A typical implementation is a significant project that involves a number of specialists, such as implementation consultants, information technology managers, software developers, and key user representatives such as guidance counsellors.
This section describes the postions (and groups) that we recommend assigning for an implementation project in a large district. The actual positions adopted by a school district will depend on the size and nature of that district—in a smaller district, one person might hold several positions, whereas in a larger district, some people may be dedicated entirely to the implementation while others might devote only a portion of their time. These recommended positions are:
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District Executive: A senior executive in the school district who provides funding, reports to the school board, and resolves critical project issues. |
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District Executive Sponsor: A senior executive at the school district who takes responsibility for the implementation project. Typically this person leads a steering committee and takes whatever action is necessary for the implementation to succeed. |
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District Project Steering Committee: An executive-level group that makes decisions on how the PowerSchool SMS system is to be implemented and how the project is conducted. This includes approving changes in project scope, budget, schedule, or approach. The committee also helps resolve major issues that the project team cannot. |
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District Project Executive: A senior manager with a specialized knowledge of student information systems who oversees the project. Responsibilities include coordinating inter-departmental activities, performing periodic quality management reviews, and resolve any issues that the District Project Manager cannot. |
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District Project Manager: On a large-scale project, the manager who monitors daily work with an eye to schedule, budget, and quality. This involves coordinating staff and resources, managing risks and issues, coordinating the activities of district office and school-site personnel, monitoring and managing the district's side of the implementation contract, and reporting on project progress. |
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District Process Team Lead: A manager who is responsible for a team engaged in Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), documenting current business processes, and determining how those might be improved. This person also personally performs some of the team's tasks. |
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Business Analyst: An analyst who understands the school district organization. This person analyzes and redesigns business processes, determine requirements for and tests data extensions, runs trial data conversions, designs and tests reports, and helps train users. Works with the Technical Writer. |
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Technical Writer: A skilled writer who documents current and redesigned business processes. Works with the Business Analyst. |
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District Training Team Lead: A manager who is responsible for a team that trains system users. This person plans and supervises the training team's work and personally performs some of the tasks. |
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Trainer: A person who trains district personnel to use the PowerSchool SMS system. |
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Instructional Designer: A person who develop procedures and training materials for system users. |
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District Software Team Lead: A manager who is responsible for a team that develops reports in PowerSchool SMS and analyzes legacy reports. This person also personally performs some of the tasks. |
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Developer: A software developer who creates create data extensions (using Customization Builder) and interfaces between the district's PowerSchool SMS system and other systems. |
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Report Developer: A software developer who creates reports and data extracts and customizes standard PowerSchool SMS reports. |
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Help Desk Support: This person helps district personnel use the system. |
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District Data Team Lead: A manager who is responsible for a team that designs and monitors the school district's collection and use of data. |
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Data Architect: A person who designs and monitors the school district's collection and use of data and ensures its availability to system users. |
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Data Specialist: A person who plans and runs conversions of the school district's data to and from the PowerSchool SMS system and verifies the results. |
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District Infrastructure Team Lead: A manager who is responsible for a team that sets up and maintains the network and system infrastructure necessary to support the PowerSchool SMS system. |
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Database Administrator: A specialist with SQL Server database management skills who manages the PowerSchool SMS system's database. Tasks include backup, recovery, security, and performance improvement. This person also specifies database requirements, tests interfaces, and supports Developers and Technical Analysts. |
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Technical Analyst: A specialist who sets up and supports the school district's PowerSchool SMS system. This might involve setting up and supporting Active Directory and Zone Integration Server, training District Administrators (in duties such as security, backup, and software upgrade), troubleshooting installation and configuration, developing reports and data extracts, developing interfaces with other systems, defining a disaster recovery plan, and working with Developers. |
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District Communications Team Lead: A manager who is responsible for a team that keeps school district stakeholders informed about the implementation project. |
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Communications Specialist: A specialist who helps keep school district personnel informed. This involves writing content and publishing to the project web site. |
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Project Support and Administration Person: A person who provides logistical support to the project. Tasks might include processing invoices, booking meeting rooms, scheduling training, and publishing reports. |