Step 7:

Perform Business Transformation Initiation Tasks

Version 1.0, January 2005

 

Step 7, Perform Business Transformation Initiation Tasks, is designed to establish the required resources and strategies to implement the approved recommendations from the Modernization Blueprint.  It is the first step in the implementation phase of the Modernization Business Transformation methodology.

This step will create the Core Team as the key project management resource for execution. This step entails the requisite planning to identify strategies for funding, change management, risk management and communications.

Step 5 of the MBT established an executive sponsor to oversee the implementation plan and is a required input to this step. Executive sponsorship is critical to the implementation’s success and should not move forward without it.  The Core Team will lead the implementation.  The skills required for the implementation phase of the Modernization Blueprint are different than those required for the Blueprint development.  While the Blueprint phase requires strong business and analytical skills, the implementation phase will require capital planning, subject matter expertise, project management, and strong system development and technology skills.  It is recommended to have some of the members of the Core Team continue through the implementation phase. (See section 3 Step Participants)

To ensure that the Core Team has the sound historical knowledge required for the implementation, the enterprise architect should brief them on the methodology and background information for the Blueprint.  The Core Team should review the project charter, project schedule and communication plans from Step 1. The team should update the communication plan to reflect the new requirements imposed by the implementation phase. For example, the Core Team’s implementation plan will, in time, directly affect the end user community’s operational environment.  The plan should provide the necessary information to support the change management issues that will be encountered.  As in the Blueprint development phase, key governance and decision-making bodies (Investment Review Board, Architecture Review Board, Executive Sponsorship, and other architectural initiatives) will need to be kept informed of the implementation progress.

Once the team is formed and its members have been educated with all the background information, they will proceed to developing the project plan for implementation. They will use the MBT project template, the Blueprint content and its Transition Plan, and the specific recommendations from the Investment Review Board (IRB) Record of Decision (ROD) to construct the schedule. It is important to use the IRB’s prioritization guidance for constructing the schedule.  Once the schedule is built, the team will need to evaluate the key risk and change management issues associated with the plan.  For example, if a recommendation requires coordinating several organizations to support the project, obtaining committed resources from these areas may be a risk.  The team will need to develop a mitigation strategy and alternatives for all the risks they identify.  Additionally, the implementation may have impacts on the current business procedures, policy, human resources, organizational structure, organizational relationships or program funding sources. These items will need to be developed into a change management plan with associated strategies to facilitate the project implementation transition.  It is critical to understand the risks and change management strategy as early in the implementation as possible.  The results of these two plans should influence the communication strategy and outreach strategy.   Messages will need to be developed for all affected parties from the risk or change management point of view.

In addition to the change and risk management plans, the implementation team is responsible for developing the funding strategy required for this effort. Within the activities of the plan, there will be items that can be addressed in the near term without large amounts of funding, items that will take major infusion of capital and many years to complete (New Exhibit 300), and critical items that need to be addressed in the short term that may require additional funding dollars but have not been accounted for in the current investment cycle. The team needs to evaluate the planned items, investigate feasible funding sources, and coordinate with budget, strategic and capital planners to design funding strategies. These strategies will need to be presented to the Investment Review Board for approval. The funding strategy should evaluate current investments when they are affected by the recommendations in order to identify opportunities for redirecting funding.  

After the implementation project plan, change and risk management plans with requisite supporting funding strategy have been developed, the Core Team will present the package to the governance bodies including the Investment Review Board (IRB), Architecture Review Board (ARB) and Interior Business Architecture Team (IBAT).  The IBAT and ARB are informational briefings where issues and concerns may be identified.  As a best practice, the team should address these issues prior to briefing the IRB. If the IRB approves the package and endorses the funding strategy, the team should proceed to step 8 of the methodology.  If modifications need to be applied to plan or funding strategy, the team will need to revise its efforts and re-present the plans.  It is very important to keep the IRB meeting schedule and capital planning calendar and schedules in mind.  These are pivotal meetings and time frames that need to be worked into your transition plan and schedule.  Missing key dates can introduce delays in your implementation plan and alter your funding strategy.

Step 7 is performed for the following purposes:

·         Develop a core team to provide subject matter expertise and knowledge to ensure a successful and valuable implementation

·         Develop the detailed implementation plan

·         Develop Communication Risk Management and Change Management Plans to faciliate a successul implementation

·         Develop the requisite funding strategy to support the implementation objective

·         Provide outreach to governance bodies and user community to ensure adequate support for the initiative

 

Impact of Not Performing this Step

This Step is critical to establishing a best practices approach to project management for the implementation of the blueprint.  It ensures that the basic items of risk, funding communication, change management and planning are addressed prior to seeking approval for the investment dollars.  Without this type of information, the governance bodies and the investment decision makers would not have the adequate information to asses the quality or soundness of the implementation. This step ensures solid planning skills are exercised to help substantiate the request for executive support. If Step 7 is not performed:

• The plan will not be considered viable
• The Line of Business’s reputation for preparedness will be damaged
• There will be delays to the implementation

Step 7 starts with the following inputs:

Inputs:

• Modernization Blueprint and its Transition Schedule
• MBT Microsoft Project Template
• Communication Plan from Step 1 of MBT
• Record of Decision (ROD) on the Modernization Blueprint from the Investment Review Board (IRB) and supporting briefing materials
• Core Team Charter from Step 1 of the MBT
• Knowledge of budget, capital planning and funding mechanisms within the program area
• Background knowledge of MBT-related, Department and Federal-wide Architecture activities (e.g. IEA and DEAR)
• Knowledge of Department and Federal-wide investments that may be related (e.g. the E-CPIC)

 

Detail:

Within this step, there are six major tasks, each associated with sub-activities:

 

 

 

Task 1:  Form Core Team with Representatives from Sponsor Business Areas. See Figure 3.

 

Activities:

1. Ensure existence of an Executive Sponsor from Step 5 of the MBT
2. Identify team members
3. Brief the Core Team on the Methodology and Blueprint background
4. Ensure access to the existing project charters, roles and responsibilities, and schedules

 

Task Outputs:

• Core Team Charter and Roles and Responsibilities

  

Figure 3

 

 

 

                                 

 

Task 2:  Develop Project Plan Revisions Based on IRB Priorities and Resource Commitments. See Figure 4.

 

Activities:

1. Revise existing project plans based on IRB priorities
2. Assess plan for risk and change management issues
3. Assess plan for funding strategies
4. Assess plan for communication requirements

 

Task Outputs:

• Project Plan

 

 

Figure 4

 

 

Task 3:  Develop Funding Strategy. See Figure 5.

 

Activities:

1. Analyze plan for costing issues
2. Research estimates for activities
3. Investigate asset reuse
4. Work with budget planning for source funding
5. Develop funding strategies for activities

 

Task Outputs:

• Funding Strategy

 

Figure 5

 

Task 4:  Develop Communications Plan. The Core Team’s Communications Plan is critical for keeping key stakeholders informed of the evolution of the effort. Additionally, it is important to communicate the strategy to other business modernization efforts to ensure compatibility and cooperation.  See Figure 6.

 

Activities:

1. Develop Communication Strategy
2. Develop Communication Plan
3. Implement Communications Plan

a.       Develop Business Focus Area Modernization Website

           

Task Outputs:

• Communication Plan

 

Figure 6

Task 5:  Develop Risk and Change Management Strategies. See Figure 7.

 

Activities:

1. Analyze project implementation plan for risk and change management issues
2. Document change and risk management issues
3. Develop strategies for change and risk management issues
4. Build plan with alternatives to address change and risk issues
5. Update communications strategy based on change management and risk issues

Task Outputs:

• Risk Capture Table
• Risk Management Plan
• Change Management Plan

 

Figure 7

Task 6:  Brief IBAT, IRB, ARB, on Program Plan, Program Status, Funding Strategy, Resource Strategy.  The objective of Task 6 and its sub-activities is to have the plan reviewed by the governance and decision-making organizational groups.  See Figure 8.

 

Activities:

1. Prepare presentation materials for review

a.       Project Objectives and Activities

b.      Funding Strategy

c.       Project Risks

d.      Communication

2. Present materials to governance boards

 

3. Address issues identified by governance boards

 

4. Present materials to IRB

 

5. Revise existing project plans based on IRB comments

 

Task Outputs:

• Presentation Materials for Governance

Figure 8

• Executive Sponsor: Person – Executive representative from the business
• Enterprise Architect: Person - skills for data, application, business and technology
• Solution Architect: Person – skills for developing IT solutions to improve cost estimations and provide sound engineering design to support the recommendations.
• Subject Matter Experts (SME)
• Core Team:  Persons – with business expertise
• Communications Support:  Person
• Access to budget and capital planning skills

The Core Team must be formed and functioning effectively.  The ROD from MBT Step 5 is critical to understanding the business priorities. MBT Step 7 is a required step that must be completed before any other steps in the implementation phase can be started.

Core Team Charter and Roles and Responsibilities:  This work product defines the scope, authority and mission of the Core Team along with its roles and responsibilities.

• TEMPLATE : Core Team Charter and Roles and Responsibilities Blank (MSWord Format)
• TEMPLATE : Core Team Charter and Roles and Responsibilities Blank (PDF Format)

 

Communication Plan: This work product defines the stakeholders and a supporting communication strategy. It should identify the customization of the message to the type of stakeholder as well as the format, timeframes or critical milestones where the communication needs to occur.

• TEMPLATE : Sample Communication Plan (Excel format)

 

Project Plan: This work product defines the detailed implementation plan. 

• TEMPLATE : Sample Project Plan (MS Project Plan format)

 

Change Management Plan: This work product needs to communicate the change management issues required to facilitate the implementation of the plan.

• TEMPLATE : Hyperlink to Template (Deliverable Type: MSWord format)

 

Presentation Materials for Governance: This work product needs to communicate the risks associated with the implementation plan.

• TEMPLATE : Sample Presentation (PowerPoint Format)

 

Risk Management Plan: These work products help document the risks associated with the implementation plan and the options for managing such risk.

• TEMPLATE : Risk Management Plan (MS Word Format)
• TEMPLATE : Risk Management Plan (PDF Format)
• TEMPLATE : Risk Capture Table (Excel format)

 

Funding Strategy: This work product needs to articulate the specific funding strategies for the series of recommendation within the plan.

• TEMPLATE : Hyperlink to Template (Deliverable Type: MS Word)

This Step is largely a project planning (activities, risk, change, funding) and communication process. It is meant to create the understanding needed to develop a plan and resource requirements to support the implementation of the prioritized recommendations from the MBT Step 5 Record of Decision).  Its communication strategy will need to address the governance bodies, subject matter experts, user community and all external and internal stakeholders.