Report for April 2022

Report Date
April 2022
Programme Status Report for COM Programme

Report compiled by David Watters (Programme Manager) for Alex Carter (Programme Sponsor)

 

Section 1: Programme Summary

Programme Manager's Commentary

 

The month of April has been a productive one, with a lot of effort being undertaken and work progressing on some of those projects that have been delayed until recently, but the overall picture is a bit glum with resourcing difficulties impaction some projects. This has led to COM059, COM065, COM066 and COM068 being reported as RED. Individual PMs have done their best to resolve things but things are out of our hands with resource changes and availability.

  • COM045 has been formally closed.
  • COM059 is continuing with the finalisation of the new Sharepoint solution, and getting things ready in TEST. But this will be delayed beacuse of the loss of resources.
  • COM061 has come out of suspension (because of a critical security vulnerability). We now have DEV and TEST upgraded and are waiting to agree a date for LIVE.
  • COM063 should see DEV being upgraded very soon, now that we have a plan with the vendor, and TEST and LIVE will follow later in May.
  • COM064 still has some loose ends to be tied up on the service, but this is not an issue. Milestones need to be revised.
  • COM065 is progressing as planned with the project team continuing work on the required tasks. But this project will lose a key resource and this needs to be addressed.
  • COM066 is reported as RED. There is no PM to pick this one up so the scope and estimations are still being worked through. 
  • COM067 is also progressing as planned with the brief now signed off and the project team starting on the upgrades, though there has been a delay to upgrading TEST.
  • COM068 (API Upgrade) has been started but the planning stage has been delayed and resourcing has been difficult. It looks like this project will be withdrawn.
  • COM069 has been initiated and work on the project is ongoing. This is also at risk with regards to resourcing.
  • COM070 has just been initiated and the planning should start soon.

Programme Resource Position

 

Programme RAG Overview & Forward Look

 

Section 2: Projects Not Started

Project Info
Programme Manager's Commentary
None  

 

Section 3: Projects in Progress

Projects Project Manager's Commentary

COM059

VRS Rewrite

Compliance

Milestones

UAT Start (SharePoint VRS UI) 25-Mar-2022
UAT Start (Library Functions) 25-Mar-2022
UAT Start (Functionals) 25-Mar-2022
UAT Complete (IDM Actions UI) 05-Apr-2022
Integration and Microservices (Test) 08-Apr-2022
UAT Complete (Library Functions) 06-May-2022
UAT Complete (Functionals) 06-May-2022
UAT Complete (SharePoint VRS UI) 06-May-2022
Data Migration Acceptance 09-May-2022
Acceptance Review (SharePoint VRS UI) 10-May-2022
Acceptance Review (Library, Functionals) 12-May-2022
Integration and Microservices (Live) 27-May-2022
Delivery (SharePoint VRS UI) 17-Jun-2022
Delivery (Library, Functionals) 24-Jun-2022
Delivery Review (Main Release) 25-Jul-2022
Delivery Review 28-Jul-2022
Closure Review 11-Aug-2022

RAG Status

RED

 

Report by Colin Watt for April 2022

Achievements this period

  • Further test data extracts carried out; SQL modification was needed prior to data transformation to meet defined SharePoint import spec - this is a crucial step before UAT can proceed.

Issues

  • Preparation of data for UAT has proved more complex than anticipated, as a number of transformations are necessary to avoid unintended impacts on existing records; this is requiring careful preparation to provide confidence that there will be no impact on other services when records are updated on the Test platform.
  • SharePoint resources are to be removed after 06/05/22 due to P&M requesting SharePoint development (PM informed at 1700 on 03/05/22).

Next Steps

  • Complete the SharePoint build.
  • Ensure data suitable for testing and carry out destructive testing prior to wider UAT.
  • Progress UAT plan.

 

RAG Commentary: The project moves to RED due to SharePoint resources being unavailable from 06/05/22 due to resources being moved to P&M. Impact on COM059 will be that key tasks remain incomplete preventing project delivery this session. (PM informed 5pm 03/05/22).

COM061

Annual JIRA Upgrade

Compliance

Milestones

Deliver DEV and TEST patched 06-May-2022
Deliver Deployment: second upgrade 10-May-2022
Deliver Deployment Review: second upgrade 17-May-2022
Close Project Closure 27-May-2022

RAG Status:

GREEN

 

Report by David Watters for April 2022

Achievements this period

  • Project removed from suspension because of critical need to upgrade
  • DEV environment upgraded to latest secure version

Issues

  • Deployment date for latest upgrade in LIVE still to be finalised with P&M

Next Steps

  • Upgrade TEST environment and carry out UAT
  • Upgrade LIVE environment
  • Sign-off deploymenrs
  • Close project

 

 

 

COM063

Serengeti Bi Annual Upgrade

Compliance

Milestones

Build Upgrade of DEV completed 10-May-2022
Integrate Upgrade of TEST completed 17-May-2022
Accept User testing completed 20-May-2022
Deliver Deployment in LIVE 24-May-2022
Deliver Deployment Review 31-May-2022
Close Project closure 09-Jun-2022

RAG Status

GREEN

 

Report by David Watters for April 2022

Achievements

  • Meeting with vendors - provisional dates agreed for each upgrade

Issues

  • No issues reported

Next Steps

  • Undertake upgrades on 3 environments

COM064

Annual Business Objects Upgrade

Compliance

Milestones

Deliver Deployment Sign-off 18-May-2022
Close Project Closure 27-May-2022

RAG Status

AMBER

Report by David Watters for April 2022

Achievements

  • User familiarisation and training successfully continued
  • Carried out fine tuning of database
  • User community happy with upgrade

Issues

  • Vendor reported bug with 'Save As' function
  • Configuration of SSO still requires work
  • Small fixes still to be completed

Next Steps

  • Outstanding milestones to be revised
  • Apply changes to SSO configuration
  • Review deployment & sign off if all okay
  • Close project

 

RAG Commentary: Project is AMBER because of missed milestones

 

COM065

Annual Service Audits

Milestones

 

Stage

Milestone

Due Date

Plan

Planning Sign Off

02 March 2022 (completed - moved from 17/02/22)

Execute

List of items in scope agreed

01 March 2022 (completed)

Execute

Audit approach agreed and commenced

04 March 2022 (completed)

Execute

BAU process and support tool requirements agreed

15 April 2022 (completed - moved from 05/04/22)

Design

BAU process and support tool design completed

15 April 2022 (completed - moved from 31/03/22)

Build

BAU process and support tool build completed

14 May 2022 (moved from 06/05/22)

Execute

BAU process and support tool testing completed

17 May 2022

Accept

BAU process and support tool accepted

24 May 2022

Deliver

Delivery Date

27 May 2022

Close

Project Closure

10 June 2022

RAG Status

RED

Report by Ailsa Glass for April 2022

 

Achievements in Last Period

 

  • The testers are building their knowledge and are improving the accuracy and speed of testing 

  • The testing of high priority websites is progressing and the way in which websites are allocated and progress with how testing is monitored has been improved 

  • The Business Requirements Document (BRD) has been signed off, although there is an awareness of additional requirements that may be added as the project progresses 

  • The BAU solution has been built and well received by the Project Team 

  • The BAU solution has been expanded to include Data Protection as well as Accessibility Statement and manual accessibility testing  monitoring 

  • Another project (DLIB021) has expressed an interest in using the BAU solution for accessibility testing and this can be accommodated. Discussions are continuing between both projects to identify further synergies. 

  • Regular project meetings are continuing  

Issues

  • Accessibility testing is a highly skilled and labour intensive task. There is a shortfall in skilled resource to accurately undertake accessibility testing. Unfortunately, one of the few permanent colleagues that can fulfil this role is scheduled to leave the University in May. This will have a serious impact on the ability of the project to progress the high priority audits and will have an adverse impact on the already stretched Disability Information Team. This has been escalated to the Project Sponsor as the lack of resource in this area will have an impact on project delivery and has turned the project red.  

Next Steps

  • Resolution of the resource constraints in the Disability Information Team to be progressed 

  • The Audit process is to continue with the testers progressing through the high priority websites and applications 

  • The BAU solution is to continue to be reviewed and adapted to take account of user feedback 

  • Synergies with DLIB021 to be progressed 

COM066

Bi-Annual Grouper Upgrade

Milestones

TBC

RAG Status

RED

Report by David Watters for April 2022

Achievements in last period

  • No achievements to report at this time.

Issues

  • No project management resource to take on planning in earnest.
  • Further delay to signing off the Planning stage.

Next Steps

  • Try to establish the scope of the work that needs to be carried out, and by which teams, so that realistic estimations can be conducted
  • Prepare a plan based on the above WBS and estimations and book resources as required
  • Ascertain if project can have PM resource or if it should be pushed back and replanned for 22/23

 

RAG Commentary: Project not yet planned and resourced. Technical requirements still to be confirmed. Key resource availability is compromised by non-availability of a PM to fully plan and resource this project. The delivery of the upgrade will be further delayed, increasing the risk of the current installed version being unsupported and exposing the ID service to potential difficulties . This could be mitigated by replanning the project to move to a newer version than that in the current scope.

COM067

WIKI Annual Upgrade

Milestones

Integration (TEST) signoff - database upgrade 09-May-2022
Acceptance signoff - database migration 13-May-2022
Deploy to LIVE - database upgrade 17-May-2022
DEV Wiki and Crowd upgrade complete 20-May-2022
Deployment sign off review - database upgrade 31-May-2022

RAG Status

AMBER

Report by Chris Konczak for April 2022

Achievements this period

  • New milestones and resourcing agreed
  • DEV upgrade completed
  • Database upgrade deploy to LIVE date agreed for 17/05/2022

Issues

  • TEST had to be rolled back because the database upgrade had failed. The reason was found to be that patching was missing on TEST
  • Rollback also failed on the AT server side. It was not pulling through archive logs. This issue required AT to be rebuilt. 

Next Steps

  • Complete UAT for the database upgrade.
  • Database upgrade to LIVE to be completed
  • Work to commence on DEV Wiki and Crowd upgrades
  • Milestones to be reviewed again in light of the issues encountered in TEST

 

COM068

API Upgrade

Milestones:

To be planned

RAG Status: RED

 

Report by Chris Konczak for April 2022

Achievements this period

  • No progress due to resourcing issue

Issues

  • Additional resources being provided to People and Money - (COR005) has meant that the capacity in Development Services has been greatly reduced. The resource request from People and Money has a very high priority, therefore a number of projects are seeing either a reduction in the resource availability, or the resource being unavailable. COM068 will not get resource to continue, therefore it is very likely the project will be withdrawn.

 

Next Steps

  • Decision on whether the brief should be written up, then suspended, of if the project should be withdrawn from this financial year

COM069

Committees’ Intranet: Update end of life components

and tightening of security and compliance

 

Milestones

Stage

Milestone

Due Date

Plan

Planning Sign Off

07 April 2022

Analysis

Business Requirements documented and agreed

 

10 June 2022

Analysis

Technical options reviewed and recommendations for solution made, based on user requirements

24 June 2022

Analysis

Business Analysis Sign Off

01 July 2022

Design

Solution design options reviewed

29 July 2022

Design

Solution design agreed

25 August 2022

Design

Guidance and training material checkpoint

30 September 2022

Accept

Test Plan agreed

14 November 2022

Build

Solution built and completed

05 December 2022

Accept

Testing completed

14 December 2022

Deliver

Delivery Date

17 January 2023

Deliver

Delivery Sign Off

31 January 2023

Close

Project Closure

16 February 2023

 

RAG Status  GREEN

Report by Ailsa Glass for April 2022

 

Achievements in Last Period

  • Planning documentation was re-drafted to take account of flip of days in 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years (from 120/80 to 80/120)
  • Project Brief approved by Project Team and Sponsor and noted at Apps Review on 07/04/22
  • Change of Planning Milestone (from 04/03/22 to 07/04/22) noted at Apps Review on 07/04/22
  • Requirements Gathering Approach document prepared for consideration by the Project Team
  • News article drafted and under review by the Project Team 

Issues

  • Due to resource constraints, there is no formal Business Analyst assigned to the project. The analysis work is being undertaken by the Project Manager and a SharePoint analyst, and, while the project is progressing, the time allocation to this work is more challenging than if there was dedicated resource to business analysis tasks.

Next Steps

  • Requirements Gathering Approach document to be agreed by the Project Team
  • News article to be agreed and published 
  • Request to be submitted to Apps Review to raise the priority of the project from 'normal' to 'higher'
  • Requirements gathering to be undertaken in line with the plan
  • Technical and business requirements to be refined and prioritised

 

 

 

Section 4: Closed or Withdrawn Projects

Project Info Project Manager's Commentary
COM045 IDM Database Upgrade

Closure Report

Closure Milestone

Closed on...14/04/22

COM057 Wiki Crowd Implementation 

Closure Report

Closure Milestone

Closed on 15/09/2021

COM055 O365 Staffmail Migration

Closure Report

Closure Milestone

Closed on 04/11/21

COM062 Qlik-Sense and Qlikview Annual Upgrade

Closure Report

Closure Milestone

Closed on 25/02/22

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Programme Status
RAG Status
Overall
GREEN
Has formal escalation taken place?
No

Documentation

Not available.