Un-Ready, Un-Willing, and Un-Able
WHY MOST DATA PROJECTS
FAIL AND HOW TO WIN
David Luria,
Vice-President, Front-Office Data Intelligence Program Management
Investments Front-Office
T. Rowe Price
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
TO TRULY UNDERSTAND
SOMETHING IS TO BE
LIBERATED FROM IT.
— Chinese Proverb
3
Objectives
Intellectual
Recognize that the capability of people in key project roles determines project
success or failure.
Take Action
Assess capability of people in key project roles and address the identified
gaps.
4
Objectives
Intellectual
Recognize that the capability of people in key project roles determines project
success or failure.
Take Action
Assess capability of people in key project roles and address the identified
gaps.
5
Agenda

Case Study: a Large-ish data-heavy project

Review capability models

Understand what "Ready" means

Review what "Willing" means

Define what "Able" means

Get You Help For Next Steps

Summary
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About Us - T. Rowe Price
 75 year-old firm
 Debt-free
 6,000 Employees
 $760 Billion in AUM
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About Me – David Luria
 Program manager for front office
data platform that supports the
entire trade-flow process
 Last 10 years, managed large,
complex, global programs for
decision-support systems
 Worked in consulting and as
back-office data manager for a
Wall St data vendor, recently
purchased for $2.3B
 Started out as a 6S BB, PMP,
data-heavy project management
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SECTION 2:
CURRENT SITUATION
>50
%
Harvard Business Review, “Why Good Projects Fail Anyway. ” Matta, Nadim F. and Ashkens, Ronald N.
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Problem
Most medium or large data projects
FAIL to deliver promised outcomes
WHY?
Project Planning
Solves the wrong problem
Takes the Wrong Approach
Uses the Wrong Resources
ONLY ONE OUTCOME
MATTERS: DATA QUALITY
 Accurate
 Complete
 Timely
Project Execution
Lacks integrated design
Focuses on purely technical components
Ignores end-to-end user perspective
 Relevant
 Consistent
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Problem
Most medium or large data projects
FAIL to deliver promised outcomes
WHY?
Project Planning
Solves the wrong problem
Takes the Wrong Approach
Uses the Wrong Resources
ONLY ONE OUTCOME
MATTERS: DATA QUALITY
 Accurate
 Complete
 Timely
Project Execution
Lacks integrated design
Focuses on purely technical components
Ignores end-to-end user perspective
 Relevant
 Consistent
Subhead
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TO ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS,
TWO THINGS ARE NEEDED;
A PLAN, AND NOT QUITE
ENOUGH TIME.
- Leonard Bernstein
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Common Story
Project Attribution:
Which factors matter most?
WHY?
 You've been tasked to complete an important data
project. Strategic. Dependency for broader initiatives.
 Now what?
 Separate out the "critical few" from the "trivial many”
Capabilities Checklists Communication
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Big Picture Readiness Check
Relationship Between
Program Components
Enterprise Objectives
Risks and Dependencies
Program Strategy & Approach
Program Objectives
Other Program Scope
Program Scope
Requirements, Milestones, Deliverables
and Responsibilities
Staffing Requirements, Organization
Chart, and Schedule
Governance
Capability / Capacity of nonProgram Resources
Other Program Release
Schedule
Budget
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Capability Model
Capability of People in Key Roles
“Right people
on the bus”
“Thinking the
Right Way”
“Integrated
Design”
Team
Composition and
Culture
Objective
(Schedule with
Benefits)
Solution
Scope
Who
Why
What
When
How
PROJECT
WORK
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Get Ready: Drive Success with Capabilities
Capability of people in key project roles is the #1
determinant of project success or failure
Phase
Project Planning
Project Execution
Benefits
Achievement
Key Success Factor Examples
Key Roles
Capability of key project-planning resources
Clear articulation of intended project benefits
Comprehensive solution scope
Clear working agreements
Business sponsor(s)
IT Sponsor(s)
Planning Lead
Ent. Arch. Lead
OCM Lead
•
•
•
Capability of key project-execution resources
Coordinated deployment
Automated testing
Steering Committee
Project Manager
Functional Lead
QA Lead
Deployment Lead
•
Capability of key project benefits-measurement
resources
•
•
•
•
PMO Lead
IV&V Lead
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Get Ready: Assess Capabilities
Capabilities
Improvement
Methods
Motivation
Cognitive
Abilities
Emotional
Intelligence
Knowledge
& Skills
Experience
Coaching or
Mentoring
Yes
No
Partially
Yes
Yes
Partnering or
Consulting
No
No
Partially
Partially
Partially
Traditional
Training
No
No
Partially
Yes
No
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Get Ready: Sponsor Prep
Assess Your Sponsor(s) For Their Success
A
Supports
Neutral
or
Opposes
B
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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Sponsorship Competence for this TYPE of project
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Get Ready: All readiness categories
Launch When You’re Ready – And Can Prove It
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Get Willing: Plan Your Communications
Communication Plan Drives
Awareness and Conversation
Event
Description
Key Message
Delivered
By
Channel
Target Date
Sponsor
Kickoff
Review objectives
and program design
1. Business justification
2. Resource allocation
David
Face-to-Face
End of May 2016
Lead-team
awareness
Raise awareness
1. Resource contention
Wendy
Weekly Team
meeting
June 8, 2016
Technical
team review
Architecture reviews
design
1. Discuss distribution model
Ike
Face-to-Face
meeting
June 15, 2016
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Get Able: Consider the User’s Perspective
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Where Do You Go From Here?
1
Assess Plans
 Do you have businesscentered objectives?
 Do you understand your
increments of value?
 Do you have an
integrated design that
supports the user?
 How will you when
you’re ready?
2
Assess Capabilities
and Address Gaps
 Have you ever done
a project like this
before?
 Assess your
sponsor(s) and
project manager
 Have a
conversation
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Contact Info for David Luria
[email protected]
410-345-5048
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THANK YOU