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Writing Assignment 1 Blue Cross / Blue Shield Assignment

The document discusses how Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) uses a Corporate Project Administration Group (CPAG) and Project Portfolio Management (PPM) to implement its strategic goals through projects. The CPAG oversees project funding, resource allocation, and ensures projects are aligned with organizational objectives. PPM allows BCBSLA to prioritize and select projects that best meet its strategies given limitations. The document addresses questions about which projects the CPAG will monitor, whether all tactical projects will be terminated, and if the CPAG will improve achievement of strategic goals.

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Gernot Zenz
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113 views

Writing Assignment 1 Blue Cross / Blue Shield Assignment

The document discusses how Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) uses a Corporate Project Administration Group (CPAG) and Project Portfolio Management (PPM) to implement its strategic goals through projects. The CPAG oversees project funding, resource allocation, and ensures projects are aligned with organizational objectives. PPM allows BCBSLA to prioritize and select projects that best meet its strategies given limitations. The document addresses questions about which projects the CPAG will monitor, whether all tactical projects will be terminated, and if the CPAG will improve achievement of strategic goals.

Uploaded by

Gernot Zenz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EMBA-511-GA01 - 22/OM/5 Writing Assignment 1

Introduction
This paper describes how project councils, such as the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Corporate
Project Administration Group (CPAG), help organizations achieve long-term success and how
Project Portfolio Management (PPM) as a tool can help aligning projects to the overall goal and
objectives. Furthermore, it tries to answer three questions asked in the case study.

Implementing Strategy through Projects at Blue Cross/Blue Shield


Founded in New Orleans in 1934, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) provide
group and individual health insurance plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary
products and administrative services to Louisiana residents. (Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of
Louisiana Releases Enhanced “BCBSLA” Iphone And Ipad App, n.d.)

The need for strategic management direction at BCBSLA


Management needs some general measures to evaluate each of the projects in order to help
choose amongst the numerous project proposals that are competing with ongoing projects as
well as each other. (Meredith et al., 2018)
BCBSLA has developed a system that enables the organization to overcome the weaknesses of
both the top-down and bottom-up strategic planning approaches. They accomplished this by
utilizing basic project management tools and linking them to strategy formulation and
implementation. (Strategic Planning + PM=Competitive Advantage | PMI, n.d.)

Project Portfolio Management at BC/BS Louisiana


Given the limitations of resources, time, budget and people, PPM allows to determine, prioritize
and align the set of projects that meets organization strategies. (Hansen & Svejvig, 2022)
The first phase in the PPM process, according to Longman et al. (1999) and Englund et al.
(1999), cited in Meredith et al. (2018), is to form a project council, as BC/BS did with the
Corporate Project Administration Group (CAPG).

The Council's responsibilities include, among other things, allocating funding and overseeing the
allocation of resources and skills to projects that meet the organization's goals and objectives
and focusing on projects that add value. (Meredith et al., 2018).
EMBA-511-GA01 - 22/OM/5 Writing Assignment 1

CAPG, which is concentrated below senior management, is in charge of the major decisions
that affect the project portfolio.

Case Study Questions


In the next paragraphs the case study questions asked in the textbook, section 2.3 by Meredith
et al. (2018) will be addressed.

Question 1
Do you think that all projects will be monitored by the CPAG or just the strategic projects?

Although there may be benefits from monitoring all projects by the CPAG, I might assume that
PPM is specifically used to implement corporate strategic initiatives deemed critical to the
corporation and its competitive advantage.
According to PMI () BCBSLA was able to develop a process to monitor and track strategic
projects as they relate to the overall strategic goal of the company. PULSE, a new software, was
used to establish the process. This system integrates project management techniques and
strategic planning models. Due to cost-benefit considerations, smaller, less significant projects
may not be fully monitored by the CPAG.

Question 2
Will all tactical projects be terminated in the future? Where might these be handled or tracked?
Organizations are eager to invest in projects that will have a significant impact on their
operations. As a result, project selection is critical to the organization's strategy and a key
component of senior management's responsibilities.
Hence, all tactical projects will not be terminated in the future. As stated in Question 1 a
cost-benefit reason might be the reason. Moreover, if the company’s structure is complex,
tactical projects could be tracked and terminated by the business units or the Project
Management Office.
EMBA-511-GA01 - 22/OM/5 Writing Assignment 1

Question 3
Do you think the CPAG will substantially improve the achievement of BC/BS’s strategic goals?
In my opinion, CPAG will substantially improve the overall strategic goals and objectives. With a
holistic look on ongoing decision-making to maintain a good combination of projects when
implemented, PPM helps in achieving the following as Cooper (2000) describes in (Kharat &
Naik, 2018):
- Achieving efficient allocation of resources.
- Maintaining a competitive position.
- Establishes a link between project selection and organizational strategy.
- Communicates priorities effectively

Implications

Most organizations strive to achieve its strategic objectives through the use of projects; thus,
making project management a vital tool to achieve organizational success.
Organizations rather carefully select projects based on their different costs, benefits, and risks,
and prioritize according to the strategic and operational targets of the organization. This
prioritization is key as the entirety of projects that are carried out (i.e., the portfolio of projects)
determines the success of the organization (Meredith et al., 2018).
Further discussion could include “agile portfolio management”. Especially, this ever-changing
world requires business ideas to be validated more quickly, more initiatives to be run in parallel
and in a more effective and coordinated fashion. (Agile Portfolio Management for a Fast-Paced
World | Accentur, n.d.)
EMBA-511-GA01 - 22/OM/5 Writing Assignment 1

Bibliography

Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Louisiana Releases Enhanced “BCBSLA” Iphone And Ipad App.

(n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2022, from

https://www.bcbs.com/news/press-releases/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-louisiana-releases-enha

nced-bcbsla-iphone-and-ipad

Hansen, L. K., & Svejvig, P. (2022). Seven Decades of Project Portfolio Management Research

(1950–2019) and Perspectives for the Future. Project Management Journal, 53(3), 277–294.

https://doi.org/10.1177/87569728221089537

Kharat, V., & Naik, B. K. R. (2018). Best practices in project portfolio management for dynamic

decision making. Journal of Modern Project Management, 6, 89–95.

https://doi.org/10.19255/JMPM01609

Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., & Mantel, Jr. (2017). Project Management: A Strategic Managerial

Approach (Tenth Edition). Wiley.

Project selection and termination--how executives get trapped. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2022,

from

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-selection-termination-executives-determinants-6113

Strategic Planning + PM=Competitive Advantage | PMI. (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2022, from

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/strategic-planning-pm-competitive-advantage-9034

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