Beyond the Basics of Project Management

Published by Demetre Haralambakis

Since our founding in 2002, Highlands Consulting has provided project management services for public sector clients, including many large-scale projects for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, California Department of Public Health, and California Department of Water Resources. A key factor in our success is going beyond the PMBOK basics of project management, such as scope, budget, schedule, risks, and issues. For the past 14 years at Highlands, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a Project Manager where I’ve been able to:

  • Advocate for my client’s business needs to technology solution vendors
  • Proactively seek ways to improve processes and tools
  • Incorporate organizational change management (OCM) methods
  • Provide control agencies and executive boards with meaningful project data

Along with my Highlands colleagues, our expanded concept of project management has provided lasting benefits to our clients, including:

  • Greater adoption of new systems and associated processes
  • Improved communication across diverse stakeholder groups
  • Enhanced monitoring of both business and IT outcomes and metrics

We continue to refine our project management capabilities, which is a fundamental value of our firm. After many years, I continue to take satisfaction in going above and beyond for our clients!