June 17, 2008

Information Technology Projects

What makes them unique?

Bob Donaldson, Associate PartnerIBM Global ServicesPublic Sector

2 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

IT Projects – Unique or bizarre

● IT Projects– Successes, failures or just completed (All the rest)

● IT Project Management - Project Managers

● IT Data and Information Security

●User Involvement

June 17, 2008

IT Projects

4 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Some facts from the Standish Group to set some of the background

●For large Companies reporting on IT Projects

– 9% of projects were successful

– On time and on budget with features as specified

– 61.5% were challenged (troubled/completed)

– Late and or over budget

– Reduced functionality (61% on average)

– 29.5% were cancelled (failure by another name)

Source: The Standish Group International, Inc

5 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

61.5 % of the projects were troubled by their definition

● A significant portion of these were probably successful, maybe even most of them

● Over budget and or late certainly does not make the project a Project Management success, but that in itself is not the criteria that a project success should be measured against

● Reduced function points (sorry throw back) may or may not make it a business success

– If the right 60% were implemented I could see that significant business benefits would be derived from a reduced scope project

– Today's RFP’s certainly contain a lot of requirements with many well outside the definition of “necessary to Operate, Manage and Control the business effectively and efficiently”

● Scope is the variable of choice that we adjust when projects need some relief to complete

6 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

The triple constraint.

Scope Schedule Cost

Projx1 x1 x1 x1

Scope +- + x1 x1

Schedule +- x1 - x1

Cost +- x1 x1 -

Risk is the slack variable.

Risk

x1

7 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Success Enablers

1. Executive Support2. User Involvement3. Experienced Project Manager4. Clear Business Objectives5. Minimizing Scope6. Standard Software

Infrastructure7. Firm Basic Requirements8. Formal Methodology9. Reliable Estimates10.Skilled Staff

Source: The Standish Group International, Inc

1. Lack of Scope and Change control2. Ineffective stakeholder

communications3. Ineffective or unclear program

management organization and associated plan

4. Lack of or inadequate ongoing risk management

5. Inability to apply properly skilled resources

6. Ineffective program startup

Source: IBM

Failure Enablers

June 17, 2008

IT Project Management – Project Managers

9 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Project Managers are like Ogres

They have layers

10 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Experienced Project Manager

● “The landscape is full of failed projects that were headed by an experienced project manager.”

– Somewhat akin to the Medical Professions issue where the operation was a success but the patient died

– Project Management was flawless but the goal was still not achieved

– Customer remains unhappy (even successful projects have unhappy customers so all is not lost)

– Reputations suffer

● Relevant Project Management experience - is defined in the context of the work being delivered by the project and the business goals of the project

– Different horses for different courses

Source: The Standish Group International, Inc

11 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Experienced IT Project Manager?

1. Business Knowledge and Skills– Most important trait

– Without business context the PM lacks the ability to adjust the projects course to meet the business goals

2. Technical Knowledge and Skills– These are technical projects

– The ability to translate between business and technical is seen as important

3. Project Management Skills– Sort of goes without saying but their research says this is not always

the case

– Decision making, planning, organizing, team building,

Source: The Standish Group International, Inc

On larger projects experience moves from the individual Project Manager to the Project Management Office (PMO)

12 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

As the PM you need to build a PMO that provides the balance across Business, Technical and Project knowledge and skills

● Inclusion in the PMO is your objective not simply as support to the PMO– Part of your decision making team

– Part of your risk management team

● Business*– Business Transformation Manager, Organizational Change Manager,

Communications Manager, Lead Business Analyst

– Customer resources can be included in these roles but Steering Committee should not be the source for Business Knowledge

● Technical*– Architects, Development Manager, Testing Manager, Infrastructure

● Project Management*– Planner, EV Analyst, Administration, Quality Management, Risk Management

* These are roles that may be positions as well, depending on the size and scope of the project

June 17, 2008

Data and Information Security

14 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Data Security – A very unique aspect of IT Projects

● Data Breach "Unfathomable" Says Connecticut Governor – Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that a review of data removed from

Connecticut's CORE-CT computer system by ______ -- a consultant to the Office of the State Comptroller and other state agencies -- shows an 'unfathomable' violation of information security, including nearly all state government bank accounts. The information was contained on a backup computer tape stolen in Ohio in June. CORE-CT is the computer system that performs all the state's payroll, personnel, purchasing, accounting, inventory and other functions. The stolen tape was being used in the development of a similar state government information system in Ohio

● Connecticut Sues Over Loss of Confidential Information, Breach of Contract

– Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has announced that he is suing _______ for illegal negligence, unauthorized use of state property and breach of contract in connection with the loss of confidential information on 58 state taxpayers and hundreds of state bank accounts and purchasing cards. The lawsuit alleges that _______ converted state property to its own use without state permission, acted negligently and violated its state contract by allowing the highly sensitive data to be placed on a state of Ohio back up computer tape that was later stolen.

15 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

______ Denies Coverup Of Security Breaches

By ROBERT BLOCKSeptember 25, 2007; Page A15

WASHINGTON -- ________., a big technology company under contract with the Department of Homeland Security, denied a report that it had tried to cover up computer break-ins by foreign hackers at the agency, and federal law-enforcement officials played down the significance of the recent attacks.

A report in yesterday's Washington Post said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was probing a foreign cyber attack on DHS and Transportation Security Administration computers. The report said the FBI was also looking into the possibility that ______, the contractor in charge of securing the network, had tried to cover up the breaches.

In a written statement, ____________., denied the report and rejected allegations it had neglected to install proper security safeguards on Homeland Security computer systems. "We believe that a proper investigation of this matter will conclude that ______ acted in good faith to meet the customer's security requirements," the company said.

Federal law-enforcement officials said the FBI was taking a look at the incidents -- and _______ response -- but said the allegations were so far not viewed as a major breach of national security. "The FBI is making sure that this was not something out of the ordinary," one official said, noting that attempts by hackers to infiltrate U.S. government computers are "everyday occurrences.“

One key issue is whether ______ failed to install the security programs or whether DHS cut them to save money. ______ has urged the FBI to look at what the company recommended the agency needed versus what it was willing to pay for.

Dena Graziano, a spokeswoman for Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D., Miss) the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said congressional investigators found "there were several systems put in the closet that should not have been. What we don't know yet is who had them put there."

16 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Information security within the project and the delivered solution are equally important – this is now becoming a survival issue

● Sensitive personal information– Social Insurance Number (SIN) – Social Security Number (SSN) – driver's license number – bank account number – credit or debit card number with a security access code – access codes or passwords to an individual's financial account

● During project development access to and control of the use of this type of data is a project, personal, and corporate survival issue

● As the PM you must actively protect this data to protect yourself, your team, your company and your customer

17 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Your risks relate to your team and the handling of the customer sensitive data in a project and support mode

● Subcontractors● Offshore tasking● Zip drives● CD creation on customer devices● Lap tops connected to the customer network● Lap tops with data on them● Data cleansing tasks and activities for new system● Test data (real vs masked)● Reports with live data● Printer waste● Trouble tickets● Training data● Live data access while in a support mode● Customer lack of sensitivity to the issue● Customer personnel

● Where to start– Confidentiality Agreements– Customer Agreement and involvement in the process– Auditors involved– Train your team, measure and manage against the processes

June 17, 2008

User Involvement

19 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

What other type of project can have this type of end user involvement?

● Large ERP projects can have– 20,000 users

– 90,000 self service users

– 65 training courses, delivered in hundreds/thousands of training classes

– Work changes to suit the system not the user

– Roles change and work goes away

– Supervisory personnel no longer are the process/system experts

– Go-lives always have issues that effect the people using the system

● So a project has 100,000’s of points of contact: creating positive or negative experiences

– We all know that issues are more fun at the water cooler

● Given that a certain level of negative perception is almost certain, how do we manage around it, through it, and in spite of it, to still get a project over the goal line?

20 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

User perception is derived from both what we deliver and how we deliver the project

Technical Solution

Business KnowledgeBusiness Knowledge

Design Development Testing ApplicationsTools

Design Development Testing ApplicationsTools

Skilled Resources- Users- IT- Operations

Skilled Resources- Users- IT- Operations

BusinessSolution

Program Management

InfrastructureInfrastructure

BPR Training

OrganizationalChange Management

21 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Personal Consequences Window

Old

New

Good

Bad

1

3 2

4

Let time pass and while satisfaction may not improve, dissatisfaction reduces

22 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Close

● IT Project Management is unlike any other type of project management

● It is a team sport

● Sensitive Personal Information management within the project delivery is mission critical

● User involvement is both critical to the success of the project and critical of the project

23 June 17, 2008

R G Donaldson

Questions – Answers – Discussion