IV

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IVV Making It Work
November 30
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Todays Agenda

• Speaker Introduction
• Understanding the value of IVV
• Understanding how to make it work better

"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why
can't it get us out?" - Will Rogers (1879-1935)
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Speaker Introductions

• William Browning - Principal with the North
  Highland company
• Lead for North Highland government services.
• Nearly 15 years experience with large system
  implementation, methodology development, and
  organizational change management.
• While at Ernst Young, responsible for
  correcting projects which were failing to meet
  objectives, budget or schedule.
• Developed rapid project assessment method with
  North Highland to identify and correct project
  issues.
• Most recently managed organizational
  transformational project for a Colorado state
  government Division.

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Understanding IVV
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So Why Do IT Most Projects Fail?
Elements of Projects by Success Factor
Failed Projects (30)
Challenged Projects (50)
Successful Projects (20)

• Active User Involvement throughout the project
• Executive Support
• Clear Statement of Requirements
• Proper Planning
• Realistic Expectations
• Dedicated resources for training, process
  alignment, org. alignment

• Limited User Input, usually limited to project
  initiation
• Incomplete Requirements and Specifications
• Change Requirements and Specifications
• Lack of Exec Support
• Technical Incompetence
• Limited time allocated to training
• No planning for process changes/org alignment

• Incomplete Requirements
• Lack of User Involvement
• Lack of Resources
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Lack of Executive Support (Politics)
• Changing Requirements and Specifications
• Lack of Planning
• Didnt need the functionality any longer
• Lack of IT Management
• Technical Illiteracy

Successful Projects deliver expected benefits
and are delivered on time and within budget.
Challenged Projects are over-budget, late, or
dont deliver all of the expected benefits.
Sources The Standish Group and The North
Highland Company
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Understanding Independent Verification and
Validation?

• What is IVV?
• Provides Quality Assurance over the entire
  project lifecycle (business case to benefit
  realization)
• Serves as independent, vendor neutral, 3rd Party
  oversight
• Assists in protecting the interests of the
  Department and/or Division.
• Advises the Executive Sponsor and Project
  Management teams
• Identifies and assists in avoiding crisis
  situations proactively (e.g. risk analysis)
• Exposes weak links in the lifecycle
• What IVV is NOT?
• Program / Project Management
• Supplemental staffing to deliver Clients tasks
• Contract negotiators on behalf of the Client
• Big Brother double checking everyones work

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Understanding the Implementation 'Hype Cycle'
IVV is helpful in navigating the danger zone
within a project by identifying and communicating
key issues
Source Gartner Group
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What Projects are Good Candidates for IVV?

• Criteria for IVV Consideration for Projects
  (when is IVV needed?)
• High cost
• High visibility (i.e. media, customers, market)
• High degree of specific subject matter expertise
  (e.g. outsourcing, contracts)
• Business partnerships between the Company and a
  Vendor
• Potential for significant exposure or risk to the
  Business
• Aggressive timeframes with critical milestones
• Procurement efforts at risk for delay or law
  suits
• Benefits of IVV
• Helps to ensure project success
• Infuses quality into the project throughout the
  lifecycle
• Helps to builds internal project management
  skills
• Provides quality baselines to be carried forward
  to future phases and/or projects
• Provides for best practices knowledge transfer
  and specific subject matter expertise
• Increases management and oversight of contractual
  compliance of vendors
• Decreases/Monitors Change Orders

• IVV will increase development costs 10 to 18
  but
• 20 to 28 recouped if IVV starts with coding
• 92 to 180 recouped if IVV with
  requirements.
• Total Life cycle costs 7
• - Source Arthur, J.D. and R.E. Nance,
  "Verification and Validation Without
  Independence A Recipe for Failure" (2000)

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IVV Scope Whats Should be in Scope for IVV?
Source Gartner Group 2006
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How Should IVV Work?
Define Approach Define Governance Create Charter
Inception
Define Processes Define Metrics Define
Tools Launch
Deliver recommendations to close gaps and
mitigate risks
Initiation
Assessment
Recommendation
Multiple Review Iterations
Gather information on the project, processes,
people and deliverables
Ongoing IVV Efforts
Analysis
Review for completeness, efficiency and
effectiveness
Discuss Lessons Learned and Continuous
Improvement Ideas
Close-out
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Structuring IVV Reporting
This is one of the most critical elements is how
the IVV team is structured within the program /
project.
Executive Level
Timely Decisions
Information Sharing
Presentation of Final IVV Report and Action Plan
for Decisions
Business Owner(s)
IVV
Sharing of Draft IVV Report and Action Plan
Review
Project Manager
Verification of Data/ Sharing of Draft IVV
Report for Action Plan Development
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So why do projects still fail when they use IVV?
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Reasons for IVV Failure - Poor IVV
Accountability

• Team members not involved in IVV report
• Unclear process for IVV report approval
• IVV schedule is a mystery
• No one on the team understands IVV
• Lack of actionable recommendations.

STOP
Warning Signs

• Clearly define roles, methods, deliverables
  within the contract.
• Communicate structure, roles of the IVV team
  across the program.
• Review and adjust as needed.

Some Suggestions
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Reasons for IVV Failure - Not Early Enough

• The project is already in trouble and there
  hasnt been an IVV report.
• IVV team is shows up after requirements have
  been gathered or after development has been
  initiated.
• IVV wasnt introduced at project kick-off.

STOP
Warning Signs

• IVV should be part of the project at inception
  of a major project.
• Smaller scale IVV may be useful during earlier
  planning stages.

Some Suggestions
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Reasons for IVV Failure - No Independence

• The IVV vendor is protecting an individual or a
  team not the project.
• Issues are not reported or are minimized.
• Team members feel their perspective and point of
  view isnt being heard or reported.
• The IVV vendor challenges or dismisses those who
  speak out against the PM.
• IVV is being conducted by the system integrator.

STOP
Warning Signs

• Clearly define the reporting structure in the
  contract. It should be setup to support, not
  project the PM.
• Review findings openly with the team and allow
  for feedback and revision before reporting to the
  steering committee.

Some Suggestions
"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect
can only advise his clients to plant vines." -
Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959)
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Reasons for IVV Failure - No IVV Methodology

• Lack of standard IVV deliverables.
• Project delivery method is not understood by the
  IVV team.
• IVV vendor is learning as they go.
• The IVV communication strategy is non-existent
  or ineffective.

STOP
Warning Signs
I thought you were using RUP?

• Validate the method and approach WITHIN the
  context of the project type.
• Review the IVV communication plan.
• Ensure all team members understand the project
  delivery method.

Some Suggestions

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Reasons for IVV Failure - Poor Subject Matter
Expertise

• IVV team members seem unable to understand core
  deliverables.
• IVV team members dont challenge the project
  team members because they are unable to
  understand the issues.
• Review of IVV reports takes longer than planned.

STOP
Warning Signs

• Validate the competence of IVV team member
  expertise.
• Leverage team resources to support more technical
  areas and systems.
• Realistically scope IVV.

Some Suggestions

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Reasons for IVV Failure - Inability to Identify
Change Management and Organizational Issues

• Focus on requirements and technology.
• No dedicated effort focused on the people.
• The reality of the business or customer isnt
  included in the IVV process.
• Key change management deliverables are not
  reviewed by the IVV team.

STOP
Warning Signs

• Request a full time organizational or change
  management resource on the IVV team.
• Assign business/customer entities to participate
  in the IVV process.
• Mandate the review of CM and readiness
  deliverables.

Some Suggestions

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The Check List
IVV should be seen as a partner to reduce risk.

• IVV vendor has clearly defined roles
• Good reporting structure
• Over-communicate the timing, expectations, and
  process for IVV.
• Consistent methods

Expectations and Structure

• IVV team has total access people, processes,
  tools, deliverables, meetings, end-users.
• IVV method must be we are here to help not
  blame
• Project team members must feel safe talking to
  IVV team.
• IVV starts early

Analysis

• Maintain independence - IVV team reports
  findings to a senior management team who is not
  personally vested in the project.
• Reports are communicated to the team in a follow
  up workshop to discuss what could be done to
  improve delivery.
• Actively follow-up on critical issues in the next
  IVV Analysis.

Reporting
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Questions?