MetaPower Project Model Steps

Reason: Why you initiated the project in the first place

To begin the project, you determine the design tier, articulate the design objective, and establish the design methodology. The executive sponsor and design team are also identified. The schedule and resources are committed for the first five steps of the Project Model. Once made, you formally document these decisions and secure executive sponsor approval.

Assessment: What is your current environment, and what is its potential for change?

In this step - frequently, and surprisingly, overlooked - you get out into the user community and listen. If you don’t do this, people may reject the changes because “You don‘t know what it's like down here.” In addition, by listening, you can design changes with the least impact on the organization. Assessments typically include as-built models, current performance measures, and identified problems and issues.

New ideas: Given your reasons for the change and your assessment of the current environment, how can you achieve your goals?

Idea generation is a team activity. Teams can generate new ideas by researching: how other companies address the same issues, how new technology might help, and ideas identified during the assessment. Brainstorming, in an uninhibited environment, enhances sharing ideas and molding them into a consensus approach for the new design.

Design: What is the specific solution that will achieve the desired results?

To achieve your goal, you have to model a solution. The modeling effort surfaces policy, cultural and practical implementation issues. As each issue is resolved, you will be required to make trade-off decisions. The deliverable is a proposed design solution, documented in appropriate design models, that will achieve the key project results.

It is critical that you negotiate the alignment of the design UP the five-tier Design Model. This typically isn’t costly in terms of resources, but it does require time. It is essential that upper tier owner/managers understand the design and commit to the changes necessary to implement the design. Thus, executive sponsor design approval is required.

Plan: Develop implementation plans and cost benefits

In this step, you negotiate DOWN the five-tier design model. You develop a plan that identifies all the tasks and resources required to implement the next tier down and ensure that the alignments and interfaces are in order. Now you can calculate the costs and benefits of implementing the solution. The plan is presented to the executive sponsor for approval and funding.

Implementation: Execute, monitor and measure the change

Now you put the implementation plan into action and verify that the execution of the plan is consistent with the design. As the plan is executed, results are measured, and corrective actions taken as necessary. Any revisions or “field corrections” must be negotiated and aligned with the other tiers of the Design Model.