Business & Tech Standards

Business Domain

The Business Domain maintains standards, documents, and methodologies that will enable the Department of Human Service's (DHS's) Information Technology (IT) projects to fully meet the needs of the business functions they are intended to support, deliver all expected benefits, and are completed on time and on budget. The Business Domain is comprised of principles, best practices, tools and templates designed to improve the Department's ability to manage its Information Resource Management (IRM) investment, successfully deliver IT projects and to minimize risk.

This Section consists of Project Management guidelines, process maps, tools, and templates for the following processes:

Process Diagrams

  • ITSS Contract Modification-Enhancement Road Map (RFP 16-09) (Visio 2007 or later)
  • RFP 16-09 Handoffs (Visio 2007 or later)
  • Operational Readiness Certification Roadmap (Visio 2007 or later)
  • ITSS (16-09 Contract) Maintenance Process (Visio 2007 or later)

Outreach

Project Strategy

  •  Community of Practice (CoP) — The CoP process focuses on enterprise information technology planning and project prioritization to CoP Approval Process — a more detailed description of the CoP process from the Office of Administration/Office for Information Technology (OA OIT).
    • Ensure the governor's budget includes the most critical IT projects which are aligned with enterprise goals;
    • Develop plans to address comparable projects from multiple agencies in a collaborative, non-redundant manner
  • Annual Scoping For RFP 16-09 Contracts Guideline
  • Project Charter Template

Project Initiation

Project Planning

  • Work Planning & Scheduling — The Work Plan Standard is a tool project managers use to create the project's schedule. Using a standardized template, the Work Plan Standard is flexible enough for project managers to tailor the schedule to the specific needs of the project. It includes timeframe estimates needed to accomplish the activities and tasks, the duration for completing the activities and tasks, and the resources needed to complete the activities and tasks. The Work Plan Standard outlines:
  • Procedures Guidelines — Guidelines are provided to assist with conducting quality reviews. Quality reviews are performed to ensure the established system development and project management processes and procedures are being followed effectively — and exposures and risks to the current project plan are identified and addressed.
  • Architecture Review Board (ARB) — ARB 1, ARB 2, ARB 3 and ARB 4 meetings are held to review the architectural direction for major application changes to verify that the strategic technical vision is maintained, existing solutions are leveraged, lessons learned are communicated and the proposed technical solution is supported and understood by all.
  • Tools Templates and Forms — * These are MS Project files.  We recommend saving the files then opening with MS Project.

Project Execution & Control

  • Corrective Action Plan — Addresses Contract Requirements Deficiencies

  • System Development Methodology (SDM) — includes all the phases, high-level activities, and tasks necessary to ensure the successful development and delivery of custom-built business solutions. The Department of Human Services has defined two software development methodologies for custom software development initiatives: 1) Modified Water Fall (MWF) and 2) Rapid Application Development (RAD). Both software development methods use the Architecture Review Board (ARB) process as well as the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Project Life Cycle (PLC) phases, all of which are integrated into a master project plan for IT business solution planning, development, and delivery.

    These methodologies are integrated with the project management methods to provide the framework and governance to oversee and manage the project resources to ensure the system developed meets the requirements specified in the RFP/contract and satisfies the project sponsor, business operations, and end user's needs.

    The project management team executes all of the plans, processes, and procedures summarized and referenced in the Master Project Plan. Particular attention is paid to the SDM approach used, the timely production and quality of deliverables from all contractors and state staff. Constant monitoring of quality, risks and issues, schedule, costs, SLAs, requirements status, and overall project status is required.

    Both software development methods use project management resources with a cross-functional team consisting of business and technical subject matter experts (SMEs) and practitioners. SDM stages, associated tasks, and logistics are integrated into a master project plan and then appropriately managed and resourced to achieve successful outcomes. A Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG) is the focal point for business IT solution review and process improvement. This group is a cross-functional technical team composed of practitioners who have varied skills. The group is at the center of the collaborative effort of everyone in the organization who is involved with software engineering process improvement. SEPG is a collaboration of two entities within the Bureau of Information Systems (BIS): 1) the Division of Technology Engineering (DTE) and 2) the Division of Enterprise Applications (DEA). These two entities participate in the Architecture Review Board process and the Center of Excellence (COE) establishing applicable development technologies, standards, and associated software quality control and assurances processes that are aligned with the agency’s business drivers and technology road maps.

Standards Supplementary Guidelines Templates and Forms Checklists