Tasks

Introduction

Positioning of tasks

Outcomes are at the heart of HERMS. They are developed together with the tasks.

A task consists of several activities. Activities are used to develop one or more outcomes and to ensure the quality requirements are met.

Two types of tasks are distinguished:

  1. Decision-making tasks, which lead to a decision and end with the milestone outcome. They are further divided into
    1. Decision-making tasks of steering and
    2. Decision-making tasks of management.
  2. Other tasks that accompany the course of the project, serve to develop outcomes and solutions, and ensure or increase quality.

Task descriptions do not replace knowledge of the methods and practices to be applied or corresponding training.

Decision-making tasks

General

Decisions have to be made over the course of the project. Tasks that lead to a decision are defined as decision-making tasks. They end with a milestone.

HERMES distinguishes between decisions made by project steering and decisions made by project management. For example, the decision on launch of operation is made by the project sponsor (steering), while the decision on solution architecture is made by the project manager (management).

At the end of a phase ( traditional ) or a release ( agile , if the decision on release approval is required in the project), steering checks whether the necessary specialist decisions have been made. If this is not the case, the next phase or the next release is not approved. In this way, steering can make decisions without having the necessary expertise itself.

Decision-making tasks are supported by checklists.

Steering decisions

At the steering hierarchy level, decisions are made by the project sponsor. The project sponsor decides on project initiation release, execution release, phase release, interim release approvals where applicable, project closure, project discontinuation where applicable, as well as other important decisions such as initiating a call for tenders, deciding on an award of contract, or approving launch of operation. As needed, the project sponsor is advised and supported by other roles, such as the project committee, the project manager, or the user representative.

Management decisions

Management decisions are decisions of the project manager on project outcomes.

Review and acceptance of technical outcomes is carried out on behalf of management by the execution level, i.e. by the specialists for the topic in question. Depending on the process model, the project manager or user representative plans the decision-making tasks, taking into account the specifications of the controlling and compliance bodies of the core organization.

Overview of tasks

Standard tasks

The table shows the assignment of all provided tasks to project phases, including the corresponding outcomes; decision-making tasks are highlighted in pink.

Table 18: Assignment of all tasks to project phases, including corresponding outcomes
Task Outcome Phases
I C I D E C
Advocate stakeholder interests Stakeholder interests X X X X
Stakeholder interests X X X X
Stakeholder interests X X X X
Design product concept Product concept X X
Activate operation Operating manual X X
Operation activated X X
Activate organization Organization activated X X
Activate product Product activated X X
Activate system System activated X X
Agree on and steer goods/services Quote request X X X X
Offer X X X X
Evaluation report X X X X
Agreement X X X X
Analyze legal basis Legal basis analysis X
Analyze protection needs Protection needs analysis X
Carry out prototyping Prototype realized X X X
Prototype documentation X X X
Prototype realized X X X
Prototype documentation X X X
Prototype realized X
Prototype documentation X
Conduct migration Migration carried out X X
Conduct test Test report X X X
Test concept X X X
Deal with problems and benefit from lessons learned Lessons learned X X X X X
Decide on acceptance Acceptance checklist X X
Acceptance report X X
Acceptance milestone X X
List of management project decisions X X
Decide on acceptance of migration Migration acceptance checklist X X
Acceptance report X X
Migration acceptance milestone X X
List of management project decisions X X
Decide on call for tenders Tender checklist X X
Tender milestone X X
List of steering project decisions X X
Decide on closure phase release Closure phase release checklist X X
QA and risk report X X
Closure phase release milestone X X
List of steering project decisions X X
Decide on contract award Contract award checklist X X
Publication X X
Contract award milestone X X
List of steering project decisions X X
Decide on execution release Execution release checklist X
Execution order X
Execution release milestone X
List of steering project decisions X
Decide on ISDP concept ISDP concept checklist X X
ISDP concept milestone X X
List of management project decisions X X
Decide on launch of operation Launch of operation checklist X X
Launch of operation milestone X X
List of steering project decisions X X
Decide on next steps Next steps checklist X
Study X
Next steps milestone X
List of management project decisions X
Decide on phase release Phase release checklist X X
QA and risk report X X
Phase release milestone X X
List of steering project decisions X X
Decide on preliminary acceptance Preliminary acceptance checklist X X
Acceptance report X X
Preliminary acceptance milestone X X
List of management project decisions X X
Decide on product concept Product concept checklist X X
Product concept milestone X X
List of management project decisions X X
Decide on project closure Project closure checklist X
QA and risk report X
Project closure milestone X
List of steering project decisions X
Decide on project discontinuation Project discontinuation checklist X X X X
Lessons learned X X X X
Final project evaluation X X X X
Project closure milestone X X X X
List of steering project decisions X X X X
Decide on project initiation release Project initiation release checklist X
Project initiation order X
Project initiation release milestone X
List of steering project decisions X
Decide on release Release checklist X
QA and risk report X
Release milestone X
List of steering project decisions X
Decide on solution architecture Solution architecture checklist X X
Solution architecture milestone X X
List of management project decisions X X
Decommission the legacy system Legacy system removed X
Design deployment concept Deployment concept X X
Project management plan X X
Design integration concept Integration concept X X
Design ISDP concept ISDP concept X X
Design migration concept Migration concept X X
Design operating concept Operating concept X X
Service level agreement X X
Design test concept Test concept X X
Draw up agreement Agreement X X
Draw up organization concept Organization concept X X
Business model description X X
Process description X X
Organization description X X
Draw up project execution order Execution order X
Draw up project management plan Project management plan X
Establish organizational requirements Situation analysis X X
Organizational requirements X X
Evaluate tenders Evaluation report X X
Tender report X X
Execute deployment measures Deployment measures carried out X X
Implement ISDP concept ISDP measures realized X X
ISDP concept X X
Implement organization Process description X X
Organization description X X
Organization implemented X X
Integrate the system into operation Operating manual X X
System integrated X X
Issue call for tenders Offer X X
Tender documentation X X
Manage and control project Project management plan X X X X X X
Work order X X X X X X
Project status report X X X X X X
Minutes X X X X X X
Solution requirements X
Detailed specifications X
Manage and inform stakeholders Stakeholder list X X X X X X
Stakeholder interests X X X X X X
Project management plan X X X X X X
Manage changes Change request X X X
Change status list X X X X
Project management plan X X X X
Solution requirements X X X
Manage risks Project management plan X X X X
Project status report X X X X
Perform quality assurance Project management plan X X X X X
Review report X X X X X
Prepare call for tenders Tender documentation X X
Prepare phase release Phase report X X X X
Project management plan X X X X
Project status report X X X X
Prepare procurement analysis Procurement analysis X
Prepare project closure Lessons learned X
Final project evaluation X
Prepare release closure Release report X
Project management plan X
Project status report X
Prepare solution architecture System concept X X
Solution architecture X X
Prepare solution requirements Situation analysis X X
Solution requirements X X
Situation analysis X X
Solution requirements X X
Prepare study Study X
Stakeholder list X
Prepare system integration Interfaces realized X X
Solution architecture X X
Integration and installation instructions X X
Detailed specifications X X
Realize deployment measures Deployment measures realized X X
Realize migration procedure Detailed specifications X X
Migration procedure realized X X
Realize operation Operating manual X X
Operating infrastructure realized X X
Operating organization realized X X
Realize product Detailed specifications X X
Product documentation X X
User manual X X
Product developed or adapted X X
Realize system Detailed specifications X X
System concept X X
Solution architecture X X
User manual X X
System developed or parameterized X X
Realize test infrastructure Test infrastructure realized X X
Steer project QA and risk report X X X X
List of steering project decisions X X X X X X
Transfer ISDP concept ISDP concept transferred X X
ISDP concept X X
Transfer test infrastructure Test concept X
Test infrastructure transferred X
Minutes X

Customized tasks

Supplementing the standard tasks available, it is also possible to integrate new subject-, organization-, or project-specific tasks into own modules and then to expand them with outcomes.

This is supported by HERMES online and is especially relevant when new modules are developed. Examples of customized tasks can be extended, core organization-specific reporting or project-specific risk management.

Explanation regarding task description

For each task, a task description is provided that is always structured in the same way:

  1. Purpose
    describes the intent and purpose of the task.
  2. Basic idea
    creates a fundamental understanding of the task.
  3. HERMES-specific
    describes how HERMES supports the task in concrete terms.
  4. Basis/prerequisites
    lists the outcomes necessary to perform the task, if relevant. For tasks during solution creation, the list varies depending on the scenario. Where applicable, the outcomes are marked with "A" for agile or "T" for traditional .
  5. Activities
    describe how the task is executed. If possible, the activities are listed in chronological order. Where applicable, the outcomes are marked with "A" for agile or "T" for traditional .
  6. Relationships (online only)
    show how the tasks relates to other module elements.
  7. Outcomes
    show which outcomes are generated by the task. Where applicable, the outcomes are marked with "A" for agile or "T" for traditional .

Descriptions of the tasks

Decision-making tasks of steering

  1. Decide on call for tenders
  2. Decide on launch of operation
  3. Decide on execution release
  4. Decide on closure phase release
  5. Decide on phase release
  6. Decide on project discontinuation
  7. Decide on project closure
  8. Decide on project initiation release
  9. Decide on release
  10. Decide on contract award

Decision-making tasks of management

  1. Decide on acceptance of migration
  2. Decide on acceptance
  3. Decide on ISDP concept
  4. Decide on solution architecture
  5. Decide on product concept
  6. Decide on preliminary acceptance
  7. Decide on next steps

Other tasks

  1. Decommission the legacy system
  2. Manage changes
  3. Evaluate tenders
  4. Issue call for tenders
  5. Prepare call for tenders
  6. Prepare procurement analysis
  7. Activate operation
  8. Realize operation
  9. Design operating concept
  10. Draw up project execution order
  11. Design deployment concept
  12. Execute deployment measures
  13. Realize deployment measures
  14. Design integration concept
  15. Design ISDP concept
  16. Implement ISDP concept
  17. Transfer ISDP concept
  18. Agree on and steer goods/services
  19. Prepare solution requirements
  20. Prepare solution architecture
  21. Conduct migration
  22. Design migration concept
  23. Realize migration procedure
  24. Activate organization
  25. Implement organization
  26. Establish organizational requirements
  27. Draw up organization concept
  28. Prepare phase release
  29. Deal with problems and benefit from lessons learned
  30. Activate product
  31. Realize product
  32. Design product concept
  33. Manage and control project
  34. Steer project
  35. Prepare project closure
  36. Draw up project management plan
  37. Carry out prototyping
  38. Perform quality assurance
  39. Analyze legal basis
  40. Prepare release closure
  41. Manage risks
  42. Analyze protection needs
  43. Manage and inform stakeholders
  44. Advocate stakeholder interests
  45. Prepare study
  46. Activate system
  47. Integrate the system into operation
  48. Realize system
  49. Prepare system integration
  50. Conduct test
  51. Realize test infrastructure
  52. Transfer test infrastructure
  53. Design test concept
  54. Draw up agreement