ICT Project Management

1
ICT ProjectManagement

• A survival guide
• Dr Christopher OMahony
• Head Centre for Information Technology
• St Ignatius College, Riverview

2
In summary

• This presentation shares some examples of IT
  projects in schools, and hopefully shares some
  tips on how to survive the IT Project
  battleground.
• Good News and Bad News
• Some wider context
• A cynical view
• Key learnings
• A sample case study
• Some useful links

3
The presenter

• Christopher OMahony
• Head Centre for IT, St Ignatius College,
  Riverview
• In school IT management roles since 1997
• PhD research in school management information
  systems, IT evolution, IT evaluation,
  organisational culture
• Involved in various IT projects such as
• Management information systems
• Library systems
• Voice-over-IP
• SAN / DDT
• ISP
• Reprographics

4
The good news

• The fact that this conference is happening, and
  that this topic is included, is indicative of the
  growing professionalism among school IT
  management.
• Most of us, during our tenure in these positions,
  will be involved to a greater or lesser extent in
  IT projects.
• Increasingly in schools, other organisational
  units are looking to IT managers for robust
  methodologies and discipline, rigour and
  objectivity in capital projects.
• BUT

5
The bad news

• In the 1990s, the average life span of a senior
  IT manager was about 900 days.
• A common cause of IT manager casualty is failed
  IT projects.
• Aalders, R., Hind, P., (2002) The IT Managers
  Survival Guide, Chichester, UK John Wiley
  Sons.
• Industry analysis tells that MOST IT projects
  fail
• For example
• UK NHS 4 years over time, GBP 10 billion over
  budget
• Australian Customs 4 weeks container processing
  backlog on implementation

6
Defining project failure

• Project abandonment
• Cost overruns
• Time overruns
• Incomplete implementation / functionality
• Major causes
• Degree of user involvement
• Executive management support
• Project management experience

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Smaller initiatives fare better at reaching goals
than larger projects do.
(Courtesy Information Age, 2005)
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(Courtesy Information Age, 2005)
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(Courtesy Information Age, 2005)
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(Courtesy Information Age, 2005)
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Project Management Truths
A cynical view

• Never underestimate the ability of senior
  management to buy a bad idea, and fail to buy a
  good idea.
• Quantitative project management is for
  predicting cost and schedule overruns well in
  advance.
• Project meetings are events where minutes are
  kept, and hours are lost.
• We build systems like the Wright brothers built
  airplanes build the whole thing, push it off a
  cliff, let it crash, and then start all over
  again.

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Project Management Truths
A cynical view

• Projects happen in two ways (a) Planned and
  then executed or (b) Executed, stopped, then
  planned and executed.
• Good project management is not so much knowing
  what to do and when, as knowing what excuses to
  give and when.
• Some projects finish on time in spite of project
  management best practices.
• Users dont know what they want until they get
  it. Then they know what they DONT want.

13
Key learnings

• Successful projects have demonstrable discipline,
  rigour and objectivity
• Link all IT projects to the IT Strategic Plan
  avoid unplanned projects
• Different leadership types on a project team (eg
  Business, IT, Academic) have different dynamics,
  and these need to be managed
• Engage senior management in all major projects

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Key learnings

• There is rarely a pure IT project
• Clarify whos driving
• Be wary of resourcing assumptions
• Prioritise your projects
• Build in plenty of milestones and progress
  meetings
• Avoid scope creep
• Talk straight
• Learn how to say No

15
One Case Study School MIS project

• The case for change
• Building project approval
• Governance and team structure
• Internal stakeholder consultation
• External enquiries
• The Tender
• Phase 1 - evaluations
• Phase 2 - presentations
• Phase 3 Selection and contract
• Conversion and trial
• Go live
• Post implementation

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The case for change

• 2004
• Business Office driving the call for change
• Areas requiring review
• Fees Billing
• Registrations Admissions
• Foundation and OIU
• School shop
• Facilities
• Assets

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Project approval

• Early 2004
• Business Case presented to
• IT Committee
• Finance Committee
• College Council
• Initial rule-of-thumb budget approved
• Project Team established
• External support from industry professionals

18
Evaluation Governance Team Structure
IT Steering
Committee
Project Steering Committee
Ongoing Support
Business Requirements
Implementation Plan
Price
Commercial
G Conlon K Corbett
G Conlon C OMahony
G Conlon C OMahony
G Conlon K Corbett
G Conlon C OMahony L Holden (P2) B Peatman
(P2) K Corbett (P2)
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Stakeholder consultation

• Term 1 2004
• Questionnaires to all stakeholders
• Focus Group meetings
• What have we got that must be retained?
• What have we got that must be dumped?
• What have we NOT got that we must have?
• What have we NOT got that wed like to have?
• Broad email enquiries to other ADAPE members

20
Evaluation from ADAPE members
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The Tender

• Stakeholder consultation in Term 1 informed
  Requirements Specification
• Clear expectations of tender respondents
• Closed tender
• Incumbent invited to respond

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Longlist to Shortlist

• Make your tender document self-scoring
• Use quantitative analysis to justify selection /
  rejection
• Score each dimension
• Weight each dimension
• Consider price last
• Remember to include items such as
• Conversion costs (export as well as import)
• Customisation / configuration costs
• Training costs

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Evaluation Phases

• Phase 1
• Assessment of compliance and evaluation against
  evaluation criteria
• Phase 2
• Discussions, clarification, negotiations and
  reference checks with short-listed Suppliers.
  Update evaluation.
• Phase 3
• Finalise contract with preferred supplier,
  including further discussions and negotiations as
  appropriate

Short-listed Suppliers
Preferred Supplier
Signed Contract
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Evaluating Proposals
Evaluation Methodology
Evaluation Criteria
Weightings
Scoring Rules
Evaluating Price
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Evaluation Criteria Weightings (excl. Price)
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Phase 1 Evaluation Results

• Business Requirements
• Implementation Plan
• Ongoing Services
• Commercial
• Price

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Business Requirements Comparison-1
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Business Requirements Comparison-2
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Implementation Plan Comparison
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Ongoing Services Comparison
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Commercial Comparison
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Phase 1 Summary (excl Price)
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Price per Point of Value Approach

• Lowest price per point of value score highest
  ranked supplier
• The service providers response must meet
  Riverviews minimum requirements on each of the
  non-price evaluation criteria

Price per Point of Value Score
NPV for Supplier

Weighted Score for Supplier
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Financial Comparison - 1
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Financial Comparison - 2
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Narrowing the field

• Vendor presentations
• We drove the agenda, not the vendor
• Important to use real-life scenarios / scripts
• Level playing field for all presentations
• No second chance
• Reference site checking
• Vendor recommendations
• Plus our own enquiries

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Selection and Contract

• From two down to one
• Keep 1 and 2 keen right to the very end
• Contracts
• Dont simply accept the standard contract
• Make the extra effort to ensure the contract
  matches your needs
• Always make sure your school legal advisers
  review the contract

38
Conversion and trial

• If converting data from old system to new system
• Do your best to retain support from outgoing
  vendor.
• Allocate plenty of time and resources to test the
  converted data.
• Worth considering at least two iterations of the
  conversion-and-trial cycle.
• Ensure robust change request procedure is in
  place during this phase.

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Go live!

• November 2004 Conversion--Trial 1
• January 2005 Conversion--Trial 2
• March 2005 Go Live!
• Train! Train! Train!
• Support! Support! Support!

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Post implementation

• March 2005 was chosen for implementation as it
  had the least impact on our daily business.
• By Term 2, we were ready to use the new system
  for the second billing run.
• Weve now been working with the new system for
  over one year.
• Every month / term that goes by things get
  easier, smoother, more second-nature.
• The old system is still available for reference,
  which is helping to mop up inconsistencies.
• We have also been building communication channels
  with other schools using the system, which is
  helping to inform the vendor of future
  improvements.

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Other Project Applications

• At Riverview, we have been using essentially the
  same methodology for about three years, for
  projects such as
• Internet Service Provision
• Storage solution (SAN/DDT)
• Reprographics refresh
• Integrated Library Management System

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Useful links

• There is an increasing requirement for IT Project
  Managers to have formal accreditation
• AIPM Australian Institute of Project Management
• www.aipm.com.au
• Endorsed courses
• www.aipm.com.au/html/aipm_endorsed_courses_act_nsw
  .cfm
• Sydney University Project Management Graduate
  Programme (PMGP)
• www.pmgp.usyd.edu.au
• PRINCE2
• http//www.ogc.gov.uk/prince2/

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In Conclusion

• Good ICT projects must be informed by robust
  research and well-exercised methodology
• Good ICT projects must be continuously evaluated
  and reviewed
• Good ICT projects lead to improved organisational
  agility and effectiveness.

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Contact Details

• Dr Christopher OMahony
• Head Centre for Information Technology
• Saint Ignatius College, Riverview
• Tambourine Bay Road, Riverview, NSW 2066
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• Web www.riverview.nsw.edu.au Email
  cdomahony_at_riverview.nsw.edu.au