Due to an extended medical absence of a Key CEM who has ownership of several Web/Extranet and Integration Projects, ContractMCSE (Robert Watkins) has been engaged to temporarily take on these responsibilities. The Projects that are the scope of this contract are LiveLink (OpenText), PlumTree Portal and My Unilever installation and integration of the subsequent legacy applications that will progress as modules into this new Extranet environment. In addition to these projects, there is Project Phoenix with it’s objective to integrate the three Puerto Rico facilities into the standard “Shared Services” support model.

The PMO has also requested that Robert develop several “Methods” for the upcoming deployment and utilization of UPlan (Niku – project and resource management software). He originally had a hand in creating the standard MS Project template that has been in use by the PMO over that last three quarters. The first Method he creates will outline the Production Turnover Process as it relates to the standard Unilever processes.

Robert is still the Technical Project Manager over the Canadian script development effort. This will continue until this is completed.

This extension will be in force until the CEM returns to his position and is fully brought up to speed on the status and effort being managed relative to this project.

Unilever has committed to an extension of Bob Watkins contract so that the GIO Integration Lab may use his skills and years of experience with the Wise scripting tool and desktop rollouts. Specifically, Unilever is completing the Canadian Aztec II Desktop/Laptop rollout and the Unilever Best Foods and UNUS business unit deployments in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

This extension is slated to go until March to accomplish these final portions of these deployments.

Unilever North America Global Infrastructure request ContractMCSE to assist with several ongoing projects. These projects include the Manufacturing for the Millennium SAP Project, Business Objects Upgrades, Gentran Migration from NT to Unix migration and Legacy Integration, Targeter for the Web enabled AMPs sales,  Video Conferencing Production Turnover, Manugistics Enterprise Forecasting as well as  the preparation for various Sales Office infrastructure build-out projects. These Projects will be managed for the Home an Personal Care Business Unit.

ContractMCSE has been employed prior to this contract with Unilever in a Technical Project Manager role assisting in development of Wise Scripts for delivery of business applications via Microsoft SMS and for 8 locations / business unit deployments in 2001.

This opportunity consists of quickly coming up to speed with each of the Project teams (7 projects in all) and coordinating resource activities via a fully matrixed organizational structure. During the first quarter Unilever went through a complete transition to this matrix and significant downsizing thus making ensuring fully resourced project effort.

Once again, Group Technology of Trumbull CT, Art Lebreck, owner of this staffing firm, facilitated the negotiations and securing of the contract. Art and Jim Davidson all are wonderful to  work with and truly have the consultant’s value in mind as they approach clients. This will be the second contract ContractMCSE will have secure via Group Technology efforts.

The new Comptia.com certification called IT Project+, is a evaluation of a Project Manager who has a minimum of one years experience on small IT projects. This is the starting point for a consultant of a corporate employee who want to exhibit his or her abilities to manage projects within their organization and see them through on time, on budget and properly assured that the deliverable meets the business needs.

I began studying for this certification about the 15th of January, 2002 an completed it February 25th, 2002.

The materials for direct study for this certification is limited. I purchased the only book I could find that indicated it was intended to help one pass this test. The book is by Kathy Schwalbe and is titled Information Technology Project Management ( It also has an accompanying study guide that I definitely recommend. The link above will take you to Kathy’s Personal page at Augsburg College in Minneapolis and relate additional information to aid in your IT Project+ endeavors.

I also bought and have begun the long road to the coveted PMP Certification. Kathy took the PMBOK (Project Manager Book of Knowledge) as the blueprint in the academic presentation of PM basics. As this is the primary guide for all PM’s currently in the field and will be the basis for most certifications going forward, I feel this is invaluable.

If you have any additional sources of study relating to Project Management certifications or just to improve a PM’s ability to guide projects to success, Please contribute them via e-mail to the webmaster of this site.

I will continue to build this portion of the site to help myself and anyone else who may be pursuing Project Management skills and study materials.

Today’s Date (February 2nd, 2002) – This site added additional pages that describe the Services that I am capable of providing as a consultant to corporations and clients. I have documented instances in my past contracting experience in which the services offered are represented and detailed.

Upon completing my Project Scripting Lab Manager contract with Unilever, I have begun updating this site and will have it completed soon. I am very open to any suggestions as to information or resources you would like to see on this site to support contractors in the field.

I have added a listing of the contractors I have worked with on a few of my past projects. I feel this site will be a good forum to expose this community of contractors to corporate clients who need and are seeking the skill sets they represent.

Syngress Media, a well known publisher of certification exam training materials, has asked Bob Watkins to be one of the co-contributors to the second edition of their newest offering. This book will assist new candidates who are seeking to attain the CCNA certification. My hope is that I can contribute my experience and knowledge to help other pass their CCNA test.

Unilever, via Group Technology (recruiting division), has contacted and negotiated a year long contract with Bob Watkins to provide Wise Scripting Engineering. Unilever is deploying the standardized Aztec II Desktop to various sites and Business Units across North America. As such the application requirements gathering and subsequent scripting of these applications to integrate with the Aztec environment will be critical.

April, 2001 – The Integration Lab Manager has asked that Bob Watkins assist in the creation of training materials and a plan to use offshore resources to provide by Digital India as scripting labor. As the Technical Project Manager, Bob will be training, mentoring and managing the output of these Indian Resources until they are in a stabilized status. Unilever is using this department as a starting point for the OffShore model to be implemented and tested.

Syngress Media, a well known publisher of certification exam training materials, has asked Bob Watkins to be one of the co-contributors to their newest offering. This particular study guide will review and assist MCP’s studying to test on the details of transitioning from an NT 4.0 server environment to the new Active Directory environment introduced in Windows 2000 Advance Server offering.

Bob’s particular chapter assignments include the Security advantages and features and how they can be efficiently designed and used in a Windows 2000 OU.

Marathon Oil has contracted with Bob Watkins via Darwin Partners (recruiters), to assist in the scripting of approximately 1200 application to support their transformation of their current Windows NT 4.0 environment to a full Windows 2000 SMS enabled and automated application environment.

This will require the gathering of multiple divisional application requirements as well as the User Acceptance Testing and Quality Assurance to deliver the most accurate replication of current business functionality to the 10,000 desktops involved. As part of a team that varied from 5 – 18 scripters, and with input from Microsoft who will be onsite, this team will deliver the application aspects of the new Windows 2000 Desktop.