Background
Dependencies enable Project Managers to define the inter-relationships that exist between Projects. They allow you to identify a Give Project and a Get Project, and where possible specify a Milestone within a Give Project that defines the output that the Get Project requires to proceed. The agreed 'contract' information is recorded to document what has been agreed between Give and Get Project Managers, and a workflow supports the handshake process to record Handshake Acceptance. Reporting then allows you to track progress on the delivery and changes can be clearly identified.
Dependency Creation
Dependencies are created at the Project level, between Projects, but can be escalated up through the Programme and Portfolio hierarchy.
A Dependency specifies:
- The Give Project and the Get Project.
- Handshake information defining what has been agreed in terms of what the Give Project will receive from the Get Project.
- Dependency RAG – defined based on the Start and End date of the Dependency, along with the Agreed Get Date and the Forecast Completion Date of the associated Give Project Milestone (where applicable).
- Dependencies position within the Power Framework Hierarchy (Project, Programme, Portfolio and Org Unit), with a different Hierarchy established for the Give and Get sides of the Dependency relationship.
- Dependencies can also be defined as External, in which case there is only a Get Project with no Milestone linked. External Dependencies have additional text fields to describe the details of an External Dependency.
Dependency Notifications
Project Managers are notified when Dependencies related to their Project are created or modified.
- Notify Give Project Manager when a Dependency is created where their Project is the Giver and allow them to Accept or Reject the Dependency
- Dependency Date Change Notifications
- If Give Project Milestone Forecast Completion Date changes
- If Agreed Get Date changes
Creating a Dependency:
For a standard deployment of Power Framework the Dependency tab is visible in a Project from Stage 2. Initiation onwards.
A New Dependency can only be created from the Give Dependencies Subgrid.
When a new Dependency is created the Give Record is automatically populated from the Parent Give Project.
The Dependency Title, Give Owner and Get Project must be specified.
Once the Get Record has been specified the Get Owner and Get Hierarchy will be populated.
At this stage there is an option to switch the Give and Get records specified. This can be achieved by selecting Yes in the Switch Give and Get records field.
The Start and End dates for the Dependency can be specified, as can the Escalation Level.
Selecting a Give Project Milestone links the Dependency to a Milestone from the Give Project, which is then displayed under the Hierarchy section of the form.
Dependency RAG
The Dependency RAG will remain Red until the dependency has a status of accepted. Once Dependency has been accepted the Dependency RAG is defined by the relationship between the Start and Finish Date fields on the Dependency Record. Once a Give Project Milestone has been specified the Dependency RAG will be dependent on the Forecast Completion Date of the related Milestone.
Dependency Acceptance
Switching the Request Dependency Approval field to Yes triggers the Acceptance workflow.
The Give Owner, is then notified via email and asked whether they accept this Dependency, with a link to the specific Dependency. Whether the request is Approved or Rejected the recipient can also add Comments.
If they accept the Dependency then the Dependency Accepted by Give Owner field is updated to Yes and the Dependency Acceptance Date field is populated and revealed on the form.
The Get Project owner receives a notification if the Give Project Milestone Forecast Completion Date Changes or if the Agreed Get Date changes.
The Get Project owner receives a notification when their Dependency Approval request is Approved.
The Approval Acceptance, Comments and Accepted Date are updated in the Handshake section of the Dependency record.
External dependency
The default behavior is External Dependency = No, however If this field is changed to Yes, then there is no Give Project (as it is assumed to be external to Power Framework).