Amnesty International case study
Graham Oakes Ltd
13 July 2005
1
Agenda
 Why joint venture?
 The challenges
 How we approached them
 Questions
 I don’t have definitive answers. This is a chance to share
experience and learn how to do better next time.
 Can’t discuss Amnesty International internal details.
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making sense of technology
Amnesty International ECMS project
 Global defender of human rights, formed in 1961
 2,000,000 members
 80 independent sections
 400 staff in International Secretariat in London (mostly)
 “Information is our currency”
 Need to revitalise information management infrastructure in
response to changed strategic model
 Complex governance, culture, information & technology
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Independent consultants bring
 Specific expertise
 Buying the principal, not the trainee or the methodology
 Close relationships
 The person who sells also delivers
 Advice and mentoring rather than upselling
 No incentive to set up a big project or downstream sale
 Engaged consultants
 Doing diverse work, focused on what they enjoy
 Low overheads
 Lower portion of fee goes to offices, shareholders, etc
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But there are a number of challenges
 Mixture of expertise
 Many projects require a mix of skills that few individuals can bring
 Scale
 Many projects are too large for an individual
 Many projects are too risky for an individual
 So for a client, the options are
 Use a larger consultancy after all
 Engage multiple consultants and then co-ordinate them yourself
 Engage a “network” of independents
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The network model works when you have
 Communications
 Large consultancies have a strong communications and
knowledge sharing infrastructure
 Modern communications help networks replicate this
 Support services
 Probably the main reason larger consultancies have formed
 Finance, marketing, IT can all be provided as independent
services
 Clear agreements on working practices
 Clear roles, responsibilities and plans
 Upfront thinking can turn a weakness into a strength
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How did we approach these challenges?
Sep 2004:
Invitation to Tender
Oct 2004:
Assemble Team
Oct 2004:
Bid
Dec 2004:
Contract
Jan 2005:
Deliver
April 2005:
Support
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Invitation to Tender
Key issue:
Getting on the list
 Network extends our reach
Sep 2004:
Invitation to Tender
 Ad hoc alliance has difficulty
doing structured marketing
 Formal alliance can consider
campaigns
 Offering/campaign based
 Alliance based
 Brand confusion?
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Assembling the team
Key issue:
What skills do we need?
 Finder makes first approx.
 Factors
 ITT requirements
 Availability
 Experience together
Oct 2004:
Assemble Team
 Some iteration as settle on
joint approach
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Business strategy
Organisational culture
Content strategy
Technical architecture/systems
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Assembling the team
Key issue:
How do we present
ourselves?
 Options
 Prime
 Consortium
 Individual contracts
Oct 2004:
Assemble Team
 Considerations
 Client comfort
 Our risk
 Accreditations
 References
 ISO9000
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Bidding
Key issue:
Integrated approach
 Clear roles & responsibilities
 Detailed plan & project mgt
 Clear communication plan
 Well defined deliverables & IP
Oct 2004:
Bid
 Strengthened our bid – more
clarity than a single bidder
 Took a lot of effort – probably
more expensive too…
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Approach
 Small, diverse team of independent experts
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No vested interest in application or downstream implementation
Can “read between the lines”
Sensitive to cultural & organisational factors as well as technical
Can move quickly while focusing on key areas for AI’s context
 Supporting intellectual framework
 Embeds experience – helps us to move quickly & without gaps
 Provides basis for key deliverables (risk register, spec., etc)
 Open, collaborative, active approach
 Skills transfer and ongoing support
 We want to see people succeed, and to learn ourselves
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Framework of existing IP
 Risks
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Lack of focus
Missed stakeholders
Change management
Technology
 Audiences
 End users
 Content & editorial
 System admin & management
 Business Requirements
 Current state
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Requirements
Comments
1. Platform requirements
If you answer "yes part of product suite" or "yes - through partner" for any of the questions please open the tab to the left and
answer the questions:
1. Portal (content & service delivery)
Do you provide a portal tool or a publishing server as part of your
Select appropriate answer…
product suite?
2. Search
Do you provide search functionality as part of your product suite?
3. Personalisation
Do you provide a personalisation tool as part of your product
suite?
Select appropriate answer…
4. Web Content management
Do you provide WCM as part of your product suite?
Select appropriate answer…
5. Document management
Do you provide DM as part of your product suite?
Select appropriate answer…
6. Knowledge Base
Do you provide a Knowledge Base tool (or similar) as part of your
Select appropriate answer…
product suite?
7. Collaboration
Do you provide a Collaboration tool as part of your product suite?
8. Digital Asset Management
Do you provide a Digital Asset Management tool as part of your
product suite?
Select appropriate answer…
9. Application & service integration
Do you provide a toolkit for EAI?
Select appropriate answer…
10. Built-in & optional portal features
Do you provide any additional features/tools (not mentioned
here) that you think fits Message Labs requirements?
Select appropriate answer…
11. Security
Do you have a high-end security model?
Select appropriate answer…
12. Technology & Infrastructure
Please answer the questions below
Please open tab to the left and answer questions…
Content
Technology
Business (governance, structure, processes)
Change readiness
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RFI Answers
RFI Questions
13
Select appropriate answer…
Select appropriate answer…
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e Mobilisation
Assessment
Definition
Options Evaluation
/2005
25/04
/2005
18/04
/2005
11/04
/2005
04/04
/2005
28/03
/2005
21/03
/2005
14/03
/2005
07/03
/2005
28/02
/2005
21/02
/2005
14/02
g
Plan
Plan & Present
s
Align on
objectives and
approach.
Analyse current state - strategy,
audiences, content, metadata,
infrastructure, processes, culture.
s
Vision &
objectives
Current state audience map, content End-state content matrix and content Requirements specifictaion. Vendor shortlist.
assessment, ICT infrastructure
models, migration strategy, security Implementation options (plan, budget, benefits realisation, Final report and presentations.
assessment. Gap analysis.
and admin models, architecture.
risk register, SWOT analysis).
Business case options.
Support
Define key parameters for future state Refine requirements definitions & evalusate applications. Refine plans and business cases.
Support AI to
- content, metadata, system
Prepare options (implementation plan, budget, business Prepare final reports / presentations. finalise business
requirements, processes, security
case, benefits realisation)
Shortlisted vendor presentations.
case.
n
Initiation Meeting
Workshop
Document gathering
Workshop
RFI prep
Seminar Bus. case options Business case
nt
Audience analysis
Content analysis
nt
Current state
End state architecture Manage RFI
Principles/standards Security & systemic reqts
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End state content reqts Refine requirements spec
End state admin & mgt
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Seminar & presentation
Refine reqts
Refine plans
Implementation plans
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Deliverables
Why
• ECM vision statement
Who
• Audience map
What
• Current state
• Content
• Process
• Culture
• ICT Infrastructure
• Related projects
• Future state content
• Content matrix & org
• Metadata & taxonomy
• Lifecycles
• Skills
• Functional reqts
• Non-functional reqts
 Iterative approach, to ensure we’re aligned
 Enough detail to set up future elaboration
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How / When / Where
• Architecture Models
• Technical
• Security
• Admin
• Skills
• Implementation options
• Content migration
• Vendor shortlist
• Risk Register
How Much
• Business Case(s)
• Costs
• Benefits
• SWOT
• Change mgt
•www.grahamoakes.co.uk
Benefits realisation
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Contracting
Key issue:
Internal clarity via JV
 Roles and responsibilities
 Defined in Tender
 Revenue split




By company
By milestone
How to handle changes
Flows from project plan
Dec 2004:
Contract
 Dispute resolution
 If one has a problem, we all do
 Mutual agreement
 Agreed mediator with shared costs
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Contracting
Key issue:
Internal clarity via JV
 Intellectual Property
 If you create it, you own it
 Professional Indemnity
 Termination
 Administration
Dec 2004:
Contract
 What expenses can we bill
 Who handles invoices, & when
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Contracting
Key issue:
Client clarity
 Joint and several liability
 Amnesty’s contract
 Simpler than the JV agreement
 Tender doc as a schedule
Dec 2004:
Contract
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Delivering
Key issue:
Communication
 No central server
 Shared “virtual control centre”
via spreadsheet
 Within team
 With client
 Email
 IT support for offsite work?
Jan 2005:
Deliver
 Conference call
 Service
 Skype
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# # # # # ## ##
24-Jan
Phase
25-Jan
26-Jan
27-Jan
28-Jan ## ##
31-Jan
01-Feb
02-Feb
03-Feb
04-Feb ## ##
Mobilisation
Objectives
Assessm
Align Objectives & Approach
Deliverables
Vision & Objectives
Audience map, content assessment, ICT inf
Meet with ECM steering/core team to
• Understand overall programme objectives
• Develop stakeholder map for the programme
• Agree objectives for this engagement
• Present the ECM assessment framework. Agree
customisations specific to AI
• Identify key AI documentation for our initial analysis
• Identify key personnel we should be talking to in order to
understand AI’s ECM requirements and current state
• Identify key risks to this engagement
• Agree communication plan and protocols for this
engagement
• Agree logistics (e.g. access to AI premises, desks and
networks)
• Review and refine plans for the first 3-4 weeks of this
engagement
Activities
Graham
Analyse current state (strategy, audiences, content
Prepare interview protocols, based on ECM assessment framework
Document review and interviews to define
• Audience map. (Who are the end users, content contributors and
important are these to AI? What are their characteristics and acces
• Current state content assessment. (What assets are managed, th
How are they classified? How are they managed, e.g. roles and wo
• Current state technology assessment. (What systems, standards
management processes? What future state principles or standards
security, technical infrastructure, development methods and tools, o
• Refined objectives and requirements for ECM. (Capture points th
e.g. of ISP/ISOP.)
• Relationships to any linked initiatives.
• Current content and project governance models. (Roles and respo
Analysis of interview and document findings to identify gaps, overla
14.00: Chris
14.45: Merlin
16.00: Donnacha
Kate
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#### #### #### #### 28-Jan # #### #### #### #### 11-Feb # #### #
Deliverable
Agreed vision and objectives (programme). A simple statement
summarising the key objectives, as currently understood, of the ECM
programme, and the value that achieving these objectives will deliver to
Amnesty International.
Agreed objectives for this stage. A simple statement summarising
the key objectives for this stage of the programme and the contribution
they will make to the overall objectives.
Agreed ways of working together. List of ground rules for working
together, e.g. identifying protocols for running meetings, managing
emails and other communication, etc. Agreed schedule of regular
meetings, conference calls or checkpoints, with standing agendas
where relevant. Agreed escalation processes.
Refined assessment framework. An agreed version of the ECM
assessment framework, including any customisations specific to AI’s
requirements.
Agreed schedule for next 2-4 weeks. Detailed plan of meetings,
workshops, interviews, etc for the Assessment (and, where possible,
Definition) phase of this engagement.
Refined deliverable schedule. Refined definition of the balance of
this deliverable schedule. Agreed format for each deliverable.
List of documents to review. List of existing AI documents (e.g.
International Strategic Plan, IS operational Plans) for the consulting
team to review during the Assessment and Definition phases.
Preliminarymap.
risk &This
issues
log. the
A preliminary
version (content
of the riskreaders,
and
Audience
profiles
three audiences
contributors and system support staff) for the ECM solution. It identifies
their key attributes (e.g. skills, culture) and objectives, their
interrelationships, and the types of information they need. It also
captures their current issues in managing and accessing content. It will
be presented in a form appropriate to our findings – perhaps as a matrix
of audience segments and their attributes plus diagrams illustrating
their relationships.
As-is content assessment. An assessment of the content currently
managed by AI, for both internal and external audiences (e.g. intranets,
web sites, file stores). This will identify the content types and formats
managed,
and taxonomies associated with this content,
13metadata
July 2005
intended audiences for the content, volumetrics and usage statistics
Owner
Mobilisation
Assessment
frame draftreviewrefine deliver
frame draftreviewrefine deliver
Graham
Graham
Graham
Graham
Graham
Graham
Graham
Kate
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making sense of technology
frame
Intermediate
cause
Immediate
Cause
Effect
LikeliSeverhood Impact ity
Class
Root Cause
Timescales
Cannot assess current state in time
2
Too much documentation to read
Cannot schedule interviews
6 See pile at mobilisation
People not available
3
3
9
Cannot co-ordinate calendars
2
3
6
4
2
8
3
5
3
5
15
0
15
More interviews than anticipated
Cannot schedule workshop
Cannot define end state in time
Unclear ECM vision causes delays
Cannot schedule interviews
More interviews than anticipated
Cannot schedule workshop
Cannot define adequate shortlist of vendors
Delay setting up RFI
Need to cover more vendors than anticipated
Need a larger longlist
Difficulty converging on final shortlist
Mitigation
Spread load & summar
AI staff.
Identify alternatives. B
See schedule at
options evaluation, but
mobilistaion
Escalate if necessary.
See schedule at
Work with Annie. Be fl
mobilistaion
options evaluation, with
See schedule at
Use mini workshops; S
mobilisation; monitor
about when interviewin
interviews added over time & escalate if necessary
See schedule at
Can be some flexibility
mobilisation.
smaller workshops???
See below
As above
As above
As above
2
4
8
1
3
4
4
4
12
3
Slow responses to RFI
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3
Trigger
22
2
6
Use provisional figures
after budget options are
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Support
 Renegotiate roles & revenue
 Match skills to changed client
needs
 Bring in new skills
 Team celebrations
 Improve the communications
infrastructure
 Blackberry
 Document sharing & versioning
(Groove? Shared service?)
April 2005:
Support
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Summary
 Needed to be clear about how we’d work together
 So we could plan our activities, and allocate revenue
 So we could reassure the client
 Clarity required effort, but made us more competitive
 Little beyond “good project management” but we had to
demonstrate it from the outset
 We delivered
 Skills and political savvy meant AI did something they couldn’t
have done with a more junior team from a larger consultancy
 Can’t have too much support for communications
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Questions?
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making sense of technology
Graham Oakes Ltd
 Making sense of technology


We help people work out how to use technology to achieve business goals.
We deploy highly experienced consultants with a diverse set of technical,
management and people-centred skills. Our principal, Dr Graham Oakes, is
a highly skilled systems engineer with over 20 years’ experience in the
industry and a track record of delivering highly innovative solutions.
 Clients
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Amnesty International – Defined enterprise content management strategy to support information sharing
between researchers, activists and external partners (e.g. journalists, other NGOs).
Cisco Worldwide Education – Defined financial models, competitive marketplace and potential
infrastructure partners to commercialise Cisco’s e-learning assets in Europe.
The Open University – Defined enterprise architecture, customer relationship management strategy, and
business case for renewing course production systems.
Oxfam – Defined strategy and business case for content management and customer relationship
management systems.
Intermediate Technology Development Group – Defined enterprise architecture for knowledge sharing
amongst communities of researchers and project teams in first and third world.
MessageLabs – Helped define & implement technology strategy for customer and partner self-service portal.
Sapient Ltd – Helped define & implement risk management strategy for customer billing solution.
 Services
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Business and technology alignment
Integrated business, technical and human architecture
Technology innovation
Project execution and review
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