines the project, the solution, rationale, and business benefits
The Instructor (Jim Marlatt)
Jim’s been a professor at CU since Prior to that, Jim was a Senior Consultant with Price Waterhouse working on large business system implementations and a Partner with Arthur Andersen running consulting businesses in the U.S. and the former Soviet Union

4. Program Benefits CU Students Hitachi Consulting Mentors
Leverage other’s experiences to help identify critical tasks that establish strong project foundations
Learn typical project ‘gotchas’
Seek and receive advice on balancing priorities
Discover hidden assumptions, constraints, and project tasks
Gather perspectives from individuals that have dealt with a variety of projects and ambiguous situations
Understand how classroom topics play out in real-world situations
Challenge mentees to go further, take risks, set new goals, and achieve at higher personal and/or professional standards
Hitachi Consulting Mentors
Strengthens knowledge and experience base, including exposure to new industries and types of projects
Improves communication skills
Enhances leadership skills and encourages us to become more reflective professionals
Provides intrinsic satisfaction (makes you feel good) by helping an emerging professional develop to his/her potential
Demonstrates professionalism and a commitment to personal and professional development of self and colleagues
Obtain professional recognition as a mentor for a commitment to developing the talents of new professionals

5. Key Mentoring Activities
Semester
Begins
Semester
Ends
2nd Week
4th or 5th Week
Middle of Semester
3 or 4 Weeks Before End of Semester
Last Week of Semester
Project
Fair
Mentoring Session #1
(Project Initiation
& Planning)
Mentoring Session #2
(Project Execution
and Monitoring)
Mentoring Session #3
(Review Draft Presentations)
Final Presentation
Activity
Objectives
Project Fair
(no mentor participation required)
Students are introduced to the companies and projects and sign up for team membership; no mentor participation required
Mentoring Session #1 - Project Initiation & Planning
Discuss critical activities that establish a solid project foundation
Mentoring Session #2 - Project Execution and Monitoring
Discuss overall project progress and coach through difficult areas
Mentoring Session #3 - Review Draft Presentations
Discuss draft presentations and provide feedback on improvement
Final Presentation
(Optional)
Student teams present final presentations and celebration of project success; mentor participation is optional

6. Mentoring Session #1 – Project Initiation & Planning
Session Objective: Discuss critical activities that establish a solid project foundation
Potential Discussion Points
Project Initiation
Charter, objectives, assumptions, constraints, and scope
Related client or other documents
Client culture
Project Planning
Major phases, milestones, and deliverables
Key activities, dependencies, timelines, resource requirements, and critical paths
Project schedule
Quality
Roles and responsibilities
Communications
Risk and reserves
Project and change control guidelines
Sign-off and kick-off

7. Mentoring Session #2 – Project Execution & Monitoring
Session Objective: Discuss overall project progress and coach through difficult areas
Potential Discussion Points
Project Execution
Communications and status reporting
Quality
Team building, rewards, and overall resource loading
Monitoring and Controlling
Plan progress, measurements, variances, and corrective actions
Scope changes & solution realities
Change recommendations, approval, and implementation
Risks & issues logs
Conflicts and resolutions

8. Mentoring Session #3 – Review Presentation Drafts
Session Objective: Discuss draft presentations and provide feedback on improvement
Potential Discussion Points
Presentation and personnel introduction
Quality and relevancy of supporting content
Conclusions
Content organization and sequencing
Presentation timing
Presentation hints
Key dos and don’ts
Individual presentation styles

9. Session #4 – Final Presentations (Optional)
Session Objectives:
Listen attentively to final presentations and ask clarifying questions of project teams
Celebrate project team success
Potential Presentation Discussion Points
Source of facts
Solution areas not commented upon
Rationale for solution path selection
Celebrate Team Success!!
Meet client personnel
Meet other project teams
Network
Dinner and refreshments provided

10. Additional Information
The School: Leeds School of Business
The Course: SYST4080
The course syllabus is located at
Use the link for the course entitled SYST4080, towards the bottom of the page
The Project Management Methodology
The course utilizes the methodology specified by the Project Management Institute—
PMI is the institution that issues the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. See
The Instructor – Jim Marlatt
Hitachi Consulting’s Mentoring Program
Contact Rick Preston or Josh Kahn with any additional questions