Introduction to project governance
A solution architect for Microsoft Power Platform plays a key role on a project. Typically, solution architects implement governance, change processes, and monitor the project progress.
How the solution architect helps
Specifically, the solution architect can make sure that requirements are in scope and nothing is over-promised. Therefore, the solution architect will need to manage the project's scope and keep the project on track. Keeping a project moving along might seem simple but, in practice, it requires the solution architect to be proactive in managing the project even when a project manager is involved.
Rather than failing due to the technical capabilities of team members, most projects fail because the scope of the project wasn't managed or because issues weren't addressed as they occurred.
During the project, the solution architect is a key member of a governance team. As scope or requirements change, they are typically involved in review and will prevent scope creep from happening. The solution architect might not be the originator or decision maker behind the governance, but they do provide valuable input and help implement guidance.
The solution architect can help project governance by:
- Being a key member of the governance team.
- Helping manage changes in scope and requirements.
- Looking out for issues in the requirements, including regulatory, compliance, auditing, and security.
- Avoiding over-promising and helping to encourage small steps toward a large goal.
The solution architect will be seen by other project members as the technical leader of a project. Other team members will look at how the solution architect handles changes in scope and will emulate that approach in the performance of their own duties in relation to governance of the project.
Keep a project on track
Consider the projects that you've worked on as a project team member and then answer these questions:
- Did the project have a governance process?
- If a governance process was established, was it followed?
- Were risks documented and mitigated?
- Was a change control process established?
- How effective were these processes and could they have been improved?
The solution architect might have to address these issues. Before exploring these issues in-depth, you should know more about project governance.