HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools - OneCPD

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HMIS Project Management Topics and Toolsback to them with any decisions that need to be made. It is important that the project managerestablish clear timetables for decision making to maintain the trust of advisory members.Content of Committee InputWhatever power the committee has, it is impractical for it to weigh in on every decision. As theperson most knowledgeable about the project, the project manager sets the agenda for thecommittee meetings. Thus, the project manager actually has a lot of control over what thecommunity weighs in on and what is up to his or her discretion. This power should be used, butwisely. Members of the governing or advisory committee do expect to provide input in importantmatters.One useful distinction is between permanent matters that are difficult to reverse and transient orreversible matters. The community should have input on permanent matters, such as whatsoftware to use, whether to require written consent, what security precautions to implement, orprotocols to release data. The community has to live with these decisions for a long time, and theproject manager does not want to bear total responsibility for the decision. The communityshould be informed and advise, but have less control over day-to-day matters, such as how manytrainings to conduct, when to schedule an upgrade, and which programs should be rolled out tofirst.Put another way, the community should provide input on aspects of the project that it will haveto own, regardless of who is running the project. As shown in the previously referencedexamples, the content areas for input by the committee can be delineated in the MandateDocument. If committee members attempt to micromanage by focusing too strongly on the dayto day aspects of the project, the project manager or committee chair will need to be firm insteering the committee back to the broader issues. The project manager will want to affirm thatinput is valuable, but that that she will make the final decisions regarding day-to-day issues.Committee SupportIn addition to advising or deciding on key issues, the HMIS Committee can support the projectmanager by taking on various responsibilities. The support of the committee can be useful inhelping to persuade reluctant providers to participate. Committee members can be assigned toengage particular providers. Committee members should also be asked to support the project if itencounters political resistance or negative press coverage. The homeless providers that supportthe project are ideal candidates to speak up on behalf of the HMIS’s benefits to homeless personsand the homeless community at large. Supportive homeless and formerly homeless consumersshould also be tapped to for their perspective and to potentially tout the benefits of the system toskeptical consumers, reluctant service providers and local press.Working groups, User groups and ConsumersMany communities have working groups or sub-committees in addition to the primary HMIScommittee. Some of these working groups are ongoing such as homeless consumer involvementand user issues. Other working groups are delegated finite tasks such as selecting software or40
HMIS Project Management Topics and Toolsdrafting policies and procedures. Frequently the time-limited groups evolve into ongoingoperational committees. Thus a group originally formed to draft policies and procedures couldhelp monitor compliance. The project manager should ensure that every working group has achairperson who can report on progress, a delineated task, a deliverable and a timeline. The chairmight be another HMIS staff member or governing board or committee member. The projectmanager should also be copied on working group correspondence. The project manager shouldreview decision making rules with any new or existing working group.According to the Status Assessments, of the 43 communities that provided data on workinggroups, the most frequently cited type of group is charged with developing policies andprocedures. Many communities also had Technology and User Issues Groups. On average,communities had 3 working groups.Figure 5.3: Prevalence of Various Types of Working GroupsType ofCommitteePercent ofCommunitiesPolicies and procedures 72%Technology issues 51%User issues (user group) 51%Data analysis, release, access 42%Policy & advocacy (using data) 28%Consumer involvement 21%Other 28%Twenty-eight percent of communities had working groups in other areas. These included:• Training• Data Quality Control• Expanding Participation• Data Standards Compliance• Performance Measurement• Visioning• Fiscal/Contracts• Privacy• Fundraising/Financial• Government LiaisonSupport/Sustainability• Marketing and Public Perception• Data Conversion• Software Selection• Data Elements• Domestic Violence41
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HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools - OneCPD

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