Work Plan and IV&V Methodology

Transcription

1 Work Plan and IV&V Methodology ISG Public Sector has been helping public sector organizations acquire and implement (from a project oversight and organizational change management perspective) new, enterprise-wide systems for the past 18 years. While 18 years of history may not seem extensive, the individuals on our staff average 19 years of public sector and/or system implementation experience. During this 18-year time frame, every client we have worked with has achieved success. Following are the state governments we have assisted: Alaska Idaho Michigan Nevada Washington Arizona Kansas Minnesota Tennessee West Virginia Arkansas Kentucky Mississippi Texas Wisconsin Florida Louisiana Nebraska Virginia Independence is one of the distinguishing characteristics of our firm in comparison to other project management and quality assurance vendors. We have no formal or informal alliances or affiliations with any software or implementation vendors, and we have never received compensation from any of them. We are truly independent in fact and appearance. Our Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) approach is based upon the best practices we have used in managing numerous, largescale systems projects for our state and local government and higher education clients. Our approach goes beyond software development activities that are the focus of IV&V standards such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 1012, to include the entire project life cycle. TYPICAL SOFTWARE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE Project Start-Up Requirements Development RFP Development Proposal Evaluation & Negotiation Implementation Start-Up System Design Construction System Deployment Post Go-Live Support Planning Acquisition Implementation Stabilization IV&V Activities A general description of the key IV&V activities we perform in each phase of a typical project s life cycle are described below. Phase 1: Project Start-Up The cornerstone of our approach is to ensure that a robust project management framework is established. Our approach is based upon principles contained in the Project Management Institute s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (see description below). Once this framework is established, we work to ensure that a structured, disciplined approach to managing the project is maintained, which will significantly increase the likelihood that the project will yield high-quality products and services for the State of Florida. Page 1

2 Project Management Body of Knowledge ISG Public Sector utilizes the principles and practices set forth in the Project Management Body of Knowledge as a guide in the conduct of our project management and other professional engagements: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) and the Government Extension to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. The PMBOK Guide has become the de facto standard for the project management profession. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ) is an inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management. The PMBOK Guide identifies and describes the subset of principles and practices within the PMBOK that are generally accepted and applicable to most projects most of the time. The guide also provides a common lexicon for talking about project management. Project management is a relatively young profession, and while there is substantial commonality around what is done, there is relatively little commonality in the terms used. An extensive glossary further aids in standardizing definitions of the most important concepts, terms, and phrases. We review the project management framework of the project and document recommendations for addressing any deficiencies we find, as well as offer recommendations for improvements based on our extensive experience in managing largescale systems projects in the public sector. We also verify that the project-management processes are executed as designed and according to prescribed timing (e.g., issuing status reports, reviewing risk logs, etc.). Furthermore, we work with each client to develop a comprehensive project plan for our IV&V activities, and we integrate the IV&V plan with the overall plan for the project. Phase 2: Requirements Development ISG has assisted a wide variety of clients in developing system requirements functional, general/technical, interface, and data conversion. Drawing on this experience, we will review the planned requirements-development process before the process is executed and make recommendations for any necessary improvements. We will also review the requirements themselves and document recommendations for improvement. Furthermore, we will work to ensure that the best practices we have learned over the years for developing requirements are incorporated into the requirementsdevelopment process. Examples of those best practices include the following: Focus on what the system must do not how. The system design will be completed after product selection; Emphasize process change in lieu of software modifications to protect software warranties and facilitate future system upgrades; Develop the system requirements at a level of detail required to differentiate among available products; Provide one requirement, not multiple requirements, per line item; and Document each requirement in such a way as to support proper validation. Phase 3: RFP Development We will review the planned structure for the Request for Proposal (or other solicitation document[s]) to help ensure the document is comprehensive (e.g., terms and conditions, scope of work, minimum mandatory requirements, etc.). We will also review the content of the RFP once it is developed to make sure it clear and in accordance with the State s laws and applicable policies. In performing our reviews, we will draw from our extensive experience in developing solicitation documents for enterprise-wide software and associated implementation assistance in the public sector. Page 2

3 Phase 4: Proposal Evaluation and Negotiation We will review the evaluation process and verify that it is in keeping with the State s laws and applicable policies. We will also help ensure the evaluation criteria are reflective of the project s goals and objectives. Furthermore, we will draw from our significant experience in negotiating software and services contracts to advise the State in formulating its negotiation strategy with each shortlisted vendor(s). Phase 5: Implementation Start-Up Critical project management and reporting tools and techniques should be established during the Implementation Start-Up phase. We will perform a gap analysis to verify that the proper project management processes are in place to help ensure a successful project implementation. Our review will address (but not be limited to) the following: Project plan establishment and monitoring Status reporting Issue management and resolution Standard meeting commitments Risk management Roles and responsibilities Change control Documentation standards and version control Deliverable review and acceptance Meeting protocol This gap analysis will be based on ISG s experience with large public sector transformation projects. ISG Public Sector will typically provide IV&V services for the duration of the implementation project. Ongoing IV&V activities include (but are not limited to): Examining issue and problem resolution; Monitoring project timelines and deadlines (including submission of deliverables) per the detailed project plan; variances from the planned schedule must be researched and contingency plans established, where necessary, to ensure that the project remains on schedule; Preparing or reviewing risk assessments and providing advice on risk management efforts; Attending project status meetings; Delivering written status reports to project executive management; Planning and conducting executive and management briefings; Reviewing project deliverables to ensure that they meet standards for deliverables per the RFP responses; Performing project milestone reviews; Scrutinizing the quality of vendor performance; Monitoring contract specifics between the vendor(s) and State (including enforcement of penalties when necessary); Monitoring the project budget and project scope; Evaluating resource needs (including people, space, and facilities) in accordance with project phasing and scheduling; and Providing overall project guidance and direction and project governance and project management levels. Phase 6: System Design During this phase of the project, the implementation vendor will lead development of the To Be business processes to be supported by the new system. In phase 7 (Construction), the system will be configured and custom items will be developed (e.g., interfaces, automated workflows, etc.) that will support the agreed-upon design. ISG s focus during this phase of the project will be to participate on key design teams and verify that all requirements are addressed by the design so that there are no costly changes after the system has been developed. During this phase, we typically provide the following services: Anticipate problems and offer solutions; and Verify the designed business processes are within the context of the system requirements and project vision, and monitor to help ensure that: (1) non-value-added activities are not built into the new processes, and (2) compliance is maintained with required specifications per the State s procurement document, the implementation vendor s response, and all other binding documents that support the project effort. Page 3

4 Also during this phase, organizational change management (OCM) activities become a critical component of the overall implementation effort. ISG will review and provide recommendations regarding the planning for, assessments of, and results of efforts to assess the following: Readiness assessment of end users; Leadership alignment and executive sponsorship; Role mapping and end-user skills fit/gap analysis; End-user training; Workforce transition; Communications; Identification of key areas of change; and Identification and elimination of barriers to success. Additional OCM-related tasks performed during this phase may include: Monitoring actual progress against the communications and change management plans; Reporting to the Steering Committee on plan success; Managing and coordinating agency liaison activities; Preparing and evaluating the results of change readiness surveys; Designing presentation materials associated with change issues; and Reviewing project communications. Phase 7: Construction During this phase, the implementation vendor will configure or build the system and develop custom items (e.g., interfaces, automated workflows, etc.) to support the agreed-upon design. ISG s team will provide ongoing project review, quality assurance, and subject matter expertise for key software components. During this phase, we will participate in the following activities: Anticipate problems and offer solutions; Monitor the progress of enhancement, interface, and data conversion activities; Examine construction of the new system to ensure that all requirements (functional and technical) are addressed; and Monitor activities such as: Tracking actual progress against the communications and change management plan, Reporting to the Steering Committee on plan success, Maintaining user agency leadership alignment/sponsorship, Reviewing ongoing communications with user agencies, Identifying and addressing potential barriers to success, Managing and coordinating agency liaison activities, Evaluating the various components of end-user training, including the curriculum, materials, instructors, techniques, facilities, and logistics to ensure that employees are properly educated and able to function effectively in their new roles, Reviewing role-mapping activities, Developing content for the project website, Helping State employees begin the transition into their new roles, Designing presentation materials associated with change issues, and Reviewing communication documents. Once the system has been developed, ISG will assist in confirming that the system operates as designed, including its integration with State legacy systems that will remain in operation. We will also review the test plans, interview State staff, and review testing results to help ensure that requirements are addressed and that stakeholder expectations are met. Page 4

5 Phase 8: System Deployment At the beginning of this phase, the software construction will have been completed and accepted by the State, and the software will be in the process of being rolled-out. During this phase, ISG will assist in: Reviewing and validating results of user acceptance testing; Evaluating the effectiveness of end-user training; Monitoring completion and testing of cutover plans and go-live checklists; and Participating in a project governance assessment of State s readiness to go live with the new system. Phase 9: Post Go-Live Support After go live, ISG consultants will assist the post-implementation support team in identifying and resolving problems and in providing support to the user agencies and the vendor community (where applicable). We will also evaluate stability and provide feedback to speed optimization of the new business processes, assess unique and periodic transaction activities (e.g., year-end closing activities, if applicable), and assess other operational concerns as directed by project governance. As the final project task, ISG Public Sector will conduct a Post-Implementation Review to recap project status, recommended plans for the future, and lessons learned. Deliverables ISG s methodology produces a standard set of deliverables that are tailors to the particular circumstances of the engagement (e.g., size and scope of the effort, nature of the system being deployed, etc.). We establish deliverable expectations at the outset of each engagement and collaborate with project leadership and the governance structure to adapt those deliverables to address issues and risks as they are encountered. Our typical IV&V deliverable include (but are not limited to): IV&V Management Plan Report of Initial Review Periodic Reviews Management Briefings Post-Implementation Review Other Deliverables as Mutually Agreed to by State and ISG Public Sector Management Below, we have provided a high-level project plan in Gantt form that represents how our methodology might be employed on an 18 month engagement. The first six months would be used for RFP issuance and vendor selection. The implementation is assumed to take place for the next 11 months and is followed by a 1 month post-go live support period. Our methodology is flexible and the timeline can be extended or compressed based on individual project needs. Page 5