Work Packages

Description

• Work Packages are detailed, project-workstep descriptions for small, separable groupings of activities within the BPI programme.  They serve as “turn-key” terms of reference describing work that may be assigned to a project workteam.  Work Packages are often used in place of Design Charters to specify activities of a subteam undertaking the implementation of Quick Wins.

When to use

• Work Packages can be created whenever a grouping of logical, interdependent work tasks is identified as “ready for assignment” to a workteam.  The actual date of assignment to a team may not be immediate and will depend on the timing of other interdependent activities.

Approach

An ongoing “laundry list” of suggestions for potential Work Packages is compiled over the course of the program.  The suggestions are reviewed at regular intervals and developed into detailed Work Packages, as appropriate:

• On an on-going basis, obtain suggestions from project team members and technical specialists for separable groupings of change/ implementation activities,
• For each logical grouping of activities, develop a separate Work Package that outlines:
• Objectives—specific goals.
• Outputs—expected results.
• Dependencies—other Work Packages whose results are interdependent.
• Worksteps—activities required to complete the Work Package.
• Resource Requirements—the skills and estimated time requirement of resources.
• Schedule—the estimated elapsed time frame for completion of the Work Package.
• Implementation Issues—Potential hurdles or risks associated with completion of the Work Package.
• Review the Work Package with appropriate decision-makers.  Modify as required.
• Include the Work Package in the appropriate section of the “Program Book” (i.e. as a supplement/ enhancement  to a Mobilisation Plan, Migration Plan or Implementation Plan).
• Identify the Work Package manager who will be held accountable for its successful completion (or a future candidate if the Work Package is to be commissioned at a later date).

Guidelines

Problems/Solutions

• Projects have a high risk of failure as they enter implementation.  Reduce this risk by developing and allocating Work Packages as early as possible.

Tactics/Helpful Hints

• Work Packages can be developed as soon as logical groupings of change activities are identified.  They may be assigned immediately to an accountable work package manager, or retained in a database and then commissioned at some later date.  By "stock-piling" Work Packages on an on-going basis, the organisation has them ready to draw down and commission without losing time.
• Create a single Work Package that governs the management/coordination of all other Work Packages (e.g. management all Quick Win implementation activities).
• The development of Work Packages usually requires several iterations with team members and management to ensure completeness (i.e. to avoid gaps and duplicated tasks) and the proper timing of dependent activities.  Accordingly, it is advantageous to assign the initial development of a Work Package to a single individual as soon as it is identified as a logical grouping of activities.
• Organisations may insist that detailed Work Packages be developed prior to presentation of the Committed Project Results and Budgets in order to ensure that all anticipated costs have been included in the total implementation cost estimates.
• Technology-related Work Packages often span a migration period of twelve months or longer.  There are, however, significant changes that can proceed without major technology alteration; the benefits of these should be derived as soon as possible.  Accordingly, non-technology dependent work packages should be commissioned early.

Examples / Templates

Example #1 illustrates a “laundry list” of potential sub-projects (from which work packages would be created) for a series of human resources-related processes (e.g., pay/benefits, staffing process, etc.).

Projects that must be completed to implement redesigned processes include:

1. Develop generic job specifications
1. With first page summary for posting purposes.
2. Standard clauses for posting
2. Develop staffing toolkit
1. Update/harmonise guidelines, document best practices, do’s and don’ts --         Develop checklist for process
2. Provide format for documenting selection justifications
3. Provide letter of offer templates
3. Establish CV database
1. Determine criteria for inclusion
2. Set up mechanism to ensure scanning of all recall/priority candidates
4. Develop classification toolkit
1. Document classification guidelines, checklist for process
5. Equip HR with an automated telephone answering service
1. Determine appropriate information and messages to be communicated
6. Develop comprehensive orientation package for new employees
1. Harmonise benefits/orientation package between two company locations
7. Develop salary administration toolkit
1. Harmonise compensation guidelines and document
2. Document checklist for process
3. Provide template
8. Develop termination toolkit
1. Document guidelines, checklist for process
9. Negotiate changes to collective agreements
1. eliminate pay exceptions
2. reduce differences in benefit coverage, coverage codes
3. convince unions to handle the administration associated with “bumping”
10. Negotiate changes with insurance carriers
11. Communicate changes to employees, line managers and unions
12. Train line managers in new process, new system, roles and responsibilities.
13. Develop workforce adjustment strategy for HR-transactions staff
14. Classify/staff positions within HR-transactions group
15. Train HR staff
16. Develop and implement support technology.

Example #2 outlines the migration Work Packages used in redesigning the “core process” of a small agency (200 employees) that distributes funds for research grants: Making Grant Decisions and Delivering Payments. It includes a Gantt Chart highlighting all migration activities as well as two sample Work Packages

Work Package 2:    

Redesign application forms & supporting information package

Objectives

To produce a simplified application form and information package that will minimize the amount of information required from the applicant, and the amount of time applied by both the applicant and Agency staff.

Deliverables

• Mandatory core application information requirements, standard across all programs.
• Mandatory program-specific application information requirements and support materials.
• Applicant "self-test" checklist to support self-screening of eligibility.
• Sample completed application form for clients to consult in completing their applications.
• "Did you remember" checklist for applicants in reviewing their application for completeness.
• Standard memorandum "to the applicant" describing the use of the "self-test" and the "did you remember" checklists, the policies regarding late submission of applications, return of supplementary documentation, tapes, etc., the Agency’s services for providing assistance to applicants and the Agency’s mechanisms for responding to successful and unsuccessful applicants.
• Question/answer sheets for common inquiries.

Dependencies

This work package can be initiated immediately.  Completion will require full approval of new policies (Work Package #1).

The deliverables must be provided to managers of the technology work packages.

Major Worksteps

1. Develop strawman of minimum mandatory application information requirements, both standard and program-specific.  Identify which information fields, if any, will not be directly accessible by computer for any staff member to change.
2. Review strawman with representatives of the Agency’s finance section and auditor.
3. Review strawman with representatives of each program.
4. Revise and present to management for approval.
5. Design one standard "fill in the blanks" form follow-up letter for notifying early applicants of incomplete information.
6. Design self-test checklist to determine applicant eligibility, by program
7. Prepare sample completed application forms.
8. Design "did you remember" checklist for applicant to review completeness of information
9. Prepare standard memorandum "to the applicant" on application policies and protocols for inclusion in all application information packages.
10. Communicate revised application forms and information package to all staff.
11. Communicate reasons for revised tools to clients, and request feedback.

Resources

• Work package manager (WPM); approx. 0.5 days per week for 4 weeks.
• Application Design and Analysis Team (ADAT); 2 people for approximately 3 days per week over 4 weeks.
• Program representatives
• Finance section representatives
• Representative(s) from auditor.

Schedule

• Elapsed time:  4 weeks.

Implementation Issues

It is expected that there will be periodic revisions to the grant application forms and information package as programs and eligibility criteria change with the needs of the research community.  The outputs of this work package, therefore, must be positioned to reflect the minimum mandatory information given today's programs.  The gains derived from this work package are large.  Work packages for redefining programs and eligibility criteria can run in parallel, but should not hold up completion of WP#2.

Re-education of clients will be critical to success in using the revised tools produced in this work package.

Value Chain Analysis

Description

• A method to present graphically the relationships between business functions by grouping them into high-level core and support processes which, taken together, add value to an organisation’s customers.

• Assists  management in visualising the core processes in the organisation that create value for customers and their interrelationships with other support processes.

When to Use

• The value chain is a subset of the Holistic Business Model  and is completed during the creation of that deliverable.  It is used to represent  the functions of the organisation in a standard diagram which serves as a unifying focal point for the organisation, and during analysis and selection of Focus Areas for improvement.
• It is particularly useful in organisations that have been exposed to the concept, are familiar with the format and are eager to develop a process-focused organisation.
• The value chain is also used to illustrate the relationship with suppliers and customers in what is known as a value system.  The value system consists of multiple value chains for organisations that purchase, or provide goods and services to each other.

Approach

The activities performed in creating an Entity-level Business Model will often generate enough information to develop a client’s value chain.  If sufficient detail is not gathered, a decision may be made to do further, more detailed business modeling.  Various modeling techniques may be utilised to diagram the business system and organisational linkages.  (Business Modeling)  At a minimum, they must be able to connect the different functions (objects) of the organisation, with the ability to depict work and information flows between them.

Once sufficient detail is collected, the value chain is completed by grouping the functions of the Business Model into logically related core and support processes.

• Collect and organize information.
• Use Entity-level Business Model
• Collect organisational charts, procedures and other information about the flow of information and processes through the organisation
• Interview department and area managers to learn more about the application of procedures and coordination aspects with other areas of the organisation.
• Determine if secondary Business Modeling is necessary
• If previous activities and experience do not provide enough information to create a draft business model, workshops and individual interviews may be conducted.  Material from these sessions, along with client-provided information should allow the development of a pictorial representation of the value chain.  Multiple sessions may be required to finalize the business model.  In most cases, it is desirable to start with a high-level model and add detail.
• Develop the draft value chain
• Logically thread functions of the business together to reflect the client's view of how "work gets done".
• Group the value-adding functions together, since they are the core processes.
• Group the remainder into logically-related support processes.
• Isolate the strategic management process as a stand-alone.
• Delineate the business into not more than 15 major process names and 45 subcomponents.
• Realise that the relationships between the 15 are the point of focus while the others are merely named.
• Validate and revise the value chain model
• Review the completed models with the selected workshop participants to confirm their validity.
• Resolve the discrepancies and make adjustments as required.

Guidelines

Tactics/ Helpful Hints

• Isolating and naming business processes is often a demanding process.  Using conventional names may be easier, but it will reflect the industry and not a value chain specifically customised for the nuances of the way the client views the  business (this is drawn out of the client through creative workshops). Always declare the start and end points (or events) of a process first, then describe the things that happen between these two ends.  This will allow you to identify and group the various business functions/departments together into a final discrete process.
• Since value chains are intended to be high-level models, it is too early to define processes in detail at this time.
• Know that organisation staff involvement may be extensive, depending on the size and complexity of the business model.  This involvement may include participation in workshops, individual interviews and validation of the interpretation of the process relationships.  The duration of this activity will depend on the number of processes, the number of functional areas in the organisation involved, and the depth to which the analysis is taken.

Resources/Timing

• Ensure that skill sets include interviewing skills and an ability to work at multiple levels of the organisation, and excellent workshop leadership and facilitation skills.
• Guide team members toward organisational structure, information flows and processes, and away from identifying organisational problems.  Problems can be associated with  the model later.

Templates

There are a number of Frameworks and Templates that can be used in developing the Value Chain. Many of the Business Process Tools support and have standard templates for the frameworks illustrated below:

Value Chain - Michael Porter

Holistic Business Model

AQPC Process Classification Framework

SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) Model

TM Forums Business Process Framework (eTOM)

Strategic Analysis Framework

Description

• A framework for strategic analysis, focusing on the specific elements of Customers, Stakeholders, Assets and Competitors.  This framework leverages off of the individual executive's perspective to build understanding and consensus around critical questions relating to these key elements. Research, interviewing and workshops are the primary tools used in this technique.

When To Use

• The Strategic Analysis Framework is typically used during the Arouse or Envision phase to create consensus and common understanding around the elements that drive strategy development —in essence, to confirm the future direction. ( Case for Change, (Confirmed) Business Vision, Business Position and Holistic Business Model)

Approach

Conduct and summarise background research to build a “strawman” (basic) understanding of:

• Customers, Stakeholders, Assets and Competitors.

Flesh out in more detail the findings of the research by proceeding as follows:

1. Identify appropriate client personnel for interviews.
2. Distribute an overview of the interview and the research findings to the interviewees.
3. Conduct and summarize interviews.
4. Identify appropriate client personnel for workshops.
5. Distribute workshop agenda and summary information available from research and interviews.
6. Conduct and summarize workshops.
7. Build results of interviews and workshops into the Strategic Analysis Framework.

A diagram of the Strategic Analysis Framework is presented below.