checklist for major business initiatives fact sheet

8/8/2019 Checklist for Major Business Initiatives Fact Sheet

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Inter Agency Policy and Projects Unit

Department of Premier and Cabinet

Project Management

Fact Sheet:Checklist for Major Business InitiativesVersion: 1.2, November 2008

DISCLAIMER

This material has been prepared for use by Tasmanian Government agencies and Instrumentalities.It follows that this material should not be relied upon by any other person. Furthermore, to the extentthat ‘this material is relied upon’, the Crown in Right of the State of Tasmania gives no warranty as tothe accuracy or correctness of the material or for any advice given or for omissions from the material.Users rely on the material at their own risk.



Tasmanian Government Project Management FrameworkProject Management Fact Sheet: Checklist for Major Business Initiatives, Version: 1.2, November 2008

How to progress an idea to anapproved project

Have you ever wondered how projectsactually get started? Often we are

confronted with an assignment thatinvolves progressing an idea, a piece oflegislation or an announcement made by aMinister, into practical results. But what ifyou don’t know where to start?

This Fact Sheet provides a starting pointby outlining many areas that may need tobe investigated to progress an idea into anapproved project .i.e. project initiation,including:

establishing links to Government andAgency strategies

establishing a collective understandingof the initiative

undertaking background research andanalysis

identifying related initiatives/projects;

identifying funding sources

identifying Information &Communications Technology (ICT) orInformation Management (IM)considerations

planning the implementation

The term ‘initiative’ has been used in theFact Sheet to describe the idea, directive,announcement or whatever is to beprogressed through the relevant processfrom approval to implementation.

This Fact Sheet should be read inconjunction with any related Agencyguidelines, where they exist. Agencyprotocols should be adhered to at all times,particularly in relation to seeking input fromwithin and outside of the Agency.

How does the initiative relate toexisting strategic plans?

There are a number of key strategic plansto which all initiatives should contribute.

These are at a whole-of-government andAgency level, including:

The current Government's keystrategies and initiatives. These areoutlined annually in the Budget Papersavailable at www.treasury.tas.gov.au

The Tasmania Together goals andbenchmarks. Tasmania Together is a20-year social, environmental andeconomic plan that helps shape

government policy, service deliveryand budgets into the future. This canbe found atwww.tasmaniatogether.tas.gov.au

Your Agency’s Corporate Plan, whichis updated annually and should beavailable on your Agency’s intranet

The Strategic Plan for any relevantgoverning bodies or Boards e.g. theService Tasmania Board

Other key strategies or requirementse.g. nationally agreed strategies,National Competition Policy etc

Examine how the initiative contributes tothese strategies. For example, identify thebenefits to your Agency and/or its clientsfrom undertaking or engaging in theinitiative. Also, consider how the initiativewould contribute to a Local GovernmentPartnership Agreement with your Agencyor a group of agencies. This can be

explored by contacting the LocalGovernment Partnership AgencyImplementation Officer within your Agency.

http://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/



http://www.tasmaniatogether.tas.gov.au/







How clearly understood is theinitiative?

It is important that a commonunderstanding is reached as to what the

initiative involves. Check within your ownwork area to ensure the rationale andintention for the initiative is clear to youand/or your colleagues. Also, clarify that aformal decision has been made by therelevant individual/group to move forwardwith the initiative and confirm who will betaking responsibility for progressing theinitiative through the approval stages.

It may be worthwhile confirming that youcan outline the initiative using the project

management SMART principles, i.e.:

Stated - clear and specific about what,where, when, and how the situationwill be changed

Measurable - able to quantify thebenefits (outcomes)

Agreed – a common understandingand agreement of the intended change

Realistic - able to obtain the level of

change reflected in the objective andoutcomes

Timely – a stated time period in whichthe change will occur

Once you have a common understandingwithin your local work area, check that thewider group of people affected or involvedin the initiative from within your Agencyand beyond have the same collectiveunderstanding of the initiative. You may

need to consider methodologies such asValue Management. Value Management isa structured, analytical process whichseeks to satisfy ‘customer’ needs byensuring that all necessary functions areprovided at the lowest total cost, whilemaintaining the required levels of qualityand performance - in other words, tomaximise value. Additional information onValue Management is available from theInstitute of Value Management (Australia)at www.value-management.com.au.

What if more than one agency ispotentially involved?

Confusion can often arise in governmentinitiatives that involve more than one

Agency. In these cases, it is worthwhile toidentify a lead Agency. This model wasand still is used by Service Tasmania. Notonly is the model effective, it is also widelyaccepted by all Agencies.

Why re-invent the wheel?

There is nothing worse than not learningfrom your own mistakes or the mistakes ofothers. It is worth investigating if similarinitiatives have been undertaken before,

and what the results were. Perhaps therehave been similar initiatives undertaken byyour Agency, other TasmanianGovernment Agencies, other levels ofgovernment or other jurisdictions. Theresults of these initiatives might help informthe way you progress yours.

The Inter Agency Policy & Projects Unit(IAPPU) within the Department of Premierand Cabinet may be able to help you

identify similar initiatives/projects.

What other initiatives are happeningat the same time?

There may be a number of initiativesalready under way that may impact on yourinitiative. It is worth checking to see whatexisting initiatives throughout governmentare being undertaken to avoid potentialduplication, overlap or dependencies.IAPPU may be able to help you identifyrelated initiatives/projects.

How to get the tick of approval?

There may be a number of approval‘hoops’ at different levels that you need to jump through. The following is adescription of the different levels ofapproval, not all may be relevant to yourinitiative.

http://www.value-management.com.au/







Agency Level - you will need to familiariseyourself with and complete the internalAgency process for getting initiativesapproved. This process is Agency specificand your line manager or your Agency’sCorporate Services area should be able todirect you to the relevant internalprocesses.

Whole-of-Government Level - you willneed to familiarise yourself with andcomplete the external Agency (BudgetCommittee) process for getting fundingapproved for an initiative if the fundingrequired is not included in the Agency’sannual budget. This will require thedevelopment of a Business Case – refer

below W HERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM ? As part of the Business Casedevelopment, you will need to identify thelong-term financial sustainability of theinitiative. For example, identify themeasurable benefits for undertaking theinitiative and over what period of time thebenefits will be achieved and any recurrentfunding that will be required.

Commonwealth Government Level - youwill need to be familiar with and complete

the Commonwealth Government processor application for getting funding approvedfor an initiative.

All of these approval bodies will need to beassured that the decision makingstructures and processes for the initiativehave been identified, that accountabilitythroughout the initiative has beenidentified, and that the timelines andmilestones for progressing the initiative are

clear.

At the whole-of-government andCommonwealth level, the Agency will needto demonstrate that the initiative is seen asa priority.

If the initiative is a major TasmanianGovernment initiative the various levels ofapproval are important as they ensure theappropriate level of priority is accorded tothe initiative.

Where will the money come from?

There are a variety of sources from whichfunds for an initiative can be sought.However, it is important the relevant

financial experts are involved in identifyingthe most appropriate source for yourinitiative.

The first place to begin these discussionsis your Agency’s Finance Manager. If funding required is not included in theAgency’s annual budget, you will need tohave discussions with your Agency’sBudget Analyst based on advice from yourAgency. The Budget Analyst can assistyou by explaining the Budget Committee

process, including the need to develop aBusiness Case, and identify alternatives forfunding. If this is a major TasmanianGovernment initiative, it is important thatyour Budget Analyst views the initiative asa priority and fully understands therationale and benefits for pursuing it.Remember, you will need to convinceothers of the importance of your initiative,because there will be other initiativescompeting for the same limited funds.

If full or partial funding is being obtainedfrom the Commonwealth, there will be aspecific process to complete in order toreceive funding for the initiative.

What about information technology?

If there is a major Information &Communications Technology (ICT) orInformation Management (IM) componentto the initiative, there are a number of

standards, guidelines, policies andapproval processes at different levels thatyou need to consider.

Agency Level - you will need to familiariseyourself with your Agency’s ICT Strategyand to discuss the initiative with yourAgency’s IT Section/Branch and any areasresponsible for ICT policy.




Tasmania Togetherwww.tasmaniatogether.tas.gov.au

Institute of Value Management (Australia)

www.value-management.com.au Where to get additional help

Refer to the Tasmanian Government Project Management Guidelines

The Inter Agency Policy and ProjectsUnit offers further advice andassistance, including a formal Advisoryand Review Service

Contact Project Services at

[email protected]

Further information and resources areavailable fromwww.egovernment.tas.gov.au

Acknowledgements

This Fact Sheet contains elements of the Tasmanian Government Project Management Guidelines prepared by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.





mailto:[email protected]


http://www.egovernment.tas.gov.au/








MAJOR TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE CHECKLIST


ESTABLISH STRATEGIC LINKS

What contribution will the initiative make to achieving the goals in your Agency’s

Corporate Plan? Is the initiative a priority for the Agency?

To which of the current Government's key strategies and initiatives does the initiativecontribute? These are outlined annually in the Budget Papers available atwww.treasury.tas.gov.au.

What are the benefits to your Agency and/or its clients from undertaking or engaging inthe initiative?

What contribution will the initiative make to the Tasmania Together goals? These can befound at www.tasmaniatogether.tas.gov.au

Does the initiative contribute to a Local Government Partnership Agreement with yourAgency or a group of agencies? Contact your Agency Local Government PartnershipAgreement Implementation Officer.

ESTABLISH A COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING

Is the rationale for the initiative clear to you?

Has a decision been made to move forward with the idea? Who is taking responsibility forprogressing the idea at the development stage? Is there a clear mandate from the wider

group and have they clarified their collaborative understanding of the idea?

If no decision has been made to move forward with the idea, what process still needs tobe undertaken to gain formal agreement to move forward with the idea?

Who are the key stakeholders? Do you know their views about the issues beingaddressed? Is the list of stakeholders complete? Has any key group been left outinadvertently or deliberately?

Have you got the key stakeholders together to develop a common vision for the initiative?Have you considered using methodologies such as Value Management? Additionalinformation on Value Management is available from the Institute of Value Management(Australia) at www.value-management.com.au

If the initiative involves a number of agencies, has a lead agency been clearly identified?

UNDERTAKE RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Has this or a similar initiatives been undertaken before? If so, what were the outcomes?

Have you identified similar projects elsewhere that might help inform your initiative andcollected information from any of these? These may be other Tasmanian Government

agency projects, other levels of government or other jurisdictions. The Inter Agency Policyand Projects Unit (IAPPU) in the Department of Premier and Cabinet may be able to helpyou with this. Contact details are available on this website.















IDENTIFY RELATED INITATIVES/PROJECTS

Has a quick audit of existing initiatives throughout government been undertaken to checkfor potential duplication or overlap? If there is duplication or overlap, do you need astrategy for addressing this? IAPPU may be able to help you with this. Contact details

are available at on this website.

COMPLETE APPROVAL PROCESS

Have you familiarised yourself with and completed the internal Agency process for gettinginitiatives approved?

If required, have you familiarised yourself with and completed any whole-of-government orCommonwealth Government processes for getting initiatives approved?

If required, have you familiarised yourself with and completed the external Agency(Budget Committee) process for getting funding for an initiative approved?

Do you need to develop a Business Case? Templates are available in the ProjectManagement documentation on this website.

Have you identified the long-term financial sustainability of the initiative? For example,what are the measurable benefits for undertaking the initiative, over what period of timewill the benefits be achieved and what re-current funding will be required?

Have the decision making structures and processes been identified and agreed? Hasaccountability throughout the initiative been identified and agreed?

Are the timelines and milestones for progressing the initiative clear and agreed?

Has the Agency clearly identified the initiative as one of its priorities?

IDENTIFY FUNDING SOURCES

What potential funding sources are there and how will these be pursued?

Have you initiated budget discussions with your Agency’s Finance Manager? Have youidentified your Agency’s Budget Analyst and discussed with the analyst the budgetconsiderations and alternatives for funding?

Have you studied the Guide for Government Buyers and made yourself familiar with therules that govern government purchasing and the responsibilities of the governmentbuyer, regardless of the value of the purchase? Visit www.purchasing.tas.gov.au

ICT OR IM CONSIDERATIONS

Is the initiative consistent with your Agency’s ICT Strategy? Have you discussed the

initiative with your Agency’s IT Section/Branch?

http://www.projectmanagement.tas.gov.au/







If required, have you familiarised yourself with and completed the processes for gettingwhole-of-government ICT initiatives approved by the Inter Agency Steering Committee(IASC)?

Has the relationship with the emerging Interoperability Framework been checked?

For further information about the framework, contact the Inter Agency Policy and ProjectsUnit (IAPPU) within the Department of Premier and Cabinet on this website.

Have you contacted IAPPU to establish any whole-of-government implications,considerations or opportunities for the initiative? Contact details are available on thiswebsite

Have you considered utilising the Business and ICT Consultancy Service? Contactdetails are available on this website.

Have you examined the whole-of-government ICT and IM standards, guidelines andpolicies relevant to the initiative, including:

Guidelines for the Administration of Crown Copyright

Information Technology-Related Intellectual Property Policy Principles

Integrated Land Information

Name and Address Standards

Privacy

Records Management

National Minimum Data Set requirements (where they exist)

Tasmanian Government Information Security Framework

Tasmanian Evidence of Identify Framework – EOI Standards

Tasmanian Proof of Age Card – Application Form

Tasmanian Government Web Publishing Standards

Additional information about these policies is available on this website

Have you reviewed the emerging examples of Better Practice within the TasmanianGovernment? IAPPU provides a mechanism to enable Agencies to capture, share andsubsequently implement ‘good ideas’ i.e. innovations or ‘lessons learnt’ about what worksand what does not in Government business activities. Additional information of theseexamples is available on this website.

PLANNING THE IMPLEMENTATION

Has an analysis of the current business processes been considered?

Has a baseline costing study been considered?

Have you studied the Tasmanian Government’s Project Management Guidelines? Visiton this website?

Have you considered obtaining project management advice or assistance in relation to theapplication of the Tasmanian Government’s project management methodology? Contactdetails are available at on this website.

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