Project and System Metaphors

Project and System Metaphors

May 1, 2009

Edward Granger-HappUnified CIO, Save the Children US & UK

Chairman, NetHope Chairman, GTRB

Some definitions - Metaphor

“A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money)” –Webster

"The metaphor reminds us that the universe is full of cousins.“ --J.D. Casnig

“Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.” --Orson Scott Card

Some Definitions – Systems Metaphor“A story that everyone—customers, programmers, and managers—can tell about how the system works.” --Kent Beck

“The metaphor just helps everyone on the project understand the basic elements and their relationships. Words chosen to identify technical entities should be consistently taken from the chosen metaphor. As development proceeds and the metaphor matures, the whole team will find new inspiration from examining the metaphor.” – Kent Beck

“Extreme Programming teams develop a common vision of how the program works [or needs to work], which we call the “metaphor”. At its best, the metaphor is a simple evocative description of how the program works [will work or should work], such as “this program works like a hive of bees, going out for pollen and bringing it back to the hive” as a description for an agent-based information retrieval system.”

--Ronald E. Jeffries, XProgramming.com, 1999 - 2009

Key Project Metaphors at Save

• The following are key one-page metaphors that have summarized and galvanized key projects:

1.“Joe Donor” for the single-view-of-the-donor objective for Capital Campaign Project in 2006

2.The Data Silos “red zones” for Capital Campaign Project

3.The Unified Presence imperative for unified applications in the BCG Alliance IT Review in 2006

4.The Sri Lanka “130” reporting nightmare for the CPH Project in 2007

BEFOREProject Goals: Single View and Consolidated Campaign Reporting

MATCHING GIFTSJoe’s employer is a matching gift company but they are not on record as such. Joe’s sponsorship payments have not been matched because no application has ever been submitted.PLANNED GIVINGThrough reading the annual report for CARE, Planned Giving learned that Mary Donor set up a CLT with CARE as the income beneficiary. Her son, Joe, is the remainder beneficiary of $5 million.

N/A

SPECIAL EVENTSJoe attended the gala as the representative for XYZ Corporation along with his wife Alice. Both were setup in Raiser’s Edge as attendees. Joe is a Vice President with XYZ.

RE6GRANTSJoe is on the board of a foundation, The foundation recently gave a $50,000 grant to Mozambique

Grants Management

LEGEND: INTEGRATION OF INFORMATIONDotted Arrow = noneShaded Arrow = limitedBold Arrow = full `

Joe Donor

PLEDGESJoe has pledged to donate $100,000 for HIV in Uganda; payments will be received throughout the next 2 years, but no payments have been made as of yet

:Pledge form

CORPORATE RELATIONSXYZ Corporation is a corporate partner of Save the Children. They recently bought a table for the gala.

Raiser’s Edge AS400

AFTERProject Goals: Single View & Consolidated Campaign Reporting

MATCHING GIFTSJoe’s employer is a matching gift company but they are not on record as such. Joe’s sponsorship payments have not been matched because no application has ever been submitted.PLANNED GIVINGThrough reading the annual report for CARE, Planned Giving learned that Mary Donor set up a CLT with CARE as the income beneficiary. Her son, Joe, is the remainder beneficiary of $5 million.

RE7

SPECIAL EVENTSJoe attended the gala as the representative for XYZ Corporation along with his wife Alice. Both were setup in Raiser’s Edge as attendees. Joe is a Vice President with XYZ.

RE7GRANTSJoe is on the board of a foundation, The foundation recently gave a $50,000 grant to Mozambique

RE7

LEGEND: INTEGRATION OF INFORMATIONDotted Arrow = noneShaded Arrow = limitedBold Arrow = full

Joe Donor

PLEDGESJoe has pledged to donate $100,000 for HIV in Uganda; payments will be received throughout the next 2 years, but no payments have been made as of yet

RE7

CORPORATE RELATIONSXYZ Corporation is a corporate partner of Save the Children. They recently bought a table for the gala.

RE7 RE7

NOW IMAGINE 15 UNIFIED PRESENCE COUNTRIES AND 20 PARTICIPATING MEMBERS USING UNIQUE APPLICATIONSExample: Unified Presence, Financial Systems

Note: Assumes strict adherence to current rule that managing member systems are used in Unified Presence program countries

The Migraine

UP countries find themselves with unbearable workloads in reporting due to un-harmonized head offices

USAID

MFA Norway

MFA Norway

Internal-SCUK

USAID

Internal-SCUK

USAID

USAID

USAID

DEC

DEC

USAID

CIDA

DEC

Internal-SCUK

SC Alliance

DEC

DEC

DfID

CEF

OFDA

OFDA

USAID

SC Sweden

CEF

SC Alliance

Internal-SCUK

MFA Norway

SC Sweden

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

OFDA

CIDA

UNICEF

UNICEF

USAID

ECHO

ECHO

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

USAID

USAID

USAID

USAID

CIDA

CIDA

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

CEF

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

CEF

Internal-SCUK

SC Alliance

OFDA

OFDA

SC Alliance

SC Sweden

Internal-SCUK

USAID

USAID

UNICEF

UNICEF

USAID

ECHO

ECHO

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

USAID

SC Alliance

DEC

CIDA

CIDA

Internal-SCUK

CEF

DEC

DEC

DEC

DEC

OFDA

OFDA

CEF

Internal-SCUK

USAID

SC Sweden

SC Nw Zealnd

SC Nw Zealnd

Internal-SCUK

USAID

UNICEF

OFDA

OFDA

UNICEF

USAID

USAID

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

USAID

USAID

CEF

DEC

CEF

Internal-SCUK

OFDA

USAID

MFA Norway

Internal-SCUK

OFDA

CIDA

CIDA

DEC

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUKInternal-SCUK Internal-SCUK Internal-SCUK

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct DecMar Nov Jan '08

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

Internal-SCUK

Case example: reporting requirements of Sri LankaCase example: reporting requirements of Sri Lanka

10

21 18

6

14

89

15

7

11 11

Total: 130

Background information:Managing Member: United KingdomParticipating members: Sweden, NorwayFunding members: Canada2006/07 budget: USD 19 mln

ITT & Country overview Other donor requirements FinancialQuarterly Reports [PMs or District Level

Narrative/Progress

Case example

Structure of the Partnership

And everyone interacts with each other...

CANADA

GERMANY

UNITEDSTATES

SINGAPORE

KOREA

AUSTRALIA

UNITEDKINGDOM

SWITZERLANDNEW

ZEALAND

JAPAN

HONGKONG

FINLAND

AUSTRIA

NETHERLANDS

TAIWAN

IRELAND

THE CORE

Picking the right metaphor is a matter of perspective