Documenting Processes

Documenting Processes

Goal

Within each program area, to understand the tasks involved for each project involved, including information tracked, reported and any improvements necessary.The goal for this next meeting is for each db committee member to describe at least half of the programs/projects.

Purpose

This helps identify how work is done within programs and projects. The information tracked and reported help to identify the connections between and among constituents, and the beginnings of the specific information to be tracked in the system.This forms the basis of how a database developer understands the best architecture for the database system, both in the technical back end as well as in the forms and features the user clicks through to use the system.

Strategy for Describing Processes

Identify first the programs and projects from the meeting notes for which you are responsible. Then select one project and think about the core work this involves. Identify those steps that involve in any way the manipulation of information, whether you are gathering and storing it in your head, on paper or in a database.Put these steps in order and describe them in the chart on the next page.

In some cases, a project may have several processes. For example, a training project might have a process for determining the shape of the training, including topic, teachers, venue, timing, etc. This same project might have another information intensive process, such as student registration. If student registration cannot be adequately described as one single task in a process (registration might have marketing, signup, payment, follow-up tasks for example), then separate this out using another blank template and describe.

Be prepared to try a few different drafts. Usually the first few attempts to draft a process description reveal tasks that otherwise may have been left except for the benefit of context

If there exists paper forms that describe information tracking or reporting requirements for particular tasks, attaching these to the process description is very helpful to clarify exactly what this requirement is. Feel free to jot down on the paper form if there are any changes to this form

Finally, look at the attached sample process description to get an idea of what is expected. Then try documenting your own process with the attached process description template.