Building Talent, Driving Results

• Classroom Training
• On-site Training
• Online Training
• Professional Services

Student Q & A

Capt. Bryon Ing

U.S. Coast Guard
Project Manager

Background

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Bryon Ing is the recipient of dual Master's Certificates in Project Management and IT Project Management offered jointly by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), The George Washington University (GW) and ESI International. As a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, his duties have included defense and law enforcement operations and multiple projects, including managing shipyard repairs. Previously, he served as a liaison officer at the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon.

Currently, Bryon is the project manager for the Coast Guard's Response Boat replacement project, a $220-million project to replace the Coast Guard's 41-foot standard search and rescue boats with multi-mission boats meeting U.S. Department of Homeland Security requirements. Bryon said the project is on an accelerated schedule due to Congressional efforts to step up funding and completion time. ESI spoke with Bryon about his DAU/GW/ESI training and how it has helped him with mission-critical projects.

1. Why did you decide to pursue a DAU/GW/ESI Master's Certificate in IT Project Management?

"I was well into the Project Management Master's Certificate Program when I realized how beneficial the IT curriculum would be in almost any future projects. Information technology is permeating every aspect of products today. Traditional hardware products are now embedded with 'smart' technology.

The successful project managers of the future need to broaden their project management skills to encompass IT. I completed the Advanced Project Manager's Course at the Defense Acquisition University. Now, I have the Defense Department Advanced PM Certification and DAU/GW/ESI Master's Certificate in Project Management and the DAU/GW/ESI Master's Certificate in IT Project Management."

2. How has the material covered in the master's certificates helped you on the job?

It helped me right away. I just completed a $50-million project for the U.S. Coast Guard replacing a 30-year-old analog radar system with a digital-signal PC-based system. During the course of the project, I used my ESI training to conduct risk mitigation planning and successful closeout.

Coming into the project during the production phase was a challenge because the IT environment was not properly addressed in development. The ESI Master's Certificate in IT Project Management curriculum really helped me quickly analyze the situation and implement some standard processes. Courses like Managing Software Quality, Software Testing for Better Project Management and Systems Integration Project Management were immensely helpful in gauging the status and moving forward to a solution.

Being a process-oriented person, many of the concepts helped refocus what I had already been doing to make my effort more efficient. As a project manager, the courses helped refresh me as well as taught me new ways to do my job better."

3. What did you like most about your ESI courses?

"The single-focus curriculum kept students on track and engaged. Student experience and training varied widely and the courses were not too fast for the inexperienced or untrained and not too slow for those with broader levels of experience or training. Interaction with fellow students across a broad spectrum of industry also provided a learning perspective only found in training environments such as ESI's classroom. Another important aspect of the training was that the instructors had recent industry experience giving their teaching even more credibility."

4. Would you recommend the DAU/GW/ESI programs to other colleagues?

"Yes, and I have done so already. The concise and topically focused program enables first-timers new to project management to learn and allows those with experience to refine and polish their skills. And, the courses fit within the student's work schedule."

5. What interested you most about the joint DAU/GW/ESI master's certificate programs?

"On a macro level, the partnership between DAU and GW/ESI is a significant step forward in recognizing and aligning the profession of project management. On a personal level, it enables the student to leverage training already received without having to duplicate training just to meet the prescribed curriculum. It also allows the student the flexibility to build in areas where training has not yet been conducted. "

 

Customer Service Phone: (888) ESI-8884 | +1 (703) 558-3000 (outside U.S.) | E-mail: esi-info@esi-intl.com

Site Map | Request Copyright Permission to Use ESI Material | Privacy Policy | Web Site Feedback | © ESI International, Inc. 2008. All rights reserved.