KeySource Group - GSA MOBIS - BWXT Project

Sample Project D:
Survey • Training • Organizational Effectiveness

KeySource Project Synopsis: Enhance Client’s customer responsiveness by designing, producing and managing a customer satisfaction survey, analyzing the results and developing actionable recommendations. The project described here was an element of a larger contract requiring extensive strategic consultation with the client’s executive leadership. The Client manages complex, high-consequence nuclear and national security operations for the United States Government. The company has over ten-thousand employees managing more than a billion dollar budget at 14 Department of Energy and NNSA sites.

Dollar Amount of Contract: $183,633

Project Duration: 16 months

Survey, Training & Organizational Effectiveness
SIN 874-1: Consulting Services
SIN 874-2:Facilitation Services
SIN 874-3: Survey Services
SIN 874-7: Program Integration and Project Management

Project Description

Client retained KeySource in 2003 to sharpen the company’s customer focus and provide valued-added services in change management and organizational effectiveness.

In meeting the needs of a full-service consulting contract, the KeySource Group provided in-depth services in the areas noted in the accompanying table.

KeySource was retained as the Project Manager for this project; planning and implementing it in three major stages: (874-7)

Design & Production
Roll-out & Training
Analysis and Reporting

Stage I included the design and production of a customer satisfaction survey which was available on CD ROM, on-line, via e-mail and by printing and faxing. (874-3) The CD ROM and on-line versions included an introductory video by the President and Chief Operating Officer of the company and 32 subsequent questions of varying style and format

Accounting and Operational Controls

To ensure rigorous accounting and operational control of the Client's project, KeySource employed our PRIME © (Project Resource Integrated Management Enterprise) system.

In doing so, we were able to provide regular updates to our client using our Cost Schedule Control System, which combines MS Project, QuickBook PremierTM Software package (with internal consistency alert features,) and KeyTrack©, our Excel-based timesheet and project accounting tool. PRIME is further complemented by an internal audit system that has triple-checks built into the process for each contract or project. During the BWXT project, we performed the following self-audits:

Business Manager line-item review and reconciliation
Project Manager task order review and reconciliation
Principal project-to-date review and approval

Technical Skills

The Roll-out and Training stage was accomplished in three, phased “roll-outs” which included training and facilitation at nine locations. This required KeySource logistical support and meeting planning as well as training in customer service. (874-2) The training included web-based media, CD-ROM and interactive services.

A summary of the ten Survey Services KeySource provided is shown in the accompanying table.

Survey Services: SIN 874-3 Provided by KeySource
Conceptualized, planned and designed survey approach, layout and implementation of three-stage project wit survey training at nine sites
Proposed and subsequently refined survey agenda and objectives
Assessed target audience and determined three-fold approach to data collection: CD - online, e-mail, print/fax
Beta tested survey on sample targets
Maintained and administered database of 175 CD surveys
administered using CD ROM, web-based, e-mail, and print/fax
Conducted extensive pre-testing across platforms
Applied statistical correlation methodology to validate data
Analyzed and explained both numerical and subjective data
Produced summary reports including graphic portrayal of results, description of data collection and survey administration methods: briefed the client on recommendations and follow-up actions

Quality Assurance and Performance Measurements

We fully appreciated the trust the Client placed in us in asking us to produce sophisticated survey CD ROM’s that were provided to the Client’s federal customers, and were committed to the same standard of excellence that the Client meets in its high-consequence nuclear operations to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Department of Energy.

As such, our Quality Assurance standard for the end product was 100% functionality and zero-defects. This level of performance demanded excellence from the very beginning of the project and then through all phases of production, from KeySource, and from our subcontractors.

Having established a quality incentive, we scored each phase of production as it occurred and required our subcontractors to perform a self-assessment. Before moving to the next phase, we debriefed lessons learned and made improvements to both the product and the process.

This level of feedback and continuous improvement ensured that performance steadily improved and the product was enhanced prior to the final rigorous Quality Control testing.

The Final QC check first required that the Pre-Production version of the CD ROM perform with zero-defects across a variety of computer platforms and browsers in a 16-hour process.

Following production, each of the final CD’s was again functionally checked. Following certification, the products were then released to our customer and then to the federal agencies.

As a result of this process, the client has reported 100% functionality and zero defects among the 200 CD’s produced. The data from the survey was analyzed, correlated and presented to the client as part of their strategic planning cycle. KeySource provided extensive strategic planning consultation during this phase.

In this project, the Survey Task Project Manager also reported to the overall KeySource Project Manager and Principal Sponsor. Given the overall scope of this 16-month project, the Principal’s previous corporate executive leadership experience was pivotal: he had been instrumental in forging several acquired federal businesses into a profitable, full-service projects division with $375 million in annual revenue on more than 50 projects with over 2,250 employees.