Information Development : Managing Your Documentation Projects, Portfolio, and People

by Hackos, JoAnn T.

• ISBN13: 9780471777113
• ISBN10: 0471777110
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-26
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

A revolutionary new resource that brings documentation product management ideas up to date The 1994 bestselling classic Managing Your Documentation Projects set the industry standard for technical documentation. However, since then, much has changed in the world of information development. With this new title, JoAnn Hackos looks beyond the structured project of the 1980s and 1990s. Instead, she focuses on the rapidly changing projects of the 21st century and addresses how to introduce agile information development without neglecting the central focus of planning information design and development around the needs of information users. As an information-development manager, you are expected to reduce costs and project time, do more work with fewer resources and less money, and increase the value of the information you deliver. Recognizing this, Hackos has carefully designed this book to help you do precisely that. She helps you make strategic decisions about information development and directs the discussion of project management toward smarter decision-making. An update of the original 1994 Information Process Maturity Model (IPMM) presents you with a method by which you can compare the state of your organization to others, evaluate your current status, and then consider what is necessary in order to move to the next level. Information Development offers a completely new look at best practices for all phases of the document development lifecycle, including: Managing a corporate information portfolio Evaluating process maturity Partnering with customers and developing user scenarios Developing team effectiveness and collaboration Planning and monitoring information projects Managing translation and production Evaluating project performance Managing for quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness The companion Web site includes electronic versions of the templates and checklists featured in the book. Wiley Technology Publishing Timely. Practical. Reliable. Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/

Author Biography

JoAnn T. Hackos, PhD, is President of Comtech Services and director of the Center for Information-Development Management. She is also the author of Content Management for Dynamic Web Delivery (Wiley), Managing Your Documentation Projects (Wiley), Standards for Online Communication (Wiley), and User and Task Analysis for Interface Design (Wiley).

Table of Contents

Preface	xix
Acknowledgments	1	(4)
Part 1 The Framework
An Introduction to Information-Development Management	5	(26)
Best Practices in Information-Development Management	7	(22)
Best Practice---Understanding your many roles as an information-development manager	7	(6)
Best Practice---Recognizing the need to build a mature organization	13	(2)
Best Practice---Developing an information-management strategy	15	(5)
Best Practice---Ensuring that your projects are managed efficiently and effectively	20	(9)
Summary	29	(2)
The Information Process Maturity Model	31	(54)
The Information Process Maturity Model	32	(6)
What is the IPMM?	32	(1)
How did it get started?	33	(1)
An IPMM assessment	34	(1)
What are the five levels?	34	(4)
Maturity Levels of the IPMM	38	(15)
Level 0: Oblivious	38	(2)
Level 1: Ad hoc	40	(3)
Level 2: Rudimentary	43	(2)
Level 3: Organized and repeatable	45	(3)
Level 4: Managed and sustainable	48	(2)
Level 5: Optimizing	50	(3)
Changes to the IPMM	53	(1)
Mergers and acquisitions	53	(1)
Offshore information development	53	(1)
Demands for increased productivity and reductions in force	54	(1)
Key Characteristics of the IPMM	54	(23)
Best Practice---Organizational structure	55	(6)
Best Practice---Information planning	61	(1)
Best Practice---Estimating and scheduling	62	(2)
Best Practice---Quality assurance	64	(3)
Best Practice---Hiring and training	67	(2)
Best Practice---Information design	69	(4)
Best Practice---Cost control	73	(1)
Best Practice---Quality management	74	(3)
New Characteristics of the IPMM	77	(3)
Collaboration	78	(1)
Change management	79	(1)
Summary	80	(5)
Part 2 Portfolio Management
Introduction to Portfolio Management	85	(22)
Why Portfolio Management Is Critical	86	(3)
Benefits of portfolio management	87	(1)
Barriers to portfolio management	87	(2)
Best Practices in Managing Your Strategic Portfolio	89	(15)
Best Practice---Creating and managing your project portfolio	89	(6)
Best Practice---The Balanced Scorecard: Translating strategy into action	95	(9)
Summary	104	(3)
Managing an Information-Development Budget	107	(16)
Best Practices in Budget Management	109	(10)
Best Practice---Understanding your operating costs	110	(2)
Best Practice---Managing your operating budget	112	(7)
Summary	119	(4)
Understanding the Technology Adoption Life Cycle	123	(14)
Best Practices in Managing the Information-Development Life Cycle	125	(8)
Best Practice---Positioning information development to match the needs of the technology adoption life cycle	125	(6)
Best Practice---Funding information development for the majority market	131	(2)
Summary	133	(4)
Developing Relationships with Customers and Stakeholders	137	(20)
Best Practices in Customer and Stakeholder Relationships	139	(15)
Best Practice---Analyzing customer information requirements	140	(1)
Best Practice---Establishing a customer partnership	140	(9)
Best Practice---Analyzing internal stakeholders	149	(2)
Best Practice---Establishing stakeholder partnerships	151	(3)
Summary	154	(3)
Developing User Scenarios	157	(26)
Best Practices in Developing User Scenarios	159	(20)
Best Practice---Cataloging user roles and their information needs	160	(5)
Best Practice---Understanding the users' information agendas	165	(3)
Best Practice---Using user scenarios to develop your Information Model	168	(10)
Best Practice---Communicating user profiles and scenarios to team members	178	(1)
Summary	179	(4)
Optimizing Your Organization's Efficiency and Effectiveness	183	(20)
Best Practices in Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness	185	(14)
Best Practice---Defining your goals for efficient and effective performance	185	(3)
Best Practice---Analyzing your processes with respect to your goals	188	(1)
Best Practice---Investigating industry best practices (IPMM)	189	(2)
Best Practice---Developing methods for measuring efficiency and effectiveness	191	(3)
Best Practice---Improving processes and measuring results	194	(3)
Best Practice---Techniques for measuring effectiveness	197	(2)
Summary	199	(4)
Supporting Process Improvements with Effective Tools	203	(20)
Best Practices in Implementing Effective Tools for Process Improvement	206	(13)
Best Practice---Developing a tools strategy	207	(3)
Best Practice---Developing requirements for tools	210	(3)
Best Practice---Researching and selecting vendors and tools	213	(4)
Best Practice---Introducing and managing tools	217	(1)
Best Practice---Developing a tools strategy for a global organization	218	(1)
Summary	219	(4)
Developing Effective Teams	223	(28)
Best Practices in Developing Effective Teams	224	(24)
Best Practice---Developing collaborative teams	225	(4)
Best Practice---Defining new roles and responsibilities	229	(3)
Best Practice---Managing the managers	232	(3)
Best Practice---Working with remote team members	235	(5)
Best Practice---Working with global teams	240	(5)
Best Practice---Outsourcing and offshoring	245	(3)
Summary	248	(3)
Managing Your Team Resources	251	(26)
Managing Information Developers	252	(1)
Best Practices in Managing People Resources	253	(22)
Best Practice---Developing a hiring strategy	254	(3)
Best Practice---Investing in professional development	257	(2)
Best Practice---Developing individual strengths	259	(3)
Best Practice---Managing by objectives	262	(4)
Best Practice---Delivering difficult messages	266	(3)
Best Practice---Measuring productivity	269	(6)
Summary	275	(2)
Developing as an Effective Leader	277	(12)
Best Practices in Effective Leadership	278	(8)
Best Practice---Developing your leadership style	278	(2)
Best Practice---Shackleton on leadership	280	(6)
Summary	286	(3)
Promoting Innovation in Information Development	289	(26)
Best Practices in Promoting Innovation in Information Development	290	(20)
Best Practice---Overcoming obstacles to change	291	(7)
Best Practice---Understanding disruptive innovations	298	(3)
Best Practice---Focusing on customer-centered innovations	301	(4)
Best Practice---Instituting operational innovations	305	(3)
Best Practice---Benchmarking with competitors and best-in-class colleagues	308	(2)
Summary	310	(5)
Part 3 Project Management
An Introduction to Project Management	315	(18)
The Purpose of Information-Development Project Management	317	(1)
The Information--Development Life Cycle	318	(7)
Information Planning	319	(1)
Information Design	320	(1)
Information Development	321	(1)
Production	322	(2)
Evaluation	324	(1)
Your Role as an Information-Development Project Manager	325	(4)
Characteristics of a successful project manager	328	(1)
Summary	329	(4)
Starting Your Project	333	(22)
Why you shouldn't confuse writing the plan with real planning	334	(1)
Why bother to plan?	335	(1)
Why you can't shortchange planning	336	(1)
Best Practices in Project Planning	336	(15)
Best Practice---Understanding the project starting point	337	(2)
Best Practice---Characterizing the project environment	339	(5)
Best Practice---Identifying project goals	344	(1)
Best Practice---Analyzing project scope	345	(1)
Best Practice---Identifying project stakeholders	346	(2)
Best Practice---Developing a communication plan	348	(1)
Best Practice---Understanding the project schedule	349	(1)
Best Practice---Identifying the project risks	350	(1)
Summary	351	(4)
Planning Your Information Development Project	355	(42)
Information-Development Project Plan Template	357	(5)
Best Practices in Developing Your Project Plan	362	(32)
Best Practice---Envisioning the information-development project	362	(8)
Best Practice---Defining the project details	370	(8)
Best Practice---Defining the roles and responsibilities of the team	378	(3)
Best Practice---Calculating project risks and dependencies	381	(8)
Best Practice---Estimating the project resource requirements	389	(5)
Summary	394	(3)
Implementing a Topic Architecture	397	(24)
Best Practices in Implementing a Topic Architecture	398	(19)
Best Practice---Developing content plans for each project deliverable	399	(13)
Best Practice---Mapping hierarchies and creating related-topic links	412	(3)
Best Practice---Developing indexes and assigning metadata	415	(2)
Summary	417	(4)
Keeping Your Project on Track	421	(44)
The Role of the Project Manager during the Design and Development Phases of the Project	423	(1)
Best Practices in Project Tracking and Reporting	424	(37)
Best Practice---Developing a resource-tracking spreadsheet	424	(8)
Best Practice---Moving from tracking deliverables to tracking topics	432	(10)
Best Practice---Ensuring adequate resources are assigned to your project	442	(8)
Best Practice---Developing topic milestones	450	(8)
Best Practice---Reporting progress	458	(3)
Best Practice---Building your Project Management folder	461	(1)
Summary	461	(4)
Managing as the Project Changes	465	(28)
Best Practices in Managing Change	466	(24)
Best Practice---Managing the team	466	(4)
Best Practice---Tracking change	470	(2)
Best Practice---Responding to change	472	(9)
Best Practice---Initiating change	481	(2)
Best Practice---Analyzing ongoing project risk	483	(5)
Best Practice---Communicating about project change	488	(2)
Summary	490	(3)
Managing in a Collaborative Environment	493	(20)
Best Practices in Managing Collaboration	494	(15)
Making a business case for collaboration	496	(2)
Best Practice---Creating a collaborative environment	498	(10)
Best Practice---Recognizing that collaborations may fail	508	(1)
Summary	509	(4)
Managing Quality Assurance	513	(22)
Best Practices in Assuring Quality	514	(18)
Best Practice---Assuring quality throughout the information-development life cycle	515	(4)
Best Practice---Facilitating expert reviews	519	(3)
Best Practice---Conducting structure reviews	522	(2)
Best Practice---Establishing developmental editing	524	(1)
Best Practice---Validating content accuracy	525	(2)
Best Practice---Obtaining customer feedback	527	(3)
Best Practice---Scheduling copyediting	530	(2)
Summary	532	(3)
Managing Localization and Translation	535	(18)
Best Practices in Localization and Translation	536	(14)
Best Practice---Including localization and translation requirements in the project plan	536	(4)
Best Practice---Supporting localization and translation with content management and workflow	540	(2)
Best Practice---Preparing your content for localization and translation	542	(4)
Best Practice---Selecting and working with a localization service provider	546	(4)
Summary	550	(3)
Managing Production and Delivery	553	(24)
Best Practices for Managing Production	555	(20)
Best Practice---Planning for production and delivery	555	(6)
Best Practice---Preprocessing final deliverables	561	(2)
Best Practice---Performing production edits	563	(8)
Best Practice---Handing off final deliverables	571	(1)
Best Practice---Working with vendors	572	(3)
Summary	575	(2)
Evaluating the Project	577	(16)
Best Practices in Project Evaluation	578	(5)
Best Practice---Reviewing project data	578	(5)
Final Report Template	583	(9)
Best Practice---Conducting a ``lessons learned'' review	585	(3)
Best Practice---Evaluating the team	588	(1)
Best Practice---Collecting customer feedback	589	(3)
Summary	592	(1)
Bibliography	593	(4)
Index	597