1. IS&T Project Reviews
September 9, 2004

2. Project Review Overview
Facilitative approach that actively engages a number of key project staff and senior IS&T members in discussions of the success targets, dependencies, and issues of a project
Goal:
Project Success
There are no surprise issues in 3 months
Internal IS&T Review, but across IS&T
Proactively identify risks and generate potential mitigation strategies
Opportunity to surface issues with ‘no fear of repercussions’
11/27/2018

3. Pre Planning Reviews should not require ‘new’ documentation
Documentation should be distributed one week prior to the review
Project should develop a time-boxed agenda
General reviews are 2 hours in length
Attendance list is generated based on the key focus of the review
11/27/2018

4. Target Audience Attendance list depends on:
the project’s current phase,
the timing of the review, and
the focus of the review
technical, managerial, financial, business process, etc.
All reviews should consist of
Key Project Staff
Project Manager,
Team Leader,
Client Relationship Manager
Senior Members of IS&T
VPs office
Directors
Technical Architects
Financial Business Consultants
Process experts
Testing experts
Key Managers
11/27/2018

5. Scheduling
Full scale project reviews add the greatest value when they are conducted at natural breakpoints in the project – between phases.
By conducting reviews at the completion of a phase or release, the review provides the opportunity to review the project status and focus on what needs to be done to meet the next challenge
11/27/2018

6. Project Review Information
Project Overview – Description of Project
Delivery Assessment
All of the delivery assessment sections should contain the following details:
Overview / Status
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality analysis
Delivery Assessment Sections
Customer Relationship
Delivery Solution – Functional/Business
Delivery Solution – Technical
Project Management Processes
Work Plan
Staffing
Partners/3rd Parties
Financial Summary
Issue and Risk Management
11/27/2018

7. Project Overview Description of project Review of previous phases
Succinct Summary of Project Scope
Description of current phase
Why are we doing this project?
What is the value of the project?
Review of previous phases
11/27/2018

8. Customer Relationship
Overview / Status
Customer Expectations
Critical Success Factors
Communication Plans
User training
Roll out plan
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

9. Delivery Solution – Functional/Business
Overview / Status
Items to consider
Business Readiness for Solution (e.g., change management, training)
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

10. Delivery Solution - Technical
Overview / Status
Items to consider
Architecture considerations
Production Support Plan/Training
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

11. Project Management Processes
Overview / Status
Items to consider
Tools and Procedures
Scope Management
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

12. Work Plan Overview / Status Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Updated Project / Task Plan
Estimated vs Actual
Focus on deliverables
Roadmap
Dependency Chart
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

13. Requirements Validation
Sample Roadmap Availability of deployment box caused a major delay with a cascading effect on downstream sequential tasks
11/03
12/03
1/04
2/04
3/04
4/04
5/04
6/04
8/04
10/04
Project Kickoff
Today
4/19/04
Original Plan
Actual
= Delivery
Will Move
LEGEND
Requirements Validation
Deployment Box Ready
Deployment Box Ready 1
Install Product
Install Product
Detailed Designs
Detailed Designs
Code and Unit Test
Code and Unit Test
System Test
System Test
Client Testing / UAT
Client Testing / UAT
DEPLOYMENT
11/27/2018

14. Sample Dependency Chart
Business Requirements
9/30
12/10
Dev Server Build (box, 3rd
party, etc)
2/19
Product
Install
2/26
5/7
Test Server
Build
End Date
Business
Client IT
IS&T
Client IT
Requirements Validation
11/10
3/12
Treatment
Schedule
Design
4/14
4/20
Strategy
Design
4/16
Technical
Design
4/30
6/1
Code and
Unit Test
End Date
5/31
Capacity
Planning
End Date
6/15
Production
Server
Build
End Date
IS&T
Business
IS&T
IS&T
IS&T
IS&T
6/18
System Test
End Date
IS&T
Client IT
11/11
IS&T
Strategy
Definition
10/24
Functional
Training
End Date
9/30
Production
Support Plan
End Date
10/24
Technical
Training
End Date
Business
IS&T
Client IT
IS&T
4/12
5/21
10/22
End Date
Design
Code and
Unit Test
End Date
6/18
System Test
End Date
Integrated Testing
(End to End,
Volume, and UAT)
10/24
Dress
Rehearsal
End Date
LEGEND
Client IT
Client IT
Client IT
Client IT
Client IT
= DONE
Target
End Date
Implementation
Plan
= ON TRACK
Client IT
= THREAT
= JEOPARDY
7/2
Training
Server Build
End Date
7/31
Communication
Plan
End Date
7/31
End Date
10/25
End User
Training
End Date
10/31
DEPLOY
End Date
M&P, Org,
Readiness
Client IT
IS&T
Consultant
Business/Sponsor
Target Date
End Date
Task
Owner
Client IT
Business
Business
Business
Client IT
11/27/2018

15. Staffing Overview / Status Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Documented Roles and Responsibilities
Includes staff and client assignments, allocations, and targeted roll off dates
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

16. Partners / 3rd Parties Overview / Status
Items to Consider
Consultant relationships
Contractual Perception/Issues
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

17. Financials Summary Overview / Status
Project Specific Financials
Project Budget
IS&T Cost
Full Cost Analysis
Cost of the program the project is associated with
Total cost to MIT
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

18. Issues and Risk Management
Overview / Status
Issue Tracking Spreadsheet (or similar tool)
Risks and Associated Mitigation Strategy
Identification and mitigation plans
Include opportunity cost (e.g., if the project extends 1 month, then that requires the staff to stay engaged on this project for 1 month)
Distribute issue summary to end users
Quality Analysis
11/27/2018

19. Sample Risk Slide
Risk: Client makes resource and timing decisions without fully contemplating their downstream impacts
Threat: Staffing decisions impact the work plan and the target implementation date
Mitigation Strategies:
Rigorously maintain the Project Plan and use it as a tool to communicate pros/cons/cause and effects of clients resource and timing decision. Maintain excellent relationship with client PM such that client adopts the good managerial practices being modeled by IS&T
Previous Current
11/27/2018

20. During Review
Project Manager, or designee, should document all actions items/issues that surface during the review
Action Items #
Action Item
Responsible Person
Due Date
Status
11/27/2018

21. Post Review
Action items/issues should be distributed immediately upon conclusion of the review
Updates should be distributed on a regular basis (e.g., weekly) until all of the action items/issues are resolved
Project should provide feedback to the project review process (e.g., continuously evolving process)
11/27/2018