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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
DENVER, CO
TITLE 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Supplement No. 6600-98-1
Effective November 2, 1998
POSTING NOTICE. Supplements are numbered consecutively by Title and calendar year. Post
by document name. Remove entire document and replace with this supplement. Retain this
transmittal as the first page of this document. The last supplement to this Title was Supplement
6600-94-1 to FSM 6600 Zero Code.
Document Name
6620
Superseded New
(Number of Pages)
5
Digest:
6620.43 - Establishes responsibility for management of software development projects in the
Rocky Mountain Region.
6621 - Establishes policy for management of software development projects in the Rocky
Mountain Region.
LYLE LAVERTY
Regional Forester
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FSM 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
R2 SUPPLEMENT 6600-98-1
EFFECTIVE 11/2/98
CHAPTER 6620 - COMPUTER SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT
6620.4 - Responsibility.
6620.43 - Regional Foresters, Station Directors, and the Area Director. These additional specific
responsibilities apply in the Rocky Mountain Region (R2).
1. Information Management Board of Directors (IMBOD). The IMBOD is responsible for
ensuring that all computerized database and computer software development projects in Region 2
are managed appropriately and in accordance with regional priorities. The IMBOD is the Region
2 approving entity for the charter of all development projects of Level 1 or 2 (see below). The
IMBOD must also approve entity all project plans for Level 1 projects.
2. Project Sponsor (PS). The project sponsor is the person who sponsors a development
project. The PS is responsible for ensuring that the project is managed according to the approved
charter, approved project plans, and all applicable Forest Service and USDA direction. For a
project of Level 1 or 2, the sponsor must be a member of the Region 2 Leadership Team.
3. Project Management Advisor (PMA). The PMA advises the IMBOD, the project
sponsors, and the project managers on appropriate project management practices and on the
specific items required for completion by the projects. The PMA is a member of the Chief
Information Officer's staff in the Regional Office.
4. Project Manager (PM). The PM is responsible for administering and directing the
project from development through implementation.
6621 - PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT.
1. Development Projects. Any project which develops a computerized database or a piece
of computer software requires the use of an appropriate level of project management. It does not
matter whether the primary intent of the project is the creation of the database or software, or
whether that is a secondary product of the project. Only the portion of the project which deals
with the development and maintenance of the database or software comes under these
constraints.
FSM 6615 defines three levels of procurement authority which translates into project levels:
Level 1 Projects require technical approval from the Washington Office or beyond.
Level 2 Projects require technical approval but are within the approval authority of the
Region.
Level 3 Projects do not require technical approval.
a. Level 3 Project Plans. Level 3 projects should have a project plan (possibly a
page or less) to clarify the intent, scope, and resources for the project. The director
or leader of the sponsoring staff must review and approve the plan in writing before
work begins on the project.
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In general, Level 3 projects require minimal resources to complete, have an
extremely limited scope, and are not critical to the accomplishment of the Region's
mission.
b. Level 2 Project Plans. A Level 2 project shall have the following:
(1) A project charter:
(a) Includes the name, scope, sponsor, and description of the project.
(b) States the business needs being addressed by the products to be produced and the
beneficiaries of those products.
(c) Covers the expected time line and general phasing of the project.
(d) States what development paradigm will be followed by the project (such as
USDA draft guidelines (DM3200-1 and DM 3200-2), Barker Tasks and Deliverables,
and so forth).
(e) Includes an initial estimate of the resources (people, money, equipment) needed
to complete the project.
(f) Is signed by the project sponsor and approved by the Region 2 Information
Management Board of Directors.
(2) A project plan which covers all stages of the project (strategy, analysis, build,
documentation, transition, and production; includes user training and system
maintenance). It must present the details of the schedule, activities, and resources for
the project. The project plan must also show how it is following the approved
development paradigm. For instance, if the Barker paradigm is followed, the plan
shows which checklists are being used and, for those not being used, why they are
considered inappropriate for this project.
Each phase or stage of a project builds on the knowledge gained and products
produced in the previous phase or stage, this plan may be updated as the project
progresses. It must, however, stay within the scope of the project charter, or the
charter must be revised and approved again by the IMBOD.
The plan must include a schedule of management decision points, at which the
project sponsor approves or disapproves the project plan for the next phase or stage
of the project and accepts or rejects the products of the current stage. It must also
address the methods to be used to assure the quality of the products and to ensure that
the project stays within the scope stated in the project charter.
The project sponsor must approve and sign the project plan for each phase or stage
before that phase or stage is implemented.
(3) A project monitoring mechanism for planning, tracking, allocating, and reporting
on the activities and resources of the project as it progresses. It is recommended that
this be project management software readily available off-the-shelf. However, for a
small project, a series of spreadsheets and word processing documents shall be
adequate. State the mechanism to be used in the project plan.
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(4) An official project case file, which contains all of the documentation and records
for the project itself. Including records of decision made by the IMBOD and project
sponsor for each of the decision points.
(5) A final report on the project, which evaluates and closes the project. Project
sponsor must review and sign the final report before the project is closed.
c. Level 1 Project Plans. A Level 1 project must meet all of the requirements of a
Level 2 project. It must also meet all Washington Office requirements for a project
requiring technical approval at that level, and applicable requirements for approval
from USDA, if necessary.
A Level 1 project must be managed by someone who has received formal training in
project management.
2. Project Manager Training. Level 1 and 2 Project Managers must have a working
knowledge of current Forest Service and USDA direction on developing software and managing
a software development project.
Project Managers must attend formal life-cycle management and project management training
before being assigned as manager of a Level 1 project. Training should focus on managing the
project in conformance with Department and FS direction. If such training is not currently
available, the person must receive formal training in project management which is supplemented
by individual work with the PMA to ensure the project manager understands USDA and FS
direction. Course content should include such things as defining and managing the scope of the
project, customer involvement, and management of costs.
3. Monitoring of Project Management and Accomplishment . The project sponsor must
monitor projects of all levels to ensure that they are being structured and managed appropriately.
The project sponsor has the primary responsibility for the project. The PMA assists the project
manager, the project sponsor, and the IMBOD in understanding what is required and what needs
to be improved.
Projects must have management reviews at major decision points or quarterly, whichever comes
first. These reviews must cover issues such as adherence to schedule and budget, consistency
with current organizational needs and objectives, and applicability of and customer satisfaction
with products being produced. If a project fails to remedy the inadequacies within a reasonable,
management-defined time, further work must be suspended until the inadequacies are addressed,
or the project must be terminated.