Integrating Government Technology Bill+Peak Consulting, Inc Identifying, Avoiding and Rescuing...

Bill+Peak Consulting, Inc Integrating Government Technology

Identifying, Avoiding and Rescuing

Troubled IT Projects:

An Executive Manager’s Guide

January 2007


“If you think you’ve got a problem…

then you probably do”.


Recognizing the Challenge

Complex, integrated systems can challenge your capability to plan, organize and implement them Dependence upon outside expertise is crucial for success At times this outside expertise has not or will not deliver what you want or need The Key is in overcoming mistakes made by yourselves, your consultants and vendors so you can move forward:“How do we fix this broken project?”


Avoiding the Pitfalls

In the beginning…

We had great expectations!

Regretfully, our planning, work effort and follow-through weren’t as well thought out……


“Troubled” IT Projects – Discussion Outline

Identifying the Classic Symptoms of “Troubled” Projects on your projectFailure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA): determine the source and severity of your problemsNot over-reacting to typical project challengesBuild a solution to your problem that doesn’t involve shooting the survivorsGet the right team on your project


Classic Symptoms of a Failing IT Project

Incomplete Preparatory Worko No documented Riskso High impact or high probability Risks don’t have a mitigation

planProject reports to management….o Are distributed progressively later and latero Have issues unresolved or “in progress” from report to reporto Have issues disappear without a reported resolutiono Show no issues or are almost identical each montho Show tasks to be completed slipping from period to periodo Are not easily understood by people outside the project team

Your Team is too weak for this complex of a ProjectReports of “version control” issues surface late in the project


Classic Symptoms of a Failing IT Project

Delays and lack of proactive managemento More than 2 changes in the official go-live date o Lack of clear delineation of responsibilitieso Tasks are assigned to a committee and then …..o Excessive multi-tasking is directed to technical personnel o Risks are not reviewed regularly and REPORTEDo The testing plan or user training plan is not completed with

the initial designo No User Documentation Plan from Day1

Turnovero More than one change in the vendor and/or consultant

project managero More than three changes to project manager

Multitude of Unanswered questions


Failure Modes and Effects Analysis – Part 1

Detailed Project Planning and Governance

Does the Project Design reflect what’s needed and useful, not just a wish list?Can a vendor supplied system do what you need?Do you have a fully engaged and capable Project Manager?Issues:o Can you document what you want / need?o Will the organization support the Project?o Can you manage the Project?


Data

Are you trying to use point-to-point system interfaces when middleware is best to share and send data?Do you have a documented data model / dictionary?Is there a well-developed, fully-tested conversion plan?Is there a plan for follow-through to maintain concurrency of data post conversion?Issues:o Is data the responsibility of any single group / person?o Are there “real” plans for data testing?



Third Party Software

Are Users sidetracking the project by insisting that the “new” system work just like the “old” system?Are Project Managers holding the line on system changes versus User process changes?Issues:o Are you taking advantage of real opportunities for

Business process Reengineering with the new system?



System Set-up / Conversion / Documentation

Are Users heavily represented in these teams?Is there a User-led team responsible for monitoring and reporting system and user problems?Is there a up and Running User Documentation Team?Issues:o Are users complaining that less and less is being

delivered in the initial system roll-out?o Are Users fully involved in Testing, Training and

Documentation/User manual preparation?



Training

Have you conducted a training needs analysis?Is the impact to technical IT operations addressed?Is training a full-time focus of a training team?Does training cover the conversion period, new operations and newly hired staff?Issues:o Back-fill of staff in trainingo Ensure training is developed by real trainers vs. techieso Ensure training is on the system as implementedo Ensure that User Documentation is on the system as

implemented



Testing

Is there a well-developed, fully-tested Test Plan? Is there a Data Quality Plan?Did the same team write and execute the Test Plan?Are there procedures to resolve Testing problems?Issues:o Defining clear criteria to identify a testing failure vs. a

glitcho Identifying problems that result from data issues vs. a

system issueo Identifying data issues caused by poor data conversiono Can the PM stop a project until it passes testing?



User Guides and Procedures

Did someone get the responsibility for the developing User training and procedure documents at the tail-end of the Project?Issues:o The development of user procedures and training

materials should begin on Day 1 of the Project and should always have high visibility and importance



Post Implementation Support/Training

Who actually knows how to run this system from start to finish? How well documented is it?Don’t get to the end and try to match the “sales hype” or User expectations with the delivered systemIssues:o Know exactly what you’re going to develop and how it is

supposed to work from the beginningo Communicate from the beginning what is not going to be

in the system at launch (or ever!)o Refine it as you develop testing, training and user

documentation materials throughout the project



Perhaps the hardest part is simply acknowledging that the Project is in serious trouble………

Big Problems will not fix themselvesThe managers that got you into this mess cannot be counted-on to get you outIssues:o Don’t try and fix by going forward with your original

plano Don’t turn the exercise into a “shooting the survivors”

approach eithero STOP the PROJECTo Begin again as a NEW PROJECT at the Beginning!

Fixing the Problem: Turning Around the Project


Addressing and Solving your Problem:Work with the FACTS… Don’t Overreact!

This project is totally whacked,

and the consultants have no idea of what they are doing!

Senior management does

not support a continual

investment strategy. They

don’t accept that you’re never

done.

Employees are struggling to accommodate

continual change.

IT plans cannot be understood by a non-technical executive. The CIO only influences the I.T.

investment. The CIO must speak in terms the executive

understands.

We can solve all of our very unique issues

through the in-house development of

complex systems

We are depending too much on a

limited number of software vendors and no solution solves all our

problems.

I can’t commit to a long term solution.

This is like a series of 5K’s not a marathon.

How do you make investment decision

with lots of uncertainty?

Speed and agility are competencies that create value. They are measured by

your ability to make and change decisions.

Executive management hears many

things during the course of a major IT development

project.


Beginning a Troubled Project Turn-Around Effort: Achievable Goals + Proper Planning + the Right Team

Issues & Questions

Is the project “owned” by User's or the IT Group?

Does the project have specific identified goals and objectives? Do they match the organization’s Strategic Planning?

Is there a detailed cost estimate and timeline? Do all costs include training, testing, backfill of staff?

Is there a consensus among Users that this is a needed project?

What are the critical project assumptions and risks?

What is the problem that’s being addressed / solved?

Is this the first time your organization has addressed this problem?

Where else has this solution been implemented?

Can your project team clearly define where you are now and what the new system will do when completed?

Can this project be accomplished in smaller project elements with much less risk?


A New Executive Involvement Model Needs to be Adopted

Info and Tools You Need

Senior management must be immediately notified whenever the project has materially changed (flash reporting)

There must be an “effective” communications model through communication streams that consistently reaches Senior Management

PMO and Project Reporting, and Status materials must be readily available (on-line)

Why do we need these modern systems to compete?

What are the specific underlying details of the timeline and cost estimate; were they created concurrently?

Can you demonstrate, even if only with story boards, how the new system will work end-to-end, and have all Users agreed and signed-off on this?

What are the new system’s performance measures?

Questions you can ask


Ensure that Contracts Protect ALL Parties and Clearly Define Roles / Responsibilities

How do you we balance speed and effectiveness in the development environment? Who bears primary responsibility for the Project’s timeline? Do we have incentives to encourage timely performance?

What are the key Approval and Acceptance Elements and Factors?

Who Reviews and Approves; what is the specific acceptance criteria, and what is the Time Limitation on these actions?

Ensure that all contracts are fair to all parties, include reasonable clauses for negotiation of disputes, and have specific and detailed Deliverables.

Don’t short-change planning, project management, User involvement and training

Don’t start a project that is not headed by a User executive


Approach to the Solution - Part 1

Don’t underestimate the complexity of state-of-the-art integrated business / operational systemsDon’t accept plans that assume implementation faster than industry norms Seek out and embrace best practices (but not today’s fad)Work within the limitations of quality vendor- supplied software solutions



If the software has to be highly modified either buy different software, build it yourself or re-do your operational processesCreate a justifiable business value framework for the projectInsist that top management be involved and engaged



Spend the extra time needed in contract development to ensure it delivers, on a mutually verifiable basis, what you want and needEnsure that all contracts have specific timelines and deliverablesEstablish and Maintain a Project Management Office (PMO) function throughout the Project’s life



Develop / follow a detailed implementation plan and tactics (modify as needed, but DO NOT abandon)Don’t become so enamored with process that you forget about the end productCreate an engaged and involved Steering CommitteePresent status and issues to Executive Management on a regular basisRequire your PMO staff to regularly report on the Project’s performanceDon’t measure things that don’t matterDon’t try to change faster than people can adapt


Group Discussion

Issues that can still bite you-o Change managemento Re-engaging previous consultantso Re-invigorating staffo Test, test, test and test some moreo Have Users lead the System Training and User

Documentation developmento Train until everyone is satisfied, and then schedule

refresher training on a regular basisDevelop your back-up and recovery plans as you develop the new system—test this plan before going liveAsk Questions all of the time– “show me how”, “how does this work”, explain????


Thank You!

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