Don Sutherland

Don Sutherland is a veteran project manager with over 30 years of experience leading large-scale projects in the industrial, energy, and oil sectors. His career includes a decade of service at NASA, where he managed complex, high-stakes engineering initiatives with cross-disciplinary teams. Don brings deep expertise in risk management, systems integration, and project execution under extreme conditions. His practical, no-nonsense approach to project management is grounded in decades of real-world experience. Don is also a regular contributor to forpm.net, where he shares hard-earned lessons and insights for professionals managing mission-critical projects.

Sustainability and ESG Integration in Projects

Integration / /

Building Future-Proof Projects that Deliver Value Beyond the Bottom Line Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s a business imperative. From regulatory pressure and investor expectations to brand reputation and customer demand, organizations today are being held to a higher standard—not just in what they deliver, but in how they deliver it. That’s why integrating sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, […]

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The Best Practices of Managing a Project Management Office

The Best Practices of Managing a Project Management Office

PMO / /

A well-managed Project Management Office (PMO) is the backbone of successful project execution, portfolio alignment, and strategic delivery. Yet, many PMOs struggle with unclear roles, insufficient executive support, or low adoption. To achieve tangible value, a PMO must be strategically positioned, operationally efficient, and culturally integrated. This article outlines the best practices of managing a PMO,

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10 Mistakes to Avoid When Implementing a PMIS

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Implementing a PMIS

PMIS / /

Implementing a Project Management Information System (PMIS) is a major investment that can transform project delivery and strategic execution. But poor implementation can lead to frustration, wasted resources, and even project failure. Below are the 10 most common mistakes organizations make when implementing a PMIS — along with their causes, consequences, fixes, and prevention strategies. 1. Lack of Clear Objectives

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Drum-Buffer-Rope Scheduling in Hybrid Agile-Waterfall Projects

Drum-Buffer-Rope Scheduling in Hybrid Agile-Waterfall Projects

Schedule / /

A Tale of Two Speeds Back in 2019, I was managing a data integration initiative for our upstream systems. The field hardware team ran on waterfall — rigid specs, fixed milestones. Meanwhile, the software team back in Houston was using Agile — sprints, demos, and standups. Between them? Weeks of misalignment, idle time, and a

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Digital tools

Digital Tools for Project Integration

Integration / /

How the Right Platforms Enable Seamless Planning, Coordination, and Delivery Project integration management has always been about bringing together disparate elements of a project—plans, teams, data, stakeholders—into a coherent whole. But in an era defined by complexity, speed, and remote collaboration, doing that manually is no longer feasible. Integration must now happen digitally. And fortunately,

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The Real ROI of a CPMS: What Executives Actually Care About

The Real ROI of a CPMS: What Executives Actually Care About

CPMS / /

The Boardroom Test If you’ve ever walked into a boardroom armed with CPMS dashboards and portfolio heatmaps, you know the look: polite nodding, followed by one pointed question—“So what?” Executives don’t care how many Gantt charts you maintain or whether the project site logs in daily. They care about impact. Don’s Rule: If your CPMS doesn’t

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Command from the Center: How to Run a CPMS Without Killing Agility

Command from the Center: How to Run a CPMS Without Killing Agility

CPMS / /

The Control vs. Speed Paradox In 2021, I was overseeing a global portfolio transformation initiative. We had a CPMS humming with integrated workflows, tiered governance, and a reporting cadence that could satisfy any regulator or board. Everything looked tight—on paper. Then came a $2.5M pilot project in Argentina. Fast-moving, market-driven, and innovation-heavy. The system nearly

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Project Management Office

PMO’s Role in Integration Management

Integration, PMO / /

Why Integration Starts—and Succeeds—with the PMO In today’s dynamic business environment, where organizations juggle multiple initiatives across distributed teams, Project Integration Management isn’t just a process—it’s a strategic necessity. And at the center of that necessity stands the Project Management Office (PMO). While many still associate PMOs with documentation and process enforcement, the most forward-thinking organizations understand that

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Strategy

Strategic Alignment and Benefits Realization

Integration / /

Turning Project Effort into Business Impact In project management, delivering “on time and on budget” is no longer enough. Stakeholders want to know:Did we move the needle? Did this project deliver real value? Did it advance our strategic goals? That’s where strategic alignment and benefits realization come into play. It’s not just about getting the work done—it’s about getting

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