Executive Summary
This handbook has been developed with the aim to present a process model for systems development activities, including activities performed under “projects” and activities performed under “business as usual” or “support/maintenance” work.
The development of this process model is part of the response to the recommendations made by Deloitte to the Department of Education and Training (DET) in relation to the OneSchool incident and the need to take a risk-based approach in the development of systems and software in the agency.
At a high level, this handbook endeavours to present a model for “work” under systems development activities and provide a governance model to cover all stages throughout the lifetime of a system in DET’s environment. It highlights and explains all the related processes, controls and artefacts required throughout systems development activities.
If implemented and followed thoroughly, this process model will enable DET to:
- Strengthen ability to apply different levels of rigor and control based on the risk profile of a release for IT/ICT solutions developed internally;
- Strengthen consistency, traceability, transparency and robustness within systems development activities;
- Improve confidence in the quality of in-house developed solutions, ensuring industry and government standards are being met; and
- Achieve a higher level of engagement with the business in all stages of systems development life cycle, especially during needs determination, concept development, and testing.
Multiple sources have been used to develop this process model including IEEE/ISO standards, journal papers, articles and books as well as the support and feedback from a community of practice formed by Queensland Government Chief Information Office (QGCIO) while the customisations and localisations have been performed in accordance to our local stakeholders’ needs and requirements.
This process model has been developed with the aim to conform to ISO 15288:2015 (Systems and Software Engineering - System Life Cycle Processes) [1] while its supporting artefacts are developed to conform to a number of different IEEE/ISO standards.
It’s highly recommended for the agency to ensure this process model and its supporting artefact templates are reviewed periodically in order to stay relevant in future. As part of “Organisational Project-Enabling Processes” in ISO 15288:2015, Life Cycle Model Management Processes should be well documented, easily available and finally, supported and owned by a team to ensure consistency, transparency and quality are achieved throughout the systems development activities.