Project Process

Initial presenters and facilitators: Max Stoaks and Adam Moore, both Enterprise Architects from the GSB.

Max and Adam kicked it off with a presentation re their process outlining phases and requirements per phase

• Preconcept --> Concept --> High level design, solution option analysis, even before getting approval
• Approval: Architecture Council (AC) Review --> Pitch Review (i.e., to CIO, or Directors) --> identifying, connecting, rationalizing, guiding, non-duplicating
  • reviews depend up levels of effort and cost detemrination
• After Approval, the Resource Allocation Period, then ...
• The actual Active phase --> Detailed Design and Planning, determine timeline, estimates, etc.
• Delivery and Development Phase --> Produce Phase
• The Project Management Office meeting (PMO) with weekly status reports, etc. Required for large projects in the earlier pre-active phase.
• AEPR - Adverse Event Prevention and Response --> basically a bunch of checklists
• Levels of Effort and Cost determines path of approval

​The Pitch Deck ... e.g., GSB Classroom Management Apps

• PRECONCEPT: the problem and background info, benefits
  • and "what if we don't"
  • origin and who will be impacted
  • AC recommendations
• CONCEPT - "As-Is Process"
  • Requirements Spreadsheet
    • functional and non-functional
  • Dependencies
  • AC Recommendations
• HIGH-LEVEL DESIGN: Solution Options Considered
  • Recommended Platform
    • options considered and ruled out
  • Integration touchpoints, leading to finding out who you have to talk to!
• PMO Deck -- risks and mitigation, progress made, what is upcoming

Questions:

Power and authority: in the beginning stages, anyone can start the process, presumably with manager's blessing. At any time during the AC process, they can push back. Once the effort comes to a certain size, then goes to the Director level. Then the prioritization level based on level of cost and effort, different levels have authority.

How do you keep the project relevant? This is the job of the AC in GSB. An ongoing negotiation. Sometimes they have to "make a call" and step back and reset, especially if the project runs long. People ask the hard questions at the PMO ... why is it this or that, so you have to be prepared to answer.

Agile or waterfall? Delivery phase, it is up to them. Typically an agile approach with two-week cycle sprints. Conscious decision to let teams figure the best way to do stuff. These guys know the best way to tell the story.

People management; how do you keep a project moving that gets stale? The presenters are not really part of that, but they try to have project managers that hold people accountable.The problems become apparent at the PMO.

The presenters are trying to build the practices, not the projects themselves.

The presenters ask how other people's processes compare.