Creating Ministry Ownership of the Software Development Process

Jeffrey Wood

Information Systems Director

Compassion International

ICCM June 1997

Goals for this session

Background Practical Ideas Comments, Q&A

Background

Long projects that didn’t meet the organization’s needs when completed

Projects done from a technology perspective Preference for in-house developed applications

and system programs Long project request lists that needed to be

prioritized and then re-prioritized Use of non-mainstream technology

Background - 2

Lack of confidence in IS Turning Point: Compassion’s executives

could live without any new software if we could solve two major problems:– Speed of software development– Flexibility of computer systems

Primary issue presumed to be leadership

Background - 3

IS Assessment– Staff– Technology

Buy vs. Build vs. Convert Study Software Selection Task Force

– Ministry lead task force– Result: Task force recommends the need to build!

Additional Funding Received

Practical Ideas

Principles for improved ownership Planning for the ministry’s long-term needs Participation with the ministry Purge techno-babble Promote the project

Principles

Customer Focus - New MissionServing Christ with leadership and expertise in information technology, providing creative business solutions that enable the staff of Compassion to meet the needs of children around the world and to serve people that care about those children.

“Equipping the saints for the work of the ministry”

Ministry vs. Technology Focus Information Technology is not a department!

Principles - 2

Start small and learn lessons in new technology with low risk projects

Build with the long term picture in mind Leverage your knowledge of your ministry

with technology that changes everyday Build it with the ministry not for the ministry Value Stream Focus (Business Process)

Principles - 3

Make sure you don’t repeat past mistakes– Old methods with new tools– Design for the platform you are using– Design with flexibility at the core

Predict the future of the ministry– Changing organizational model

Use release based approach Develop a comprehensive plan

Planning

We believe in Business Plans, Marketing Plans and Financial Plans. How can we say we don’t need an Information Plan?

“Master Plan”– Towns don’t require a plan but if you want it to

grow efficiently you better have a plan» Teddington, UK

» Boston

» Colorado Springs

Developing an Information Plan

Admit the need for one– “Master Plan” concept

Seek help– Hire consultants for skills you don’t need all

the time Determine roles

– Like building a house– Owner, architect, builder

Developing an Information Plan - 2

Educate people for their roles– Ministry staff need to understand the whole

plan Force people to play their role

– Don’t assume anyone else’s responsibilities Be willing to quit if the ownership doesn’t

materialize– How is it going to work if the owner walks?

Data Model

Constituent

Commitment

Need

Developing an Information Plan - 3

Allow the ministry to own the plan Don’t resolve all the details Note unresolved issues that don’t matter at a

“master plan” level and move on– We don’t need the street names for our “master plan”!

Have Information Systems “abstain” from voting on ministry issues so the ministry can really own the plan.

Participation Ministry Executives

– Need to understand the impact of technology on ministry effectiveness

– Must empower and equip ministry staff to employ relevant technology

Managers/Supervisors– Need to understand balance between short-term and long-

term needs Users

– Need to participate in the development process

Participant Roles

Builder Owner

Architect

InformationSystemsDivision

Compassion International(US & foreign operations) andPartner Countries

All of Compassion with Information Systems Division as Facilitator

Participation Roles

ExecsExecs

ProjectProjectBoardBoard

ProjectProjectLeaderLeader

BusinessBusinessResourcesResources

TechnicalTechnicalResourcesResources

DevelopmentDevelopmentTeamTeam

Requirements for Each Role Execs

– Determine overall funding of IS

– Determine priorities of large projects

– Select the “killer” value streams in the organization that require custom solutions

– Grant authority to Project Board

Project Board– Determine project

requirements given the funding provided

– Hold project leader accountable

– Designate the business resources for the project

– Give final approval

Requirements for Each Role - 2

Project Leader– Coordinate various

resources committed to the project for successful completion

– Communicate with the Project Board and IS management

– Keep big picture in mind

Development Team– Produce the code for

the project based on requirements

– Use IS developed standards in the development process

Requirements for Each Role - 3

Business Resources– Provide business

knowledge of the detail level business requirements

– Participate in the GUI development

– Aid in testing the software during development

Technical Resources– Provide specific

technical knowledge in specific areas such as:

» Network performance

» Object Architecture

» Data Administration

» Database Administration

Project Boards

Members– Owner - Non-IS person with a vested interest

(and some clout!)– Other interested parties

» Customers of the business process» Managers of the business process

Project Notebook - Communication tool– Consistent format

» Overall and release sections» Goals/Schedule/Risks/Issues/Requests

Project Board Issues

Balance the three factors in software development– Quality– Speed– Cost

Two other factors– Change (Introduction of new technology, ...)– Flexibility of software as a requirement

Purge Techno-babble

Understanding comes before ownership People learn differently

(Think of your marketing people!) Pictures help people see what you mean

(not just think they hear what you mean) Pictures encourage us

to think through what we are trying to communicate

Logical View of Compassion

Children/Needs

Donors/Sponsors

Shared Concern, Commitment & Impact

Feedback/Communication

Physical View of Compassion

Donors/Sponsors

Children/Needs

Feedback/Communication

PartnerCountry

CompassionInternational

FieldOffice

Project

Compass

Shared Concern, Commitment & Impact

Compass Components

Compass (Production Oriented)

Operational Data Store (Report & Extraction Oriented)

Decision Support/EIS(Analysis Oriented)

Data Warehouse

Compass Components

InternetDial-up

Dedicated Line

PartnerPartnerCountryCountry

CI CI ProgramProgramAgencyAgency

FieldFieldOfficeOffice

Promote the Project

Talk about it anytime you get a chance Give it a name Get your project board and users talking

about the application to other people in the ministry

A little marketing never hurt anyone

New Compassion System

Compassion’s

On-line

Ministry,

Program &

Administration

Support

System

What has worked for you?