Role: Visionary

The Visionary holds the business vision for change and is responsible for initiating and driving the project through to delivery of the business objectives.

Role Sets: DSDM Roles

Relationships


Primary Performs	Define Vision
Additionally Performs	Assess Results Demonstrate the Architecture Find and Outline Requirements Manage Iteration Outline the Architecture Plan Iteration Plan the Project
Modifies	Glossary Vision Work Items List
Process Usage	Agree the Technical Approach > Visionary Construction Phase Iteration > Identify And Refine Requirements > Visionary Construction Phase Iteration > Manage Iteration > Visionary Elaboration Phase Iteration > Identify and Refine Requirements > Visionary Elaboration Phase Iteration > Manage Iteration > Visionary Identify and Refine Requirements > Visionary Inception Phase Iteration > Identify And Refine Requirements > Visionary Inception Phase Iteration > Initiate Project > Visionary Inception Phase Iteration > Plan and Manage Iteration > Visionary Inception Phase Iteration > Agree on the Technical Approach > Visionary Initiate Project > Visionary Plan and Manage Iteration > Visionary Transition Phase Iteration > Manage Iteration > Visionary

Main Description

The Visionary is a business role. The Visionary is the one who is usually responsible for getting a project started through enthusiasm and commitment to the idea and business goals. The Visionary should remain involved throughout the design and delivery process to ensure the original objectives are being met. If any issues arise during the project, which must be considered by higher management, the Visionary will either provide the decision or provide higher management with the business viewpoint.

The Visionary role ensures the project excellence from the business point of view and the Technical Co-ordinator does the same from the technical point of view.

Responsibilities

Promoting the translation of the vision into working practice
Taking a wider view of the end-to-end business process
Contributing to key requirements sessions
Contributing to key design sessions
Contributing to key review sessions
Resolving conflicts across the business areas owned by the Visionary
Ensuring user resources are available as needed
Monitoring progress in relation to the original vision
Commitment and availability throughout the development cycle

Staffing

Skills	Excellent communicator Excellent awareness of business goals High-level awareness of technological possibilities.
Assignment Approaches	The Visionary and Executive Sponsor roles may be held by the same person.

Key Considerations

The Visionary has the high-level view of the original reasons for initiating the project: this must not be dissipated during development. Unfortunately, this happens in many projects. It is very easy once development is under way to involve only those staff who will use the computer system on a day-to-day basis but who, perhaps, do not fully understand all the business vision. This can result in a dilution of the original goals and a tendency towards simply re-specifying the system to be replaced. It is imperative that the Visionary is present when important user events occur or when management decisions about the progress of the project are made.

The Visionary must commit business staff to the project as Ambassador User(s). These people should be available to the project on a continuous basis throughout the life of the project - not necessarily full-time but "contracts" for the Ambassador Users time should be agreed with the Project Manager before leaving the Business Study phase, e.g. "Ambassador User X will work in the project team every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning". The Advisor User(s) involvement will be more ad hoc but should be well planned in advance.

More Information

Guidelines	Visionary - Typical Phase by Phase Activities

This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
Eclipse Public License v1.0 which accompanies this distribution.