Completion Report

Project Summary:

This completion report summarises the reasons for the agreement to un-suspend and close this project following a period of inactivity and change in priorities due to the subsequent 2017/18 UniDesk Annual Upgrade project (SMI018).

From the Project Brief:

"We have agreed with our UniDesk partners not to fall behind more than two version of latest TopDesk. This is the guidance given by the UniDesk board and confirmed by the UniDesk CAB

This is an annual upgrade to move from version 5.4.1 to version 5.7.4 ensuring that UniDesk is running the current version of the TopDesk software. It will provide resolution to known bugs and issues and create a positive support environment for institutions using the UniDesk shared service. Bespoke work by TopDesk to meet any specific UniDesk improvements will also be updated.

Upgrades have been carried out before, but the extent of change varies by size of upgrade.

Additionally it should be noted that the project to onboard Edinburgh Napier University (SMI016) cannot start until the upgrade (of at least the UniDesk Demo instance) has completed. Edinburgh Napier are targeting a go live date of 9th May, so there is a clear dependency to complete this upgrade project on time."

Objectives and Scope

Install TopDesk 5.7.4 into the following environments:

• Edinburgh - DEV Environment
• Edinburgh - TEST & LIVE
• DEMO Environment
• St Andrews - TEST & LIVE
• Abertay - TEST & LIVE
• Sheffield - TEST & LIVE
• Stirling - TEST & LIVE
• Ulster - TEST & LIVE

Authentication method is changing - by taking the authentication within the application allowing for authentication against UKFed (SAML authentication) - the required bespoke work and Apache reverse proxy are not necessary anymore, allowing us to switch off the old Apache infrastructure (this will be switched off as part of project but not physically decommisioned).

Deliverables

UniDesk running with an up to date TopDesk software application (v5.7.4)

Licence for FORMS module activated, plus custom icon pack activated.

Summary of issues

Commentary from contractor PM  in role from June 2016:

"Planning was overly optimistic due to a number of dependencies and external factors.

We were advised that  due to easter holiday / vacation - upgrade of Edinburgh LIVE had a window of 2 weeks of opportunity between 4th April & 15th April. This meant that planning went left and right from a fixed point in time.

Because the onboarding of Napier (SMI016) had a dependency on the upgrade of at least Edinburgh DEMO being completed - in order to seed the Napier TEST instance , the initial planning up to this point was very tight with no contingency. This meant that critical path (ED DEV - ED TEST - ED DEMO - Napier TEST - ED LIVE - Other TEST - NAPIER LIVE - OTHER LIVE)  was maintained by moving the other institution TEST upgrades until after Edinburgh Demo had completed."

"Some issues were encountered with TREEWALK that prohibited install, test and sign off - the impact was a weeks delay to LIVE implementation (5th April to 12th April). Issues were resolved VERY quickly by TopDesk when highlightd, however there was a delay handing to TopDesk because the project issue was being owned by Apps Man resource who was reprioritsed on to live production issues and could not focus on this issue."

Programme Manager's commentary:

Ulster experienced issues with the Shibboleth configuration from the initial scheduled period of testing in April 2016. These ongoing issues prevented the upgrade progressing for the Ulster instance. Ongoing resource issues at Ulster affected their ability to address the authentication problems and this situation persisted beyond the end of the 2015/16 session resulting in carryover to 2016/17. These ongoing issues were escalated repeatedly at regular SMI Programme Meetings but it was clear that a resolution was not forthcoming. It was therefore agreed with the Programme Owner that the project be suspended pending a situation where Ulster could either resolve the situation themselves or it could be resolved with UoE assistance.  Two different contract project managers dealt with this during the period, and eventually the unresolved situation was passed back to the SMI Programme Manager who agreed with the Programme Owner that with the work long since completed for all the other instances, this upgrade project be closed and the outstanding Ulster issue  be carried forward to the 2017/18 Unidesk Upgrade project (SMI018).

Analysis of Resource Usage:

Staff Usage Estimate: 55 days

Staff Usage Actual: 76 days

Staff Usage Variance: 38%

Other Resource Estimate: 0 days

Other Resource Actual: 0 days

Other Resource Variance: 0%

Explanation for variance:

• The variance in effort between estimated and actual appears to be primarily due to the ongoing issues with Ulster's authentication and the PM and DevTech effort to attempt to troubleshoot and resolve this. Approx 60d effort had been completed to complete production upgrades to all other UniDesk instances - with an additional 16d effort spent dealing with the ongoing Ulster issues and an amount of overhead obtaining updates from contract project managers.

Key Learning Points:

• Estimates  to be reviewed regularly particularly if there are issues with a specific UniDesk instance.
• Project Services needs to address continuity between changes in contract PMs to reduce duplication of effort and ensure a standard upgrade such as this is executed as efficiently as possible.
• There was a significant Portfolio and Programme management overhead on this project to reinforce Project Services best practices and consistency with the contract PMs who did not consistently provide the required updates in the manner and format requested to enable a clear picture of the project.  The ISG Portfolio Manager and SMI Programme Manager repeatedly requested that all detail of issues and resolutions be recorded fully to assist handover and lessons learned, however it is clear that specific requests to do so were not consistently followed.
• Contract PMs to adopt Project Services best practices and procedures and keep Programme Owners, Portfolio Managers, and Programme Managers more informed and up to date; PMO can possibly support PMs and Programme Managers in this respect and ensure best practice is reinforced.

Outstanding issues:

• Ulster's authentication issues  to be carried forward to the 2017/18 SMI018 project as agreed with the Programme Owner.