The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit

60 Chapter 2 ■ Launching and Managing the Project/Program

BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION (continued)

◆ Program/project communication plan

◆ Program/project plan and task list

◆ Program/project status meeting agenda and meeting notes

◆ Program/project progress presentations for business sponsors and the

executive governance committee, IT peers and management, and the busi-

ness community at large

◆ Program/project issue and change control logs

Estimating Considerations

The effort required to define your DW/BI project is highly dependent on your

readiness and situation. At one end of the spectrum, it may require only a few

weeks to establish scope and build the justification. However, if you identify a

significant readiness shortfall, it may require several months of effort to

conduct a high level business requirements analysis, construct a

proof-of-concept, and recruit a well-qualified sponsor before you can proceed.

The initial project plan should be developed in less than two weeks. This plan

will continue to be revised every step of the way.

The effort to manage the project is directly related to its size and scope. The

DW/BI project manager should be assigned full time to the initiative, although

they may also perform non-project management tasks depending on their

availability and skill set.

Finally, ongoing program management is just as it sounds — ongoing in

perpetuity.

Website Resources

The following template for program/project planning and management is

available on the book’s website at www.kimballgroup.com :

◆ Project plan task list