GenRays Communications Management

Project Roles & Communication Plans

HRIS with ESS ProjectGenRays

April Drake, Project Manager

Content

sPart A: Organization Chart..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Part A1: Role Descriptions................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Project Manager............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4

Advisory Board.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Procurement & Vendor Manager.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

User Assistance Manager.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Business Analyst............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Platform Technology Team – System Architect and Engineering Lead..........................................................................................................................................7

Platform Technology Team – Engineer #1 (Hardware & Infrastructure Engineer).........................................................................................................................8

Technology Team – Engineer # 2 (Database Analyst & Administrator, DBA).................................................................................................................................9

Quality Assurance (QA) Team - Test Lead......................................................................................................................................................................................9

QA Team – Members #1 and #2.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Part A2 and A2a: Team Member Recommendations & Justifications..............................................................................................................................................10

Part B:.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Power Grid and Stakeholder Identification Matrix..........................................................................................................................................................................14

Part B1:............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14

Part B2:............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19

Part B3:........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21

Part C:.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24

Sponsor, Principal Leadership, Project Team Members..................................................................................................................................................................24

Project Team Members, Principal End-Users..................................................................................................................................................................................25

Non-Principal Internal End Users..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Externals.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Part A: Organization ChartThe candidate provides an HRIS Project Team organization chart, with sufficient detail, showing the potential positions needed to complete the project.

Key: Green represent GenRays Leadership/Executive stakeholders. Yellow represent Project Team Roles.

Part A1: Role Descriptions

This section provides a role description for each of the 11 positions depicted in the Team Organization Chart, in terms of the tasks that are directly associated with a given position. Also, a description of how each position relates to other positions on the Project Team is discussed.

Project ManagerSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Develop Project Charter, work with key stakeholders to develop Project Management Plan (PMP) Assemble materials and conduct Phase or Milestone Exit Reviews with leadership Obtains signoff and approvals for project deliverables and phase transitions Conduct Communications to all stakeholders according to their defined needs Drives weekly status sync Manages all project Risks and Change Requests Drive and contribute content for Weekly Status Meetings, Phase Exit Reviews Participate in Lessons Learned activities Manage and escalate Risks, updates Issues, and escalate or submit Change Requests to Advisory Board Conduct Project Success Analysis during Closing Phase using KPIs

The Project Manager (PM) drives all project planning and manages all aspects of the day-to-day progress towards completing project deliverables with the Project Team. He or She reports to the Project Sponsor, and works with other stakeholders and SMEs to mine the Lessons Learned and best practices data from past projects and other sources, that should be followed for successful project planning and execution.

The Project charter and PMP outputs serve as the inputs for other team members’ deliverables, in order to guide successful planning, execution and closing exit criteria (including Business Requirements Documents, Vendor Bid Proposal, Cost Management Plan, Scheduling, etc.)

The PM interfaces with all other roles in the Project Team as necessary in order to drive progress toward meeting objectives within budget, on schedule and within scope.

The PM manages all stakeholder expectations and communications, including escalation of any issues that jeopardize the project’s ability to meet objectives on a day-by-day basis. This includes changes to baseline resourcing, conflict management and resolution, and unforeseen risks and issues encountered during project execution.

At key milestones, the PM generates Reports for the Executive Leadership that detail all project high level/key accomplishments, challenges, risks and also a budget vs expenditures analysis. This report will be presented in the Phase Exit meetings in order for the Executive Leadership to approve progressing to the subsequent project phases (Initiation, Planning, Execution, and Closing).

The PM drives procuring all signoffs and approvals for any Change Requests necessary, with the Advisory Board and other key project stakeholders as appropriate.

Advisory BoardSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Provide counsel into Project Charter and PMP, including HR Management Plan, Risk Management and Stakeholder Management Plans. Review and Provide Sponsor Recommendation of Phase or Milestone Exits Reviews and Change Requests

The Advisory Board consist of key leadership and designated stakeholders across the organization identified by the Project Sponsor and other key stakeholders, in order to assist the PM in activities such as setting of the high-level objectives, scope and resourcing for the project in the Project Charter, and assist with creation of Change Management Plan action.

The Board does not report to the PM, but rather serves as advisory upon request. The Project Sponsor is the Authority for the Charter and PMP.

The Advisory Board will serve as champion of the project objectives to the organization, and serve as a strong advocate for the project with other stakeholders in the organization, and will be consulted by the PM and the Project Team as necessary in order to overcome challenges during any relevant project actions.

The Advisory Board will help flesh out the finer details of the Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) and must be consulted for any changes to the baseline of the project after Approval of the PMP, through official execution of Change Requests.

Procurement & Vendor ManagerSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Conduct Market Research on HRIS systems and Vendors Conduct Vendor Bid Proposal and Analysis Create Vendor and supporting software recommendations Conduct all procurements for System, Vendor Technical Resources, IMS System, including contracts and licensing Attend and contribute content for Weekly Status Meetings, Phase Exit Reviews, and Lessons Learned Manage and escalate Risks, updates Issues, and submit Change Requests for areas of ownership for significant deviations from baseline to PM

The Procurement & Vendor Manager (PVM) reports to the PM and works with the PM in order to create the Procurements Management and Cost Management Plans. He or She takes the Charter, Procurement Plan and BRDs as inputs during the Vendor Bid Request process and Vendor Selection phase. They work with the PM to make Vendor Recommendation, which will serve as input into the Technical Requirements Documentation (TRD) and Technical Recommendations Documents.

The PVM serves as primary contact for Vendor and other procurement contacts into the Project Team. They submits weekly status to PM of all expenditures, prior to the weekly status meetings, in order that leadership has visibility in how the project is maintaining or deviating from baseline. He or She submits change requests to PM as appropriate for any significant deviations from baseline.

User Assistance ManagerSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Administration of the Information Management System used by the Project Team Surface Reporting, Risk Register and other current project artifacts in the IMS on a biweekly (2x per week or more) basis Manage Training plan and rollout collaterals and events including

o FAQ for UIo Release Notes for releases/hotfixes/patches

o Administration documentationo End-User documentation including step-by-step user guides for each role impacted

Facilitate obsoleted HR and Payroll role’s reorganization with leadership stakeholders Conduct Artifact Archiving Attend and contribute content for Weekly Status Meetings, Phase Exit Reviews, and Lessons Learned Manage and escalate Risks, updates Issues, and submit Change Requests for areas of ownership for significant deviations from baseline to PM

The User Assistance Manager (UA) reports to the PM and works with the PM to create and maintain the Communication Management Plan.

They use the PMP and Procurements Plan as inputs into the Communication Plan. They use the Business Requirements Documentation, Technical Design Documentation and QA Checklist content as inputs into Training plans and collaterals.

UA works with leadership to develop transition plans for anyone in the organization whose jobs may be impacted by the move to the new system (including obsoleted job roles like redundant Human Resources presences or Payroll administration).

UA works with all team members to ensure reports and project artifacts are visible an accessible IMS system a regular, consistent and frequent basis (several times a week at least). They also interface with the Hardware and Infrastructure Technician who will own installation, configuration and maintenance of the IMS system.

He or She will build a strong training plan including content which is highly dependent on the outputs from the Technology and QA Teams, and will also rely on them for assistance in reviewing for accuracy any training collaterals and content, and also with troubleshooting any technical problems during implementation phase. As such, they will drive for production of the FAQ for the UI, using input from the technical stakeholders.

UA will have a particularly relevant and critical role in working to allay any concerns and fears the overall organization of hundreds of employees will have with transition to the new system.

They will submits weekly status to PM of expenditures and highlight any deviations from baseline in areas of ownership.They will also submit change requests to the PM as appropriate. UA will also drive Lessons Learned Review(s) during the Close Project phase, and end their duties to the project by driving overall Project Artifact Archiving in the IMS system, in such a way that the materials are readily available for review and scrub of best practices for future GenRays projects.

Business AnalystSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Conduct Scope and Requirements Management Planning with Project Manager Create all Business Requirements (BRDs) and Requirements Traceability Matrices needed Reconcile final system design and functionality against baseline BRDs at exit reviews Attend and contribute content for Weekly Status Meetings, Phase Exit Reviews, and Lessons Learned Manage and escalate Risks, updates Issues, and submit Change Requests for areas of ownership for significant deviations from baseline to PM

The Business Analyst (BA) works with key stakeholders to understand and diagram all current HR, Payroll, Training, Performance Management and other relevant workflows and processes that will be impacted by the transition.

Using the Project Charter, PMP and Interviews as inputs, defines detailed BRDs for each component of the desired system, and produces Workflow Diagrams and detailed descriptions of all system functions from the pre-project and post-implementation perspectives, in order that stakeholders can better understand impacts to roles. Works closely with the UA Manager in order to ensure training collaterals take into account all impacted functions.

Creates Traceability Matrix in order to easily communicate and reconcile system requirements against business goals, which can be reviewed during Weekly Status meetings and Phase Exits.

The BRDs and Traceability Matrix serve as inputs into the Technical Design Documentation as well as the UA deliverables. The BA will work closely with the Technology and QA teams in order to assess completeness of the business impact analysis.

Platform Technology Team – System Architect and Engineering LeadSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Manages the work the Technology team delivers Planning

o System Design and Architectureo Technical Design Documentation (TRD)o Technology Recommendations to leadership

Executingo Inventories

Hardware Software Databases Other relevant content sources that need to be migrated (excel spreadsheets, etc.)

o Installationso Configurationso Customizationso Database and other content source migrations

Development o Customizationso eForms

Implementationo Training collaterals review o Technical Support

Closingo Lessons Learned participation

o Legacy system breakdowno IMS system archivingo Post-production Support Planning

As Lead, the Platform Technology Lead reports to the PM and serves as main liaison for their team at weekly status meetings and at phase exits to report on deliverables, as well as the principal contact to the team for other team members.

They will assist with Training collaterals and planning activities, including reviewing and contributing information to the BA and UA deliverables.

They will work with the PVM in order to negotiate any implementation or post-production support requirements. They will serve as the primary technical support contacts for any stakeholder in the system requiring technical support of the system and as such will be asked to produce Service Level Agreements to the organization for the system.

The Platform and QA Team Lead will be closely tied throughout the project, as the outputs from the Platform team will serve as inputs to the QA team, which will assess stability and functionality of the system components throughout.

He or she will attend weekly status sync and report on progress against objectives, manage and escalate Risks, updates Issues, and submits Change Requests for any significant deviations from baseline for any areas of ownership, to Project Management.

Platform Technology Team – Engineer #1 (Hardware & Infrastructure Engineer)Specific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Conduct Hardware Inventory and Technical Requirements Install, Configure and Maintain Hardware & Networking Infrastructure for project including IMS system Assist with Technical Support throughout project and post-production according to SLAs

The Infrastructure Engineer reports to the Platform Lead Engineer, works closely with the other members of the Platform Technology Team, in order to assess, develop and maintain the Hardware and Infrastructure environments for the project, including the IMS system. He or She will also interface directly with the QA test team, BA and UA members in order to ensure successful delivery of their deliverables (Checklists, Business Requirements and Training/Release collaterals respectively).

They will investigate and resolve any bugs that QA or other sources log, and provide first line of support for infrastructure related issues during and after implementation.

They will also submit change requests if necessary to Engineering Lead for escalation to Project Management.

Technology Team – Engineer # 2 (Database Analyst & Administrator, DBA)Specific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Conduct Data Conversion Requirements

Conduct DB Inventories and Migrations Customize Reporting modules

The DBA reports to the Lead Engineer, and works closely with the other members of the Platform Technology Team in order to assess the current sources of content that will be effected by the system upgrade, conduct the migrations and customize the reporting and analytics modules for GenRays. His or Her work will include troubleshooting any DB or QA related bugs and issues, assisting the BA with the requirements, and ensuring the accuracy of the training information around DB usability.

The DBA will submit change requests if necessary to Engineering Lead for escalation to Project Management.

Quality Assurance (QA) Team - Test LeadSpecific responsibilities from the WBS include:

Creates centralized, common QA Checklists for all components on central IMS site, including:o Server/Platform testing

DB validation Module/functional testing

UI FAQs and End-user docs Performance and Stress testing

o Integration Testingo Build Verification testing

Creates support plan including codebase maintenance policy, and rollout processes Organizes testing approach and assigns areas for testing to test team members, including any automation requirements Contribute to the UI FAQs, Training materials and event support Reporting at key Milestones and Phase Exits Attend weekly status sync during all phases Manage and escalate Risks, updates Issues, and submits Change Requests to Project Management

The QA Test Lead reports to the Project Manager and works closely with the QA team members to assign, track and deliver according to the WBS deliverables.

As per lessons learned, the QA team will work off a common QA checklist to ensure consistency and communication across the team. The QA Lead will organize this effort with his or her team and ensure the checklist is completed prior to signoff on the execution phase being requested by leadership from the PM.

The QA Lead will also own the sustained engineering (maintenance) process and policy, including rolling out the process to submit bugs by any users of the system. The QA lead will also own defining the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with the organization for the new system.

The QA Lead will interface with both the Technology and UA managers to review the collaterals and provide support for training activities.

The QA Lead will be the contact point into the QA test team from the perspective of all other project members.

QA Team – Members #1 and #2The two QA team members will report to the QA Lead and own reviewing for accuracy and completeness and completing all rows in assigned area from the QA Checklists.

They will also contribute to the completeness and accuracy of the UI FAQs and any other training collaterals, as needed

They will own submitting bugs and perform regression testing of any fixes encountered both pre and post production.

The QA Team members Interfaces most directly with the Platform Technology team on bug investigations and troubleshooting issues encountered by the end-users of the system during training. They also provide technical assistance during training.

Part A2 and A2a: Team Member Recommendations & Justifications

This section presents my recommendations for team member assignments to each position reflected in the Team.

Role: Project ManagerRecommendation: April DrakeJustification:

April is an experienced PM who is already member of the IT team, with many years working with the team members directly and indirectly and a good understanding of project management mechanics. April is available to work on the project 40 hours per week and is a member of the IT organization which will be directly benefiting from the system, as well as supporting the system post-production.

Role: Advisory BoardRecommendations: Morgan, Rory Genhardt, Crystal Marshall, Connie Barnett, Darcy Martin, Ashley Burrici, Rylee Anderson, Tyler GuertsJustification:

The primary members include HR Director and VP, Payroll and IT Director Leadership, as their team’s roles will be significantly impacted by the HRIS system upgrade, and they need to understand and have influence in any challenges and risks along the way, as well have significant input into the objectives, resourcing and constraints of the project in order to align with other priorities in their respective organizations.The Sponsor is the CEO Rory and he is heavily invested in this project due to the time savings and cost savings he feels the project will bring to the GenRays organization will be significant.

Morgan reports to Connie Barnett who is the VP of finance and therefore a key executive stakeholder in the project. Thus he will have a lot of support from her to accomplish his objectives in the role. Morgan was also the PM for the recently completed successful financial upgrade system overhaul and therefore will have valuable knowledge to pass on during the critical initiation and planning phases of the project (expert judgement). He has no known incompatibilities from the recent project. He has 8 years with the company and therefore has good experience with the systems from an end-user perspective. At 35hours/week availability he his well-equipped to fill this part-time role. As he is also engaged in Product Evaluation project, he could help with the HRIS system vendor bid analysis as well.Role: Procurement & Vendor Manager Recommendations: DrewJustification:

Drew reports to Connie as well who as per above is well invested in the success of the project and likely will keep Drew’s resources focused on the success of the project objectives. He has been with the company 5 years, well enough time to become familiar with the people, processes and system from an end-user perspective. Drew was a Team Lead in the financial system upgrade project, and has a full 40 hours availability each week for this project. Drew has no known incompatibilities from the recent project. His other project is Contracting, which well situates him for negotiating the vendor and software contracts necessary for the procurements portion of the workload. Drew is unavailable in July and will require the PM to find a backup accommodation or step in to fill the role during his absence.

Role: User Assistance & Education Manager Recommendations: DevonJustification:

Devon was a team member in the successful financial system overhaul project, and has been with the company 7 years, ample time to become familiar with the processes and policies of the current HRIS system and workflows. He has 30 hours available each week which should be enough time for the workload. He has been shown to progress rapidly through the Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing stages of team development with at least one previous Project Team member (Rylee) and has no incompatibilities. Devon’s other project is Training, so he should be well equipped to handle the training duties for the role. Devon is unavailable in April, June and November for 1 week so will need backup or PM to fill the role during his absence.

Role: Business Requirements AnalystRecommendations: RyleeJustification:

Rylee is the Site 1 Manager with over 100 employees and 10 direct reports, and so brings expert judgment from the perspective to the project. Rylee and Devon work well together and in these roles will work together closely, as the BRD feeds into the deliverables to the UA & E Manager. Rylee was a Team Member on the financial system overhaul and as such experienced working with a successful Project Team. Rylee has limited availability which is mitigated by the narrow focus of the role and limited window of time needed to participate in project objectives. Rylee reports to another strong executive advocate – the VP of HR Darcy Martin, who was keenly interested in the reporting and analytics and performance and compensation features of the system.

Role: Platform Technology Team – System Architect and Engineering LeadRecommendations: AshtonJustification:

Ashton has been with the company 20 years and is most likely an authority in the current systems, since his title is “Design & Tech Support”. He reports through Darcy who is a strong advocate as per above. He has a master’s in engineering and computer science and therefore likely the most qualified for System Architect. He has good availability at 30 hours each week. His other project is “Design”, so again, should be considered for his expert judgment as the best qualified to design the technical specifications and recommendations for the project.

Role: Platform Technology Team – Member #1 (Hardware & Infrastructure Technician) Recommendations: KendallJustification:

Kendall has been with the company 9 years, enough to build a solid foundation of understanding of systems from an end-user perspective, also he is a programmer, and troubleshoots systems, so he should be a good technical candidate for the Hardware and Infrastructure work of the Technology team deliverables. He reports to Connie B., the VP of Finance, who is a strong advocate of the new system, so he should have plenty of upper management support in accomplishing the objectives of the project. He is unavailable in January and February so his duties will have to be scheduled for after this timeframe, and he has no conflicts after that through the end of the project/calendar year.

Role: Platform Technology Team – Member #2 (Database Analyst)Recommendations: DakotaJustification:

Dakota has a strong history with the company with 11 years employment. He holds a Master’s degree in engineering with a strong background in analytics, so would be the ideal candidate for the Database analysis and migration roles of the Technology Team. Other than 3 weeks in August that he is unavailable, he is open for project work.

Role: Quality Assurance (QA) Team - Test LeadRecommendations: AlexJustification:

Alex has been with the company 11 years and is an HR employee reporting to Connie B., so should be well invested and supported in the success of the project objectives. He was a Team Lead in the financial overhaul project so would make a good resource for Leadership role in the HRIS project as well, so that he can bring his expert judgement to the team’s objective strategy. Not only does he manage training records, and thus will be benefiting first hand in his day-to-day job functions, he also works on Data Analysis, so he is technical enough to fill the QA role, and can assist with the Reporting and Analytics capabilities. Ales has been found to be highly compatible working with Ryan, who will be on his team.

Role: QA Team – Member #1

Recommendations: RyanJustification:

Ryan has been with the company 8 years and therefore should have a good grasp on the HRIS needs from an end-user perspective. He works well with the Test Lead, Alex, as shown by his performance on the financial upgrade project. He reports to Crystal Marshall, who is the VP of Marketing and a strong advocate of the system as shown through her interviews, so he should have upper managerial support through meeting the project goals. He uses a spreadsheet to keep track of sales addresses and dates, information that could be gleaned from the LDAP Directory and database integration features of the new system, including the Push Communications requirements for Marketing, and these are areas he could directly contribute to testing. He has good availability at 30 hours a week.

Role: QA Team – Member #2Recommendations: CameronJustification:

Cameron, although only being at the company 4 years, reports to Connie Barnett (VP of Finance, strong project advocate), in Accounting role, and therefore should be keenly interested in the success of the project, and supported by upper management. The largest success factors involve Payroll, and since Cameron was in charge of Payroll, should have a firm grasp on the workflows and potentially even HRIS systems available during research phase. Cameron served as a Team Lead in the Financial Upgrade project and was found to be highly compatible already with one of his previous Project Team members, so likely has good interpersonal and relationship skills to draw from in order to be successful in this project.

Part B: Create a communication plan for the HRIS project

Power Grid and Stakeholder Identification Matrix

Key:

External Manage Closely > Keep Satisfied > Keep Informed > Monitor

Role Type Membership Power Grid

Principal Internal Leadership Internal CEO, VPs of Finance, Marketing & Manufacturing, Directors of HR, IT & Accounting

High Interest, High Power

Project Team Members Internal Assigned Project Team Leads & Members High Interest, High Power

Principal External Leadership External HRIS Vendor Selected High Interest, High Power

Sponsor Internal CEO Low Interest, High Power

Non-Principal Internal Leadership Internal VPs of Distribution, VP Engineering & Research, all Directors not mentioned in “Principal Internal Leadership”

Low Interest, High Power

Principal External Team Members External All identified external vendors that will receive bid proposals High Interest, Low Power

Principal Internal End-Users Internal Marketing, Finance & Manufacturing departments (non-executive) High Interest, Low Power

Non-Principal Internal End-Users Internal Distribution, Engineering & Research departments (non-executive) Low Interest, Low Power

External End Users External Interns & other external current applicants Low Interest, Low Power

Part B1:

Complete the attached “GenRays Communication Plan Template.”

Completed Communication Plan TemplateKey:

I = Information OnlyC = Review & CommentA = Review & Approve

DocumentAuthor or Originator

Required Date or Frequency

Key Internal/ External

StakeholdersAction Required

(I,C,A) Comments

Project FAQ Project Manager Throughout All Stakeholders C

A list on the company employee website (non-project specific, internal and external versions) that outlines the project FAQs from the internal or external viewer perspective.

Will grow to include the UI FAQs and links to other high level, broadly available information like Company Newsletter project section or Memorandums as the project progresses.

Includes a call to action inviting any stakeholder to contribute feedback or ideas to the Project Manager via email.

Will be linked to from the IMS Project Team Website under “FAQ” link.

Project Kickoff Meeting

Project Manager Initiation Phase Exit Project Team Leads, Project Team Members, Principal

I Should contain detailed information for the Project Team Leads and Members to understand what their and each other’s roles and responsibilities are.





(I,C,A) Comments

External Team Members

Introduces primary project stakeholders to high level project plans, processes and resources (like the IMS Team Site, Project Organization, Schedule, etc.) and introduces management expectations.

Serves as initial team building event for all primary stakeholders both internal and external (vendor or contractors) to establish relationships and trust between virtual team members.

The format will be a video conference, since the team is distributed across a WAN, and the recording archived on the IMS Team Website allowing for search and discoverability for any absent team members, leadership or for general reference and distribution upon request.

Links to the content will be sent, along with Notes, by the Project Manager, following the meeting, to the Team Leads and Members.

Work Performance Progress - Routine Vendor Status Sync

Procurement Manager

Daily during Vendor engagement

Vendor, Procurement Manager C

Vendor and Procurement Manager to have a daily or 2 to 3 times weekly sync meeting over video conferencing or teleconferencing, or Instant Messaging.

This meeting must be live, must be bi-directional communication and must pull in any and all resources that are necessary from other stakeholders in order to drive forward communications, to ensure accurate assessment and understanding of status of all risks and issues, and performance progress.

Notes from this meeting to be sent to the Vendor and Project Manager for tracking, and archived in the IMS system under “Vendor Communications” link.

Work Performance Progress - Team Weekly Reports & Review

Project Manager Weekly on Tuesday Project Team Members, Project Team Leads

C Team Members to produce Project progress reports each week in advance of GenRays general weekly status meetings which are held on Wednesdays.

Project Manager to hold a weekly meeting to discuss these reports, which detail progress against objectives for the week for every team member, and include significant challenges (risks or issues with meeting baseline objectives) or achievements (milestones met or expectations exceeded).

The primary reason for this meeting is not only integration management focus, but also to form and deepen team bonds, in order to enhance communications and trust between team members.

The format will include video conferencing since the team is distributed across a WAN, and the recordings archived on the IMS Team Website





(I,C,A) Comments

allowing for search and discoverability for any absent team members, leadership or general reference.

Links to the content will be sent, along with Notes, by the Project Manager, following the meeting, to the Team Leads and Members.

Work Performance Progress – Executive Bi-Weekly Report

Project Management Bi-Weekly Principal Internal Leadership C

Project Manager to prepare and present a report of the high-level project information for leadership consumption.

The format will be an easy to read and consume report that clearly summarizes the work performance progress data, presents the reader with links to drill-down information, and makes any leadership asks clear.

The report data will be emailed to Sponsor and Principal Internal Leadership, and archived onto the Project IMS Team Website, under “Project Status Reporting” heading, allowing for search and discoverability by any stakeholder upon request.

Work Performance Progress - Phase/Milestone Exit Report & Review

Project Manager Monthly, or Milestones Met

Sponsor, Principal and Non-Principal Internal Leadership, Principal End-Users

I, C, A

Project Manager to prepare and present a summary project report of the high-level project information for cross-organizational leadership and principal end-user consumption. The review meeting will only include Leadership, however the report will be sent to all stakeholders. A version will be scrubbed and sent to appropriate external stakeholders as well, including possible content to the Marketing website.

The format will be an easy to read and consume report that clearly summarizes the work performance progress data, presents the reader with links to drill-down information, and makes any expectations clear.

The report data will be emailed to all stakeholders, and archived onto the Project IMS Team Website, under “Project Status Reporting” heading, allowing for search and discoverability by any stakeholder upon request.

Risk & Issue Register Updates

Any Internal Project Member

As Needed/Daily Updates Any Stakeholder I, C

Will be managed in IMS Team Website as list, will be updated on daily basis and monitored by Project Manager in order to assess when an escalation to an Issue should occur.

High level data on this list to be discussed at weekly status meetings, in the bi-weekly reporting to leadership, and also the milestone/phase exit review meetings.

List to be surfaced from the Project IMS Team website under “Change Requests” heading.

Change Requests Any Internal Project Member

As Needed Sponsor, Principal Internal Leadership

A Will be managed in IMS Team Website as list, with restricted fields and mandatory workflow to control the process to review, approve and implement any project changes from baseline.





(I,C,A) Comments

May include an impromptu meeting that include the affected stakeholders in order to discuss and address. May result in an internal or external memorandum if any significant changes from baseline are approved.

Changes to this list to be made promptly as data is presented. Updates to this list to be discussed at weekly status meetings, in the bi-weekly reporting to leadership, and very high level in the milestone/phase exit review meetings.

List to be surfaced from the Project IMS Team website in a very visible manner.

Internal or External Memorandums

Sponsor or any Executive Leadership As Needed Any Internal or

External Stakeholder I

Used by leadership to communicate urgent, pertinent or high-level information to any stakeholder or group of stakeholders, via email and/or printed materials, internal or externally viewable website (including possibly the Marketing website).

These will also made available on IMS project Team Website as high-priority announcement for search and discoverability.

Could also come in the form of an impromptu conference call or video conference call if required/requested.

Company Newsletter Content Sponsor As Needed All Internal I

To be created from other communication collaterals as needed and decided upon by Sponsor and Leadership.

Used to distribute extremely high-level information on progress and deviations from baseline, to all Internal stakeholders.

Project Close Report & Review

Project Team Leadership, Project Manager

Closing Phase All Stakeholders I, C This report and review format will vary to suit the needs of the different stakeholders. In general, it should be powerpoint presentation and meeting (at least for leadership and principal end users), in an easy to read and consume report format, followed by a review meetings.

Versions of this report will reference the Lesson’s Learned artifact so that subsequent projects may glean from best practices and avoid pitfalls learned from this project.

This review will present mainly on these areas:

Key functionality delivered Key challenges and how they were overcome Best practices gleaned from the project Immediate next steps Future possible/probably projects to add onto the functionality





(I,C,A) Comments

The report data will be emailed to the respective stakeholder groups, as well as archived onto the Project IMS Team Website, allowing for search and discoverability by any stakeholder, or upon request or for future project planning purposes.

Project Close Party Project Manager Exit to Closing Phase

Sponsor, Principal and Non-Principal Internal Leadership, Project Team Leads and Members, Principal External Team Members, Principal Internal End-Users

I

Project-themed celebration that all stakeholders internal and external are invited to.

Serves as team morale and relationship building event, recognition and reward to members for work in accomplishing goals and project objectives.

Event link, information, awards and/or pictures to be archived on the IMS Team Website under “Morale” heading.

Part B2:

Explain the information and communication needs of key internal and external project stakeholders you included in the GenRays Communication Plan Template.

Roles What they need Why they need it

Sponsor & Non-Principal Internal Leadership

To not be bombarded with information on a daily or weekly basis; instead to be made and kept informed of significant project progress and performance at critical milestones met and project phase transitions

To be able to easily find and retrieve high-level project progress, performance and current status reports at-will

To be engaged only when significant challenges, risks or issues arise that require executive level action to overcome

So they know that the company resources are well directed So they know that the project is moving forward in a

meaningful way So they can focus on other priorities unless absolutely critical So they understand the roadmap on delivery and can prioritize

their organizations resources accordingly So they can have input into the project at critical junctions

Principal Internal Leadership

To be made and kept informed of project progress and performance in a timely and regular basis throughout the project lifecycle

To be able to easily find and retrieve high-level project progress, performance and current status reports at-will

To be able to assist quickly in overcoming any significant challenges, risks or issues

To not be surprised by any data that flows up to the

So they know that the company resources are well directed So they feel they had the chance to contribute to the overall

objectives So they know that the project is moving forward in a

meaningful way So they can review and approve of any significant changes to

baseline that require project resource, scope or timeline changes to their respective organizations resources

CEO or out to any other group of stakeholder (other than Project Team Members)

So they know about any potential impacts to other priorities in across their organizations

So they have the opportunity to swiftly reconcile any emergencies or challenges without inappropriate escalation or information leaking to external parties

Project Team Members To know what their role is, what their deliverables are, and be able to plan their work effectively taking into account all inputs and outputs and dependencies

To be able to quickly gain access to any project resources in across the Wide Area Network (WAN), both internal and external

To be able to submit timely status reports on progress for their areas in an accessible manor across WAN

To be able to submit, view and change status on risks, bugs, and issues encountered that impact their objectives

To cross-reference other team member’s project status so that they can ensure full integration with their own objectives and plans

To have healthy relationships established and maintained throughout the project and beyond

To be empowered, motivated and rewarded

So they have clarity on the expectations leadership have of their role

So they have a sense of security in their role So they have good communications with project team

members So they receive recognition and rewards for their work So they have buy-in, responsibility to and ownership of their

areas

Principal External Leadership

To have clarity in what is being asked of them for the project

To have a chance to participate in the bidding To have a favorable contract negotiated and maintained To be made aware of any changes to baseline that

affect them To have a way to communicate clearly and promptly

any risks to their ability to accomplish objectives and have them dealt with expediently

To be adequately compensated without delay for work accomplished as negotiated in the work contract(s)

So they have the best opportunity to contribute their talents to the project

So they are set up to succeed in their contracted obligations to the project and are properly supported throughout

So they are rewarded promptly and expeditiously so that future engagements aren’t jeopardized

So they are able to support their system efficiently

Principal Internal End-Users

To know what the project will mean to their jobs, now and in the future

To have a roadmap that will transition them efficiently to the new system and workflows

So they know how the project will impact their work and lives So they are comfortable with the project objectives So they buy-in to the project goals and objectives So they have gainful and meaningful employment after the

To have their fears alleviated with respect to any jobs becoming obsoleted

To be able to contribute their ideas, workflow and other needs to the project

To know what is happening with their job applications to other jobs in the company, their training certifications, and other HRIS and Payroll information won’t be “lost” in the system transition

To know that their private information is kept secure

project So they have a transition that is easy and supported

Non-Principal Internal End-Users

To know what the project will mean to their jobs, now and in the future

To have a roadmap that will transition them efficiently to the new system and workflows

To be able to contribute their ideas, workflow and other needs to the project

To know what is happening with their job applications to other jobs in the company, their training certifications, and other HRIS and Payroll information won’t be “lost” in the system transition


So they know how the project will impact their work and lives So they are comfortable with the project objectives So they buy-in to the project goals and objectives So they have a transition that is easy and supported

External End-Users To know that their job applications didn’t get lost in the transition to the new system

To be made aware of enhanced functionality for GenRays employees as a result of the new system


So they want to work at GenRays So they are comfortable with the project objectives So they have a transition that is easy and supported

Part B3: Discuss how the information you and your team are planning to communicate to different stakeholders about the HRIS project (e.g., milestones met, current project status, issues encountered) meet the stakeholder needs you identified.

Roles How their needs are addressed and why

Sponsor & Non-Principal Internal Leadership

Rory, the GenRays CEO, is the Project Sponsor, but also the highest ranking member of the GenRays organization, and therefore should not be bothered with weekly or even bi-weekly reporting, unless a Change Request mandates he be brought involved.

For this reason, he is lumped into the same communication category as Non-Principal Internal Leadership in most aspects of the communication strategy.


Sponsor and Non-Principal Internal Leadership should only be consulted at monthly intervals when forecasting data has been properly assessed, and for critical issues.

This stakeholder ‘group’ should be present to reward their organization for a job well done upon Close – and also contribute support along the way as called upon by their leaders and organization members.

They should reference the Project Charter, the Monthly reporting and Change Requests, and also scrutinize the Close Report data, in order to stay on top of the progress of the project without having it impact/affect their daily lives, so they can focus on other high priority business, company and organizational objectives.

They should have easy access to drill down into the finer details of the status of the project if they wish, by having an easy to remember and access web-based IMS system with Team Website which is referenced heavily in the reports they are sent, and from which they can search and locate easily any information regarding the project they prefer.

Principal Internal Leadership

The HR, Finance, IT and Marketing departments are the Principal Internal Leadership for the project and need to be kept informed of any significant project progress and performance in a timely and regular basis throughout the project lifecycle. They also, however, have significant other responsibilities to maintain, so involving them on more than a bi-weekly basis, is not appropriate except for Change Requests and emergencies (like team members not getting along, and needing managerial direction to overcome).

This category of stakeholder should be able to easily find and retrieve high-level project progress, performance and current status reports at-will, but also drill into the finer details as desired. Thus the project IMS Team Website will be heavily referenced in their email reports so they can pull whatever data they need easily.

This group needs to be able to made aware of and quickly address any challenges for meeting the objectives of the project, and so the on-demand Change Request reviews or meetings, constantly updated Risk and Issues Lists, weekly status meeting archive, and Bi-Weekly reporting should keep them substantially engaged and aware of the data they care about throughout the project.

One of the most important criteria for this group of stakeholders is not being surprised by any information about the project from external (to the Project Team) sources (e.g. the CEO is aware of a risk to the project that they are not, which stem from within their organization). It is therefore very important that prior to any broad or high-level communication go out, that they are made aware and given the chance to provide input and direction. The Bi-Weekly reviews with this group should suffice to keep them informed of anything going out to the broader group, since they exclude the CEO as well as cross organizational leadership (Non-Principal Internal Leaders).

Project Team Members

This stakeholder group needs to clearly understand and be able to convey to others including their own leadership, what their role is in the project, what their deliverables are, and be able to plan their work effectively taking into account all inputs and outputs and dependencies. Having the Kickoff meeting, as well as any Phase Transition meetings, will help to keep this information current and well


understood.

The IMS distributed WAN system with integrated Team Website and document Search capabilities will allow them to quickly and easily share and tag their project artifacts for integration management and visibility to all other stakeholders according to their perspectives – allowing for cross-reference of other team member’s project status so that they can ensure full integration with their own objectives and plans.

They can also easily gain access to any project resources through Instant Messaging, Video Conferencing, email and the phone. They can and should use these tools to maintain consistent status with end users, Vendors (as with the Vendor Sync meeting), and other stakeholders, and archiving the Notes to the IMS Team site will be useful for reference.

The FAQ will be a good resource that is in alignment with the company standards, which will allow them to communicate information more broadly, like Training Curriculum and Schedule, and UI FAQ.

This team requires effective leadership and swift change control. The On-Demand Change process will assist with addressing this need, with workflows built into the Change Requests that ensure correct action is taken and approved. They will have assurance of the status and progress of their requests. The Risk and Issues register will also serve as a good resource for them to track status on their focus areas. For the team to be productive during this project and future projects, they need to establish and maintain healthy relationships and communication channels. They need to also feel empowered, motivated and rewarded in their efforts. The Kickoff meeting, Weekly Status Meetings, Phase Exit and Review meetings, On-Demand Change Request Meetings, and the Project Close Party all help with fostering communications, trust and loyalty between the team members and their leaders.

Principal External Leadership

The potential HRIS vendors require sufficient objectives detail to make an accurate bid for software and services they offer.

The chosen HRIS vendor will need very close management and quick response to any issues encountered, so the daily, or multiple times per weekly Vendor Sync meeting should accomplish this. They also need to be held accountable for their actions and promises, so the negotiated contracts, and Notes taken during the Sync meeting should assist.

They need to be compensated fairly and timely, so the Close Report which includes Close Procurements data will address this. They should also have close ties with the project team members, so the moral events should include them, and they should be given recognition and reward in alignment with the milestone progress as the project continues to close.

Principal Internal End-Users

The internal end-users of the system need to know what the project will mean to their jobs, now and in the future, along with the ability to influence the outcome. They gain this by having an FAQ made broadly visible on the company website and via the company newsletter, as well as targeted memorandums (which can also service external end-users).

These stakeholders will require heavy training, and to have a solid roadmap that will transition them efficiently to the new system and


workflows. The Work Performance Progress - Phase/Milestone Exit Report being pushed to them directly should account for this need directly, which should also serve to alleviate their fears with respect to any jobs becoming obsolete.

These stakeholders also need to be able to contribute ideas and critical workflow data to the project, one way this will be accomplished is by requesting their ideas be communicated directly to the Project Manager, as outlined in the plan, as early in the project as possible.

Internal Memorandums and Company Newsletter sections should address their specific security needs and concerns, in order to update them on critical matters like data loss or roll-out training date changes, along the way.

Non-Principal Internal End-Users

These end-users will be the least involved or concerned with the changes, but still need to be kept in the know with respect to impacts to their jobs and lives. The Close Report, which should outline Immediate Next Steps (training), should address this need.

They should also be able to contribute ideas, and will be included in the call to action for anyone to contribute ideas to the Project Manager directly, to assist with their feelings of buy-in to the project.

Internal Memorandums and Company Newsletter sections should address their specific security needs and concerns, in order to update them on critical matters like data loss or roll-out training date changes, along the way.

External End-Users These end-users will be the least involved or concerned with the changes, but still need to be kept in the know with respect to specific security concerns around their current system personally identifiable data. They will need to be informed of any breaches of security or loss of their data, and this can happen with Memorandums, Internal or External, printed and/or electronic, and/or Company Newsletters to Internal only.

Part C: Create a plan in which you document at least 5 topics that would be appropriate to present to the different group of stakeholders at the close of the HRIS project.

Note: This plan may include different report forms and content for different stakeholders.

Appropriate topics to include in Close Reports to serve the different stakeholder group’s needs are as follows:

All Internal Leadership

This content is appropriate for leadership in order to assess the project performance against objectives and impacts to their organization. Best practices should be included in order to ensure the information can be useful in future projects, as well as a brief analysis of the impacts of future module delivery.

The format should be a presentation and a one hour review meeting that the Project Manager and Team Leads present the content.

1. Reasons for closurea. Contractual (the project has successfully completed and met objectives), vs.b. Administrative (business priority changes, budget issues, loss of key personnel, quality issues, etc.)

2. Key System Functionsa. Changedb. Addedc. Obsoleted

3. Changes or deviations from baseline and reasonsa. Unapprovedb. Approved

4. Budget Reviewa. Include information on outstanding bills and reserves required for post-production support, and performance against budget forecasts

5. Acceptance Reviewa. Performance measurements to date and planned to measure success of the project against objectives

6. Lessons Learneda. Best Practices and pitfalls to avoid in future projects

7. Reference to Project Records Archive a. Memos, Newsletters, Reports, Meeting Notes, Video or Teleconference recordings, Data Lists (Change Requests, Issues & Risks logs)

Principal End-Users

This group should receive information that focuses on what is delivered from the major job workflow functions of the system, since they are most directly impacted by the system. It should include what is on the horizon for future implementation and any immediate next steps like training curriculum and schedule.

A communication from senior management should occur instead of this content, for any Administrative reason for closure. This information below assumes a contractual reason.

The format should be a presentation and a one hour review meeting that the Project Manager and Team Leads present the content.

1. Key System Functions a. For Managersb. For HRc. For Payrolld. For Marketing

2. Immediate Next Stepsa. Training

b. Cut-Overc. Support & SLAsd. Success Measurements

3. What’s on the Horizon?a. Next modules to add or functionality to deliver

Non-Principal Internal End Users

This group will be served with an easy to consume and brief summary report and not official review meeting, which highlights the following and focuses on the impact the new system has on their current jobs (including links to Training Curriculum and content). The content appropriate for this group is:

1. Key System Functions and Benefitsa. For GenRays Employees

2. Immediate Next Stepsa. Training Curriculum and Scheduleb. Cut-Over Schedulec. Support & SLAs

3. What’s on the Horizon?a. Next modules that Senior Leadership has identified may be on the horizon to deliver

Externals

This group is managed by HR and Marketing primarily, and therefore information should be presented on the website or to any current applicants regarding the impact of the system changes to them directly.

Also it would be appropriate to use the new system to attract new talent, so highlighting key functionality concerning the benefits of working at GenRays afforded by this new system.

These topics should be included in this reporting:

1. Key System Functions a. For Job Candidatesb. For GenRays employees

2. What’s on the Horizon?a. Next modules that Senior Leadership has identified may be on the horizon to deliver