@EVANWOLF Which projects are worthy? Phil Wolff Product Manager OpenOakland A few thoughts on product portfolio management for Code for America brigades #prodmgmt #productmanagement #openoakland #pmo #productportfolio #planning #strategy #cfa #codeforamerica #cfabrigade 配称
Code for America Brigade volunteers consider thousands of projects for local civic engagement and innovation apps; we build only a handful in each city. How can we choose better? A little intention could dramatically improve the quality of our project portfolios. I propose we score proposals across four dimensions:
- The value our products will produce. (More users, more usage, building capacity, leaving infrastructure behind) - Risks of the journey (taking the right level of risks around customer clarity, effort & cost, tech difficulty, political risk) - Alignment with our values - Stakeholders engaged and affected
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@EVANWOLF
Which projects are worthy?
Phil Wolff Product Manager OpenOakland
A few thoughts on product portfolio management for Code for America brigades
#prodmgmt #productmanagement
#openoakland #pmo #productportfolio
#planning #strategy #cfa #codeforamerica
#cfabrigade
配称 �
@EVANWOLF
“How would you score prospective projects for your brigade?”
Four legs for selection
@EVANWOLF
We talk about four factors
Value our product makes
Risks of the journey
Alignment with our values
Stakeholders engaged and affected
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We were opportunistic at the start
OpenOakland released five apps in our first 18 months. • Relationship builders:
We pick projects that balance risk, effort, and reward We assess and manage project risk
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We pick projects that where we can manage the risk Some risks can’t be managed
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We pick projects with risks right for the team We assess and manage project risk
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Customer Clarity
Do we understand who we’re creating value for?
Can we quickly learn their needs deeply enough to make good decisions
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Stakeholder engagement
Naming the persons carrying the torch for the customers drives success
Finding our “Executive support”, “Citizen champion”, or “Issue advocate” can be the difference in building the right things for the right people in the right way with the best resources. Or not.
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Effort & Cost Projects are always resource constrained.
Is there enough of the right volunteer time, open data, technology, and capital to deliver?
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Tech Difficulty
Too easy or too hard for the available talent?
Can we make up for gaps with recruiting?
Are there process challenges that could disrupt the product lifecycle?
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Political Risk Could this “utility” app become a political football?
What enemies could this attract? Do we have the capacity to engage in that type of struggle?
Will this affect other CfA Brigades if we undertake this project?
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Alignment Risk
Is this consistent with the Brigade’s core values?
What is the potential for misuse, for drifting from our values, along the development cycle? Once released?