1 - Early Discovery
This covers what an early discovery is, why it is needed, and how to carry one out.
Purpose
For some projects the discovery stage can require significant time and resources. It can be helpful to start with a short early discovery to decide whether the project is worth a full investment. This should take around two - four weeks depending on project size. You should gather enough insight to decide:
- should we continue with a full project
- what priority is this project
- what work will be involved
What to do
1. Create a brief scoping document
Full project documentation isn’t needed yet, but a scoping document helps provide structure. Speak with the Project Sponsor, Head of Service, and Service Manager to understand:
- problem areas
- goals and outcomes
- initial scope
2. Identify the potential for improvement
Use your scoping document as a starting point. Talk to staff to understand processes and problem areas. Look to prove or disprove issues that staff have suggested. Ask open questions to uncover additional issues. Review available service data like:
- customer feedback
- complaints
- contact volumes
- failure demand
3. Understand the potential benefits
Look at the process involved in the service and gather data on:
- service costs
- transaction volumes
- processing times
Consider what benefits the project might achieve like:
- increased customer satisfaction
- improved user experience
- better staff morale
- environmental impacts
Check if these benefits can be measured and how you would collect baseline figures.
4. Estimate costs to deliver improvements
Learn from similar projects completed by other service areas or in other authorities or organisation. Use these insights from others to help estimate the project:
- time
- effort
- cost
Outcome
By the end of early discovery you should have enough information to decide:
- what could the project achieve and how much effort should it take
- should the project move to full discovery
- how should it be prioritised
