HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools - OneCPD

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HMIS Project Management Topics and ToolsChapter 2: Overview of HMIS Management TasksProject Operations vs. Community Aspects of HMIS ManagementHMIS project management can be divided into two primary categories: Project operations andcommunity management. Tasks associated with managing the software application, systeminfrastructure, training and technical support, and data are classified under the Project Operationsheading. Tasks associated with managing the personal and organizational relationships of thoseinvolved in the HMIS are considered under the Community Management heading. The HMIScommunity begins with the staff and clients of homeless programs as well as local funders andadvocates. The community can also extend to the general local community, researchers, andother HMIS implementers across the country.Project operations tasks are more finite, clearly defined, and quantifiable. One can assigndeadlines and allocate resources to them, build them into a project plan, and report on theirstatus. By contrast, community management tasks are more qualitative and are never complete.While operations require rapid progress, community management requires time to build trust andconsensus. Thus the two types of tasks are often in conflict; however, both are critical to asuccessful HMIS initiative and must be consciously balanced and managed. This document isorganized using these two primary categories, recognizing that the two are intimatelyinterrelated.This chapter presents the various tasks of an HMIS project. Chapter Three explains commonstaffing models and staff positions that are used to manage these tasks.Project Operations TasksPrimary project operations responsibilities are listed below. The first four items are discussed inmore detail in Chapter Four. Many of the other tasks, though overseen by the project manager,are often delegated primarily to another staff member. Thus, system administration, technicalsupport, training, and data analysis are discussed in more depth in Chapter Three.The remaining items, which are no less important, are not discussed further in this document.Some of these topics are addressed in previous HUD documents, a comprehensive list of whichcan be found in Appendix 1. In addition, separate white papers addressing several of these itemsare planned for 2005.1. Managing the project plan. The project manager designs the project plan, oversees theprogress of the plan, and steers the project clear of major risks.2. Maintaining policies and procedures. The project manager ensures that the communityhas standard policies and procedures, that all parties are compliant with the procedures,and that the procedures themselves are up-to-date and reflect current regulations.4
HMIS Project Management Topics and Tools3. Managing agency contracts and participation. The project manager is responsible forcontracting and working with agencies that are participating in the HMIS project andensuring that all parties are fulfilling their obligations.4. Software provider relations. The project manager is the liaison to the software providerand is responsible for negotiating contracts and ensuring that the provider fulfills itsobligations and addresses software issues that are important to the project.5. System administration and information security. Project staff are responsible for dayto-daysystem administration, including web, application, and database serveradministration; software maintenance and the overall security and privacy of the system(e.g. installing virus protection, operating the system, firewall updates); user accountmanagement; audit log maintenance; data integrity; hardware maintenance; and databack-up and disaster recovery processes. Many of these system administration tasks maybe outsourced to the solution provider, a consultant, or a third-party vendor; however,some of the tasks will need to remain in-house and the project manager will need tosupervise any contracted parties.6. Technical support. The project manager ensures that HMIS end users have appropriatesupport to respond to questions or address problems with the HMIS software.7. Training. The project manager determines the appropriate training models and topics forthe community and ensures that the training is being carried out consistently andeffectively.8. Data Analysis. Data analysis may also fall to the project manager, be overseen by amember of the Continuum, or contracted out to a qualified data analyst (usually aprofessional researcher: a freelancer, private company, or a local university) to clean,aggregate, and analyze project data. Qualified researchers can help determine whetherdata are statistically valid and whether apparent trends or variations between sub-groupsare statistically significant. They can also help interpret the data within the largercommunity and policy context.9. Budgeting. Most HMIS projects rely on a mix of public and private dollars to operate theHMIS. To maximize the use of limited resources, project managers must continuouslyassess and justify the costs of operating the HMIS. Costs may include staff time, stafftraining, travel, equipment, software licensing fees, data analysis, conference fees, servermaintenance, phone and printing. Project managers may also be involved in applying forand/or managing the revenue sources.10. Contract Compliance. Depending on the requirements imposed by the HMIS’s fundingsources, the project manager may also need to understand the reporting requirements orother system requirements of its funders. For instance, the project manager will need towork with the software solution provider and agency users to comply with the recentlyreleased Final Notice. 11 HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice, Federal Register 4848-N-01 (July 2004).5
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