HomeMy WebLinkAboutADM 030-002 Computer Software Acquisition ProcedureCity 0
PICKERING
City Procedure
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition
Procedure Number:
ADM 030-002
Reference:
Date Originated:
October 8, 2009
Date Revised:
Approval: Chief Ad nistrati i • • .-r
Point of Contact: Manager, Information Technology
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Procedure Objec e
This procedure provides a framework for decision-making to ensure the planned and
responsive management and provision of software to meet the needs of the City of
Pickering and the customers of Information Technology (IT). It is to ensure that all
impacted departments and major stakeholders are identified, included, and contribute
as members of the project team to the successful implementation of the software. The
procedure will be followed for all software that will connect to the City's computer
network, that will be required to interface with any City system, or that will require
centralized support of any nature. ADM030-002 will function in conjunction with
ADM030 as it relates to computer software.
Following are more specific objectives.
Budget -submission Criteria
1. Identify the project's full five-year cost.
2. Development of a business case, should one be required, that includes a
comprehensive needs assessment and requirements. The development of the
business case would be completed by the project's initiator with support from IT.
3. Confirm IT's capacity and availability to provide technical, analytical, and project
management leadership for the software being requested within the required
timeframe.
With respect to projects involving multiple departments, all stakeholders are
identified and involved with the development of the business and software
requirements.
5. Stakeholder departments are cognizant of the requirements regarding the
implementation of the proposed software, including workloads and procedural
changes, and are in agreement with them.
6. Assembling a project team that encapsulates all involved corporate entities.
7. Conduct a systematic process to identify software capable of fulfilling the
documented business requirements.
8. Analyze and evaluate software deemed appropriate for purchase, including the
ability to operate effectively and efficiently within the City's computer network
environment.
9. Obtain the Information Technology Steering Committee's (ITSC) approval to
proceed with the project.
Post -Budget Approval
1. Development of a detailed implementation schedule agreeable to all involved
departments should the project require a business case. Should a business case
not be required, a more general schedule will suffice.
2. Adherence to the Purchasing and IT policies.
3. Implementation of software as per direction of the project team directed by IT.
4. Periodic review sessions to be conducted throughout project cycle for the benefit of
all interested entities.
5. Post -implementation review is to be conducted within six months of the software
being fully implemented.
Index
01 Definitions
02 Responsibilities
03 Pre -budget -Software Purchase
04 Post -budget Software Approval
05 Post -implementation Review
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition Page 2 of 7
Procedure Number: ADM 030-002
01 Definitions
01.01 Software — Refers to computer programs and utilities that require a
computer to function.
01.02 Computer — Refers to computer hardware, and includes personal
computers, notebooks, laptops, tablets, and PDAs.
01.03 Business Case — A proposal that clearly outline the scope and cost
of the project, along with the expected results and benefits to the
organization.
01.04 Needs Assessment & Requirements - Analysis of user needs and
documentation of system requirements for a proposed system that will
meet specified business requirements. Requirements definition will
address, but not be limited to, functional, technical, performance,
interface, conversion, and security requirements.
01.05 Project Scheduling — The process of converting a general or outline
plan for a project into a time -based graphic presentation including
information on available resources and time constraints.
01.06 Project Management — A methodical approach to planning and
guiding project processes from start to finish. According to the Project
Management Institute, the processes are guided through five stages:
initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Project
management can be applied to almost any type of project and is
widely used to control the complex processes of software
development projects.
While different roles will be assigned to various entities within the
project's different phases, the ownership of the project will remain with
the project's initiator.
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition Page 3 of 7
Procedure Number: ADM 030-002
02 Responsibilities
02.01 Chief Administrative Officer to:
(a) Approve any amendments to this Procedure.
02.02 Director to:
(a) Provide the required resources to ensure approved projects are
allocated the necessary resources for successful implementation.
02.03 Division Head/Manager/Supervisor to:
(a) Provide the required resources to ensure approved projects are
allocated the necessary resources for successful implementation;
and
(c) provide supervision of employees to ensure assigned project
tasks are completed as per schedule.
02.04 Employee to:
(a) Complete assigned tasks as per project schedule.
03 Prior to Inclusion in Budget
This section of the procedure will address those processes and issues from the
project's inception to the moment it is included within the budget.
03.01
Should the projected five-year total cost of the software acquisition be
less than $35,000, or should the acquisition relate to an additional
module for a software previously purchased, a business case is not
required; however, the following documents are required for presentation
to the ITSC for budget consideration.
03.01.01 Overview of the current in-place system (manual or
automated), its strengths and deficiencies, and the expected
deliverables and benefits of the proposed system. Maximum
five pages.
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition Page 4 of 7
Procedure Number: ADM 030-002
03.01.02 Five-year total cost projection, including maintenance and
upgrades. Upgrade costs to include both. consulting and
hardware. Maximum one page.
03.01.03 Information Technology (IT) signoff indicating the hardware
and software required for the project are both compatible with
the Corporation's current computer network, and adheres to all
facets of the Personal Computer Procedure (ADM 030-001).
Failure to secure signoff will prevent the software proposal
from being submitted to the ITSC for bud.get inclusion.
03.01.04 Accounting and Finance signoff indicating an understanding of
the software's functionality, agreement with its mode of
integration with currently installed finance -related systems, or
if the software is to be a non-integrated module, agreement
with its finance -related components. Failure to secure signoff
will prevent the software proposal from being submitted to the
ITSC for budget inclusion.
03.01.05 Signoff from all divisions and departments impacted by the
project's implementation indicating awareness and agreement
with the project's implementation. Failure to secure signoff will
prevent the software proposal from being submitted to the
ITSC for budget inclusion.
03.02 Should the projected five-year total cost of the software acquisition be
$35,000 or greater, a full business case will be required to be submitted
to the ITSC for the project to be included within IT's capital budget. The
business case will include the following:
03.02.01 The inefficiencies and deficiencies of the current system, be it
manual or automated.
03.02.02 Detailed software requirements itemized in sequence of
necessity.
03.02.03 Proposed general implementation schedule.
03.02.04 The impact the software implementation will have on existing
systems, both electronic and manual.
03.02.05 Staffing requirements to implement the project and to operate
the system post implementation.
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition Page 5 of 7
Procedure Number: ADM 030-002
03.02.06 The creation and identification of a project team that
encapsulates all areas impacted by the project.
03.02.07 Five-year total cost projection, including maintenance and
upgrades. Upgrade costs to include both consulting and
hardware.
03.02.08 Using a predefined rating system, identify the grades and
evaluations of the software vendors considered.
03.02.09 IT signoff indicating the hardware and software required for
the project are both compatible with the Corporation's current
computer network, and adheres to all facets of the Personal
Computer Procedure (ADM 030-001). Failure to secure
signoff will prevent the software proposal from being submitted
to the ITSC for budget inclusion.
03.02.10 Accounting and Finance signoff indicating an understanding of
the software's functionality, agreement with its mode of
integration with currently installed finance -related systems, or
if the software is to be a non-integrated module, agreement
with its finance -related components. Failure to secure signoff
will prevent the software proposal from being submitted to the
ITSC for budget inclusion.
03.02.11 Signoff from all divisions and departments impacted by the
project's implementation indicating awareness and agreement
with the software installation. Failure to secure signoff will
prevent the software proposal from being submitted to the
ITSC for budget inclusion.
03.02.12 The business case is to be developed by the department
initiating the project with IT being the overseer to ensure that
the document possesses the necessary information in the
depth required.
03.03 Once the ITSC has approved the project, the required funds will be added
to the proposed budget. During budget deliberations, it is possible the
project will be deferred to a following year, deleted from the budget in its
entirety, or perhaps implemented over multiple years after receiving
approval to proceed from the ITSC.
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition Page 6 of 7
Procedure Number: ADM 030-002
04 Post -budget Software Approval
This section addresses the project's life -cycle after budget approval has been
achieved.
04.01 Project Management will be conducted by IT. The project manager (PM)
will lead the project team in the development of detailed project schedules,
assigning and overseeing project tasks, and ensuring the project stays
within the Council -approved budget. The schedules, along with their
periodic updates will be posted for review on the intranet.
04.02 The PM will be responsible for the creation of the purchase requisition that
will be forwarded to the Director, Corporate Services & Treasurer for
authorization to issue.
04.03 The PM will be responsible for ensuring all members of the project team
signoff on system testing where applicable, and approve the
implementation of the software into production.
04.04 The PM will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant employees are
trained in the usage of the software prior to it being put into production.
04.05 IT will approve the vendor's invoice(s) once the software has been
successfully implemented or at previously defined milestones.
05 Post -implementation Review
05.01 A post -implementation review of the software's performance and
employee's acceptance will be conducted within six months of the
software being fully implemented.
05.02 The review will be conducted by the PM and the project team, and will be
based on the previously developed business requirements.
05.03 The PM will place the results of the post -implementation review on the
intranet to complete the project's history.
05.04 Should the result of the review not be satisfactory, the project team will
present the findings to the ITSC for further review and direction.
05.05 The PM will notify Supply & Services regarding issues involving vendor
performance.
Procedure Title: Computer Software Acquisition Page 7 of 7
Procedure Number: ADM 030-002