1. Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) Stage Gate Reviews
Kevin Lyday & Robin Eggleston
February 6, 2009 1

2. Agenda Enterprise Performance Life Cycle EPLC Stage Gates
Overview
Framework
EPLC Stage Gates
Purpose
Benefits
Types
Thresholds
Roles and Responsibilities
Critical Partners
Summary
Questions & Answers 2 2

3. EPLC Framework Overview
Enhances Information Resource (IR) governance through rigorous application of sound investment and Project Management principles and industry best practices
Establishes a structure for investments and projects to consistently achieve successful outcomes
Improves the quality of project planning and execution, reducing overall project risk
CDC UP
HHS EPLC 3

4. HHS EPLC Framework 4

5. Stage Gate Review – Purpose
The Stage Gate Review is:
An evaluation process by which a project is authorized to progress from one life cycle phase to the next
A collaborative practice in which key stakeholders play an important role in assessing the project’s overall health and quality of execution
A phase-driven go/no-go decision point where project activities are reviewed to assure it is appropriate to proceed to the next phase
The successful accomplishment of the phase objectives
The risks associated with moving into the next life cycle phase
Emphasis of Stage Gate reviews
The plan for the next life cycle phase 5

6. Stage Gate Review - Benefits
Ensures that sound project management, quality and technical practices are followed
Confirms completeness and accuracy of deliverables
Ensures compliance with Federal, HHS and CDC policies
Facilitates risk and issue mitigation and resolution
Minimizes project delays and cost overrun
Can save money! 6

7. Stage Gate Review - Types
Center IR Governance or delegated body
CDC IR Governance
Initiation
Requirements Analysis
Development
Test
Operations & Maintenance
Disposition
Project Selection (end of Concept)
Project Baseline (end of Planning)
Preliminary Design (middle of Design)
Operational Readiness (middle of Implementation 7

8. Stage Gate Review - Thresholds8

9. Stage Gate Review – Roles and Responsibilities
Responsibility
IR Governance Organization or delegated authority
Reviews recommendations from the Stage Gate Review Team
Decision authority to pass the project to the next phase.
Federal Project
Officer or Manager
Determines that the project is prepared for the Stage Gate Review.
Requests scheduling from the appropriate Stage Gate Review Lead.
Provides deliverables for the Stage Gate Review.
Stage Gate Review Lead
Makes arrangements for the Stage Gate meeting and communicates the schedule with other participants.
Collects, reviews, and distributes the appropriate documentation.
Ensures that the Stage Gate Review Team has achieved its purpose and agreed upon next steps.
Stage Gate Review Team Member
Stage Gate Review Team consists of the Business Owner and stage appropriate Critical Partners and Stakeholders.
Complete Stage Gate Review evaluations using provided templates and submit them to the Stage Gate Review Lead in advance of the Stage Gate Review Team meeting for compilation and distribution. 9

10. Critical Partners
*Critical Partners
Enterprise Architecture
Security
Acquisition Management
Finance
Budget
Human Resources
Section 508
CPIC
Performance
Others such as Health Scientist or Epidemiologist as needed
During Stage Gate Reviews, the Critical Partners will review documents for completeness, accuracy, adequacy and make recommendations to the appropriate IR governance organization.
* Indicates roles only; not full time employees

11. The Stage Gate Review Process*
* Indicates federal FTE that is responsible for the project

12. Stage Gate A - Initiation
Purpose: The Initiation Stage Gate Review considers whether the Business Needs Statement justifies proceeding to the Concept Phase for development of a full Business Case and preliminary Project Management Plan.
Example Initiation Assessment Questions:
May be Delegated
Has the business owner defined the business need?
Have the stakeholders been identified and informed of the Business Needs Statement for the potential project?
Is the Business Needs statement sound and consistent with the Enterprise Architecture?
Is there a rough order of magnitude on cost and schedule in the business needs statement?

13. Stage Gate B – Project Selection Review
Purpose: The Project Selection Review (PSR) is a formal inspection of a proposed IT project by the IT governance organization to determine of it is a sound, viable, and worthy of funding, support and inclusion in the organization’s IT investment Portfolio.
Example Project Selection Review Questions:
IR Must Perform
What are the key objectives of the project?
Does the Business Case details the business need and expected performance outcomes?
Has an internal (government) configuration management process been developed?
Has the approach to risk management been tailored to suit the scale of the project?

14. Stage Gate C – Project Baseline Review
Purpose: The Project Baseline Review (PBR) is a formal inspection of the entire project and performance measurement baseline initially developed for the IT project. The PBR includes review of the budget, risks, and user requirements for the investment.
Example Project Baseline Review Questions:
IR Must Perform
Are all the activities included in the plan?
Does the budget contain all the resources required for successful completion of the project? This would include any interfaces with external systems and projects.
Have performance goals been established and a monitoring mechanism implemented to assure goals are achieved?
Is the WBS based on deliverables or tasks? Are the estimate assumptions clear and up front?

15. Stage Gate D – Requirements Analysis
Purpose: The documented requirements are validated and further analyzed and decomposed into functional and non-functional requirements that define the automated system in more details with regard to inputs, processes, outputs, and interfaces.
Example Requirements Analysis Assessment Questions:
May be Delegated
Are meetings conducted with the End Users to elicit requirements?
What is the single most important requirement for the project?
Are the requirements detailed enough and with enough specificity to be measurable?
What is the quality assurance process for the business requirements?

16. Stage Gate E – Preliminary Design Review
Purpose: The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) is a formal inspection of the high-level architectural design of an automated system, its software and external interfaces, which is conducted to achieve agreement and confidence that the design satisfies the functional and non-functional requirements and is in conformance with the enterprise architecture.
Example Design Assessment Questions:
IR Must Perform
Has a formal review of the high-level architectural design been conducted?
Does the Design Document provide an overview of the entire hardware and software architecture and data design, including specifications for external interfaces?
Does the test plan define all the types of tests (unit, functional, integration, system, security, performance (load and stress), user acceptance, and/or independent verification) that are to be carried out?
Are backup procedures and responsibilities well-designed and fully documented? Are post-disaster recovery procedures included in the design?

17. Stage Gate F - Development
Purpose: The Development Stage Gate Review evaluates whether the project should proceed to the Test Phase.
Example Development Assessment Questions:
May be Delegated
Have the types of tests, the acceptance criteria for those tests, and the manner of testing been finalized?
Have the Test Plan and Test Cases been finalized? Does the Test Plan include evaluation of Performance Metrics?
Does the Operations and Maintenance Manual provides the operations and support staff, including the Help Desk, the information necessary to effectively handle routine production processing, ongoing maintenance, and indentified problems, issues, and/or change requests?
Does the independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) Report adequately document the findings obtained during a specific IV&V assessment that was conducted by an independent third party?

18. Stage Gate G - Test
Purpose: The Test Stage Gate Review evaluates whether the project should proceed to the Implementation Phase.
Example Test Assessment Questions:
May be Delegated
Has the final implementation plan been developed?
Does the implementation plan describe how the business product will be installed, deployed, and transitioned into the operational environment?
Was a summary report created at the end of the test phases that completely documents the overall test results, including summarizing the test activities and describing variances?
Were any applicable additional tests conducted to validate documentation, training, contingency plans, disaster recovery, and installation?

19. Stage Gate H – Operational Readiness Review
Purpose: The Operational Readiness Review (ORR), is a formal inspection conducted to determine if the final IT solution or automated system/application that has been developed or acquired, tested, and implemented is ready for release into the production environment for sustained operations and maintenance support.
Example Operational Readiness Review Questions:
IR Must Perform
Has a system certification, including management, operational, and technical security certifications, ensures compliance with information security requirements been successfully completed?
Has the Operations & Maintenance Manual been updated based on results from the Test Phase?
Does the training plan adequately describe the goals, learning objectives, and activities of the information that has been implemented?
Have all stakeholders been notified of the implementation, including information on the schedule, the benefits, the changes, and the impact on end-users?

20. Stage Gate I – Operations & Maintenance
Purpose: The Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Stage Gate Review evaluates whether the project should be released into the full-scale production environment for sustained use and operations/maintenance support.
Example O&M Assessment Questions:
May be Delegated
Does the plan for the Annual Operational Assessment include a review of the CPIC evaluation and the performance metrics during operation to determine whether the business product is meeting original user requirements and any new requirements or changes?
Is the annual system re-accreditation up-to-date, fully documenting the official management decision to authorize continued operation of an information system?
Have the operations manual, business case analysis, and contingency/disaster recovery plan been updated as required?
Does the privacy impact assessment (PIA) for all systems associated with this project/investment include information on any changes?

21. Stage Gate J - Disposition
Purpose: The operation of an automated system or other IT solution is formally ended in accordance with organization needs and pertinent laws and regulations.
Example Disposition Assessment Questions:
May be Delegated
Are the Project Archives that preserve vital information, including both documentation of project execution and the data from the production system, appropriately preserved?
Is Lessons Learned included in the Project Archives?
Has a final phase-end review been conducted after the system retirement to ascertain if the system and data have been completely and appropriately disposed of?
Are completed contracts closed appropriately?

22. CDC Stage Gate Review Plans
CDC projects will be integrated into the EPLC Stage Gate Review process by September 2009
Current investments are being reviewed to determine the active projects with their cost and schedule baseline
Projects are being assessed to determined their “life cycle position” and will be assigned to the appropriate level of CDC IR Governance
Begin stage gate reviews for major and tactical projects in January & February 2009
Begin stage gate reviews for all other projects in April 2009
Projects will have one stage gate review by September 2009 and the required reviews for CPIC

23. Summary Stage Gate Reviews are an integral component of the EPLC
Coordinating Centers, Coordinating Offices & Offices of the OD must have a IR governance structure and critical partners identified
There is latitude for deciding who does the 6 gates that can be delegated
Tools and training are being prepared to assist IR governance structures and critical partners in establishing processes and achieving required competencies
All projects at CDC should have at least 1 Stage Gate by September 30, 2009

24. Questions & Answers