[77] in Project_DB
Suggestion re proposed changes to the Projects database
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Naomi B. Schmidt)
Fri Mar 28 16:33:55 1997
To: project-db@MIT.EDU
Cc: nschmidt@MIT.EDU
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 16:33:48 EST
From: "Naomi B. Schmidt" <nschmidt@MIT.EDU>
I've read the notes that Bill has sent out to project-db and have
had conversations with Bill and Miki regarding the proposed change
that would give anyone in IS the ability to add projects to the
database. It seems to me that this is something that inherently
changes the nature of the database and that it is something that
should be discussed more fully before jumping into implementing
it.
We were told a short while ago that the definition of an IS
project is that it be in the Projects Database. This assumed that
there would be some vetting at the director level before something
went into the database as a project, with resources assigned and a
Process and Project Leader identified. If anyone can put a
project in, associating it with any Process and any Project
Leader, then it seems to me that we are opening ourselves to a
potentially chaotic situation.
Is there any reason why there can't be a reasoned discussion about
the ramification of this important change among all the Process
directors before resources are spent on implementing it? An
ILEAD meeting where a number of a potentially affected people
were not in attendance doesn't seem to me to be the right forum
for making such a decision.
The Q&A
Q: What is the cost of making no change?
A: Possibly harming the ability of the system to track
projects because there's an obstacle in the way
of getting them in.
doesn't convince me that there is a large risk involved in waiting
to make this change until everyone involved has had a chance to
discuss it.
Just my two cents.
Naomi
