Data-models-for-programmes

Purpose

Applying graph databases to programmes of projects

For a fuller background and description, see https://lawrencerowland.github.io/2020/05/07/Data-models-for-Project-Portfolios.html

Example

This is a toy model. Upfront and ongoing discussion with stakeholders. Only then does it become a useful model.

• This model tries to ask the question about how to get the Programme Team, the Operations team, and the Strategy team to work separately and jointly on ensuring that a digital programme delivers what all parties expect

• Origin: Modelled around a Digital Transformation Programme, planned for University of East London. Based on public material on their website, particularly their Annual report. Some items like typical projects and services have been guessed where the report does not identify details.

• Instances: 150 nodes and 236 links that fall under a data schema with 13 node types and 14 link types.

• Each node and each link has the following properties: name, id.

• The data sits within a graph database (Neo4j) and therefore extra properties can be added

• This has been populated by cypher query (see cypher folder- it is very easy to run a Neo4jsandbox in the browser (after creating a free account) and copying this cypher query in and pressing the play button.

• I use the desktop version of Neo4j, and does not require account and which is free, but sandbox gets you started. You can run queries on the data from the database.

Data model from a Business Operations perspective

IMAGE TITLES: images/Data-model-from-Operations-perspective.png

This is the corresponding consultation sheet for reviewing with the various operations teams images/Sample-consultation-sheet-for-particular-operations-teams.png

Data model from the strategy perspective images/Data-model-from-the-strategy-perspective.png

Sample consultation sheet for Strategy team Sample-consultation-sheet-for-Strategy-team.png

Project view images/project-view.png

Sample consultation sheet for particular projects images/Sample-consultation-sheet-for-particular-projects.png

Full model blue print images/Full-programme-data-model.png https://www.yworks.com/yed-live/?file=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/lawrencerowland/35320891b44b07317cb008526bf08618/raw/2019 12 UEL full graph from Neo4j

Data model from Operations perspective

Sample consultation sheet for particular operations teams

Data model from the strategy perspective

Sample consultation sheet for Strategy team

Project view

Sample consultation sheet for particular projects

Full model blue print https://www.yworks.com/yed-live/?file=https://gist.githubusercontent.com/lawrencerowland/35320891b44b07317cb008526bf08618/raw/2019 12 UEL full graph from Neo4j

The graph contains all the particular relationships relevant to the IT Programme.

These can be queried from the graph for presenting to the senior team, when making decisions

For instance

ACCOUNTABLE GROUPS

Board of Governors

Audit & Risk committee

Strategic Projects Team

CIO

New Groups aligned to risk areas (2019)

STRATEGIES

Vision 2028

2015 20 Management Plan

a new strategic planning framework (2019)

2018 2019 Management Plan for returning to surplus

Corporate Risk Mgt framework

People (staff) strategy

OBJECTIVES

1 Learning by doing

2 Creating and disseminating knowledge

3 Connecting to students, staff, communities

4 Developing our infrastructure

“Technology related business change”

Returning to surplus

Student recruitment activity

Improved student retention

Operating efficiencies

Likely challenges

REGULATORY CHANGE

TEF OFS regulatory compliance

UEL new strategic framework underway

2020 planned audits

BROADER UEL CONTEXT

Strategic risk management is weak

Margin pressure on future budgets

Boundary with the Digital 1st programme

Boundary between digital and non digital

COMMON DIGITAL PROGRAMME CHALLENGES

Digital transformation is poorly understood

Vague project scopes

Finalisation of cloud strategy

Existing team capability gaps

Single most important aspect of approach

This is a toy model

Upfront and ongoing discussion with you and stakeholders

Only then does it become a real approach

SUGGEST, LISTEN, CHANGE

Regularly reset Programme Outcomes

Build in Organisational change management

Agree Agile / Waterfall type per project

Use UEL faculty and research

Involve Business change managers early

Link strategy with programme with product with Operations

SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO RISK & REGS

Build business analysis approach to regulation

Programme schedule to include assurance dates

Understand UEL’s new Risk protocols

Define cross Programme governance

Refresh ITIL compliance

APPROPRIATE PROJECT APPRAISAL

Identify which projects are essential

Have different criteria for approving proofs of concept

Review existing bottom up project ideas

Clearly link with enterprise and solution architectures

Most of the approach elements managed within a suitable work-package of the Programme

Operations	Services	Consumers
Infrastructure	Amazon Educate I	Staff
IT Applications	Office 365	Students
IT Services	Ebooks	Community
IT Service Support	Lecture capture	Applied Health College
Academic & employer Partner office	Moodle	Professional Services College
Academic Registry	Password	Graduation School college
Centre for Student Succcess	Print centre	Arts Tech & Innovation college
Conference & Meeting Room hire	LinkedIn learning	Research
Estates & facilities	Software centre	KTPs
External relations	Windows 10	Sustainability Institute
Finance	Wifi	IHHD
Health & Safety	Print copy & scan	Centre for Prof. Policing
HR Services	ITrent	Continuum centre
Learn, Teaching & Student Experience	Windows Active Dir
Library & learning services	MS Dynamics 365

Programme approach	Description
Suggest, listen, change	Of course I have no idea how UEL's specific Digital Transformation should be run I am answering the interview ‘exam question’ but most of this will be wrong What will be crucial will be to suggest ideas, but then to listen over time to stakeholders that know the Organisation and change the approach accordingly
Build business analysis approach to regulation	Build a robust , specific business analysis approach to regulatory capture
Programme schedule to include assurance dates	Programme schedule anticipates assurance and audit dates as well as delivery milestones (IPA consequential assurance framework)
Understand UEL’s new Risk protocols	Work early with Strategic Projects Team to understand emerging Risk protocols
Identify which projects are essential	From the start, be clear which projects are essential, and which can be delivered in other ways
Regularly reset Programme Outcomes	Plan for regular reassessments of Programme Outcomes and Benefits with main stakeholders
Have different criteria for approving proofs of concept	Have a small separate budget for high risk, high reward proofs of concept and experiments that are not yet core to UEL business and have lower risk hurdle rates for accepting lower experiment budgets (see Deloitte 2012)
define cross Programme governance	Use Portfolio Management best practice to define cross Programme governance early
Build in Organisational change management	Flexibility is inevitable so build in Organisational change management work package from the start, so that behaviours and culture can lead governance, rather than the other way round This can include the use of the excellent Open Group Digital Practitioner framework for Digital Transformations
Review existing bottom up project ideas	Review existing bottom up project ideas and proposals to meet top down Digital Transformation objectives i e there are likely to be good ideas already in development from the IT and other Departments,
Clearly link with enterprise and solution architectures	Clearly link enterprise and solution architectures to programme archite, e.g. by applying the IT4IT data model

Programme Challenges	Programme approach
Digital transformation is poorly understood	Suggest, listen, change
TEF OFS regulatory compliance	Build business analysis approach to regulation
UEL new strategic framework underway
2020 planned audits	Programme schedule to include assurance dates
Strategic risk management is weak	Understand UEL’s new Risk protocols
Margin pressure on future budgets	Identify which projects are essential
	Regularly reset Programme Outcomes
	Have different criteria for approving proofs of concept
Boundary with the Digital 1st programme	define cross Programme governance
Boundary between digital and non digital	Build in Organisational change management
Vague project scopes	Review existing bottom up project ideas
	Clearly link with enterprise and solution architectures
Finalisation of cloud strategy	Link strategy with programme with product with Operations
	Agree Agile Waterfall type per project
Existing team capability gaps	Use UEL faculty and research
	Involve Business change managers early
	Refresh ITIL compliance

Relevant Work-package
	Programme Challenges
IT dept interface mgt	Regularly reset Programme Outcomes
Project selection	Have different criteria for approving proofs of concept
Govenance arrangements	define cross Programme governance
Project Definition	Build in Organisational change management
Project innovation	Review existing bottom up project ideas
Enterprise architecture alignment	Clearly link with enterprise and solution architectures
Programme approach	Link strategy with programme with product with Operations
	Agree Agile Waterfall type per project
Programme collaboration	Use UEL faculty and research
Business & transition management	Involve Business change managers early
IT dept interface mgt	Refresh ITIL compliance