National Capital Region Interoperable Communications Infrastructure (NCR ICI)

Transcription

1 National Capital Region Interoperable Communications Infrastructure (NCR ICI) Guidelines for Operating a Change Advisory Board (CAB) Modeled on the current Change Advisory Board of the CAD2CAD Data Exchange as an Example October 2011 Prepared by the NCR Data Exchange Hub Project This document was prepared under a grant from FEMA's Grants Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of FEMA's Grants Programs Directorate or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

2 Table of Contents 1. An Overview of the Change Management Process Purpose and Scope Formation of the Change Advisory Board and CAB Structure a) Forming the Change Advisory Board b) After the Change Advisory Board is formed Operation of the Change Advisory Board a) Prior to each Meeting of the Change Advisory Board b) During the Change Advisory Board Meeting c) After the Change Advisory Board Meeting d) Subsequent Change Advisory Board Meeting Activities Sunset of the Change Advisory Board a) Conditions and Criteria b) Documentation Handoff c) Notification to CAB Members APPENDIX I: An Overview of the CAD2CAD Change Advisory Board APPENDIX II: Agenda Template/Outline (Example Only) APPENDIX III: Meeting Notes Template/Outline (Example Only) This document and its templates are available at 2

3 1. An Overview of the Change Management Process Change Management is an IT Service Management (ITSM) discipline that serves to maintain a proper balance between necessary changes and the possible harmful effect that could result from a CHANGE. A CHANGE can be any scheduled or required Hardware, Software, Network, Web service, Process, or other IT infrastructure modification, and can also include the addition or removal of ICI Application Partners, datasets, or other resources. The primary objectives of Change Management are to: i) Ensure that standardized methods, processes and procedures are used for all changes; ii) iii) iv) Facilitate efficient and prompt handling of all changes; Minimize the quantity and impact of any related incidents upon Service; and consequently, improve the day-to-day operations of the Organization. Define scope and criteria for standard (pre-approved), normal, and emergency changes. Standard (pre-approved) changes should not require CAB review, whereas all normal and emergency changes should be reviewed and subsequently authorized or rejected by the CAB. v) Define Change Management policy, process, and procedures for handling and managing changes, and the CAB s role in the Change Management process. An Overview of the Change Management Process Requestor Service Desk Phase I: REQUEST Change Advisory Board (CAB) Change Manager Phase II: INITIATION & CLASSIFICATION Phase III: AUTHORIZATION Change Implementer Phase IV: IMPLEMENTATION Phase V: REVIEW & CLOSE This document and its templates are available at 3

4 2. Purpose and Scope These guidelines describe the process that is currently being used for requesting and managing changes related to the operations of the [your application]. This process facilitates communication about the changes requested among the stakeholders of the [your application], specifically the participating jurisdictions/entities: [list]. This process also offers a common routine for resolving the requested changes and reported incidents, while reducing the uncertainty that may exist with the state or outcome of a specific change that is being requested. CAB Members of the [application] review the following*: Requests for changes to requirements (additions, deletions, other modifications) in current production content; Notifications of routine changes (e.g. antivirus update), changes in procedures, and other low risk changes that do not require pre-approval from the CAB; Reports of problems in the current production (or test & integration) system; Requests for enhancements in the current production system; and Performance, outage, and/or test reports in regards to services. *Typically, the need for a review is included as an item on the CAB Meeting Agenda and discussed during the [weekly/monthly/cog Committee scheduled] CAB Meeting. Depending on the depth of content, the review is either conducted during the CAB Meeting or as follow-up Meeting Action Item. In the instances where the review is time sensitive, CAB Members are made aware of the need via correspondence and the review is conducted prior to the CAB meeting, with the subsequent meeting then providing an avenue for further details and discussion, if necessary. [This document represents a grouping of the lessons learned with the CAD2CAD Change Advisory Board, as specifically relates to the COMMUNICATIONS structure, DOCUMENTATION of information and participant/jurisdiction AWARENESS of CAD2CAD related issues/happenings.] PLEASE NOTE: The success of any Change Advisory Board hinges on the regular and consistent participation of all key stakeholders, as demonstrated by the participating Jurisdictions of the CAD2CAD Data Exchange. This document and its templates are available at 4

5 3. Formation of the Change Advisory Board and CAB Structure 3a) Forming the Change Advisory Board Any Organization that will adopt the ITSM/ITIL Practice of Change Management must have a Change Advisory Board or CAB. Such a board can be formed as a stand-alone board (as is the case with the CAD2CAD CAB), or as sub-committee to an existing established committee which already sponsors a particular application (such as a COG ESF committee). The following list provides some input on the details to consider when forming the CAB : NO. TASK CHECK 1 Identify the specific purpose of the CAB. 2 Identify participating Jurisdictions Entities. 3 Identify representatives from each Jurisdiction Entity. 4 Document the Purpose of the CAB and all related Roles & Responsibilities. 5 Create an Information Sheet that includes a list of all CAB Participants, corresponding Jurisdictions Entities and Contact Information. NOTE: Completion of Items 1-5 above constitutes formation of the CAB. CAB Structure: Change Advisory Boards (CABs) should consist of groups of resources who have decision authority on the implementation of changes within the ICI regional system/application. CAB members should have a clear understanding of the customer business needs, the user community, the mission function of the regional public safety application they support, as well as the technical development, support functions, and environments. This document and its templates are available at 5

6 CAB Membership: The CAB membership is comprised of representatives (CAB Members) from participating business and technical support teams of the ICI regional system/application. These representatives participate in the scheduled CAB meetings and support decisions on presented change requests. In the event that a CAB member is to resign, retire, be terminated, or no longer be affiliated with the regional system/application, a replacement CAB member (if needed) shall be identified and suggested to the CAB by the CAB Leader (see list of roles in the section below). Roles and Responsibilities Below is a list of roles and responsibilities that may be associated with a CAB for an ICI regional system/application. Role may be filled by either FTEs or contractors, as deemed necessary by the regional system/application owner. CAB Leader- Decision maker / tie breaker in the event a consensus cannot be come to on potential changes to the regional system/application Conscious of the current level of risk the business is willing to tolerate Participates in the ICI Enterprise CAB Documents business sensitive dates Aware of service level agreements Communicates with the business customers and key stakeholders Handles any emergency meetings and required escalations Serves as the main point of contact with other applications, potential new stakeholders, and vendors. Ensures the escalation of identified risk issues and/or recommended mitigations of jurisdictional or ICI concerns to appropriate regional entities CAB Facilitator- Facilitates the CAB meeting Facilitates CAB preparation meetings CAB Communications Representative- Maintains CAB membership list Creates, distributes and/or posts CAB reports Manages scheduling of CAB and other related meetings Provides CAB website and mailbox support This document and its templates are available at 6

7 CAB Follow-up Representative- Updates CAB results Distributes results of CAB decisions CAB Report Generation Analyst- Reports changes to be approved Reports results of changes Reports trends and analysis Post Problem Review Analyst- Performs analysis of post problem reviews for changes with negative operational or customer impact Reviews and analyzes Emergency changes which caused problems Identifies continuous improvements to the review process Designs and implements criteria for the change review process lessons learned Subject Matter Experts- Change Owners Change Developers Change Requesters Change Managers Change Coordinators Quality Assurance Analysts Operations Specialists Application Specialists Project Managers Other supporting roles This document and its templates are available at 7

8 3b) After the Change Advisory Board is formed The following list provides some input on the details/actions to consider after the CAB has been formed, i.e. after Items 1-5 per Section 3a) have been completed. It is suggested that these actions be performed prior to the first meeting of the CAB. NO. TASK CHECK 1 Provide CAB Information Sheet to all CAB Participants. 2 Decide on the FREQUENCY of the CAB meetings (i.e. bi-weekly, weekly, twice a month, monthly, quarterly). 3 Decide on the DAY and TIME when the CAB will meet at the set FREQUENCY. 4 Decide on the FORMAT of the meeting (i.e. in-person at a specified location, web conference, or both). 5 For ON-SITE MEETING - book conference room with necessary electronic equipment and other meeting materials. 6 For WEB CONFERENCES, review options available and decide which phone number/audio information will be used as well as which web conference tool will be utilized and familiarize yourself with the tool. This document and its templates are available at 8

9 4. Operation of the Change Advisory Board 4a) Prior to each Meeting of the Change Advisory Board Following the establishment of a Change Advisory Board and the decision of how often the Board will meet, meeting preparations will ensue. The following list provides some input on the details to consider prior to each meeting of the CAB: NO. TASK CHECK 1 Review current/ongoing CAB-related issues. 2 Draft Meeting Agenda. 3 Send Meeting Agenda to CAB Members for review and comment. 4 Finalize the Agenda (see attached outline). 5 Develop a list of Meeting Documents. 6 Set up Meeting Information (Meeting Room No., Conference Call/Web information). 7 Agenda to CAB Members (along with Meeting Reminder, Meeting Information & Meeting Materials). SUGGESTED TIME FRAMES Draft Meeting Agenda and Send to CAB Members for Review/Comment >> Finalize Agenda and to CAB Members (along with Meeting Reminder & Meeting Materials) >> 1 business day after previous Meeting Notes have been sent out or no more than 2 business days prior to Meeting, to allow time for review and incorporation of comments. No more than 1 business day prior to Meeting (time to allow CAB Members to review the Agenda prior to the Meeting, while providing time for Agenda revisions to be made and for the Agenda to be as close to final as possible.) This document and its templates are available at 9

10 4b) During the Change Advisory Board Meeting The following list provides some input on the details to consider during each CAB Meeting: NO. TASK CHECK 1 Assume role of CAB Facilitator and walk CAB Members through the Agenda, paying special attention to the running time as well as specific issues that should be addressed and discussed by Meeting Attendees. 2 Welcome the CAB Members to the CAB meeting. 3 Capture notes during the meeting for development of the Meeting Minutes /Meeting Notes. 4 During the CAB Meeting, the need may arise for a secondary meeting to be scheduled. Take on this responsibility (unless otherwise directed). 5 Review all Action Items. 6 Confirm the Next Meeting Date before adjourning meeting. NOTE: During the first CAB Meeting, it is important that the role and responsibilities of the CAB be restated and that each stakeholder expresses his/her thoughts and goals for the CAB. Some questions worth considering would include: i) The importance of proper COMMUNICATION; ii) iii) The importance of receiving DOCUMENTATION on time; and The importance of AWARENESS of all CAB-related activities. This document and its templates are available at 10

11 4c) After the Change Advisory Board Meeting The following list provides some input on the details to consider after each meeting of the CAB: NO. TASK CHECK 1 Draft Meeting Minutes / Meeting Notes (see attached outline). 2 Send the Draft Meeting Notes to the CAB Members for Review/Comment. 3 Finalize the Meeting Notes based on comments and feedback received. 4 final version of Meeting Notes to CAB Members. SUGGESTED TIME FRAMES Draft Meeting Notes and Send to CAB Members for Review/Comment >> Finalize Meeting Notes and final version of Notes to CAB Members >> Within 1 business day (or within 12 business hours) after meeting occurrence. By COB next business day (after meeting occurrence). 4d) Subsequent Change Advisory Board Meeting Activities Outside of the meetings of the CAB, the Moderator is expected to stay informed on all project activities at a high level, and specifically on all project activities that should be brought to the attention of the CAB. The following list provides some input on the details to consider on an ongoing basis: NO. TASK CHECK 1 Stay on top of CAB related activities primarily on an 'INFORMATION ONLY' basis and provide assistance as needed. 2 NOTIFY CAB Members of any scheduled or unscheduled changes as directed. 3 Act as a LIAISON between parties as required and where necessary. This document and its templates are available at 11

12 5. Sunset of the Change Advisory Board 5a) Conditions and Criteria A Change Advisory Board is formed to serve a specific purpose (as noted in Sections 2 and 3 of these Guidelines). Naturally, there are certain situations or events that would constitute the need for the previously formed Change Advisory Board to be dissolved. The following list provides two examples of situations that would require the sunset of a Change Advisory Board: NO. ITEM CHECK 1 The project or purpose for which the CAB was formed no longer exists. 2 The CAB gets integrated into another functioning Change Advisory Group. 5b) Documentation Handoff In the event of the sunset of the previously formed Change Advisory Board, it will be necessary for all related documentation to be handed over and/or archived at an appropriate location. If the CAB were to be integrated into another change advisory group, the handoff of all related documentation would be in order. Otherwise, all related documentation including all relevant correspondence and notifications should be archived at an approved location. 5c) Notification to CAB Members Members of the Change Advisory Board must be notified of the sunset of the CAB prior to the official closing. A short but explicit text that provides reasons for the sunset of the CAB must accompany this notification. CAB Members must also be notified after their expected next steps, especially in the situation where the CAB is to be assimilated into another change advisory group. SPECIAL NOTE: Special effort should be made to thank CAB Members for their participation during the life of the CAB, with the knowledge that the CAB would not have been effective nor successful without their steadfast work and participation. This document and its templates are available at 12

13 APPENDIX I: An Overview of the CAD2CAD Change Advisory Board ALEXANDRIA FAIRFAX (County and City) ARLINGTON CAD2CAD Exchange Change Advisory Board CAB Members City of Alexandria James Burke LeddyAnne Dell George November --- Arlington County Roger Waller John White County of Fairfax Jon Ronan Dean Cox Don Bowers Roy Oliver Fairfax City Alex Fitch Emerging Digital Concepts Chris Wiseman Greg Crider Quick Facts CAD2CAD Go Live Date February 18, 2010 First Meeting of the CAD2CAD CAB March 12, 2010 Frequency of CAB Meetings (with the exception of holiday weekends) Biweekly (2x a month) CAD2CAD CAB Meeting Format GoTo Meeting/Conference Call Primary Form of Communication (outside of CAB Meetings) Standard Changes Microsoft Windows Updates Database Rescheduling Add a Unit/Delete a Unit & Data Mappings Monthly (on Sunday - 12 days after 2 nd Tuesday each month) 1 st Sunday of each month On an as needed basis This document and its templates are available at 13

14 APPENDIX II: Agenda Template/Outline (Example Only) AGENDA CAD2CAD Change Advisory Board Place: GoTo Meeting/Conference Call Date: Friday, August 13, 2010 Time: 10:00 AM 11:30 AM I. Introduction/Call To Order II. Recap of Previous Meeting A. Review of previous discussion (Meeting Notes) B. Review of Meeting Action Items (Running List of Action Items) III. Brief Recap of Major Ongoing Incidents A. Issue A B. Issue B C. Issue C IV. List of Change Requests/Updates A. Standard Change B. Review of Other Upcoming/Scheduled Changes V. Additional Discussion/Status Updates VI. Action Items A. Review of Action Items assigned VII. Next Meeting The Next Meeting of the Change Advisory Board will be <<DAY>>, <<DATE>> at <<TIME>> VIII. Adjournment This document and its templates are available at 14

15 APPENDIX III: Meeting Notes Template/Outline (Example Only) Date: Friday, August 13, 2010 MEETING NOTES CAD2CAD Change Advisory Board Time: Location: Purpose: 10:00 AM 11:30 AM GoTo Meeting/Conference Call To Review & Discuss the Operations and Maintenance of the CAD2CAD Data Exchange. Meeting Participants Jurisdiction/Entity A Jurisdiction/Entity B Jurisdiction/Entity C Jurisdiction/Entity D Jurisdiction/Entity E 1. Participant A 1. Participant A 1. Participant A 1. Participant A 1. Participant A 2. Participant B 2. Participant B 2. Participant B 2. Participant B 2. Participant B 3. Participant C 3. Participant C 3. Participant C 3. Participant C 3. Participant C I. Introduction/Call to Order/General Comments The meeting was called to order at 10 o clock by Jurisdiction/Entity A, Participant A. CAB Participants were welcomed to Meeting No. X of the CAB. II. Recap of Previous Meeting Date Meeting Notes from the last meeting were sent out + brief update on the changes that had occurred since the last meeting. III. Brief Review of Major Ongoing Incidents i) Issue A ii) Issue B iii) Issue C IV. Change Requests CHANGE NAME SCHEDULED FOR << Insert Specific Date & Time here >> V. Additional Discussion/Status Updates VI. Action Items Jurisdiction/Entity Participant Name Assigned Task(s) VII. VIII. Next Meeting Adjournment This document and its templates are available at 15