Managing & Technology — www.ddmcd.com

Website copyright © 2002-2025 by Dennis D. McDonald. From Alexandria, Virginia I support proposal writing & management, content and business development, market research, and strategic planning. I also practice and support cursive handwriting. My email: ddmcd@ddmcd.com. My bio: here.

Outline of a Sequestration & Project Management Research Program

Jun 27

Jun 27 Outline of a Sequestration & Project Management Research Program

Dennis D. McDonald

Metrics, Project Management, Sequestration

I’ve been researching how the federal budget sequester is impacting federal projects and project managers. In “Mitigation of Sequestration Impacts on Project Management” I suggested that not all Federal programs are able to quickly assess and reconfigure ongoing projects in the face of sequestration-related uncertainties, so I’ve given some thought to …

Mitigation of Sequestration Impacts on Project Management

Jun 13

Jun 13 Mitigation of Sequestration Impacts on Project Management

Dennis D. McDonald

Metrics, PMO, PPM, Project Management, Sequestration

How you respond to the impacts of Federal sequestration on ongoing projects will be at least partly determined by how “mature” your project management practices are.

Jun 12
Jun 12 Apple's Product Design Philosophy

Dennis D. McDonald

Apple, Media, Video

What I find inspiring about this short video by Apple is the message it conveys about one’ company’s focus on user experience.

More Thoughts on the Budget Sequester's Impact on Project Budgets

Jun 4

Jun 4 More Thoughts on the Budget Sequester's Impact on Project Budgets

Dennis D. McDonald

Cost Analysis, Project Management, R&D Management, Sequestration

In A Project Manager’s Perspective on the Cost Impacts of the “Sequester” I suggested that an unintended consequence of the US government’s budget “Sequester” might be that some ongoing projects will end up costing more than originally planned because of the effect lengthening a project schedule can have on a project’s budget.

Should your child's vaccination history be a matter of public record?

May 30

May 30 Should your child's vaccination history be a matter of public record?

Dennis D. McDonald

Data Access, Local, Open Data, Privacy, Transparency

This is a tough one. Should a child’s vaccination history be a matter of public record?

A Project Manager’s Perspective on the Cost Impacts of the “Sequester”

May 24

May 24 A Project Manager’s Perspective on the Cost Impacts of the “Sequester”

Dennis D. McDonald

Cost Analysis, Project Management, Sequestration

One of the realities of managing projects is that, the longer a project takes to complete, the more it usually costs.

May 23
May 23 Is Google's Chrome Browser "Taking Over" Good or Bad?

Dennis D. McDonald

Apple, Google, Google Docs, Google+, Microsoft, Monopolies, Technopanic

In “How Google plans to rule the computing world through Chrome” Peter Toffel describes a scenario for how Google plans to “take over” desktop computing by running more and more services — some exclusive — through its popular Chrome browser.

Whom Do You Trust to Augment YOUR Reality?

May 16

May 16 Whom Do You Trust to Augment YOUR Reality?

Dennis D. McDonald

Anonymity, Apple, Augmented reality, Cognitive Enhancement, Glass, Google, Media, Siri, Smartphone, Technological Literacy, Usability

There’s no doubt in my mind the cloud-based services can help us deal with the major events, but I think we will have to wait a lot longer for the butterfly wings.

Transparency Is Not An End In Itself

May 13

May 13 Transparency Is Not An End In Itself

Dennis D. McDonald

Accountability, Data Access, Local, Metrics, Open Data, Sequestration, Transparency, Innovation

While data generated by a government program should be readily available and shareable among its target constituencies and members of the public, I also believe that resources devoted to improving the transparency of a government program should also promote the accomplishment of that program’s goals.

May 9
May 9 Graphic Display of Terms in Obama's Executive Order Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information

Dennis D. McDonald

Data Access, Open Data, Standards, Transparency, eGovernment

In a vain attempt to locate on the role .pdf files will be playing in this I performed a quick and dirty Wordle analysis:

Has Google Lost Control of Glass?

May 7

May 7 Has Google Lost Control of Glass?

Dennis D. McDonald

Change, Glass, Google, Media, Mobile, Mobile Tech, Privacy

What drives me crazy about the debates around Google Glass is the groups of people who keep on saying, “Society will adjust. People will get used to it. It’s no different than what we have now with omnipresent security cameras and smartphones in every pocket.”

Utilities and Cable Companies: What's a Monopoly To Do?

May 6

May 6 Utilities and Cable Companies: What's a Monopoly To Do?

Dennis D. McDonald

Cable TV, Innovation, Internet, Monopolies, Television, Media

For me to bottom line is simple: government regulation, initially implemented to protect public interest, is now viewed by many as protecting special interests instead. This needs to change.

How Our Increasing Digital Connectedness Improves Government Program Evaluation

May 1

May 1 How Our Increasing Digital Connectedness Improves Government Program Evaluation

Dennis D. McDonald

Accountability, Big Data, List05, Metrics, Performance, Statistics, Transparency, eGovernment

There will always be a need to conduct formal evaluations of how well government programs perform. Such evaluations must take into account the complexity of programs and the need to distinguish among short term and long term impacts and the intervening conditions that also impact program effectiveness.

Apr 29
Apr 29 More Data, Please - and Don’t Hold the Pickle

Dennis D. McDonald

Big Data, Data Access, Glass, Google, Transparency

Robert Scoble’s explanation of why his employer is paying him to fly around promoting Google Glass makes perfect sense, especially this point:

Just Measuring Government Performance Is Not Enough

Apr 19

Apr 19 Just Measuring Government Performance Is Not Enough

Dennis D. McDonald

Accessibility, Accountability, List05, Metrics, Performance, Transparency, eGovernment

The Washington Post article this past week “Why not measure how well government works?” asks the reasonable question, “Why aren’t more government programs evaluated?” Also asked, is “Why aren’t government programs that are evaluated and found wanting just canceled?”

Apr 16
Apr 16 Keep Your Eyeballs to Yourself, Chathead

Dennis D. McDonald

Advertising, Chathead, Facebook, Google, Media, Privacy, , User Interface

Oh, I know you are supposed to be able to fine-tune all the all this via Facebook settings. But I have more important things to do than to constantly rejigger confusing Facebook notification and privacy settings.

Apr 10
Apr 10 When Are "Open Data" and "Hiding in Plain Sight" Synonymous?

Dennis D. McDonald

Accessibility, Big Data, Data Access, Democracy, Open Data, Openwashing, Transparency, eGovernment

At issue is whether the public will have the tools, skills, wherewithal, and resources to locate, understand, and make use of the data. If not, the division between the “haves” and “have nots” will be exacerbated, no matter how many data files are offered for download.

Comcast Must Die

Apr 9

Apr 9 Comcast Must Die

Dennis D. McDonald

Cable TV, Customer Support, Media, Monopolies, Television

I feel sorry for Comcast customer support staff. I really do.

Is the Project Management Office Evolving or Devolving?

Apr 5

Apr 5 Is the Project Management Office Evolving or Devolving?

Dennis D. McDonald

Collaboration, Consulting, Knowledge Management, Knowledge Transfer, List_AR, PMO, Project Management

If you’ve ever run a PMO, you know how much of your time and energy are devoted to gathering, analyzing, and distributing information. Perhaps we are seeing that the project management organization is changing because how people communicate and share information is also changing.