1.
Working
as
an
IT
Professional
Professional
Accountability
Commitment
Quality
A
Statement
of
Principle
Version
2.0
January
12,
2010
Cost
Quality
Schedule Scope

2.
Contents
Introduction
.....................................................
1
Characteristics
of
a
Professional
.....................
2
Professional
Models
........................................
2
Cost
The
Role
of
the
Specification
...........................
4
Commitment
in
Context
..................................
4
Quality
as
the
Integrating
Concept
..................
6
Quality
Responsibilities
of
the
Client
...........................
7
Schedule Scope
Commitment
and
Community
.........................
8
Summary
.........................................................
8
References
.......................................................
9
i
Version
2.0

3.
Introduction
• How
should
a
professional
interact
with
business
representatives
(as
a
subordinate
or
a
vendor)?
What
are
the
core
responsibilities
of
an
IT
practitioner
tasked
with
producing
a
quality
deliverable
on
time,
• During
a
challenging
project,
what
are
the
limits
of
and
within
budget?
There
have
been
many
examples
the
responsibility
of
the
professional?
throughout
the
IT
industry
where
managers
have
• Who
judges
quality,
and
how?
asked
teams
to
step
up
to
a
major
challenge.
Sometimes
the
problems
were
not
the
team’s
fault.
• How
are
professionals
held
accountable
for
their
Other
times
there
were
insufficient
time
and
resource
work?
to
complete
the
job.
Often,
the
business
organization
could
not
afford
to
miss
an
excellent
opportunity.
In
• What
is
commitment?
such
cases,
management
might
ask
practitioners
to
In
answering
these
questions,
it
will
become
clear
work
longer
hours
than
normal
to
“get
the
job
done.”
that
a
professional
does
not
act
in
a
vacuum,
but
Is
this
appropriate,
and
if
so,
why
does
the
participates
in
a
protocol
between
IT
professionals
practitioner
accept
this
as
a
responsibility?
and
the
other
parts
of
the
business
organization.
Many
developers
have
experienced
two
types
of
When
the
conditions
are
right,
the
professional
will
project
that
require
working
long
hours:
step
up
to
the
challenge
and
achieve
extraordinary
results.
This
is
because
a
professional’s
motivation
• The
death
march
refers
to
a
project
in
which
generally
originates
from
internal
factors,
but
morale
and
quality
are
poor.
The
client
is
leadership
and
a
good
client
relationship
can
dissatisfied
and
the
developers
are
exhausted.
transform
this
basic,
inner
motivation
into
true
inspiration.
• In
an
exceptional
project,
everyone
works
very
hard
to
meet
or
exceed
the
goal.
The
client
is
The
client
organization
has
a
stake
in
engaging
the
IT
delighted,
all
team
members
have
a
sense
of
professional
in
setting
goals
and
timeframes.
Death
accomplishment
and
everyone
feels
good
about
March
projects
rarely
meet
the
target
date
the
way
the
outcome.
the
client
expected,
and
the
collateral
damage
is
often
high.
Given
the
opportunity,
most
business
The
difference
in
how
these
two
situations
are
executives
would
prefer
to
know
the
realistic
perceived
lies
in
the
sense
of
control
and
implementation
date
early
enough
to
make
commitment
that
the
IT
practitioner
experiences.
contingency
plans.
Learning
that
a
team
will
miss
the
However,
the
term
commitment
has
a
special
implementation
date
just
prior
to
the
fact
reduces
an
interpretation
explained
later
in
this
document.
executive’s
options.
Challenging
projects
are
a
fact
of
life
for
the
professional.
In
some
cases,
the
time-­‐to-­‐market
When
do
executives
want
demands
outweigh
the
goal
of
optimizing
quality.
In
to
know
that
the
water
other
cases,
business
managers
or
external
agencies
will
not
fit
in
the
glass?
may
have
made
estimating
errors,
but
could
not
change
the
dates
due
to
dependencies
with
other
• When
we
measure
it
commitments.
So
why
should
the
IT
practitioner
take
• Just
before
it
overflows
responsibility
for
these
problems?
• When
their
feet
are
wet
This
document
discusses
expectations
and
responsibilities,
and
in
doing
so
addresses
the
following
questions:
Figure
1:
The
Executive’s
Preference
• Are
IT
practitioners
in
fact
professionals
–
just
like
The
protocol
proposed
in
this
document
is
that
the
accountants
or
lawyers?
Business
will
engage
the
IT
practitioner
as
a
true
professional.
In
turn,
the
professional
will
• What
expectations
are
reasonably
placed
on
a
demonstrate
commitment
by
consciously
accepting
professional?
accountability
and
do
what
is
necessary
to
deliver
quality
within
an
agreed
time
and
budget.
• How
is
an
IT
professional
expected
to
behave?
1
Version
2.0

4.
Characteristics
of
a
Professional
Most
professionals
receive
a
great
deal
of
satisfaction
from
internal,
personal
motivational
factors
such
as:
• Business
Economics
is
the
primary
motivation
performing
what
they
believe
to
be
a
good
job,
Professionals
exhibit
many
desirable
qualities,
such
as
sharpening
their
skills,
and
applying
their
creativity
to
responsiveness,
passion
and
dedication,
but
these
an
important
project.
Feeling
that
their
contribution
is
characteristics
are
rooted
in
an
underlying
important,
and
matters,
is
especially
significant.
Good
appreciation
of
business
economics.
Professionals
do
leaders
recognize
that
while
they
can
offer
external
not
need
passion
for
the
job,
and
people
without
motivators
such
as
recognition
or
a
merit
raise,
passion
are
not
somehow
less
professional.
While
showing
how
the
project
goals
align
with
the
passion
can
leverage
other
motivations,
it
is
not
a
key
professional’s
goals
and
inner
motivations
can
result
element.
in
an
extraordinary
performance:
it
becomes
truly
inspirational.
(Hertzberg’s
The
Motivation
to
work
Compared
to
professional,
the
term
amateur
is
often
elaborates
on
this
concept.)
used
pejoratively.
However,
the
original
meaning
of
amateur
(amāre:
to
love)
referred
to
someone
who
Before
expanding
on
the
importance
of
the
performed
for
the
love
of
the
activity
rather
than
for
specification
and
its
role
as
the
benchmark
of
quality,
payment.
The
professional
was
someone
who
it
will
be
useful
to
review
the
different
types
of
performed
for
money.
Being
an
amateur
was
professional.
considered
a
desirable
quality
in
college
sports,
but
Professional
Models
not
in
the
workforce.
Do
professionals
need
to
love
their
jobs?
In
fact,
no
-­‐
that
is
a
secondary
motivator
This
section
provides
IT
practitioners
with
a
basis
to
because
it
is
not
driven
by
economics.
shape
their
work
practices
and
determine
how
they
relate
to
the
rest
of
the
organization.
Professionals
Primarily,
economics
motivates
professionals.
They
provide
services
to
clients
while
conforming
to
codes
sell
a
skill
for
a
reward.
This
is
particularly
obvious
in
of
practice
that
protect
the
interests
of
the
public,
the
case
of
those
people
in
a
professional
practice
employers
and
peers.
because
they
bill
the
client
for
every
hour
of
work.
This
distinction
is
important
because
amateurs,
who
However,
they
do
not
all
work
in
the
same
manner,
work
for
the
love
of
the
discipline,
work
until
they
are
and
the
way
some
professional
bodies
operate
is
not
satisfied.
The
professional,
on
the
other
hand,
works
appropriate
to
systems
development.
Comparing
until
the
customer’s
specification
and
their
agreement
physicians,
lawyers,
auditors,
engineers
and
are
satisfied.
Amateurs,
along
with
artists,
are
the
consultants
demonstrates
the
broad
spectrum
of
judges
of
their
quality.
For
the
professional,
the
professional
behavior.
specification
provides
the
benchmark
for
quality.
• The
Physician
When
practitioners
argue
that
they
need
to
work
When
patients
visit
a
doctor,
they
do
not
bring
a
longer
than
planned
on
a
task
because
the
product
is
personal
specification
to
the
consultation.
The
not
up
their
personal
standards
for
quality,
they
are
physician
has
a
model
of
the
parameters
for
a
healthy
not
demonstrating
higher
standards
compared
to
person:
temperature,
blood
pressure,
pulse
rate,
etc.
their
peers:
they
are
applying,
instead,
a
subjective
The
physician
compares
the
patient’s
condition
to
this
and
amateur
standard.
model
of
the
healthy
human
being
and
then
tells
the
• The
motivation
to
exceed
patient
what
to
do.
The
doctor
knows
what
is
best
for
the
patient
and
prescribes
a
treatment.
While
business
economics
and
satisfying
the
client’s
needs
are
the
basic
motivations
that
are
necessary
• The
Attorney
/
Advocate
and
sufficient
for
a
“job
well
done,”
leaders
and
The
attorney
acts
as
a
voice
for
the
client.
The
clients
recognize
that
there
are
other
motivations
that
attorney
knows
the
complex
legal
codes
and
which
truly
engage
a
professional
employee,
that
leverage
strategies
are
relevant
to
the
case.
The
lawyer
listens
the
basic
motivations
such
that
professionals
will
to
the
client’s
story
and
describes
alternative
additionally
devote
their
discretionary
time
and
strategies,
such
as
plead
guilty,
make
a
plea
bargain,
creativity
to
a
project.
or
plead
innocent.
The
attorney
is
generally
not
2
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5.
concerned
whether
the
client’s
story
is
true
or
not:
The
Institute
of
Management
Consultants
(IMC)
the
purpose
is
to
be
an
advocate.
The
advocate
will
provides
this
definition
of
a
management
consultant:
tell
the
client
what
is
possible,
and
what
the
various
“A
management
consultant
is
a
professional
who,
for
outcomes
could
be,
but
will
leave
the
decision
over
a
fee,
provides
independent
and
objective
advice
to
which
course
of
action
to
take
to
the
client.
The
management
of
client
organizations
to
define
and
attorney’s
objective
is
to
ensure
the
client
receives
achieve
their
goals
through
improved
utilization
of
due
process,
not
to
ensure
an
agreed
outcome
or
resources.
He
or
she
may
do
this
by
diagnosing
deliverable.
problems
and/or
opportunities,
recommending
solutions,
and
helping
implement
improvement.”
• The
Auditor
This
description
can
easily
extend
to
cover
other
types
Laws
and
regulations
require
a
client
to
engage
an
of
consultants.
Company
employees
with
the
auditor
who
protects
the
interests
of
third
parties
appropriate
expertise
can
function
as
internal
such
as
shareholders
and
the
IRS.
Statements
of
consultants,
as
long
as
they
follow
the
consultative
accounting
principles
defined
by
the
professional
approach.
However,
for
very
practical
reasons,
the
bodies
and
enacted
in
legislation
determine
employer-­‐employee
relationship
can
interfere
with
professional
behavior.
Similar
to
the
advocate,
the
their
objectivity
and
independence.
auditor
does
not
have
a
specification
as
such.
Each
client
receives
the
same
process,
but
also
receives
a
Consultants
vary
greatly
based
on
the
depth
or
standard
deliverable
–
a
statement
regarding
the
generality
of
their
domain
expertise.
For
example,
an
audited
accounts.
IT
consultant
might
focus
on
insurance
underwriting
practices,
whereas
a
strategic
planning
consultant
• The
Engineer
would
need
broad
experience
of
finance,
operations,
The
engineer
listens
to
the
client
and
identifies
human
resources,
marketing
and
sales.
However,
for
requirements.
A
specification
is
built
based
on
the
all
consultants,
the
domain
knowledge
is
only
one
engineer’s
understanding
of
engineering
principles
part
of
their
value
to
an
organization.
It
is
their
and
codes.
The
deliverable
-­‐
a
bridge
or
a
chemical
training
and
experience
in
the
consultative
approach
plant
-­‐
can
be
built
according
to
the
specification.
The
that
guides
them
to:
job
is
complete
when
the
specification
is
met.
• Recognize
problems
and
opportunities;
Unlike
the
physician,
the
engineer
does
not
have
a
• Analyze
opportunities
and
diagnose
problems;
mental
model
of
“what
is
best”
for
the
client.
The
engineer
is
not
a
disinterested
advocate,
promising
• Devise
or
shape
alternative
solutions
based
on
only
to
follow
a
process.
The
engineer’s
view
is
that
best
practices
and
experiences
gained
on
other
the
client
“knows
best”
in
terms
of
the
function
of
the
assignments;
deliverable,
and
to
some
degree,
its
form.
(Note,
this
is
distinct
from
the
consulting
engineer
who
brings
• Advise
the
client
by
providing
a
detached,
“best
practices”
from
many
years
of
experience
with
external
view
of
a
company's
practices
and
other
clients.)
The
engineer
uses
knowledge
of
what
is
techniques;
and
physically
possible
and
codes
of
practice
as
a
frame
of
• Recommend
an
approach
reference
for
the
specification.
The
engineer
will
not
knowingly
build
a
bridge
that
will
fall
down.
The
In
many
respects,
the
consultant
provides
value
by
commitment
is
for
more
than
just
a
process
to
build
a
recognizing
problems
that
others
do
not
see,
and
bridge:
the
commitment
is
the
bridge.
shaping
solutions
based
on
experiences
that
others
do
not
have.
Nevertheless,
the
consultative
approach
• The
Consultant
guides
the
client
towards
making
the
best
possible
Clients
engage
a
consultant
as
an
advisor
to
apply
choices
while
recognizing
the
constraints
on
the
expertise
to
a
problem
and
provide
unbiased
business
and
avoiding
any
prejudices
the
consultant
recommendations.
One
of
the
ways
in
which
they
might
have.
differ
from
engineers
is
that
they
are
not
generally
For
all
types
of
professional,
the
client
is
primarily
accountable
to
construct
the
recommended
solution.
concerned
about
the
outcome
and
the
costs.
The
time
3
Version
2.0

6.
recorded
for
a
project
is
generally
secondary.
For
professionals,
on
the
other
hand,
often
automate
an
example,
a
patient
is
more
interested
in
a
cure
than
in
existing
process
and
include
conversion
steps
in
the
the
actual
time
the
physician
spends
on
the
case.
project.
Secondly,
many
companies
have
no
experience
of
employing
engineers,
and
are
not
The
Role
of
the
Specification
familiar
with
how
to
manage
this
professional
role.
The
major
distinction
between
these
professional
models
concerns
the
role
of
the
specification
and
its
impact
on
the
relationship
between
the
professional
and
the
client.
Cost
The
doctor
has
a
generic
specification
-­‐
a
model
-­‐
for
the
regular
human
being.
The
advocate’s
model
is
the
legal
code
that
defines
a
process
to
which
the
client
is
entitled.
As
such,
the
advocate
does
not
have
a
specification
for
a
deliverable.
The
consultant
uses
domain
knowledge,
and
applies
a
process
–
the
Quality
consultative
approach
–
to
reach
an
unbiased
recommendation.
However,
the
consultant’s
deliverable
is
based
on
an
assignment
brief,
not
a
Schedule Scope
specification.
The
engineer
has
a
special
relationship
with
the
client
that
is
most
relevant
to
the
role
of
the
IT
developer
Figure
2:
The
Iron
Triangle
and
the
systems
development
process.
IT
professionals
prepare
specifications
and
commit
to
The
well-­‐known
Iron
Triangle
depicts
three
related
develop
a
deliverable
on
the
principle
that
the
client
constraints
of
scope,
schedule,
and
cost.
At
best,
no
knows
best
-­‐
up
to
the
limits
of
codes,
principles
and
more
than
two
of
these
constraints
can
be
varied
the
law.
For
example,
regardless
of
the
client’s
independently:
the
remaining
constraint
becomes
a
requirements,
an
IT
practitioner
will
not
build
a
function
of
the
other
two.
The
engineer
and
the
client
system
that
allows
a
manager
to
embezzle,
just
as
the
can
attempt,
for
example,
to
increase
scope
and
engineer
will
not
build
a
bridge
designed
to
collapse.
reduce
schedule,
but
not
without
increasing
cost.
In
this
example,
cost
cannot
remain
constrained
without
Clients
engage
consultants,
on
the
other
hand,
to
seriously
affecting
quality
-­‐
which
in
objective
terms
address
ill-­‐defined
problems
rather
than
specified
means
not
delivering
on
the
specification.
problems.
While
consultants
may
in
fact
know
what
is
best
for
the
client
(based
on
best
practices),
they
This
is
the
root
of
many
disagreements
between
the
recognize
that
the
client
is
the
decision-­‐maker.
professional
and
the
client
(or
the
manager),
with
some
parties
believing
incorrectly
that
somehow
a
The
consultant
plays
a
role
mainly
in
the
investigative
committed
team
can
overcome
these
constraints.
steps
of
an
IT
project,
especially
during
a
feasibility
study
and
business
process
modeling,
and
may
play
a
However,
engineers
are
not
cheerleaders:
they
do
not
role
in
defining
the
specification.
“give
110%”
(because
they
have
highly
developed
computational
skills).
Instead,
it
is
their
practice
to
However,
these
two
modes
of
working
–
the
engineer
build
a
factor-­‐of-­‐two
safety
margin
into
their
and
the
consultant,
the
builder
and
the
advisor
-­‐
deliverable.
IT
professionals
are
rarely
given
this
should
not
be
confused
or
combined
during
key
steps
latitude.
in
the
systems
development
process.
The
client
has
very
different
expectations
for
these
two
roles.
Commitment
in
Context
One
interesting
distinction
between
IT
practitioners
Commitment
is
a
misunderstood
concept.
Clients
and
and
engineers
is
that
regular
engineers
do
not
often
managers
often
ask
professionals
if
they
are
re-­‐create
something
that
is
pre-­‐existing,
such
as
committed
to
meeting
a
schedule.
Managers
might
replacing
one
dam
with
another
in
the
same
place.
IT
even
ask
if
the
professional
is
committed
110%.
4
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2.0

7.
However,
it
is
rare
that
the
parties
discuss
what
they
testing.
Information
must
be
shared
as
early
as
mean
when
they
use
the
term.
possible
to
allow
departments,
divisions,
teams
and
individuals
to
see
each
other’s
commitments,
“Being
committed”
cannot
contribute
to
meeting
a
and
to
adjust
to
change
where
necessary.
schedule
if
it
is
used
simply
as
an
affirmation.
The
root
of
commitment
lies
in
the
relationship
between
• Accountability:
The
performer
is
the
one
who
the
engineer,
the
client
and
the
deliverable,
which
is
must
accept
accountability
for
the
deliverable
shown
in
the
delivery
triangle.
based
on
a
complete
understanding
of
the
specification,
the
business
constraints
and
the
technical
frame
of
reference,
according
to
the
principle
of
Visibility.
Clearly
defined
Deliverable
accountability
for
each
participant
within
the
project
shows
who
is
responsible
for
each
risk,
each
deliverable
component,
and
each
decision.
Ac
rs
ce
ve
Agreement
pts
li
Commitment:
This
can
now
be
defined
in
terms
of
De
& •
Specification
an
informed
consent
based
on
participation
in
the
preparation
and
negotiation
of
estimates
and
schedules.
Professionals
are
committed
when
Performer Accountability Acceptor
they
accept
accountability
for
the
deliverable.
One
cannot
give
accountability
to
a
professional.
A
manager
cannot
promise
commitment
on
Figure
3:
The
Delivery
Triangle
behalf
of
another
person
–
only
a
person
who
The
deliverable
is
the
concrete
product
resulting
from
recognizes
accountability
can
accept
it.
the
requirements.
The
performer
agrees
to
create
the
• Peer
Review:
Visibility
into
plans,
commitments,
deliverable.
The
acceptor
agrees
to
provide
status,
and
achievements
of
peer
organizations
requirements
and
then
accept
the
deliverable
based
and
participants
can
provide
encouragement
on
it
meeting
those
requirements.
This
cycle
repeats.
(peer
pressure)
to
fulfill
commitments.
Group
In
an
early
phase
of
the
project,
the
performer
takes
dynamics
and
team
cohesion
play
an
important
user
requirements
and
creates
a
specification
as
a
part
in
making
peer
review
effective.
deliverable.
In
subsequent
phases,
performers
use
the
specification
to
create
a
system
as
a
deliverable.
Once
committed,
the
professional
is
responsible
and
accountable
for
timely,
on-­‐budget
delivery.
This
might
According
to
this
concept,
the
professional
(the
require
working
longer
and
harder
than
originally
performer)
is
accountable
to
the
client
(the
acceptor)
estimated
to
meet
the
committed
date
with
a
quality
for
the
delivery.
deliverable.
This
commitment
does
not
occur
at
the
What
does
this
accountability
mean?
It
must
be
end
of
the
schedule
when
a
project
is
in
trouble.
informed
accountability,
based
on
as
complete
an
Every
day,
the
professional
reviews
progress
and
does
understanding
of
the
specification
as
is
reasonable.
not
quit
after
a
specific
number
of
hours,
but
works
The
requirements
must
be
complete
and
visible
to
all
until
the
day’s
commitments
are
met.
This
principle
is
concerned.
Progress
throughout
the
project
must
also
part
of
being
a
professional
and
helps
to
define
the
be
visible
to
all
concerned
–
this
is
one
purpose
of
the
limits
of
the
professional’s
responsibility.
The
team
peer
review.
In
other
words,
a
commitment
to
deliver
can
expect
professionals
to
work
as
hard
as
necessary
without
this
understanding
is
empty.
to
meet
their
commitments,
but
only
to
the
extent
of
those
commitments.
Teams
cannot
assign
work
to
an
To
elaborate,
the
key
factors
are:
uncommitted
person
and
expect
good
results.
• Visibility:
Information
about
the
requirements,
This
last
point
brings
the
discussion
back
to
a
the
deliverable,
and
the
project
status
must
be
comment
made
in
the
Introduction
comparing
the
openly
discussed
in
order
that
the
right
decisions
death
march
and
the
truly
exceptional
project.
Both
are
made.
Production
of
the
deliverable
must
be
require
extraordinary
effort
by
practitioners,
but
the
transparent
by
being
open
to
peer
review
and
outcomes
(and
memories)
are
very
different.
It
was
5
Version
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8.
stated
that
a
significant
distinction
between
these
Quality
as
the
Integrating
Concept
two
types
of
project
was
based
in
the
professional’s
perception
of
commitment
and
sense
of
control
–
or
This
document
argues
that
a
certain
type
of
Locus
of
Control.
professional,
the
engineer,
is
the
proper
model
for
the
IT
professional.
Further,
professionals
are
Locus
of
Control
is
a
concept
proposed
by
distinguished
from
amateurs
because
amateurs
work
psychologists
such
as
J
Rotter
and
P
Zimbardo
to
for
the
love
of
the
task,
defining
quality
according
to
describe
peoples’
perception
about
the
underlying
their
own,
often
high
but
nonetheless
subjective,
causes
of
events
in
their
lives.
Individuals
with
an
standards.
internal
locus
of
control
believe
that
outcomes
result
mainly
from
their
own
actions.
People
with
an
The
Iron
Triangle
depicts
quality
at
its
center
because
external
locus
of
control
believe
events
in
their
lives
for
a
given
degree
of
quality,
the
relationship
are
contingent
on
fate
or
the
actions
of
other,
more
between
cost,
schedule
and
scope
is
constrained.
powerful
people
(i.e.,
outside
their
personal
control).
Therefore,
professionals
need
a
measure
or
They
are
not
convinced
that
their
contribution
will
benchmark
for
quality
that
is
not
subjective
and
is
not
affect
the
outcome
of
a
project.
“artistic.”
The
specification
provides
an
objective
basis
for
assessment.
In
professional
terms:
This
is
an
important
concept
for
professionals
and
their
relationship
to
the
client
for
two
reasons:
Quality
is
Conformance
to
the
Specification
This
is
not
a
recent
idea.
In
25BC,
Vitruvius
wrote
in
• Competent
individuals
with
a
high
internal
locus
“The
Ten
Books
on
Architecture”
of
three
principles
of
control
tend
to
handle
stressful
projects
better.
for
designing
a
building:
That
is,
stress
does
not
have
such
a
negative
effect
upon
their
performance.
They
are
likely
to
make
• Strength,
Utility,
and
Beauty
more
of
an
effort
and
persist
longer
at
a
task.
By
utility,
Vitruvius
meant
that
a
building
must
serve
a
• Professionals
with
a
high
internal
locus
of
control
purpose
or
function
according
to
a
specification,
and
feel
empowered
to
take
responsibility
and
make
a
it
must
be
“well
adjusted
to
its
site.”
By
strength,
the
commitment.
architect
meant
that
the
building
must
be
fit
for
the
purpose
for
which
it
was
constructed,
and
not
have
Several
factors
discussed
so
far
contribute
to
defects
causing
it
to
collapse.
Finally,
by
beauty,
this
supporting
an
individual’s
perception
of
control:
architect
was
referring
to
the
appearance
and
use
of
• Participating
in
the
estimation
process;
the
building,
which
is
pleasing
to
the
eye
and
which
appeals
to
the
senses
according
to
principles
of
• Being
able
to
accept
accountability
(rather
than
symmetry.
complying
with
demands);
How
does
this
apply
to
IT
professionals?
• Having
visibility
into
project
progress
and
the
commitments
of
others;
and
The
translation
is
clear.
IT
deliverables
must
satisfy
the
functional
requirement
(provide
utility);
they
• Participating
in
a
peer-­‐review
process.
must
be
shown
to
be
fit
for
the
purpose
for
which
An
internal
locus
of
control,
supported
by
they
were
designed,
perform
under
load
and
in
professional
competence,
ultimately
validates
and
conjunction
with
other
systems
(strength);
and
they
strengthens
the
professional’s
commitment.
must
be
user-­‐friendly
(beauty)
and
consistent
with
architectural
principles.
All
team
members,
including
those
with
less
experience,
should
have
input
into
estimates.
Team
The
specification
describes
these
elements
and
leaders
and
managers
“negotiate”
the
estimates
by
expectations,
and
a
team
achieves
quality
through
bringing
their
own
experience
to
the
discussion.
conformance
to
the
specification.
The
professional
is
Nevertheless,
each
project
participant
must
be
accountable
to
the
acceptor
to
deliver
quality
in
these
committed
in
the
sense
of
accepting
accountability
to
terms.
deliver
a
clearly
identified
piece
of
the
deliverable
on
However,
clients
should
recognize
that
there
is
a
legal
time.
distinction
between
a
professional
and
an
expert:
6
Version
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9.
courts
hold
experts
to
a
much
higher
standard.
should
have
understood
some
esoteric
implication
of
Professionals
are
allowed
to
make
mistakes
–
and
will
a
requirement,
if
it
is
not
stated
in
the
requirements.
do
so
–
but
the
delivery
process
should
catch
and
fix
The
client
can
avoid
this
problem
by:
these
errors.
Resolving
these
types
of
problems
is
a
natural
part
of
the
development
process,
and
should
• Engaging
a
subject
matter
expert
in
the
role
of
a
not
become
a
source
of
conflict.
consultant
during
analysis;
and
Responsibilities
of
the
Client
• Following
the
consultant’s
advice
when
finalizing
requirements.
Within
this
model
of
professionalism,
the
client
has
clear
responsibilities
as
the
project
sponsor
or
In
this
case,
the
consultant
would
be
responsible
for
champion,
and
as
the
budget
authority.
Usually,
a
errors
and
omissions.
However,
the
client
must
be
client
appoints
delegates
for
day-­‐to-­‐day
project
made
aware
of
the
distinction
between
these
very
activities.
The
professional
must
understand
the
limits
different
roles
that
any
specific
IT
professional
can
fill
of
the
delegate’s
authority
and
remain
focused
on
–
the
engineer
and
the
consultant
-­‐
and
the
two
satisfying
the
client’s
requirements
rather
than
should
not
be
confused.
Otherwise,
a
key
element
of
diverting
resources
to
the
delegate’s
other
projects.
scope
control
will
be
lost.
The
client
or
the
client-­‐delegates
must:
When
the
requirements
are
silent
on
a
topic,
either
• Be
available
and
actively
engaged
in
the
definition
party’s
interpretation
could
be
correct.
Clients
can
of
the
requirements
and,
sometimes,
in
the
validly
question
why
requirements
are
deficient
if
creation
of
the
specification;
they
engaged
an
IT
professional
in
the
role
of
a
consultant.
In
such
cases,
the
client
can
expect
the
• Understand
the
limitations
of
accuracy
of
most
consultant
to
modify
the
requirements,
but
there
may
estimates,
particularly
when
problems
are
ill-­‐ be
a
consequential
change
in
the
estimates.
However,
defined
or
requirements
and
technologies
are
clients
have
the
ultimate
responsibility
for
oversights
novel;
in
requirements,
given
that
they
are
ultimately
• Be
capable
of
defining
tests,
based
on
the
responsibility
for
their
line
of
business.
requirements
and
specification,
which
can
The
client-­‐professional
relationship
works
best
when
validate
and
verify
the
proper
functioning
of
the
both
parties
view
it
as
a
customer-­‐vendor
deliverable;
and
arrangement,
rather
than
as
an
employer-­‐employee
arrangement
because
the
latter
relationship
has
an
• Accept
the
deliverable
once
it
satisfies
the
test
unbalanced
authority
structure.
Similarly,
the
criteria
and,
therefore,
conforms
to
the
professional
should
not
exploit
technical
knowledge
specification.
to
influence
the
client
unfairly.
Clients
should
realize
that
the
transformation
of
user
Clients
and
IT
professionals
should
work
as
partners;
requirements
into
a
working
system
is
similar
to
a
approaching
errors,
omissions
and
change
orders
translation
from
English
to
French:
users
and
from
a
balanced
perspective
and
not
using
deadlines
technicians
each
have
their
own
business
languages
or
other
constraints
to
force
one
party
or
the
other
to
and
cultural
contexts.
Therefore,
it
is
not
unusual
for
absorb
the
impact
of
discoveries
and
change.
something
to
“get
lost
in
translation.”
The
client
should
be
a
champion
for
the
project
and
Earlier
it
was
stated
that
the
engineer,
and
therefore
regularly
communicate
its
importance
to
the
team.
the
IT
development
professional,
does
not
claim
to
This
helps
professionals
to
build
the
linkage
between
know
what
is
best
for
the
client
–
it
is
the
client’s
the
project
goals
and
their
own
internally
driven
responsibility
to
provide
requirements
and
ensure
motivations.
that
they
have
been
captured
correctly
(through
acceptance
and
sign-­‐off).
As
a
result,
when
addressing
Often,
there
is
a
gap
between
theory
and
practice,
misunderstandings,
the
client
cannot
expect
that
the
and
some
users
may
not
share
these
principles,
nor
IT
developer
“Should
have
known
what
I
wanted,”
or
be
ready
to
adopt
the
role
as
client.
However,
the
IT
“Should
know
how
we
do
business
in
the
field,”
or
professional
can
lead
by
example
and
clearly
demonstrate
the
benefits
of
this
approach
over
time.
7
Version
2.0

10.
Commitment
and
Community
This
mechanism
helps
to
engage
and
monitor
commitment.
Team
members
are
more
than
an
Looking
at
the
implications
of
commitment
within
the
aggregate
of
individuals;
they
are
part
of
a
group
with
organizational
context,
Rosabeth
Moss
Kanter
(A
responsibilities
for
the
success
of
that
group.
previous
editor
of
the
Harvard
Business
Review)
Professionals
recognize
that,
for
the
group’s
benefit,
provided
several
insights
in
“Commitment
and
they
may
need
to
extend
their
original
commitments
Community”
(Kanter
1972)
in
which
she
studied
the
as
conditions
change.
However,
any
increase
in
foundations
and
characteristics
of
commitment
in
commitment
should
be
accepted
according
to
the
utopian
communal
orders.
Kanter
determined
that:
principles
outlined
in
this
document.
• A
committed
person
is
invested,
loyal,
and
Summary
involved,
and
feels
that
the
team
is
an
extension
of
the
person.
• Engineering
provides
the
best
professional
role
models
for
the
IT
practitioner
during
a
• Investment
by
an
individual
occurs
when
the
development
project.
person
gains
a
stake
in
the
organization.
• Consultants
are
good
role
models
for
subject
• The
group
must
provide
guidance
in
the
form
of
matter
experts
during
business
process
modeling,
specific
behavioral
norms
and
detailed
feasibility
studies
and
other
activities
where
the
instructions.
client
wants
unbiased
advice.
• Regarding
group
pressure
and
social
control,
• Professionals
should
clearly
define
whether
they
groups
can
replace
the
repressive,
distant
control
are
acting
in
the
role
of
the
engineer
or
the
of
impersonal
institutions
with
the
pressure
of
an
consultant.
intimate,
face-­‐to-­‐face
group
of
peers
(peer
pressure).
• The
specification
is
a
distinguishing
factor
in
the
relationship
between
the
professional
(the
• Peer
pressure
can
be
a
very
strong
force
in
performer)
and
the
client
(the
acceptor).
influencing
members
to
meet
commitments.
• The
Scope
in
the
Iron
Triangle
(of
Resources
–
• Openness,
or
visibility
into
performance
and
Schedule
–
Scope),
becomes
the
Specification
in
commitments,
is
a
strong
sanctioning
motivation
the
Delivery
Triangle
(of
Performer
–
Deliverable
–
to
conform.
Acceptor).
• Regular
contact
between
group
members
• The
Delivery
Triangle
explains
the
accountability
increases
commitment.
of
the
performer,
to
the
acceptor,
to
create
the
• Successful
organizations
employed
mutual
deliverable.
criticism
and
feedback,
and
had
frequent
• Through
an
understanding
of
the
requirements
in
meetings
to
share
information.
the
specification,
and
through
participation
in
• Group
pressure
plays
a
large
role
in
the
life
of
the
setting
the
three
constraints
of
the
Iron
Triangle,
community,
and
in
some
communities
was
the
the
performer
becomes
accountable.
Only
by
primary
form
of
social
control.
Members
reported
accepting
accountability
does
the
performer
great
unease
at
“letting
down
the
group.”
become
truly
committed.
• Those
communities
that
worked
best
managed
to
• Accountability
and
commitment
require
visibility
generate
commitment
and
loyalty
in
their
and
peer
review.
members,
immersing
them
in
a
strong
group
that
• The
limits
of
a
professional’s
responsibility
are
often
asked
them
to
make
sacrifices.
defined
within
the
specification
to
the
extent
that
These
points
support
the
view
that
the
role
of
the
the
professional
has
accepted
accountability
and
peer
review
in
IT
delivery
is
crucial.
Within
a
team
of
is
committed.
professionals,
the
openness
and
visibility
associated
• Professionals
define
quality
as
conformance
to
with
peer
review
leads
to
peer-­‐pressure
to
conform
to
the
specification.
Its
characteristics
include
the
organization’s
standards
and
to
support
the
team.
8
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11.
functionality,
fitness
for
purpose,
and
user-­‐ “110%”.
However,
this
will
inevitably
undermine
friendliness.
the
commitment
of
the
most
productive
employees.
• Peer
review
and
visibility
are
essential
for
ensuring
quality.
These
conditions
can
make
it
harder
for
the
IT
practitioner
to
perform
according
to
the
model
• The
client
(the
acceptor)
judges
quality
against
outlined
in
this
document.
Arguably,
both
parties
in
the
specification.
the
Delivery
Triangle
need
to
agree
to
the
same
• Professionals
are
not
necessarily
experts
–
they
protocol
for
the
process
to
function
smoothly.
make
mistakes.
Clients
recognize
that
there
is
a
However,
it
is
the
responsibility
of
professionals
to
process
to
manage
errors.
lead
by
example
and
take
the
first
step.
In
doing
so,
they
can
define
themselves
by
shaping
their
own
• A
balanced
power
structure
between
client
and
principles
and
practices.
professional
fosters
project
success.
In
conclusion,
the
committed
professional
understands
the
relationship
with
the
client,
accepts
accountability
for
the
deliverable,
accepts
peer
review
as
a
normal
part
of
the
process
and
works
towards
a
team
goal
of
delivering
the
scope
with
quality
within
a
schedule
and
budget.
In
collaborating
with
the
client
to
set
the
parameters
of
the
Iron
Triangle,
the
professional
becomes
accountable
and
committed
according
to
the
Delivery
Triangle.
Commitment
does
not
end
after
a
specific
number
of
hours
–
it
continues
until
the
day’s
tasks
are
complete.
Combining
this
type
of
commitment
with
inspirational
leadership
will
result
in
the
fully
motivated
engagement
of
the
professional
-­‐
and
startling
achievements.
Note
that
the
principles
presented
in
this
paper
are
not
dependent
upon
a
specific
delivery
methodology.
While
the
granularity
of
deliverables
is
finer
and
the
interactions
between
clients
and
other
project
team
References
members
are
more
continuous
and
iterative
in
Agile
Herzberg,
F.,
Mausner,
B.,
&
Snyderman,
B.
B.
(1959).
“The
environments
than
in,
say,
waterfall
projects,
the
Motivation
to
Work”
overarching
professional
relationship
remains
the
same.
IMC
(Institute
of
Management
Consultants)
website,
referenced
December
2009
at:
http://www.imcusa.org/
There
are
practical
challenges
with
this
paper’s
proposition:
Kanter
R.
M.
(1972),
“Commitment
and
Community,”
Harvard
University
Press.
• In
some
cases,
users
might
not
accept
the
role
Maslow,
A.
H.
(1970).
“Motivation
and
Personality”
and
responsibilities
of
being
the
client.
Roth,
L.
M.,
(1993),
“Understanding
Architecture,”
• When
IT
professionals
are
employees
of
the
HarperCollins.
client’s
organization,
it
can
interfere
with
their
Rotter,
J.B.
(1954).
“Social
learning
and
clinical
psychology”
objectivity
and
independence.
It
can
also
result
in
New
York:
Prentice-­‐Hall.
an
unbalanced
authority
structure
because,
unlike
a
vendor,
internal
teams
do
not
have
a
contract.
USAID
(1998):
Charles
C.,
McNulty
S.,
&
Pennell
J.
“Partnering
For
Results:
A
Users
Guide
to
Intersectoral
• Short-­‐term
thinking
can
lead
managers
to
believe,
Partnering,”
US
Agency
for
International
Development.
mistakenly,
that
they
can
get
extra
productivity
Vitruvius,
(1960),
“The
Ten
Books
on
Architecture,”
Dover
simply
by
demanding
more
–
by
asking
for
Publishing.
(Written
in
25BC)
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