Project Management Standard

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IT
About IT
Policies and Standards

Project Management
Project Management Standard
Scope and Purpose
This Information Technology Project Management Standard defines Information
Technology Projects and sets the standards for managing these projects according to the
best practices of the Project Management Institute. It is intended to provide clear
guidance and procedural steps for leading an Information Technology project from its
initial proposal through the project's close-out.

Definition of an Information Technology Project

Technology projects are categorized as Major or Non-major. Major Information
Technology Projects are defined as information technology projects that (i) are mission
critical, (ii) have statewide application; or (iii) have a total estimated cost of more than
$1 million. Non-major Information Technology Projects are those technology projects
with a total estimated cost greater than or equal to $100,000 and less than $1 million,
that are not mission critical, and do not have statewide application. Information
Technology Projects with a total estimated cost less than $100,000 can be managed at
the university unit level, and use of the best practices contained in the PM Standard is
strongly encouraged, but not required. Faculty research projects funded by grants are
not subject to this standard but if the project requires Information Technology
resources or impacts the Information Technology operation of the university than it is
strongly recommended that a project management methodology be followed.

Information Technology Project Management Office (PMO)

The Project Management Office within IT at William & Mary provides management
oversight and guidance for IT's entire project portfolio. The PMO performs three roles:
first, the PMO facilitates the project proposal and selection process with the aid of the
Project Management Oversight Committee (PMOC); second, the PMO serves as a
central repository for the storage of project documentation; and, third, the PMO is
responsible for ensuring that appropriate Project Manager training is available to
project managers in IT.

Project Management Oversight Committee (PMOC)

The Project Management Oversight Committee (PMOC) is charged with reviewing
project proposals, evaluating a project's complexity, and ultimately approving or
disapproving project proposals. For more complex projects the PMOC will evaluate
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project plans prior to execution and may assume additional responsibilities including,
but not necessarily limited to, securing a third party to perform independent validation
and verification (this is a requirement by the Commonwealth of Virginia for projects
costing over $1 million dollars). The PMOC may change from project to project.

Project Management Methodology

This section describes the project management processes that all IT projects must
follow. The methodology is closely aligned with the lifecycle an information
technology project typically undergoes. The lifecycle is comprised of four distinct yet
often overlapping phases. Each phase has at least one deliverable due which marks the
end of the phase. The four phases of a project's lifecycle are the Proposal phase, the
Planning phase, the Executing/Controlling phase, and the Closing phase. As stated, the
phases are distinct and sequential but can have significant overlap and reiteration
during an actual project's lifecycle. The table below presents each project phase along
with the key activities, milestones, and deliverable required.

Key Activities &

Project Phase Milestones Deliverable

Project Initiation ·Develop project Project Proposal

business case
·Identify key
stakeholders
·Project team meets to
set expectations, define
scope, and develop
proposal
·Initial complexity
assessment
·Proposal review by
PMOC

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 Project Planning ·Refine scope of Project Plan
project/product

·Perform system and

data security
assessment
·Finalize deliverables
·Develop schedule
·Develop budget
·Plan communications
strategy
·Develop plan for and
secure project
resources

·Develop post proiect

support plan
·Submit Project Plan to
PMOC for approval

Project ·Execute project tasks As identified in the Project Plan

Execution/Control ·Monitor project
progress
·Hold status meetings
·Document and manage
any change requests
·Provide PMOC with
critical status updates

Project Closeout ·Formal acceptance of Project documentation is finalized

final deliverable(s) from when lessons learned and other notes
customer have been documented in project
·Document lessons closeout report
learned
·Close out any
contracts (if necessary)
·Archive relevant
documents with PMO

Lower Cost Projects with High Complexity

Technology projects costing less than the $100,000 threshold can still be extremely
complex. Project complexity, measured in terms of risk and impact, should be
evaluated and incorporated into the project planning and execution/controlling
processes. This section provides tools and guidance for evaluating a project's
complexity. If a project's complexity is deemed to be high the project should be subject
to the project management processes and deliverables prescribed in this standard.

Evaluating Project Complexity

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For the purpsoes of this project management standard, project complexity will be
evalutated by two (2) factors: risk and impact.

Risk: in the context of this standard, risk is comprised of schedule risks and
dependency, quality/performance risks, human resource constraints, and
organizational challenges

Impact: in the context of this standard, impact is measured by the project's

overall budget and the magnitude of its effect on the business goals and operations of
the College.

Categorizing a project's complexity requires analyzing the project's potential risks and
its impact on the institution. During the Project Initiation phase the project team, with
input from key stakeholders, needs to meet to gauge the complexity of the project based
on the overall budget, the project duration and schedule dependencies, the number of
people affected by the project's deliverables, and the degree to which new technology is
being used or implemented, and any other risk factors present. A project scorecard
(doc) is available to facilitate this process. The project scorecard is intended to assist in
the final determination and not to prescribe a project's level of complexity solely based
on its output. Another helpful guide in determining a project's complexity are the
project complexity indicators (pdf). These indicators are distinct characteristics that
help determine a project's complexity. The ultimate decision about a project's
complexity, however, is the responsibility of the Project Manager and the key
stakeholders. Once a project's complexity has been established it will drive the level of
documentation and management oversight required. The PMOC reserves the right to
re-assess a project's complexity during the PMOC Proposal Review meeting.

Project Documentation and Management Oversight

The required project documentation and management oversight for an information
technology project is determined by assesing its impact and complexity. The IT Project
Proposal and Planning Template (xltx) provides criteria for assessing impact and
assigning a complexity rating. Projects with higher complexity ratings require more
management oversight and project documetnation than lower complexity projects.

Project Manager Selection and Training

Project managers are selected and assigned to projects by the Project Sponsor. The
training and certification required for a Project Manager depends on a project's
complexity and the assessment of the complexity by the PMOC. For medium- to high-
complexity projects, a certified Project Manager is assigned either as the Project
Manager or, at a minimum, as a consultant to the project. For low-complexity projects a
non-certified Project Manager may be assigned without a certified project manager as a
consultant. All new project managers are required to attend a project management
training course delivered by the Project Management Office in the department of
Information Technology.

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