Getting Started with the TAC 216 Companion Guide

Leslie W. Lenser, The Texas A&M University System

Meghan Southerland, Texas A&M University College of Engineering IT

Agenda

How complex is it?

Which templates and tools?

Who needs to know what when?

Reviewing TAC 216 Getting Started in 3 Steps!

1

2

3

What is TAC 216 ? – the PM TAC!

• Requires institutions and agencies to manage information resources projects based on project management practices

• Each member is responsible for complianceo Publish a methodology that communicates an institution-wide approach for

project management Identify components and general use of project management practices, that satisfy

published requirements and standards

Be approved by the president or chancellor of the institution of higher education or designee

o Develop rules and procedures to ensure compliance (System Policy 29.01)

o Check with your CIO if you have questions

What’s the Companion Guide?

• Provides a framework for compliance – it’s an

• Describes a minimum standard for project management and oversight

• Provides method for classifying projects on complexity and risk

• Includes templates

• Describes project governance, assessment and reporting

• Enables a common language across the A&M System

https://it.tamus.edu/system-initiatives-and-committees/tac-216-companion-guide/tac-216-best-practice/

Getting Started

1. Score your project – How complex is it?o Use the Complexity Assessmento Fully understand what you are getting into

2. Choose templates and tools – Which will you use?

3. Set up governance – Who needs to know what when?

Use the Complexity Assessment

• Choose the assessment version (2016 or 2018)

• Answer the questions

• Get a score of the project’s complexity and risk

2016 Version

• Six sections of questionso Scopeo Scheduleo Budgeto Qualityo Organizational Impacto Other Risk Considerations

• Classified by complexityo Task – amount of work and impact is too small to be a projecto Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4 project

Complexity Assessment Example

Let’s take a look!

Select Templates

• Project Portfolio Tracker

• Business Case

• Project Request

• Project Charter*

• Complexity Assessment

• Project Plan

• Executing, Monitoring and Controlling Document

• Project Log

• Project Change Request

• Risk Register*

• Post-Project Survey

• Lessons Learned*

• Project Closure

• * Included in the Level 1 Project

9

Select Tools

• Communication toolso MS Word (status reports, general communications)o MS Excel (anything that needs to be tracked)

• Collaboration toolso SharePoint, Syncplicity, Google Driveo Slack, Spark

• Project Management (commercial product) toolo Innotas PPM, Jira, Planner, PMWare, Project Insight, MS Project

Online, Project Manager.com, ServiceNow, TeamWorks, Trello

Set up Governance

Project-Level• What should I communicate

(Risk + Issue, progress against timelines, etc.)?

• Who should receive information?

• How often should they receive information?

Organization-Level• How does my project fit into

the overall group of projects happening in my organization?

• Who needs to know about what’s happening on my project across my organization?

• What information do they need to know?

Sample Governance ApproachLevel 1 Level 2 Level 3

Governance Body IT Department Governing Body (e.g., IT Directors / Senior Staff)

IT Department Governing Body (e.g., IT Directors / Senior Staff)

Member IT Governing Body (e.g., any group that represents all

IT voices -- academic, administrative, research, student,

customer)

Updates Delivered by: Project Lead/Sponsor Project Lead/Sponsor Project Lead/Sponsor

Business Case

Project Charter

Project Status (high level only)

Milestones, including Go Live Date

R/Y/G Health Check• Red: Project negatively

impacted, need help to address

• Yellow: Project threatened, have plan to address

• Green: On Track

Milestones, including Go Live Date

R/Y/G Health Check• Red: Project negatively

impacted, need help to address

• Yellow: Project threatened, have plan to address

• Green: On Track

Milestones, including Go Live Date

R/Y/G Health Check• Red: Project negatively

impacted, need help to address

• Yellow: Project threatened, have plan to address

• Green: On Track

Risk Log, with mitigation plan

Lessons Learned

Questions?

Please CHAT questions to ALL PANELISTS