The 2025 fiscal year at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) witnessed a significant transformation in the way AFB manages its programs and projects. This new framework and way of working were the direct result of the goals established in the AFB strategic plan rolled out in December 2023. By the start of FY2025, AFB introduced the Project Management Office (PMO), the next in a series of steps designed to breathe life into the strategic plan, turning it from a series of documents on the shelf into a frequently referenced roadmap to success.
At the core of any organization’s success is a team of dedicated employees across multiple disciplines and areas of expertise working behind the scenes to deliver the vast array of contributions required to ensure that programs and projects meet their intended outcomes. Recognizing the value each team member brings to the successful achievement of our objectives, AFB found it critical to include in its five-year strategic plan a primary goal of creating a high-performing workplace where all employees can thrive.
A key stepping stone for this goal was to create a robust foundation for program and project management, one that breaks down silos and allows the organization to work collaboratively across multiple projects without being tripped up by competing priorities.
“The new Project Management Office (PMO) has been an enormous resource for the entire organization. It provides the proper tools, processes, facilitation, and support to align staff efforts and gain traction in achieving our goals.”
— Sonya Shiflet, AFB Chief Operating Officer
As such, the newly launched PMO took multiple steps to calibrate the way departments work together, building upon many of the concepts introduced in the System & Soul operating system put into action at AFB two years prior. Our new way of working ensures that project and program goals, milestones, and key performance indicators are clearly defined, that resources are allocated, and that risks are mitigated. Collaboration is fostered through project team sprints and the use of tools such as Trello and shared drives to ensure transparency and accountability. Newly adopted time tracking helps ensure we understand and capture the true costs of programs and projects, as well as the staff capacity needed for implementation.
The result of these actions helped break down silos and fully leverage the talent that resides across the organization. A culture of collaboration and cooperation was fostered with buy-in from each member of the AFB team, combined with support and strategic direction given from the newly established position, Manager, AFB Project Portfolio.
“In doing so, AFB’s work product has been better and our achievements faster than ever. This would not have been possible in our previous ways of working together.”
— Sonya Shiflet, AFB Chief Operating Officer
