Good Project Gone Bad: Planning, Managing and Delivering Complex Technology Projects
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Transcript of Good Project Gone Bad: Planning, Managing and Delivering Complex Technology Projects
Good Project Gone Bad: Planning, Managing and Delivering Complex
Technology Projects
Erlet Shaqewww.erletshaqe.com
Introduction
NoteSee related text version of this show
with links and footnotes
“a large but unknowable proportion ofbusinesses fail pursuing
nearly perfect strategies.”
-- Peter JonesWe Tried to Warn YouBoxes and Arrows
“Good companies tell stories of success, but great companies also tell stories of past failures to avoid repeating them.”
– Christian StadlerThe 4 Principles of Enduring SuccessHarvard Business Review
The World Has Changed
“Twenty years from now we’ll look back and say this was the embryonic period.
The Web is only going to get more revolutionary”
--Tim Berners-Lee, 2006
Introduction to Process Maturity
Good Project Gone Bad: Planning, Managing and Delivering Complex Technology Projects
Michael EdsonDirector, Web and New Media Strategy
Smithsonian [email protected]
www.si.edu
Projects in Trouble
“As systems become increasingly complex, successful software development becomes increasingly difficult. Most major system developments are fraught with cost, schedule, and performance shortfalls. We have repeatedly reported on costs rising by millions of dollars, schedule delays of not months but years, and multibillion-dollar systems that don’t perform as envisioned.”--US General Services Administration, 1992
Projects in Trouble
“As systems become increasingly complex, successful software development becomes increasingly difficult. Most major system developments are fraught with cost, schedule, and performance shortfalls. We have repeatedly reported on costs rising by millions of dollars, schedule delays of not months but years, and multibillion-dollar systems that don’t perform as envisioned.”--US General Services Administration, 1992
AAM Accreditation
Capability Maturity Model1. Initial – Processes, if they are defined at all, are ad hoc.
Successes depend on individual heroics and are generally not repeatable.
2. Managed – Basic project management practices are established and the discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes with similar projects.
3. Defined – Processes are documented and standardized and all projects use approved, tailored versions of the standard processes.
4. Quantitatively Managed – The performance of processes and the quality of end-products are managed with quantitative measurement and analysis.
5. Optimizing – Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting innovative ideas.
Capability Maturity Model
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
Understanding the levels
Level 1. Level 2. Level 3. Level 4. Level 5.
People Success depends on individual heroics
“Fire fighting” is a way of life
Relationships between disciplines are uncoordinated, perhaps even adversarial
Success depends on individuals
Commitments are understood and managed
People are trained
Project groups work together, perhaps as an integrated team
Training is planned and provided according to roles
Strong sense of teamwork exists within each project
Strong sense of teamwork exists across the organization.
Everyone is involved in process improvement
Processes Few stable processes exist or are used
“Just do it!”
At the individual project level, documented and stable estimating, planning and commitment processes are used
Problems are recognized and corrected as they occur
Integrated management and engineering (how things get built) processes are used across the organization
Problems are anticipated and prevented, or their impacts are minimized
Processes are quantitatively understood and stabilized
Sources of individual problems are understood and eliminated
Processes are continuously and systematically improved.
Common sources of problems are understood and eliminated
Measurement Data collection and analysis are ad hoc Planning and management data used by individual projects
Data are collected and used in all defined processes
Data are systematically shared across projects
Data definition and collection are standardized across the organization
Data are used to understand work processes quantitatively and stabilize them
Data are used to evaluate and select process improvements
Technology Introduction of new technology is risky Technology supports established, stable activities
New technologies are evaluated on a qualitative basis
New technologies are evaluated on a quantitative basis
New technologies are proactively pursued and deployed
Handout (and next slides)
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Success depends on individual heroics
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
“Fire fighting” is a way of life
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Relationships between disciplines are uncoordinated,perhaps even adversarial
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Success depends on individuals
Commitments are understoodand managed
People are trained
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Project groups work together,perhaps as an integrated team
Training is planned and providedaccording to rolesv
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Strong sense of teamworkexists within each project
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Strong sense of teamworkexists across the organization
Everyone is involved inprocess improvement
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Few stable processes exist or are used
“Just do it!”
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
At the individual project level,documented and stableestimating, planning andcommitment processes are used
Problems are recognized andcorrected as they occur
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Integrated management andengineering processes(how things get built)are used across theorganization
Problems are anticipated andprevented, or their impacts areminimized
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Processes are quantitativelyunderstood and stabilized
Sources of individual problems areunderstood and eliminated
Understanding the levels
People
Processes
Measurement
Technology
1 2 3 4 5
Processes are continuously andsystematically improved
Common sources of problems areunderstood and eliminated
Using the model
Good Project Gone Bad: Planning, Managing and Delivering Complex
Technology Projects
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
Capability Maturity Model
Figure outwhere youare?
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
Capability Maturity Model
Ratchet upgraduallyover time
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
Capability Maturity Model
Don’t skip steps
Capability Maturity Model
Don’t slip back!
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
1. Initial
2. Managed
3. Defined
4. Quantitatively Managed
5. Optimizing
Capability Maturity ModelPick projectsAppropriateFor yourlevel
Some Practical Ways to increase process maturity
Best Practices
Avoid Classic MistakesRank Estimated
Probability of Occurrence
Classic Mistake Action to Take
1 68% Lack of content or source-code control
Implement source-code control practices
Best Practices
Avoid Classic MistakesRank Estimated
Probability of Occurrence
Classic Mistake Action to Take
1 68% Lack of content or source-code control
Implement source-code control practices
2 60% Failure to produce a design document
Produce a design, Ex Post Facto, starting week of August 25th
Best Practices
Avoid Classic MistakesRank Estimated
Probability of Occurrence
Classic Mistake Action to Take
3 60% Lack of project management plan
Project plan v 1.0 completed August 20th
4 60% Failure to maintain project visibility
Project visibility addressed in project plan.
Best Practices
Avoid Classic MistakesRank Estimated
Probability of Occurrence
Classic Mistake Action to Take
5 60% Feature Creep Produce a design. Prioritize feature set.
6 58% Wasted time upstream
The cow is already out of the barn on this one!
Best Practices
Avoid Classic MistakesRank Estimated
Probability of Occurrence
Classic Mistake Action to Take
7 57% Reliance on heroics to complete a project
Define roles and responsibilities. Emphasize accurate estimation. Implement management controls to track progress and anticipate delays.
8 53% Friction within team
Address proactively with team members and management.
Best Practices
Avoid Classic MistakesRank Estimated
Probability of Occurrence
Classic Mistake Action to Take
9 53% Failure to accurately estimate time and resources
Related to lack of design. Having a project management plan should help. Managers must ensure staff accurately defines and estimates tasks.
10 50% Failure to define requirements up front
create requirements doc Ex Post Facto.
Best Practices
Spiral Project Plan
Design
BuildTest
EvaluateThenplannext loop
START
Best Practices
Assign Roles and Responsibilities
Tasks that have clear ownersare more likely to get done
Best Practices
Assign Roles and Responsibilities
Managerial Roles– Sponsor
• Internal client(s) for whom we’re producing the project. Defines goals. Supervises Project Owner and provides resources and direction to Project Owner and team. Provides “head above the trees” perspective of overall effort.
Best Practices
Assign Roles and Responsibilities
Managerial Roles– Project Owner
• Responsible for,– high level organization and execution of project.– requirements analysis– creative brief– interface with project sponsors– team selection– high-level definition project lifecycle– monitoring and periodic reviews of content/functionality over
entire project lifecycle– Usually reports to the Project Management Team
Best Practices
Assign Roles and ResponsibilitiesMake sure every role is assigned to a person
Best Practices
Standardized ReportingBest Practices
Standardized ReportingBest Practices
Standardized ReportingBest Practices
Standardized ReportingBest Practices
Governance
PurposeThe purpose of this form is to provide an
overview of proposed objectives and production/maintenance lifecycles for new Web content. This form requires information needed to support the editorial decision-making process. A completed form serves as a contract between project sponsors, team members, and SAAM decision makers.
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
ProcessThis section is written with the project manager/project leader in mind1. Somebody generates an idea and you take ownership of it: you are the project leader.
You discuss the idea with potential partners, team members, and SAAM management. You define a project and walk it through the approval process.
2. You discuss the idea/project at the SAAM Web Weekly, and (optionally) at the SAAM Web Quarterly.
3. If the idea passes through informal discussions you formalize the creative and management aspects of the project and fill out this form.
4. You present the project and this form to the SAAM Web Quarterly and lead a discussion. You can review simple projects via e-mail: more complex projects require a meeting of the Web Quarterly and may require several meetings.
5. The SAAM Web Quarterly approves the idea (or engages you in an iterative process of questions, comments and review) and makes a recommendation to the Director.
6. The Director approves the idea.7. You begin the next stages of planning and execution.From this point on project management is handled at a detailed level by a Project
Management Plan.
ProcessThis section is written with the project manager/project leader in mind1. Somebody generates an idea and you take ownership of it: you are the project leader.
You discuss the idea with potential partners, team members, and SAAM management. You define a project and walk it through the approval process.
2. You discuss the idea/project at the SAAM Web Weekly, and (optionally) at the SAAM Web Quarterly.
3. If the idea passes through informal discussions you formalize the creative and management aspects of the project and fill out this form.
4. You present the project and this form to the SAAM Web Quarterly and lead a discussion. You can review simple projects via e-mail: more complex projects require a meeting of the Web Quarterly and may require several meetings.
5. The SAAM Web Quarterly approves the idea (or engages you in an iterative process of questions, comments and review) and makes a recommendation to the Director.
6. The Director approves the idea.7. You begin the next stages of planning and execution.From this point on project management is handled at a detailed level by a Project
Management Plan.
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
ProcessThis section is written with the project manager/project leader in mind1. Somebody generates an idea and you take ownership of it: you are the project leader.
You discuss the idea with potential partners, team members, and SAAM management. You define a project and walk it through the approval process.
2. You discuss the idea/project at the SAAM Web Weekly, and (optionally) at the SAAM Web Quarterly.
3. If the idea passes through informal discussions you formalize the creative and management aspects of the project and fill out this form.
4. You present the project and this form to the SAAM Web Quarterly and lead a discussion. You can review simple projects via e-mail: more complex projects require a meeting of the Web Quarterly and may require several meetings.
5. The SAAM Web Quarterly approves the idea (or engages you in an iterative process of questions, comments and review) and makes a recommendation to the Director.
6. The Director approves the idea.7. You begin the next stages of planning and execution.From this point on project management is handled at a detailed level by a Project
Management Plan.
ProcessThis section is written with the project manager/project leader in mind1. Somebody generates an idea and you take ownership of it: you are the project leader.
You discuss the idea with potential partners, team members, and SAAM management. You define a project and walk it through the approval process.
2. You discuss the idea/project at the SAAM Web Weekly, and (optionally) at the SAAM Web Quarterly.
3. If the idea passes through informal discussions you formalize the creative and management aspects of the project and fill out this form.
4. You present the project and this form to the SAAM Web Quarterly and lead a discussion. You can review simple projects via e-mail: more complex projects require a meeting of the Web Quarterly and may require several meetings.
5. The SAAM Web Quarterly approves the idea (or engages you in an iterative process of questions, comments and review) and makes a recommendation to the Director.
6. The Director approves the idea.7. You begin the next stages of planning and execution.From this point on project management is handled at a detailed level by a Project
Management Plan.
What kinds of projects should use this process?It is hard to describe this categorically. We’ll be using common sense case-by-case.
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Who will be the project sponsor?
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Governance
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
Details1. Who will be leading this idea though the approval process?2. Who will be the project sponsor?3. Who will be the project owner?4. What other project “roles” are defined?5. What is the title of the idea?6. Please give an overview of the idea as you would pitch it to the Director and the Web
Quarterly.7. What deadlines are associated with this idea?8. What partners (internal or external) will be involved?9. Please describe the 3-year lifecycle of this idea.10. What staff resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?11. What financial resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?12. What technological resources will be required for the 3-year lifecycle?
& etc…
Best Practices
Review process for new sites
Consequences and Phenomena
Capability Maturity Mismatch
When you and your vendor have different capability maturity levels… there can be a
disruptive shearing effect on project processes
TEAM
Capability Maturity Mismatch
When you and your vendor have different capability maturity levels… there can be a
disruptive shearing effect on project processes
TEAM
Capability Maturity MismatchVendors say they see• conflicting institutional voices/opinions (client doesn’t
speak with one voice)• adversarial relationships (“I don’t feel like we’re on the
same team”)• wrong people in key positions• unrealistic expectations• content-approval deadlines are not met• undefined decision-making processes• little or no measurement of key performance indicators • insufficient staffing for the task at hand• completed projects are not maintained after delivery
Governance and Control
“Just Enough”
Lightweight Frameworks• Web 2.0 Design Patterns (O’Reilly)
• The Long Tail• Data is the Next Intel Inside• Users Add Value• Network Effects by Default• Some Rights Reserved.• The Perpetual Beta• Cooperate, Don't Control• Software Above the Level of a Single Device
Real World Examples
• Handheld Multimedia Guide
Real World Examples
• Handheld Multimedia Guide• Blog
Real World Examples
• Handheld Multimedia Guide• Blog• Findability project
What you can do• Monday
– Discuss process maturity with your coworkers– Pick a process to measure and improve – Assign responsibility and go for it!
• In 90 days– Look at the CMM levels and agree on two things you can do to
eke your way up a notch– Establish a group to own the process improvement initiatives– Talk with your vendors about what you could do better– Use Roles and Responsibilities, standard reporting, classic
mistake avoidance– Learn about Web 2.0 frameworks– Measure measure measure
The Road to Success
Efficient-Development Town
YOU ARE HERE
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Efficient-Development Town
YOU ARE HERE
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town
Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town
Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town
Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town
Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town
Specialization…
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town
Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town
Specialization…
Most organizationsare here…
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
The Road to Success
Classic-Mistakes Town
High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town
Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town
Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town
Specialization…
To get here, use anyeffective practicewhatsoever… BUT USE IT!
Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules.Microsoft Press, 1996
Good Project Gone Bad: Planning, Managing and Delivering Complex
Technology Projects
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