MM Case Studies

Case Study 5 – BBC World Service

Rapid delivery 2 year programme

The BBC World Service Future Media (WSFM) department services the digital needs of 32 different language services.  These language services are often over-stretched, with each service embracing digital technology at widely varying rates.  WSFM itself is a relatively small department, working hard to service a widening range of needs from basic online publishing to automated broadcast capture for on-demand online video playback.

WSFM were undertaking a programme of work to update the top priority language sites with a new 1024-pixel wide design and migrate them on to their new CMS, Topcat 2.

Although well crafted, the delivery of the first two sites took 6-8 months each.  This rate of delivery raised concerns that the languages sites would be unable to take full advantage of the benefits of Topcat 2; making the desired market impact in their regions.

WSFM asked Magic Milestones to help them develop an ambitious programme of work delivering 10 unique, regionally localised sites within 9 months.

Each site was to be individually designed to account for the huge variations in audience, content production (including Radio and TV), market competitors and regional influences (such as broadband availability and government blocking).

Magic Milestones suggested that WSFM should use Scrum (Agile delivery methodology) to ensure the delivery timescale could be met. The programme was designed around dedicated resource, short sprints, fixed launch dates, truly cross-functional teams located together and pulled in stakeholders from the language services to sit and work alongside the rest of the team.

This was then scaled up to run five of these teams concurrently and the whole programme was wrapped in a strong project management structure and organisation.

In order to track progress at a team level, daily scrums were conducted alongside weekly project team meetings to discuss any ongoing risks or issues.  These meetings drove daily burndown charts, risk and issue logs and weekly project progress reports.

At a programme level,  a weekly programme meeting was used to cover high level progress and programme level risks and issues.  This drove a programme RAG (red, amber, green) report produced weekly and presented to the programme board fortnightly.

All of this combined to keep the teams focussed and on-track, the Heads of Service and Regional Heads informed and the Project Board members engaged.

The 1024 Rapid Delivery programme has successfully delivered project after project and been hailed a triumph, not just for its delivery record, but also for bringing in a new way of working.  Across the board, WSFM, the 10 language services, the Regional and Departmental Heads have all praised the programme approach both for its delivery record, but also for resolving the communication and cultural issues which have plagued these types of projects in the past.

Case Study 4 – Kantar Operations

Global Portfolio Office

Increasingly companies are finding that investment in strategic projects needs to be rigorously controlled and measured.

The implementation of a global portfolio office for Kantar Opertaions was the result of 6 months consultancy and hands on implmentation.

Magic Milestones assessed the current situation and capabilities, then kicked off the project to move Kantar Operations from a muliple project environment to a controlled portfolio environment.

• The role of Programme Manager was formalised
• 65 staff were trained across Warwick, London, Chicago and Austin, Texas
• A Sharepoint portal was created
• A project database was implemented
• Processes and standards were documented and communicated
• Finance systems and processes were tweaked in order to reflect the new order

Now that the process and information systems have been improved, the operation of the Global Portfolio Office will now provide the information for the board to make key decisions more easily in 09/10.  Phase 2 is now being considered.

Case Study 3 – Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS)

Programme and Project Support for the 14 – 19 Diploma Programme

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) is the new sector‑owned body, formed from the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) and the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA). LSIS focuses on learners and on developing excellent and sustainable further education and skills provision across the sector.  The 14-19 Leadership and Management Development Programme aims to help leaders and managers in the education sectors to successfully introduce the new Diploma qualifications. The 14-19 education reforms are highly significant, have a national and international profile and are at the leading edge of educational reform.

While LSIS’s workforce are passionate and committed to the new programme the information about their work was contained in emails and spreadsheets which did not facilitate the timely sharing of information or analysis. To enhance their work on the new 14-19 Diploma, LSIS developed an online database containing information gathered and updated by the LSIS Advisors, Managers and Consultants to manage the education sector consortia.  LSIS will use this database to work in partnership with all parts of the sector to provide vision, leadership and clarity; practising and enabling continuous self‑improvement and capacity building.

LSIS engaged an Information Systems Manager to develop the database but soon recognised the need for a Project Manager to provide an overall plan for the implementation of the database as well as providing support in the Business Change and migration from existing spreadsheets and business practices to the new online system.  When working with a diverse and disparate workforce delivering support to educational sector there is a need for more than just an information management system, there is a need for an overall plan to manage communication, training, ongoing support and business change procedures which only a Project Manager can provide.

A referral from LSIS’s preferred software development supplier led to the engagement of Magic Milestones to provide the Project Management skills required to roll out the database to their work force in the field. The Project Manager needed to be able to manage a remote, cross functional team and ensure that everyone was trained and ready to use the new system in time for the launch of the 14-19 Diploma in September 2009 and to keep abreast of the rapidly changing requirements for reports and visibility to the Department of Children, Schools and Families. This also required a Feasibility Study of the online management system developed by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and recommending the most efficient way to manage all information relating to the new Diploma and Consortia.

Magic Milestones managed the Implementation plan which allowed LSIS to launch their new database with the corresponding Business Change practices in place and identify workflow improvements which will improve the timeliness and visibility of the progress of the Consortia in the Programme. The CMR db will streamline information about consortia activity for LSIS and DCSF and promote the delivery of educational excellence. Its smooth and well planned rollout into the workforce is testament to the forethought and planning of the Magic Milestones project managers in partnership with LSIS/NCSL.

Case Study 2 – Learning and Skills Council (LSC)

The Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service

In November 2007, The Prime Minister announced that a country wide apprenticeship vacancy matching service would be rolled out across England by the end of 2008. On the 28 January 2008, the government published their strategy for the future of Apprenticeships in England – World-Class Apprenticeships: Unlocking talent, building skills for all:  http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/world_class_apprenticeships.pdf

The implementation of an online matching service was identified as a key driver to increase participation rates in Apprenticeships (1 in 5 undertaking an Apprenticeship each year by 2020). This service would match employer’s apprentice vacancies with standardise the services provided across nine English regions.

When Magic Milestones were first approached, the LSC was ill-prepared for the largest citizen facing online service they had ever launched. Stephanie Chamberlain was deployed as Senior Project Manager to deliver the online service as well as to provide support to the business service delivery team.

The project time-scale was 12 months and the budget was sizeable. With serious infrastructure and security upgrades to the LSC thrown into the bargain, the project was risky to the point of being almost impossible. The service was to be set up from scratch with only a skeleton staff framework to work with and the auditors were with us at every turn to ensure that the appropriate governance and control was in place.

To respond to the challenge, the LSC launched The Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service (AVMS) in January this year. This service is integral for the LSC to meet its objectives, increase uptake and improve quality in Apprenticeships. A major component of AVMS was the Solution Delivery project which Magic Milestones Project Managed to completion in partnership with the main development partner, Cap Gemini. Only time will tell if 1 in 5 apprenticeships can be achieved but there is no doubt that the service got off to a flying start.

Case Study 1 – BBC World Service Future Media

Scrum Support and Management of the Portfolio

BBC World Service Future Media department (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) is at the cutting edge of both international news and the rise of digital media.

The team have always delivered quality output within modest budgets, the pinnacle of which is “Topcat 2” (the in-house built multi-language, multi –script content management system).

Although the department worked hard and the commitment of individuals was plain to see, there was a sense that the resources available just weren’t stretching far enough.  Meanwhile, the demand from the 32 BBC language services was increasing by the month as the demand for digital services rose across the world.

The development team had embraced Scrum as their chosen methodology.  This had led to a sense of control and completion within the software development team.  However, other areas of the department were less sure of the new process and weren’t convinced it could benefit them.  In addition, they had been used to working in functional silos rather than project teams and the new role of the editorial team to provide “customers” was demanding and confusing for already over-stretched staff.

As a result, project deadlines came and went, business change was demanding and resource hungry and the environment could have been described as “controlled chaos”.

In October 2007 when Magic Milestones were engaged, there were two big important deadlines looming; the re-launch of Worldservice.com and the launch of Arabic TV online.  The MM team assessed the landscape and provided services on three fronts:

• Consultancy around process to support the adoption of Scrum
• Consultancy support to the management team around project prioritisation and resourcing
• Hands on project management of the Worldservice.com re-launch and Arabic TV online

Worldservice.com launched in time for the 75^th Anniversary of the World Service to great acclaim – later going on to win a highly coveted “webby award”.  Meanwhile, Arabic TV also launched in time for the overall launch of the new TV channel.

Nowadays there is no stopping World Service Future Media.  They now have a spotless track record of delivery and continue to provide quality award-winning output to their users.

Recently the MM team helped Future Media launch Persian TV Online, another ground-breaking service!  Scrum is still the chosen method of software delivery and strategic prioritisation is a key process for the management team, driving World Service objectives through to delivery.