The Opportunity
The Office of Systems Integration (OSI) manages a project portfolio of complex automation projects worth over $5.5 billion. Each of the large-scale programs ran autonomously, utilizing their own internally developed processes, tools, and practices. The OSI executive leadership team was seeking to achieve operational improvements and standardized practices through the implementation of an Enterprise Project Management Office (PMO). The goal was to create a PMO to develop a Best Practices Framework (http://www.bestpractices.ca.gov/) and structured methodology, using standardized and repeatable processes throughout the project life cycle, and to institutionalize cross-project collaboration to ensure repeatable project success.
Our Approach
Asses the Current State
The Continuity Consulting team assessed the current capabilities and maturity of the OSI project management practices by reviewing current documentation, interviews, and cross functional focus sessions with OSI executives, Project Directors, Project Managers, and team members. The assessment included:
Clarify the Preferred Future
The Continuity team partnered with OSI leadership and project managers to clarify the preferred future and define desired outcomes for the PMO. The target state, based on strategic organizational business objectives and operational improvements, sought to meet State and Federal requirements and align with industry standards and best practices.
Analyze the GAPs
Continuity compared the target state with the current state in order to identify the gaps to be addressed. The gap assessment report highlighted gaps in project management best practices, processes, governance, roles and responsibilities, and organizational alignment.
Design, Develop, and Implement
The Continuity team collaborated with OSI staff to design the Enterprise Project Management Office and develop a standard project management methodology.
PMO Office Development: The Continuity team created an office charter which provided the business justification and purpose for the PMO, along vision, mission, goals, objectives, and performance measures. The team developed the PMO staffing plan, roles, responsibilities, governance and the overall organization structure.
Project Management Methodology: The team developed a project management methodology that included processes, procedures, tools, and templates that addressed each of the project management process areas (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing), and the nine project management knowledge areas (Project Integration Management, Scope Management, Time Management, Cost Management, Quality Management, Human Resource Management, Communications Management, Risk Management, Procurement Management, and Stakeholder Management.) In addition, the team developed the linkages, relationships to other parallel processes and interdependencies that include procurement, funding and the system development life cycle (SDLC). A new website was designed and developed that incorporated the newly created project management resources. http://bestpractices.ca.gov/
Organizational Change Management: The project included organizational change activities including an organization wide communication strategy, training project managers and staff on the new processes and templates, and onboarding new PMO staff.
The Results
OSI receiving national awards and recognition.
OSI Receives National Recognition Awards
The Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) have each recognized OSI for developing a unique web based Best Practices framework for project management and acquisition services that provides a structured methodology utilizing standardized and repeatable processes throughout the project life cycle.
The CDG awarded the OSI the nationally recognized Digital Government Achievement Award for its management of large IT projects in the government-to-government category. Additionally, NASCIO announced the OSI as a finalist in the “Enterprise IT Management Initiatives category,” for deployment and use of its own unique brand of project management tools and processes through the Best Practices Website.