Scope: The purpose of this project is to help those involved in the process of choosing a learning management system to make

an informed decision. The project presents a range of considerations for choosing a system. Although this project is focused on learning and training management system, we give some consideration to the broader scope of learning-related systems: course management systems, learning content management systems. You must account for these in the process of choosing a system to manage and deliver your learning, since you must first determine the high-level, basic functionality you need; if you need your system to manage instructor-led training classes, or include authoring capabilities, one of these systems might be a better choice than learning and training management system. In an effort to include the total decision process and options available, we present high-level descriptions of these systems in this project, although we are mainly focused on system designed to deliver and manage support learning. In line with our mission to promote reusability and interoperability in learning, it recommends systems with built-in features that allow managing and delivering successful learning. Inclusions The scope of the Implementation Project includes:

Defining the requirements for content migration, specifically forum topics, postings and support pages. Linking to public website Front-end design Interface / data exchange among staff. Training requirements for staff. Ascertaining the business requirements, e.g. will empolyees be able to update their personal data and if so what particular fields? What interim solutions will be required for deployment? Planning for support services. Deployment of Project Upgrade and implementation of associated plans. Stakeholder approval for deployment.

Exclusions The scope of the Implementation Project excludes:

Risk Assessment: A formal risk assessment will highlight any potential business and project risks and will provide a containment measure for each risk.

The initial Risk Assessment (following page) attempts to identify, characterize, prioritize and document a mitigation approach relative to those risks which can be identified prior to the start of the project.

The Risk Assessment will be continuously monitored and updated throughout the life of the project, with monthly assessments included in the status report (see Communications Plan) and open to amendment by the Project Manager.

Because mitigation approaches must be agreed upon by project leadership (based on the assessed impact of the risk, the projects ability to accept the risk, and the feasibility of mitigating the risk), it is necessary to allocate time into each Steering Committee meeting, dedicated to identifying new risks and discussing mitigation strategies.

The Project Manager will convey amendments and recommended contingencies to the Steering Committee monthly, or more frequently, as conditions may warrant.

Risk Categories The following types of risk categories may be used as a high level view of potential risk areas. The major risk categories are

Category Financial Resource Schedule Technical

Examples Cost overruns, budget constraints, funding issues Availability of people and facilities, attrition, skills limitations Completion date slippage, target date constraints Failure to meet performance requirements, new or untested technologies Inexperienced project manager, project complexity Failure to satisfy user requirements / expectations Failure to meet usability, trainability, and/or maintainability requirements Impact of loss of service to citizens, possible exposure and liability to state / county government. Alignment to strategic goals / vision

Management Communication Operational

Political

Organizational

Risk Management Responsibilities

Risk management is the responsibility of the Project Manager. However, all project stakeholders should participate in the risk identification and analysis process. Overall the extended project team carries out risk management and mitigation activities.

Risk Management Tasks Overall direction of risk management plan Plan development and execution of risk management plan Provide counsel and assistance regarding risk identification/assessment/analysis/handling Risk Watch List Preparation and issuance of risk reporting

Responsible Party Project Manager Project Manager

Business Analyst, Development Team, Quality Assurance Project Manager Project Manager as part of normal project status reporting

Potential Areas of Risk

Areas of Potential Risk New Technology Application User/ Client Database Software Project Size Systems Knowledge Project Team Contract or Full Time Transition al Time Technical Skills Organization Project Manager Stability of Organization Contract or Full Time

Communications Functional Software Complexity

Change Propensity

Stability of User Organization Senior Management Commitment Continued Budget Availability Project Standards Used

Problem Solving Skills

Programming Language

New vs. Replacement

Turnover of Key People

Managerial Identity

Communications Vulnerability Network to Change

Readiness for Takeover

Staff Availabilit y Applicatio ns Knowledg e

Achievement Drive

Testing Resource

Intensity of Business Need

Change process

Experience with Application

PCs or Desktops

Organizational Impact

Level of Commitment

Staff Turnover

Accountability for Change

Experience with Organization Experience with Technology Planning Skills

Information Center

Interface Exiting Applications Conversion Difficulty

Attitude toward IS

Familiarity with Each Other Size of Team

Availability of Support Organization Conflict Resolution Mechanism Signoff/approval process

Reliability of Personnel

Acceptance Test Participation

Configuration Management

Implementati on Time Frame Personnel Turnover

Estimating Skills

Staff / Resource

Communicatio n Skills Possibility of Turnover

Initial project risk assessment: Likelihood Mitigation Strategy Decomposition (Break into smaller phases) Phased implementation Decomposition Add another analysis phase Detailed specifications Early prototype/review of functionality Add more time to the project schedule. Specify decision-makers role in project documentation Add tasks to the Project Plan for involving decision-makers and managing relationship with them Additional testing, particularly stress testing

sk

Project Size (Duration Effort) Project Scope

Project Decisionaking

Environmental State oftware/Hardware/N work)

Training on new environment Find other projects using a similar environment to compare notes Get a prototype deployed ASAP on new environment Additional team training Cross-training Consider hiring consultant with additional experience for initial period Additional User Training On-site assistance for cutover period Phased cutover Expose key stakeholders to prototype early Defined from legislative mandate. Impact of project objectives for the employees. The potential exposure to learning areas to cover and cope with failure.

Teams Experience with nvironment/project ze/scope)

Impact on other oject Operations

Political

Financial

Project funding based on work-level estimation. Is project funding secured? Is project funding sufficient? Cost / benefit analysis. Senior management approval of the cost / benefit analysis. Verifiable expected benefits. Detailed budget for the project. Contingency plan for budget overruns. Discuss the value of the project discussed with the client and the users.

Resource

Identify key personnel needs in the project management plan. Contingency plan for resource variances. Train project team members. Clearly defined project team skill requirements. Adequate technical and professional training available to the project team. Qualified project engineers, technical staff, and infrastructure support staff. Well established vendors with a strong financial background and good track record.

0.Schedule

Detailed project schedule at the task level. Identify the project critical path Contingency plan for schedule variances. Regularly compare actual progress to the project schedule. Realistic project schedule. Achievable project schedule.

1.Technical

Stable business functional requirements. Define the business functional requirements. Discuss project limitations with the client. Use of appropriate technology to support project efforts. Defined project milestones and checkpoints. Selection of an appropriate system development lifecycle. Define a change management process.

2.Organizational

The project alignment with the organizations overall business strategy. Clearly defined expected outcomes. Defined project stakeholders. Establish metrics to verify completion of each phase. Senior management commitment to the project objectives. Analyze the impact of cost overruns. Analyze the impact of delayed functional outcomes. Ensuring the project comply with the Technical Architecture.

3.Management

Upper management support. Upper management share responsibility for ensuring project success. Senior management approval of the project. Provision of upper management support infrastructure necessary to ensure successful project deliverance. Detailed plan (including time, schedules, milestones, and resource requirements) for completion of the project. manage projects at the task level Quality management plan. Need for business processes reengineering.

4.Communication

Ensuring the project goals in line with the organization goals Ensuring the projects goals and objectives verifiable, defined, and clearly stated Ensuring are project outcomes clearly defined Communicate the basic goals of the project to the team Consent of the project team with the goals Identify all external (outside the organization) project stakeholders. Inform all project stakeholders of the project status Prepare adequate project presentation to the client and user communities Do the users know whom to contact in the event of problems? Monitor project progress with the project stakeholders at regular meetings. project team receive feedback from status meetings reporting and tracking of all open issues Identify major project risk factors.

Milestones: Activity Stages Start: First Major Milestone: Management buyin and approval to initiate process Date 1.6.2014 Human Resources Senior Management CEO/MD/OM Responsible Others Concerned

Activity

Need assessment, endor search and proposal presentation

Completion:

30.6.2014

Evaluation of shortlisted endors

Start: First Major Milestone: Vendor finalization and agreement signed, payment done on confirmation of project (50%)

1.7.2014 Human Resources Senior Management, Software vendors, Finance/IT department 31.7.2014 1.8.2014 Human Resources, IT Finance, Software vendors

Completion: Start: First Major Milestone: Basic module implementation & integration with current system, payment after first phase implementation (10%) Completion: Second Major Milestone: Training module implementation, payment after second phase implementation (10%)

oftware mplementation kicktart

15.8.2014 Human Resources, IT Finance, Software vendors

Completion:

31.8.2014

Assumptions: Project Assumptions The following assumptions were made in preparing the Project Plan:

Management will ensure that project team members are available as needed to complete project tasks and objectives. Management will support budget required to implement Failure to identify changes to draft deliverables within the time specified in the project timeline will result in project delays. Project team members will adhere to the Communications Plan. Mid and upper management will foster support and buy-in of project goals and objectives. All project participants will abide by the guidelines identified within this plan. The Project Plan may change as new information and issues are revealed. The system must comply with minimum accessibility requirements. There will be a clear system solution at the end of Phase II.

A change management process will be used to monitor and control scope. A Training and Learning Management System is a strategic component of the organizations infrastructure and will continue to be a supported service. The staff will be allocated sufficient time to resource project. LMS use will continue to grow. Maximum of funding will be made available to support project needs.

Constraints:

Moving to a well-adopted Training and Learning Management system represents a significant amount of effort for the managers, other instructors, support staff, and employees who are already in the system. This will take time and significant support, likely requiring additional people (e.g., co-ops). The mass migration of courses training and retraining efforts must be addressed. Costs will be a constraint. Time to execute the project in a thorough and rigorous manner is a constraint, as all project participants have many other job responsibilities, including supporting the current manual system. Project funding sources are limited, with no contingency. Due to the nature of law enforcement, resource availability is inconsistent.

Related projects: Avanza Portal Project New Staff Information system Distance Learning Web Support.