Determine Project Scope

Component Level Project and Exchange Level Project

Determine Project Scope

We strongly recommend an iterative project implementation process. When using an iterative process, implementation teams should designate an initial scope for a project and consider phases. For example, the vision may be to have all patients in the country or region listed in the client registry, this may not be practical or necessary for the first implementation of the registry. You will want to clearly state the vision and the goals for each phase of the project. For example, the first phase of a project might simply be to prove that data can be electronically shared between two systems.

One of the main objectives for a governance structure is to determine the scope of use cases and user stories that will be supported by each iteration of the component or data exchange project and to determine how each subsequent iteration moves the team toward the larger goal for that project. For example, If you have selected to implement a Client Registry, then you may need to determine which point-of service providers or national ID systems will interact with the client registry in the initial implementation. Or, you may determine that only the women of childbearing age will be included. Each project team will need to work with the governance structure to set the scope based upon the HIE strategy, goals and priorities for the project. An ideal initial scope is large enough to prove that some part of the project technically works and small enough to do that in the specified context and still add value to the health providers, health system and / or patients.

In an initial implementation, many teams limit scope by one or more factors such as:

• Patient population

• Region

• Number of facilities

• Number of indicators or data points

• Number of features included