Part 4 - Iowa Medicaid Enterprise

RFP MED-12-001 | Technical ProposalIowa Medicaid Enterprise System Service Procurement | MMIS and Core MMIS Operations8.2.7.9 Cost ManagementRFP Section 6.2.3.9Team Noridian's resource management processes are rooted in our experience in determining andmanaging staff for large scale development, design, implementation, and operations projects and arebased on industry best practices aligned with the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) ProjectManagement Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK), Fourth Edition. Time (schedule) managementprocesses as defined in the PMBOK, are closely aligned with the PMBOK scope management activitiesand the work breakdown structures (WBS) that are created as part of the scope management activities arethe main input to work plan creation. In turn, the work plan which describes all tasks, activities,deliverables, and schedule required for each project is the main framework used to determine theresources needed for each project.The purpose of activity resource estimating is to schedule the resources needed to perform the workwithin the prescribed timeframe. This involves determining the types of resources (skill sets) and numbersof each resource needed for each schedule activity. Our resource estimating uses and considers thefollowing as inputs to the process:• Organization job descriptions for each position title• Activity attributes developed during the activity definition step• Any imposed constraints such as a set deadline• Past experience with similar tasks on similar projects• Staff availability information to determine when existing resources, where applicable, willbe availableTeam Noridian uses a bottom-up/top-down approach to determine the overall number of resources neededto accomplish each activity. We rely on subject matter experts (SME) and historical data used indeveloping similar project schedules to make an educated assessment of the resources needed and thetime each activity will take. As we define and sequence all activities, we continually examine all resultingschedule activities to ensure that they are at the level of decomposition needed to properly manage thetask. This level of decomposition differs depending on the type of task. For example, the Department'sreview of a deliverable might need to be decomposed to a two week level while day-to-day operationstasks, such as system support, can be properly managed at a much higher level of decomposition.Once we have assigned resources to each of the tasks at the proper level, we perform sanity checks usingour past experience along with automated tools such as Microsoft Project to validate data to ensure staffmembers are not overextended and that the work allocations are achievable and sensible. We adjust thestaffing allocations as needed by changing the timeline, or assigning additional resources, or furtherdecomposing the tasks.Estimates for WBS elements and their associated work packages have already been developed as wedeveloped the proposal; however, these estimates will be further refined and modified during projectstart-up to reflect the results of contract negotiations and any start-up discussions. Costs will be baselinedand monitored and controlled by the Team Noridian PMO. Team Noridian maintains actual versusplanned costs for each work package defined by the PMO and our leads and supervisors and required toreport and explain variances as a part of our management system. Team Noridian will report cost varianceinformation from the data collected as a part of our normal monitoring process.8.2.7.10 Project Execution and ControlRFP Section 6.2.3.10Team Noridian’s proven management approach emphasizes proactive monitoring actions to ensuremilestones are met and corrective actions are implemented early. Noridian Administrative Services, LLC(Noridian), the prime contractor on this project is ultimately responsible for the success of the project and8 | 42