HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools - OneCPD

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HMIS Project Management Topics and ToolsChapter 4: Managing Project OperationsThis chapter provides more detailed information on a subset of the project operation tasksdescribed in Chapter Two. Specific topics include:• Managing the project plan;• Maintaining policies and procedures;• Managing agency contracts and participation; and• Software provider relations.Other operational tasks listed in Chapter Two are often outsourced or delegated to other staffmembers and were covered in the previous chapter. Although the tasks and relationshipsdescribed in this chapter also involve managing community relationships, the topics are specificto operations. Chapter Five targets broader communication issues with these and other audiences.Managing the Project PlanThe project manager sets the course for the HMIS project by designing a project plan, overseeingprogress, and identifying risks and steering clear of them. Moving from larger targets to smaller,the project manager defines the overall goals and activities of the project and breaks these downinto distinct areas of work and specific tasks under each area. The manager also determines wheneach task needs to be done, in what order, and by whom.Some might view managing the project plan as secondary to the other more direct tasks listed inthe plan. However, creating, reviewing, adjusting and updating the project plan, reporting on thestatus of the plan, analyzing risks to the plan, and incorporating means of avoiding or mitigatingthe impact of these risks all take a significant amount of time. These activities should be viewedas central to the project manager’s work.Project managers have four primary system-level variables to work with when managing theplan. These are:1. Time2. Money/Resources3. Scope/Tasks4. QualityThese four variables, taken together, constitute the project manager’s contractual obligations.Often, however, quality is not specifically defined. Changing any one of these variables willhave an impact on one or more of the others. For example, suppose the timeframe for expandingthe system to ten new agencies is cut in half from two months to one month and the process forrolling out software to new agencies includes training each new user in each agency one on onefor four hours. In this case, the scope of the effort (ten agencies) is fixed but the time is reduced.The project manager has two main options. First, he or she can devote more resources to theeffort by pulling staff off other tasks, demanding overtime work, or hiring extra staff – resulting18
HMIS Project Management Topics and Toolsin increased costs or reduced output elsewhere. Second, she or he can compromise on the qualityof the rollout procedures by training each person for only two hours or training in pairs. Themanager might accept this compromise even though it may result in increased need for technicalsupport later. Both options have advantages and disadvantages and implications on other systemvariables.As is clear form the example above, the project manager often has control over one or two ofthese elements, while the other elements will be imposed from the outside. In the previousexample, the deadlines and scope were imposed from the outside, but the project manager hadmore control over resources and quality. The more control the project manger has, the greaterthe likelihood of success. Without control of at least one of these variables, the project managercannot manage the project effectively. It is generally not possible to do something faster or forless money, without adjusting the scope or quality of the work. Nor is it possible to increase thescope without draining resources, impacting deadlines, or sacrificing quality.Once the plan is developed, a summary project scope document, such as Appendix 7, should becreated. The purpose of this document is to make sure that the governing committee, funders, orother individuals with oversight agree to the plan and do not have expectations beyond the scopeand the timeline established by the plan. Changes to any of the variables (e.g., budget cuts,unexpected expenses, additional tasks, shortened timeline) and the impact of these changes interms of the other variables should be documented (see Appendix 8). The project managershould also periodically report on the status of the plan, including whether tasks are on scheduleand in line with budget projections (see Appendix 9).Determining whether the project is on track in terms of time, resources, and scope is relativelystraightforward. It is more difficult to assess quality. The Metro Denver Homeless InitiativeHMIS Task List (see Appendix 2, Task 1.3) includes the establishment and maintenance ofQuality Plans. The quality plans include measurable goals and feedback mechanisms to helpdetermine the effectiveness of each major area of work, including data quality, rollout processes,and training.Managing RiskIn addition to the day-to-day system and community management, it is equally important to planfor the unexpected. Risks abound on both the project operations and community managementtracks. Given the complexity of HMIS, there are many possible risks that can potentially cripplethe project. Some areas of risk include:• Inadequate funding• Staffing shortages• Vendor business problems• Software functionalinadequacies• Information security failures• Community/political resistance• Legal/compliance conflicts• Data/participation shortcomings19
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