DAY ONE
1. Concepts and Strategy (120 min)
Explore the nature and success criteria that are applicable to IT virtual projects by understanding industry
challenges, project challenges and business needs.
a. Overview (15m)
i) Objectives
ii) Concepts and Terminology
iii) IT History of Offshoring
iv) Why, Who and What of Outsourcing
v) Enablers of Outsourcing and Partnerships
b. Offshore Models (60m)
i) Modes of Outsourcing
ii) Onshore vs. Offshore – Lessons Learned
iii) Offsourcing Maturity Model
(1) Level 1 Staff Augmentation
(2) Level 2 Turnover
(3) Level 3 Integrated
(4) Level 4 Managed
(5) Level 5 Optimized
(6) The Benefits of Assessment
(7) Impacts to People, Process, and Technology,
(8) Impacts to Metrics and Relationship
iv) Capability Maturity Model
(1) Comparison to Offsourcing Maturity Model
(2) Addressing the Gap between Organizations
(3) Vendor Certifications
v) Hands-On Activity: Maturity Model Self Assessments
c. Strategic Alignment (45m)
i) Objective Alignment
ii) Know When Done is Done
iii) Team Exercise: Sharing Experiences
2. Virtual Team Framework Overview: Application to Offshore Projects (30 min)
Most challenges with offshore projects have to do with the complexity of communications because the teams are
virtual, global and cross-cultural. How can communications be improved for more effective team collaboration?
a. Virtual and Global Teams Defined
b. Less Control – Impact to Trust
c. Characteristics of a Virtual Team
d. Types of Virtual Teams
e. Virtual Team Risks
f. Drive for Virtual Teams
g. Virtual Team Benefits
3. Project Management PROCESS: Leverage Existing Processes and Deliverables (345 minutes)
Offshore projects have increased complexity and more risk with the need for additional controls. How can project
management processes be leveraged or enhanced to address additional complexity and risk?
a. Managing the Virtual IT Project – What is Unique? (30 min)
i) Adapting to the Virtual Team Environment
ii) Project Management (PM) at-a-glance
iii) Alignment of Programs and Projects
iv) Difference Between Project and Product Deliverables
v) Class Activity: Considering Culture When Managing the Project Factors
b. Initiating an Outsourced Project (50 min)
i) Types of Agreements
ii) Comparison: Project Charter vs. SOW vs. SLA
iii) Legal Obligations
iv) Privacy, Intellectual Property, Non-disclosure and Security
v) What Can and Cannot be Shared
vi) Statement of Work
vii) Hands-On Activity: Project Charter and SOW Review for an Offshore Project
c. Planning an Outsourced Project (145 min)
i) Your Project Plan
(1) Consider Stakeholders
(2) Transformation of the Project Organizational Structure
(3) Consideration of Work Distribution
(4) Staffing Alternatives Delivery Models
(5) Key Questions for Staffing Decisions
(6) Define Roles and Responsibilities Throughout the Project Lifecycle
(7) Hands-On Activity: Create a RACI for Your Offshore Project
ii) Communicating Estimates in a Multi-Cultural Environment
(1) Estimating Accuracy
(2) Estimating Assumptions
(3) Class Exercise: Using the Delphi Technique to Uncover Estimating Assumptions
iii) Project Plan Dependencies, Milestones
iv) Project Plan Timeline
v) Using Swim Lanes for Touch Point Identification and Documentation
vi) Hands-On Activity: Team Touch Points
d. Executing: Managing and Working Remotely (20 min)
i) The Evidence of Completed Work
ii) Importance of Rolling Wave Planning
iii) Validation Against Agreements
iv) Professional Global Behavior
DAY TWO
Project Management PROCESS cont’d (65 min)
e. Monitoring and Controlling (50min)
i) Quality Management and the Cultural Impacts
ii) Scaling the Level of Detail In Project Deliverables
iii) Managing the Global Impacts and Tradeoffs
iv) Being Proactive and Planning for Change
v) Managing Risks
(1) Risk vs. Control
(2) Business Risks
(3) Project Risks
(4) People, Process and Technology Risks
(5) Class Activity: Risk Response Planning
vi) Using a Global Support Center or Program Management Office
vii) Other Approaches to Project Management
f. Closing (15m)
i) Lessons Learned Virtually
ii) Recognition of Offshore Team Successes
iii) Terminating an Offshore Vendor Agreement
4. System Development Lifecycle PROCESS (120 min)
All lifecycles have phases with multiple touch-points or hand-offs between teams. Are you getting what you expected
to get?
a. Methodology Overview (20 min)
i) Common Characteristics for Methodologies
ii) Methodology Structures
iii) Methodology Types
iv) Methodology Hints and Tips
b. Typical Software Development Lifecycle Phases (45 min)
i) Analysis
(1) Documenting Requirements
(2) Validation and Review of Requirements
(3) Using Business Modeling and Use Cases
ii) Design
(1) Communicating the Solution
(2) Use of Prototypes
(3) Design Walkthroughs Virtually
iii) Develop – Building as Planned
(1) Iterative Builds
(2) Use of Proof of Concepts and Conference Room Pilots
(3) Configuration Issues
iv) Test – Acceptance
(1) Acceptance Criteria
(2) Traceability Back to Requirements
(3) Infrastructure Issues
v) Deliver
(1) Ensuring a Smooth Transition
(2) Knowledge Transfer
(3) Mapping to Service Level Agreements
(4) Tracking Rework
c. Enhance Processes (45 min)
i) Integrate and Monitor Processes
ii) Touch Points-What is acceptable
iii) Hands-On Activity:: Acceptable Hand-offs of Deliverables at Touch Points
iv) Reducing Rework in a Virtual Environment
d. Measure and Monitor for Process Improvement (10 min)
i) Define Measures
ii) Monitor Process
iii) Process summary
5. People: Steps to Collaborating Virtually and Globally (90 min)
a. Assess Work Styles and Cultures
i) Framework for Understanding Cultures: Time and Communication Focus
ii) Cultural Universals – What We All Have in Common
iii) Hands-On Activity: Preferences and Belief Systems
b. Assess Experience with Technology and Process
i) Assess and Compare
ii) Characteristics of Successful Global Team Members
c. Leverage Cross-cultural and Global Diversity
i) Address the Gaps
ii) Intentionally Create the Virtual Climate
iii) The Project Orientation Package
iv) Project Orientation Package
v) Allocating Time for Sharing
vi) Hands-On Activity: Create a Project Orientation Package
d. Measure and Check – Are they Adapting?
6. Technology: Building a Virtual Environment (60 min)
a. Determine Technical Success Factors
b. Use an Infrastructure Checklist
c. Team Exercise: Verbal Communications
d. Be Resourceful and Try It Out
e. Match the Tool to the Need
f. Class Activity:: Assess Technology and Name That Tool
7. Communications: Tying it All Together (40 min)
a. Core Skills
b. Verbal Communications
i) Phrases to avoid
ii) Use of humor
iii) Cross cultural Dialogs
c. Verbal Communications: Hints and Tips
d. Impacts of Time Zone
e. Hands-On Activity (OPTIONAL):: Factors Impacting Communications
f. Non-verbal Communications
g. Communication Vehicles
h. Communications Plan
8. Summary (30m)
a. Class Exercise: Closing the Gap – Back to the Maturity Models
Note: Times are approximate and is at the discretion of the facilitator based on participant needs and experience.
Release 4.0 Revisions:
>Flow modifications.
>PM and SDLC content moved to first day
>Hands-On Activities refinement
>Additional content on the Maturity Model and its application
>Additional content on the SDLC phases
>Additional hidden slides for use by facilitator