Process Documentation
Dr.Zubeeda Quraishy
Dept of Informatics
University of Oslo, Norway
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Process Documentation
• This session provides a practical approach
to managing and preparing the
documentation necessary for implementing
any system
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What is Process Documentation?
• The term was first used in 1978 to refer to a
pilot project in Phillippines.
• In this project full time social scientists stayed in
project villages and made detailed observations
and documented the process of user group
(farmers’) formation and functioning
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Basic Objective of Process
Documentation
• To learn from implementation experience
and in the light of this modify the strategy
and ultimately, policy(Mosse,1998)
•
(Ref:Mosse, David,1998,’Process documentation research and process monitoring”, in
David Mosse, John Fennigton and Alan Rew (Eds) Development as Process: Concepts and
Methods for working with Complexity, London: Routledge, pp 31-53).
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Process Documentation Research
• Process Documentation Research done in several countries and
different context shows that it is used more in developing greater
capacities for managing local resources.
• In fact PDR is not considered a monitoring device alone, but
rather as a means to develop local community’s capability to plan
and build institutions to solve the local problems in areas/sectors
where programme expansions are planned.
• Among the different mechanisms used PD is the most intensive
among them.
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Process Definition and
Implementation
• Organization Processes should aim to deliver
the objectives of the organization.
• Process Definition initiation starts with
understanding the objectives of the
organization, mapping the existing processes
and then working towards closing the gaps that
may exist.
• For ex, need for a situation analysis before
implementing any systems development or
doing action research (FHIMS in Andhra
Pradesh)
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Process Implementation
• A jointly approved Action Plan is defined with
Priorities, Considerations and Constraints
pertaining to the organization.
• Processes are designed to meet the
organization's Objectives. Automation tools are
incorporated into the processes wherever
appropriate.
• Process Training and facilitation form a part of
the mandate.
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Process Implementation
• The Process Implementation follows with
detailed process design, pilot implementation,
refinement and stabilization.
• Typically, association with the collaborators
would continue for a period such that all teams
have institutionalized their processes.
• The Internal Quality Assessment and evaluation
by external agencies can continue subsequently.
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Why Process Documentation?
• Most of the process-oriented methodologies are
meant to record programmes as they occur and
feed the information back to managers, other
researchers, policy makers to help them in
understanding the working of the project better.
• However there are several other purposes,
equally important, for which processes are
sought and they are…
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Need for Process Information
• Used by agencies undertaking new and complex
forms as part of expansion of programmes,
which need understanding about stakeholder
participation.
• Such information is often needed to validate and
approach the programe and consequent policy
formation.
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Use of Process Information
• Such information in the context of inter agency collaboration(ex.
Govt, NGO and Community) can help determine the conditions
necessary for effective collaboration and performance.
• Process monitoring is used to construct institutional
ethnography.
 Process monitoring helps provide a framework for negotiating
meanings, agreements, and validating approaches and resolving
differences between all the component units of the programme.
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Use of Process Information
• Anyone developing or working towards
creating any software is responsible for
managing and maintaining software
process and quality system related
documentation
(e.g., process/quality policies, procedures,
forms, etc.)
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Process Documentation –IT Sector
• Among many unappealing tasks(attending
late night calls, last minute changes to
schedule, unreasonable customer requests)
of IT professionals one of them is Process
Documentation.
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Importance of Process
Documentation
• An important aspect of any process is
the documentation that accompanies
it,(such as logging trouble calls,
requesting system changes, or
executing disaster recovery plans).
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Importance of Process
Documentation
• Many organisations or IT companies develop
excellent processes but fail to document them
adequately. After an initially successful
implementation of the process, many of these
procedures go unused due to lack of
documentation, particularly as new staff
members who are unfamiliar with the process
attempt to use it.
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Why Actively Manage the Processes?
• Methodical Process Management can identify
bottlenecks and inefficiencies that are invisible
to the organization—and it can find room for
improvement even in well-refined procedures.
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Proactively managing the processes
can help organisation to…
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Eliminate flaws
Reduce the time spent on a specific task
Decrease costs
Decrease resources associated with any task
Improve efficiency
Improve overall quality
Increase customer and employee satisfaction
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Techniques
• Very few techniques are available to quantify the
quality and value of Process Documentation.
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Importance of Evaluating the
Quality of Process Documentation
• In IT sectors and in other organisations where
the use of processes is essential
• The purpose of evaluating the quality of content
is important:
• a.) to show to what degree the material is
suitable for use.
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Importance of Evaluating the
Quality of Process Documentation
• b) to show how important the documentation is
to the support of the process and how
important the process is to the support of the
business.
• The quality of the content of documentation is
evaluated with 10 common characteristics of
usability:
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Characteristics Denoting Quality
Attributes of Process Documentation
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Ownership. This characteristic rates the
degree to which the three key ownership
roles—process owner, documentation
custodian, and technical writer—are clearly
identified, understood, and supported. For
some processes, the same individual may have
all three roles.
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(Cont..) Characteristics Denoting
Quality Attributes of Process
Documentation
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Readability :This characteristic rates the
clarity and simplicity of the written
documentation .
This characteristic especially looks at how well the
level of the material matches the skill and
experience level of the audience.
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(Cont) Characteristics Denoting Quality
Attributes of Process Documentation
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Accuracy. This characteristic rates the
technical accuracy of the material.
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(Cont..) Characteristics Denoting
Quality Attributes of Process
Documentation
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Format: rates the overall organization of the
material; how easy it is to follow; how well it
keeps a consistent level of technical depth; and
to what degree it documents and describes an
actual process rather than merely duplicating
tables, spreadsheets, and metrics.
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(Cont) Characteristics Denoting Quality
Attributes of Process Documentation
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•
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Accessibility : rates the ease or difficulty of
accessibility.
Current status : rates to what degree the current
version of the documentation is up to date and the
frequency with which it's kept current.
Ease of update : rates the relative ease or difficulty
with which the documentation can be updated,
including revision and distribution of new versions.
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(Cont) Characteristics Denoting Quality
Attributes of Process Documentation
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Effectiveness: rates the overall usability of the
documentation, including the use of appropriate
examples, graphics, color coding, use on multiple
platforms, and compliance with existing standards (if
available).
Accountability: rates to what degree the
documentation is being read, understood, and
effectively used; all appropriate users are identified
and held accountable for proper use of the
documentation.
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The value of the documentation to the
environment for which it was intended is
evaluated using five common characteristics
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Criticality of the process: Describes how
critical is the process to the success of the
organisation or business of the company.
Frequency of use: Describes how frequently
the documentation is used or referenced.
Number of users: Describes the approximate
number of personnel who will likely want or
need to use this documentation.
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The value of the documentation to the
environment for which it was intended is
evaluated using five common characteristics
• Variety of users: This characteristic describes
the variety of different functional areas or skill
levels of personnel who will likely use this
documentation.
• Impact of non-use: Describes the level of
adverse impact that's likely to occur if the
documentation is not used properly.
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Different Approaches to Understand
Process
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Field-level activities
Meetings
Negotiations
Decision-taken
Planning
Implementation of decisions
Resolution of differences
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Methodology for Documenting the
Process
• Use of existing documentary material
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Records
Structured interviews
Case studies
Reconstruction of events
• Field-diaries of project staff
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Methodology for Documenting the
Process
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Video-and audio recordings
Newspaper clippings
Software development
Participant observation
**None of the above methods are new in
themselves in the social science methodology,
but what is new is the use to which they are put.
(Refer PD of HISP implemented in India)
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In essence ‘Process documentation’
means and involves
• Continuous information gathering over a period of the
programme / project.
• Orientation to the present-‘What is happening right
now’.
• Monitoring which is action oriented in the sense that it
is directed towards participants who are in a position to
read and take immediate action.
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In essence ‘Process documentation’
means and involves
• the monitoring is inductive and open-ended thus
broadening the frame of reference. Thus, the
process information completely ‘breaks away
from the general image of development projects
or programmes as closed, static, predictable and
controllable tech-rational systems ”
(Mosse,1998:11).
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Process Documentation
• Learn how to design, write and organize your
documentation to best suit your organisation or work
• various documentation structures and access medium
can be used.
• How to pay particular attention to managing and
controlling the outcome of your documentation efforts
(the documentation authorities, distribution,
amendments, identification,...).
• Ideas that evolve from the documentation and
maintaining its alignment with changing needs should
be paid attention.
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Points to note in Developing a
Process Documenatation
• Develop an action plan to manage the creation
of a policy and process documentation system that
effectively prescribes action and expedites
efforts
• Design a documentation structure suited to your
business needs and organizational size.
• Analyze the potential of process documentation
verses training material.
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Points to note in Developing a
Process Documenatation
• Learn various ways to organize and express your
organisations goals or company’s expectations; for
example, your company's quality policy statement (re: ISO
9001), operational policies.
(The ISO organization was established by European countries as a way to certify the quality control
systems of companies across international boundaries)
• Examine the merits of various structures and styles to
compose/access both policy and process
documentation (e.g., procedures and their job aids).
• Discover the key criteria to keeping it simple.
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