Implement Dynamics 365 projects with effective governance

Implementing Dynamics 365 projects requires good project governance to succeed. Project governance is the framework and techniques that help you map your business goals to actions and measures, structure and plan your project, anticipate and avoid issues, detect and correct risks, and provide flexibility and agility to respond to changes.

In this section, we explain why project governance is important for Dynamics 365 projects and what areas you should consider when designing or reviewing your governance model. We also provide guidance and best practices for some of the key areas of project governance and how they can help you increase your chances of success.

What you'll learn:

• Why project governance is important for Dynamics 365 projects
• How to define your project goals and align them with your business objectives
• How to choose the right project organization and roles for your project
• How to select the best project approach and methodology for your project
• How to assess and improve the effectiveness of your classic governance structures
• How to embed good governance processes into key project areas such as solution design, testing, and deployment
• How to create a well-structured project plan that helps you monitor and improve your project outcomes

Introduction

Dynamics 365 projects aren't just technical projects. They are business transformation projects that directly affect and are affected by the processes and the people in your business. To implement them successfully, you need more than good software and good technical skills. You also need good governance processes that involve the business.

Dynamics 365 projects have specific needs and challenges that require a governance model that's fit for the world today and tomorrow. For example, Dynamics 365 apps are cloud-based solutions that support or integrate with low-code/no-code technology, have regular and nonbreaking system updates, and enable faster and more incremental value delivery. These features change the way you deliver business applications and require you to rethink some of the traditional governance processes that might not be suitable for the cloud.

You should define your project governance model as early as possible, preferably as part of the Initiate phase of your project, because it directly influences your project approach, oversight, resources, and plan. You should also review and adapt your governance model throughout your project lifecycle, considering any specific business requirements and constraints.

In this section, we explore the following areas of project governance that are relevant to any implementation methodology:

• Project goals: How to define clear and measurable goals that provide direction and focus for your project.

• Project organization: How to set up the right project organization and assign the roles and responsibilities that support your project efficiency and effectiveness.

• Project approach: How to choose the best project approach and methodology that suit your project scope, complexity, and constraints.

• Classic structures: How to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the most common governance processes such as change management, risk management, and issue management.

• Key project areas: How to apply good governance processes to key project areas such as solution design, testing, and deployment that often get technical attention but lack sufficient direction, planning, and oversight.

• Project plan: How to create a well-structured project plan that helps you track and improve your project progress and outcomes.

Next steps

• Learn how to define clear and measurable project goals that align with your business objectives and provide direction and focus for your project
• Learn how to set up the right project organization and assign the roles and responsibilities that support your project efficiency and effectiveness
• Learn how to choose the best project approach and methodology that suit your project scope, complexity, and constraints
• Learn how to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of classic governance structures, such as change management, risk management, and issue management
• Learn how to apply good governance processes to key project areas
• Learn how to create a well-structured project plan that helps you track and improve your project progress and outcomes
• Review the main points and takeaways from this section
• Use the Success by Design checklist to assess and improve your project governance model and processes
• Read a case study of how a customer implemented Dynamics 365 with effective project governance.