BTS-4.01 - Technology Project Intake

Administrative Rules Adopted by Bureaus Pursuant to Rule Making Authority (ARB)
Policy number
BTS-4.01
TECHNOLOGY PROJECT INTAKE
Administrative Rule Adopted by Office of Management and Finance Pursuant to Rule-Making Authority
ARB-BTS-4.01

Policy

The City shall adopt a consistent and accountable approach to accepting requests for new technology projects which will:

  • Involve the Bureau of Technology Services (BTS) in a project’s conceptual stage, prior to a request for proposal (RFP) or request for information (RFI) being drafted;
  • Reflect overall project costs, including upfront expenditures and ongoing operating costs;
  • Maintain a Citywide enterprise systems perspective wherever possible;
  • Communicate the City’s requirements for project oversight and external quality assurance;
  • Involve the Technology Oversight Committee (TOC) as appropriate.

Importance is placed on:

  • Understanding customer business needs as they relate to technology;
  • Providing BTS management with greater visibility of its customers plans and priorities;
  • Assigning BTS resources more efficiently;
  • Reducing the number of technical project intake points within OMF;
  • Improving handoffs between parties involved in fulfilling project requests;
  • Creating BTS efficiencies in processing its work.

New technology projects deemed to be significant, either in terms of scope, complexity, cost, risk or a combination of these factors, will require enhanced levels of ongoing project oversight, project management and external quality assurance. Further discussion of these factors can be found in BTS 1.07 Technology Project Oversight.


Administrative Rule

Bureaus shall be responsible for informing the Bureau of Technology Services (BTS) of projects in the conceptual stage that may meet the criteria for TOC review, as described in BTS 1.07 Technology Project Oversight. Bureaus shall submit documentation to BTS that includes:

  • A brief description of the business case, addressing how the project will help the bureau meet its strategic goals and how that achievement will be measured;
  • The project’s expected return on investment;
  • The project’s scope and feasibility.
  • A ranking in the bureau’s numerical list of project priorities;
  • The project’s estimated timeline and budget including upfront and ongoing costs;
  • An analysis of how the project aligns with the TOC criteria for impact and risk;
  • The recommendation of the bureau director regarding potential TOC oversight.
  • An analysis of the project in light of SAP as the preferred solution and the ability of existing or new SAP functionality to meet the bureau’s business needs.

Bureaus shall submit all Advanced Service Requests (defined below), except production failures or an emergency as determined by the Chief Technology Officer or designee, using the Request Intake Process. The Request Intake Process is described on the BTS website located at http://www.portlandonline.com/b….

Advanced Service Requests will proceed according to the BTS Request Intake Process which will include, but is not limited to, the following high level steps:

  • Bureaus and their Technology Business Consultant (TBC) will work collaboratively to prepare and submit Advanced Service Requests via the BTS Request Intake Document.
  • Bureaus will prioritize their Advanced Service Requests prior to submitting them to BTS.
  • The TBC will work with each bureau to identify a fiscal year Work Plan for Advanced Service Requests.
  • All Advanced Service Requests will be reviewed by the Enterprise Business Solution (EBS) Division of OMF to determine if an SAP solution option exists.
  • All Advanced Service Requests will be reviewed and accepted or declined by the BTS Request Intake Board.
  • Project size, complexity, cost, risk or a combination of these factors will determine the need for a BTS Project Manager, the level of oversight required and the level of external quality assurance required.
  • Hardware purchases and software development and purchases will be completed according to BTS Technology Standards and as referred to in BTS Administrative Rule 1.05.

Definitions

Advanced (Non-Standard) Service Request

An advanced service is a request to deliver new technology or service that is not defined as a standard service in the BTS Service Catalog. These will often be unique, one-time efforts characterized as projects. The BTS Service Catalog can be found here:

http://www.portlandonline.com/b…

Standard Service Request

A standard service request is one for which BTS has existing mechanisms and repeatable processes for fulfilling. Standard service requests will be fulfilled with requests to the BTS Helpdesk, or the Procurement Services Division within the Bureau of Internal Business Services. Standard Services will be documented in the current BTS Service Catalog. The BTS Service Catalog can be found here:

http://www.portlandonline.com/b…

Routine Service Request

A routine service request is an Advanced Service Request which has low risk, low impact and/or low cost to the requesting bureau and City.


Responsibility

The BTS TBC assigned to each bureau will document Advanced Service Requests for services in collaboration with bureau personnel. 

BTS will be responsible for maintaining a list of Routine Service Requests. BTS will provide this list to the TOC and, upon request, to City Council and City Auditor.

Bureaus will be responsible for prioritizing their Advanced Service Requests.

The TBC will use the BTS Request Intake Document and the BTS Work Plan to maintain prioritized lists of bureau project requests.

The TBC will work with bureau representatives to ensure compliance with all BTS Administrative Rules and Standards.

All new applications and software purchases shall be documented in the BTS Application Database. This database shall be maintained by BTS and bureau staff as appropriate and can be found here:

http://www.portlandonline.com/o…;

Advanced Service Requests will be checked against the Application Database to ensure no comparable tools already exist. Relevant applications already in use shall be examined for applicability to the business requirements defined in the Advanced Service Request.

BTS and EBS will promote collaboration among bureaus to identify and implement enterprise technology solutions to address the business needs of more than one bureau.

Enterprise Business Solution (EBS) Review

SAP is the preferred solution

City business needs that require a new technology solution will be evaluated for opportunities to build on the City’s existing SAP platform. An SAP solution will be the preferred option unless SAP does not clearly meet critical business requirements or the EBS Executive Steering Committee determines that there are other reasons that SAP is not the preferred solution.

Through the BTS Request Intake Process, all requests will be reviewed by EBS to evaluate SAP functionality against the requested critical business requirements. If an initial determination is made that an SAP solution exists, EBS, BTS and the bureau will work together through the EBS New Functionality process to further define whether SAP meets the critical business requirements and is a feasible solution. If it is determined that SAP is a viable option, a recommendation for approval of a new functionality project will be presented to the EBS Executive Steering Committee. See:

http://www.portlandonline.com/o…

Additional information about EBS can be found here:

http://www.portlandonline.com/o…


Administrative Rule History
Originally published as PPD number ARC-BIT-2.08, authorized by Ordinance No. 177048, passed by City Council and effective November 6, 2002.
Revised by Ordinance No. 179999, passed by City Council March 15, 2006 and effective April 14, 2006.
Re-indexed by Auditor as PPD number ARC-BTS-4.01.
Revised rule adopted by Chief Administrative Officer of Office of Management and Finance and filed for inclusion in PPD May 7, 2007.
Revised rule adopted by Chief Administrative Officer of Office of Management and Finance and filed for inclusion in PPD July 6, 2011. Rule name changed from Software Application Life Cycle to Technology Project Intake.

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