The Six Core Concepts of Business Analysis
In my current role as an acquisition consultant, I am helping California agencies plan and procure new information technology solutions. Starting with a structured approach to business analysis has set the stage for success. The Business Analysis Core Concept Model (BACCM™), developed by the International Institute…
Read MoreGetting from A to B
I have always been passionate about automobiles and traveling so it seems fortuitous that a lot of our recent consulting projects in 2015 and 2016 have been on these very topics. On the strategic and business planning front we recently facilitated executives at the California…
Read MoreCongratulations to Our Newly Certified SAFe Agilists!
Highlands is proud to announce that nine of our consultants are now certified in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): Nikki Angle, Demetre Haralambakis, Michele Rickey-Pidd, Mike Cappelluti, Eric Norton, Will Cuper, Judy Melson, Amanda Priest, and Jacob Olson. SAFe delivers a strategy for implementing Agile at…
Read MoreCase Study: Owning the Change Determines IT Success
The Highlands Consulting Group is assisting the State of California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) with implementation of ePlanCheck (ePC), a tool for the electronic submission, review, and approval of architecture and other building plans. ENVISION: We are using our knowledge of…
Read MoreWhat are Mid-Level Requirements – and Why Do We Need Them?
As we help our clients adapt to the State’s new Project Approval Lifecycle, we find we’re being asked to define “mid-level requirements” to support the alternatives analysis that happens early in the procurement process. For those who aren’t familiar with the Project Approval Lifecycle –…
Read MoreIT Procurement 101: The Myth of the 50/50 Procurement Evaluation
A growing trend in public sector information technology (IT) procurement is the 50/50 evaluation: assigning 50% of available points to cost and 50% to the solution. The logic is that weighing cost at 50% forces bidders to reduce their costs and assures the buyer the…
Read MoreOrganizational Change Management in an Agile Environment
In our last blog post, my colleague Nikki Angle wrote about the myths and realities of Agile in government. It’s a significant shift that requires increased communication, readiness assessments, training, and reinforcement – all components that we deliver every day through organizational change management. Two State of California…
Read MoreAgile in Government: Myths vs. Realities
We hear about ‘Agile’ in government projects more and more frequently. It’s not a new concept, but one with many misconceptions that can derail a transition from a Waterfall to Agile environment. According to Maria Burton from Focus on Training, her teams experienced three common myths as they transitioned…
Read MoreWe’ve Moved!
Highlands Consulting has outgrown our former office space on the 15th floor of the Wells Fargo Building in Downtown Sacramento. Our weekly all-staff meetings were getting crowded and our existing lease was ending, so we were pleased to find a new, larger office on the…
Read MoreCalTech Announces New Project Approval Lifecycle
Last week, the California Department of Technology (CalTech) celebrated the release of the new IT Project Approval Lifecycle (PAL). A result of the State Technology Approval Reform (STAR) initiative, the PAL replaces the current feasibility study report (FSR) and procurement processes with a new iterative…
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