From Open Sustainability
open-sustainability Content Hierarchy
Components of the open-sustainability approach are stored in various forms: in distributed documents, tools, and web content. In order to make this content flow together for the end-user, the FISDev tool provides an organizing content model architecture that delineates relationships through the overall set of tasks and components.
As the open-sustainability methodology is undergoing continuous development, the FISDev architecture has been constructed in a fashion so that functionality can be added underneath the Overall Implementation Guide and FISDev Architecture framework. When embarking with the open-sustainability approach, it is important to begin with the Overall Implementation Guide and the Usage Model.
Overall Implementation Guide
The Overall Implementation Guide provides the organizing framework for bringing together the sustainability governance framework, FISDev, and all the content contained the open-sustainability approach. The following aspects are considered to make up the Overall Implementation Guide:
- The Overall Task List provides the overall set of Phases, Activities and Tasks for FISDEV; the Usage Model provides some guidance on how these tasks are applied to different types of projects.
To better appreciate the activities and tasks of the Overall Implementation Guide, the architecture framework and delivery model should also be understood at a high level:
- FISDEV Architecture is the architecture framework that supports all aspects of the methodology. Users should understand this architecture at a conceptual level to understand the rationale behind many of the architecture and design-centric tasks.
As the development of the methodology is a continuous process, FISDEV has been constructed in a fashion so that functionality can be added underneath the Overall Implementation Guide and governing Architecture.
Usage Model
The Usage Model provides a guide in determining which phases, activities and tasks from the overall framwork are used for typical project engagements. Whereas there are differences between the projects, there are also many similarities in the overall approach, tasks and more detailed supporting assets that are required. Therefore, all projects are described in the context of the Overall Implementation Guide and the Usage Model is used to map the relevant tasks required for implementation. The corresponding Solution Offering explains the context in which these activities are used, by describing the use of key activities as part of the solution.
Even if the project is only to do a subset of work, an effort should be made to cross-check the approach against the overall steps in the framework to ensure that all prerequisite activities have been completed. This means that even tactical projects may start with a review of the Blueprint stage.
The FISDev Usage Model is currently under development. An example of a completed usage model can be seen here within MIKE2.0
Applying FISDev into other frameworks provides the approach for using the framework in the context of an overall implementation program with other complementary workstreams.
Architecture Framework
The FISDEV Architecture provides the technology solution framework to support the Open-Sustainable methodology. The approach of the FISDEV tool is to drive solutions development through a Conceptual Architecture Framework that is based on the SAFE Architecture Framework from the MIKE2.0 Methodology. This architecture goes across applications, data, and infrastructure and was designed to accommodate the inherent complexities of a highly federated organization. Please explore the FISDEV Architecture page for a more detailed explanation of this tool.
Sustainability Governance
The Sustainability Governance Solution Offering is a go-to-market offering that also acts as a foundational aspect of the approach. The offering provides a comprehensive method for moving to an improved competency for sustainability across the organization. This includes staff, skill sets, policies, procedures and processes, organizational structures and technology.
The broad definition of Sustainability Governance is an important driver for organizational change that include analysis of sustainability maturity levels, communications models and interactions with senior technology and business stakeholders. The offering for Sustainability Governance is the key enabler for delivering an Sustainable Development approach.
Sustainability Governance
The Sustainability Governance Solution Offering is a go-to-market offering that also acts as a foundational aspect of the approach. The offering provides a comprehensive method for moving to an improved competency for sustainability across the organization. This includes staff, skill sets, policies, procedures and processes, organizational structures and technology.
The broad definition of Sustainability Governance is an important driver for organizational change that include analysis of sustainability maturity levels, communications models and interactions with senior technology and business stakeholders. The offering for Sustainability Governance is the key enabler for delivering an Sustainable Development approach.
Solution Offerings
Solution Offerings address business and technology problems related to sustainability by supplementing the Overall Implementation Guide in both a detailed and holistic fashion. The detailed aspect to Solution Offerings means that they typically encompass very specific techniques, design patterns and process steps. The holistic aspect means that Solution Offerings tend to focus on a certain type of problem as opposed to being generalized for sustainability like the Overall Implementation Guide. Solution Offerings are mapped to Activities in the Overall Implementation Guide.
There are multiple types of Solutions that make up the Methodology:
- Product Solution Offerings provide integrated approaches to solving problems from a vendor perspective and are often product-specific.
The individual Solution Offerings ideally relate together in this model. That is, Vendor and Business Solution Offerings are shown most effectively when they explicitly map to one another; mapping is not necessarily a 1-to-1 relationship.
Core Solution Offerings
Core Solution Offerings are solutions for common problems in Sustainable Development. These problems are fairly signficant and would come in the form of major projects that an organisation would conduct that would take place over months or years. Core Solutions are often industry-independent, complementing Business Solution Offerings which tend to apply to a specific type of organisation. They are also logical, complementing Product Solution Offerings which are technology-specific.
Core Solution Offerings cover specific best practices around implementing foundation capabilities, advanced capabilities or an aggregate of these capabilities to deliver an overall architectural approach and can be referenced against the FISDEV Architecture. All Core Solution Offerings have common features, such as Design Patterns and Logical Implementation Techniques. Every Core Solution Offering is referenced against the Overall Implementation Guide.
Offering Groups provide a classification mechanism for bringing together common Solution Offerings. They are grouped in a fashion along the major subject areas of Sustainable Development.
These groupings consist of Core Solution Offerings (logical technology solutions) and complementary business-oriented and product-specific solutions.
Business Solution Offerings
Business Solutions Offerings provide recommendations for solving a number of business problems for which sustainability is critical to success.
Business Solutions help users by proving an introduction to the business problem, the industries it impacts and why the FISDEV approach is beneficial to solving the problem. They also provide a set of high-level business requirements, required aspects of the FISDEV Architecture and applicable activities from the Overall Implementation Guide. It also lists some recommended best practices for implementation, typical areas of complexity and applicable vendor technology solutions to solve the business problem.
Initial FISDEV Business Solutions may include:
Business Solution Offerings relate to the Business Model View of the architecture and are complemented by Core Solution Offerings . To solve any complex business problem it will involve other worksteams, as shown in the Enterpise Workstream Model.
It is envisaged that some users of FISDEV will develop Business Solutions as Private Assets that are mapped into the open method or as assets developed in an open framework that is not part of FISDEV. The structure shown of the proposed solutions provides a framework as a starting point for solution development.
Product Solution Offerings
Product Solution Offerings are vendor-specific recommendations for solving problems in information management. Whereas other Core Solution Offerings tend to be logical in nature, Product Solution Offerings are physical as they focus on implementation approaches with specific vendor products. Key topics covered by Product Solutions include:
- Problem addressed by Solution
- Relationship to the FISDEV Architecture
- Relationship to activities and tasks of the Overall Implementation Guide
- Differentiating features
- Case Studies
- Specific skill sets required for implementation of the technology
- Migration path to solution
- Use of Open Standards
Vendor Solution Offerings may be focused at a technology level or may relate more to business problems for which Sustainability is especially critical.
Foundational Solutions
Foundational Solutions are "background" solutions that support to Core Solution Offerings of the Methodology. Some Foundational Solutions are also go-to-market offerings. These include:
Foundational Solutions are the lowest-assets assets within FISDEV that are comprehensive in nature. The best way to think of a Foundational Solution are as follows:
- It is an initiative that is comprehensive but that would not generally be done on its own as a standalone project.
- Whereas Supporting Assets can typically be explained in a single article, Foundational Solutions still bring together multiple ideas.
" Unlike Solution Offerings, Foundational Solutions do not need to follow the model of referencing the Overall Implementation Guide or FISDEV Architecture.
They may, however. tie together multiple Supporting Assets and are referenced from the Overall Implementation Guide and other Solution Offerings.
Supporting Assets
Supporting Assets within the overall content model
Supporting Assets are reusable building blocks that provide detail to complement the overall methodology. Many of the activities within the Methodology have sample assets that can be referred to during the implementation process. There are a number of different types of Supporting Assets:
- Deliverable Templates are framework documents that can be used on any project implementation. Unlike Tools and Technique Papers which are focused on process, Deliverable Templates provide a document structure that defines the output of an activity and its tasks.
- Capability Statements are overview presentations, selling messages, client cases studies and vendor case studies related to the FISDEV Methodology. They encourage users to take the proposed approach.
- Software Assets on the open site are open-source software artifacts that can be used as part of the overall methodology. Users of the Methodology may also wish to house private software assets mapped into the overall organising framework provided by FISDEV. Vendors can also map in their product sets into the framework through Product Solution Offerings.
- Engagement Management Assets provide recommended team structures, estimating models and starter project plans for conducting Information Development projects. Engagement Management Assets are often Private Supporting Assets but some of these assets are available on the open methodology site.
- Project Examples are example deliverables (both document and software-based) that have been used in Sustainable Development implementations and can help provide guidance for project implementations.
Substantial additions/changes to the Overall Implementation Guide and Solution Offerings are typically driven through the creation of Supporting Assets. Guidelines for contributing to the methodology define this process.
Solution Capabilities
Solution Capabilities are the assets that bring together the overall framework. They provide the lowest level assets within the FISDev as well an overall set of activities and tasks for Sustainable Development that are provided through an implementable method.
While they are typically not market-facing sales assets, Solution Capabilities are a critical aspect of the delivery process and therefore a key aspect of the solution. They support go-to-market Solution Offerings through a number of Foundational Solutions, an Overall Implementation Guide, Usage Model, and Supporting Assets that are critical to delivery of each solution.
While Solution Offerings are often seen as the "face" of FISDev, Solution Capabilities are the "glue". Solution Capabilities make up the great majority of content. FISDev makes use of open, shared and private versions of these assets that factor into the sales and delivery process. A number of Solution Capabilities are protected as Core Methodology.
