State of California
Department of Technology
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation Instructions
Statewide Information Management Manual – Section 15A
March 2021
Revision History
Revision Date of Release Owner Summary of
Changes
Initial Release Mar
ch 2021 Office of Statewide
Proj
ect Delivery
New
Table of Contents
Introduction and Background 4 ...................................................................................................................
Project Cost Delegation Tiers and Dollar Values 4 ..................................................................................
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation Process 5 .....................................................................................
Relationship to Project Delegation 5 ..........................................................................................................
Relationship to IT Purchasing Authority 5 ..................................................................................................
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation Template 5 ...................................................................................
Section I - Agency/State Entity Profile 5 ................................................................................................
Section II - Agency/State Entity Portfolio Overview 6 ..........................................................................
Section III - Agency/State Entity Historical Projects 7 .........................................................................
Section IV - Agency/State Entity Competency and Maturity 8 ...........................................................
Section V - Attachments 11 ......................................................................................................................
Submission 12 ................................................................................................................................................
California Department of Technology
SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
15A Accreditation Instructions
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Introduction and Background
In an effort to increase autonomy and promote high quality and successful IT projects, the
California Department of Technology (CDT) has defined processes and procedures to
determine the Project Cost Delegation for Agency/state entities IT project reporting.
Pursuant to Government Code (GC) Sections 11545 and 11546
, the CDT has the authority and
responsibility to oversee and assign an IT Project Cost Delegation to Agencies/state entities.
State Administrative Manual (SAM) 4819.39 describes and outlines the authority that the CDT
has to assign project cost thresholds for oversight and reporting purposes. Each Agency/state
entity is designated by the CDT a minimum total project development cost. Each Agency/state
entity may request a change by submitting a Project Cost Delegation Accreditation. The Project
Cost Delegation Accreditation template should be completed from the perspective of the
Agency/state entity that is requesting a change.
Evaluating your Agency’s/state entity’s IT project maturity is important when completing the
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation. There are various maturity models available and the
Project Management Institute (PMI) has published the Organizational Project Management
Maturity Model (OPM3®), which may be leveraged to assess an Agency’s/state entity’s project
management maturity.
Project Cost Delegation Tiers and Dollar Values
Each Agency/state entity that has an existing IT Project Cost Delegation may request a change.
The current dollar value that an Agency/state entity has will not change unless a Project Cost
Delegation Accreditation is submitted. Once received and reviewed, the CDT will determine if an
adjustment is warranted.
The current Project Cost Delegation levels for Agencies/state entities are published on the CDT
website at: Office of Statewide Project and Delivery (OSPD) Project Approvals and Oversight
Staff Assignments.
The new Project Cost Delegation framework is comprised of four tiers. Table 1 below shows
each tier and corresponding dollar value. The tiers are predetermined and the request must
include the desired tier and dollar value.
Pr
oject Cost Delegation Tier Project Cost Delegation Dollar
Value
Tie
r 1
1
$500,000
Tier 2 $1,000,000
Tier 3 $2,000,000
Tier 4 $5,000,000
Table 1. Project Cost Delegation Tier to Dollar Value Mapping
1
If an Agency/state entity currently has a Project Cost Delegation of $200,000 or $400,000 they
will remain with that dollar value. Completion of the Project Cost Delegation Accreditation will be
required to move to the new Tier 1 or above.
California Department of Technology
SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
15A Accreditation Instructions
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Project Cost Delegation Accreditation Process
Download and complete the Project Cost Delegation Accreditation template in SIMM 15B. Once
all sections of the accreditation have been completed, submit to the CDT using the instructions
found in the submission section of this document. The complete package will be reviewed by
the CDT, which may request meetings and/or supplemental information, working in a
collaborative manner, to determine the Agency’s/state entity’s IT project management maturity
and eligibility for a change in their Project Cost Delegation. The estimated timeline to a decision
is approximately 30 business days; however, this will depend on a variety of factors including,
but not limited to the quality of the submission, if supplemental information is needed, the time
taken for the Agency/state entity to send documentation, and consultation with and review of
Project Cost Delegation by DGS.
The accreditation of each Agency/state entity Project Cost Delegation is intended to facilitate
autonomy while appropriately assessing risk based on its maturity level and overall competency
for managing IT projects/efforts. The Project Cost Delegation Accreditation along with reviewing
project outcomes, overall maturity and competency, in addition to documentation and
interactions will all be used to determine the appropriate Project Cost Delegation.
Relationship to Project Delegation
Project Cost Delegation is established at the Agency/state entity level, and is separate and
distinct from the delegation of any specific IT project. SAM 4819.37 identifies the criteria and
authority that the CDT has for IT project delegation.
If an Agency’s/state entity’s request to change its Project Cost Delegation tier is approved, it will
not affect the delegation status of any projects currently in process (delegated or non-
delegated).
Relationship to IT Purchasing Authority
The delegation of IT project authority directly impacts IT project procurement authority.
Therefore, the CDT will consult with the Department of General Services (DGS) before
increasing the Project Cost Delegation tier of any Agency/State entity. For any Agency/state
entity receiving a Project Cost Delegation tier increase, CDT will prepare a tier assignment
package and route to DGS for consultation.
Project Cost Delegation tier assignment is separate and independent of DGS’ assignment of IT
Purchasing Authority Tier. Dollar values may not align, and a change in one does not result in a
change in the other.
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation Template
The Project Cost Delegation Accreditation template consists of five sections. To ensure a timely
review by CDT, each section must be completed prior to submission.
Section I - Agency/State Entity Profile
The instructional text below will be helpful when completing the Project Cost Delegation
Accreditation.
• Agency/State Entity Name: Enter the complete Agency/state entity name. If the name
includes or is part of an acronym spell out the name and then include the acronym.
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SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
15A Accreditation Instructions
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• Agency/State Entity Org Code: Enter the complete org code number.
• Contact Information: Enter the contact information including phone number and email
for the following:
o Agency/State Entity Contact: The person that the CDT will contact regarding the
submission.
o Agency Information Officer (AIO)
o Chief Information Officer (CIO)
o Project Management Office (PMO) Director/Manager (if applicable)
o Other: Any other contact with information that may be helpful in the accreditation
of your submission.
• Current Project Cost Delegation: Enter the current Project Cost Delegation dollar
value. (See the Project approv
als and oversight staff assignment webpage for your
Agency/state entity Project Cost Delegation).
• Current Tier: Enter the current tier. Refer to table 1 above: Project Cost Delegation Tier
to Dollar Value Mapping.
• Proposed Project Cost Delegation: Enter the proposed Project Cost Delegation dollar
value that the Agency/state entity is seeking. Refer to table 1 above: Project Cost
Delegation Tier to Dollar Value Mapping.
• Proposed Tier: Enter the proposed tier of the Project Cost Delegation the Agency/state
entity is seeking. Refer to table 1 above: Project Cost Delegation Tier to Dollar Value
Mapping.
• Total Annual Budget: Enter the total annual budget allocation in dollars for the entire
Agency/state entity.
• Annual IT Budget: Enter the total annual budget of all IT operations and positions.
• Total Position Count: Enter the current total position count for the Agency/state entity
including those that are allocated but vacant.
• IT Position Count: Enter the current IT positions that are part of the Agency/state entity
including those that are allocated but vacant.
• Provide Justification and Narrative for the Request: Enter a specific justification for
the request including the requested tier. Include a supporting narrative of why your
Agency/state entity is seeking a change of their Project Cost Delegation.
Section II - Agency/State Entity Portfolio Overview
This section is comprised of the Agency’s/state entity’s IT project portfolio dollar value and
count.
• Portfolio Value: Enter the total dollar value of all projects in the portfolio that are both
D
elegated and Non-Delegat
ed.
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SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
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• IT Portfolio Project Criticality Count: Enter the number of projects at each criticality
level: High, Medium, or Low. Refer to the complexity assessment template and
instructions which can be found in SIMM 45A and SIMM 45B
• IT Portfolio Project Count: Enter the number of projects that are: Delegated, Non-
Delegated, and are undergoing the Project Approval Lifecycle (PAL) process, by current
stage.
• Active Projects: Attach your current portfolio report in addition to the most recent
Project Status Report (PSR) for each non-delegated project or an equivalent status
report. The report should include all active projects that are from the Agency/state entity.
The portfolio report template can be found in SIMM 19A.5.
Section III - Agency/State Entity Historical Projects
Showing a history of successfully delivering IT projects is important for demonstrating the IT
maturity of the Agency/state entity. List all Delegated and Non-Delegated IT projects that ended
within the previous five years. To provide a complete picture you should also include projects
that were started and not completed, or were cancelled or abandoned. A Post Implementation
Evaluation Report (PIER) for each project that hasn’t been previously submitted to the CDT
should be included in your submission. See SAM Section 4947. If there are projects where a
PIER is under development, enter “PIER in development,” or if a PIER has not been completed,
enter: “No PIER.” To complete this section, download and fill out the Historical Projects
Worksheet which can be found in "Historical Projects Worksheet SIMM 15C. This section
should not repeat any of the projects reported in section II.
• Department: Enter the department acronym. Spell out and include acronym if
applicable.
• Project Number: Enter the project number (if applicable).
• Project Name: Enter the complete project name. Spell out and include any
abbreviations and acronyms if applicable.
• Total Cost: Enter the total cost of the project.
• Criticality Rating: Selec
t the criticality rating of the project: High, Medium, or Low as
defined in SIMM 45D.
• Implementation Date: Enter the date that the project was implemented.
• PIER Date: Enter the date that the PIER was submitted to the CDT. If there are projects
where a PIER is under development, enter “PIER in development,” or if a PIER has not
been completed, enter: “No PIER.”
• Number of Users: Enter the number of users that the project affected.
• Business Objectives Met?: Select either “Yes” or “No” based on the most recent
project documentation.
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SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
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• Completed on Schedule?: Select either “Yes” or “No” based on the most recent project
documentation.
• Completed Within Budget?: Select either “Yes” or “No” based on the most recent
project documentation.
Section IV - Agency/State Entity Competency and Maturity
This section is designed to gauge the Agency/state entity competency and maturity in a variety
of portfolio, project management, and associated disciplines:
• Portfolio Management
• Project Management
• Governance Management
• Schedule Management
• Cost Management
• Scope Management
• Resource Management
• Quality Management
• Risk Management
• Issue Management
• Maintenance & Operations Transition Management
• Change Control Management
• Communication Management
• Contract Management
• Requirements Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Organizational Change Management (OCM)
• Business Process Reengineering (BPR)
For each question the Agency/state entity, from the organization’s perspective, will answer each
quest
ion on a scale from 1 to 5 by placing an “X” in the corresponding box. Each of the five
levels are designed to show a particular level of overall competency and maturity. As you
progress from level one to level five, the overall IT competency and maturity increases.
Advancing through the levels allows for the Agency/state entity to measure their progress of
meeting maturity goals, which is typically accomplished through continuing education and
behavioral changes of the organization.
While the levels may have similar characteristics, each is unique and the Agency/state entity
should s
elect that of which applies most accurately to their maturity level and of which they are
currently practicing. Below, each of the five levels are outlined with a definition of what that level
entails.
The five levels are:
• Level 1 - Ad-hoc: Agency/state entity is lacking basic or standard processes/practices
wit
h no formal documentation, and activities are executed on an inconsistent basis.
California Department of Technology
SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
15A Accreditation Instructions
8
• Level 2 - Basic: Agency’s/state entity’s processes/practices are defined and
documented without any metrics, and activities are performed according to defined
pr
ocesses/practices but are not measured
.
• Lev
el 3 - Documented: Agency’s/state entity’s processes/practices are document
ed
and i
nclude m
etrics. Activities and practices are regularly performed in accordance with
de
fined processes/practices and are measur
ed.
• Lev
el 4 - Established: Agency’s/state entity’s organizational level processes/practic
es
ar
e docu
mented, standardized, measured, and managed through established metrics,
and l
essons learned are captured. Activities are consistently performed in accordanc
e
w
ith the defined processes/practices and occasionally improved based on dat
a and
l
essons lear
ned.
• Lev
el 5 - Continuous: Agency’s/state entity’s organizational level processes/practic
es
ar
e docu
mented, standardized, measured, and managed through established metrics,
and l
essons learned are captured. Additionally, these processes/practices ar
e
c
ontinually improved and updated based on metrics and lessons learned. Activities ar
e
c
onsistently performed in accordance with defined processes/practices and continuousl
y
i
mproved based on data and lessons learned
.
Each Agency/state entity should be leveraging a project management framework, suc
h as the
California Project Management Framework (CA-PMF) or PMBOK® Guide as
outlined in
SAM
4819.31. Using a standardized framework
allows for the Agency/state entity to apply proper
project management practices, processes and deliverables, but also helps to enhance and
progress the Agency’s/state entity’s overall organizational and IT maturity and competency.
Additional guidance to assist in answering the questions in this section is below. This includes
describing and defining Project Manager, Processes/Practices, and Established Metrics for
further clarification. A sampling of metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) is included
below in table 2. Note that the list of KPIs in the table below is not all inclusive and that your
Agency/state entity may use others as appropriate.
Project Manager: Designating a dedicated Project Manager to each project/effort, while ideal,
may not always be feasible. Depending on the size and scope of the project, especially those
that are larger and more complex, having a dedicated Project Manager is recommended.
Processes/Practices: A specific type of professional or management activity that contributes to
the execution of a process and that may employ one or more techniques and tools.
Established Metrics: Measurements or KPIs that the Project Management Office (PMO)
regularly and methodically derives
to measure and track project/portfolio health, performance,
and progress.
Sample KPIs of “established metrics” for each competency area are shown below in table 2:
Sample KPIs for Competency Areas
C
ompetency Area Sample KPIs
Portfolio Management
• Overall project success rat
e
• O
rganization strateg
y
• Business value realiz
ed
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Competency Area Sample KPIs
• Customer satisfaction
Project Managem
ent
• Lessons Learned
Governance
Management
• Number of customer s
ervice disruptions due to IT service-related
incidents (reliability)
• Percent of business stak
eholders satisfied that customer service
delivery meets agreed-on levels
• Trend of customer satisfaction survey results
Schedule
Management
•
Per
centage of tasks completed
• Overdue project tasks
• Missed milestones
• Schedule perf
ormance index: Earned value (EV)/planned value
(PV)
Cost Management
•
Planned value
• Actual cost
• Earned value
•
Cost performance index: Earned value (EV)/actual cost (AC)
Scope Management
• P
roject requirements
• Project deliverables
•
Tasks required to complete deliverables (with key resources)
Resource
Management
•
Documented resource roles including skills and respons
ibilities
• Resource allocation/ utilizatio
n
• Vacancy Report
Quality Managem
ent
• On-time performance
• Failure rat
e
• Defect
frequency
Risk Management
• Risk
impact
• Risk probability
Issue Manag
ement
•
Number of issues
Maintenance &
Operations Transition
Management
• Service implementation activities are completed
• Required fac
ilities, infrastructure, hardware and software
required for ongoing support are in place
• M&O group is prepared to support deliverable: solution, product
or service
Change Control
Manag
ement
• Number of approved change r
equests
• Change control process
Com
munication
M
anagement
• Documented process/procedures of how inform
ation will be
communicated (tools), when and where each communication will
be made (frequency)
• Documented roles
of who is responsible for providing each type
of communication
Contract Management
• Missed milestones
• Deviati
ons from pre-approved contrac
t language
• Service Level Agreements to ensure performance
• Adherence to contract terms
Requirements
M
anagement
• Quantity (of use cases, requirements, user stories, process flow
diagrams, etc.)
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15A Accreditation Instructions
Competency Area Sample KPIs
• Volatility due to scope changes, missed requirements, changes
in requirements, etc.
• Defects due to req
uirements
• Schedule variance due to poor or missing r equirements
Stakeholder
Managem
ent
• Stakeholder training
• Stakeholder eng
agement assessment
Organizational
Change Manag
ement
(OCM)
• Adoption metrics
• Usage and utilization reports
• Proficiency measures
• Employee feedback via surveys, etc.
Business Process
Re-Eng
ineering (BPR)
• Person-hour reduc
tions
• Cost avoidance
• R
eductions in process defects
• Workload backlog reduction
• Productivity
Table 2. Competency and Sample KPIs
Section V - Attachments
The attachment section is comprised of three parts: required attachments, completed plans, and
additional attachments. Each of the documents that are listed must be included as part of the
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation submission. The attachments will be used to further
demonstrate organizational IT maturity and competency.
The CDT may request additional information and/or documentation to support or address any
areas o
f the submission that are either lacking in detail or warrant supplemental information to
determine the Agency’s/state entity’s IT maturity and eligibility for a change in Project Cost
Delegation.
Be sure to provide the most recent version of each required attachment and enter the date of
the docu
ment and any description or comments. The list of required attachments are:
• Current Portfolio Report: Attach the current portfolio report in addition to a Project Status
Report
(PSR) for each project as applicable.
• Historical Projects Worksheet: This worksheet is a separate Excel based document that
should be us
ed when compiling historical project data. Attach a PIER for each project
where a PIER has been completed.
• Organizational Strategic Plan
• IT Strategic Plan
• Agency/State Entity Organization Chart
• Information Management Organization Chart
• Project Management Office (PMO) Charter
In addition to the above attachments, a sampling of plans from a current or recently completed
projec
t/effort from the last year must be included. Plans should be submitted in their current
template/formatting. Below is the list of plans that are to be submitted:
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SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
15A Accreditation Instructions
• Governance Management
• S
chedule Managem
ent
• C
ost Managemen
t
• R
isk Managem
ent
• I
ssue Managem
ent
• Change Control Management
Additional attachments and documents that further support your Agency’s/state entity’s request
should also be included. These may include other documents that have not been listed in the
required attachments
section or documentation that supports any outputs of organizational
maturity and competency accomplished or completed by the Agency/state entity.
Submission
Once completed, the Project Cost Delegation Accreditation and accompanying attachments
should be submitted, along with the Project Cost Delegation Accreditation Executive
Transmittal, in SIMM 15D. This formal document includes signatures from the following:
• Chi
ef Information Offic
er
• B
udget Offic
er
• Procurement and Contracting Officer
• S
tate Entity Directo
r
• A
gency Information Offic
er
T
he Project Cost Delegation Accreditation must be submitted electronically in a Microsoft Word
file (
version 2010 or later). The Historical Projects Worksheet must be submitted electronically in
a Microsoft Excel file (version 2010 or later). Include a signed Executive Transmittal (as a
scanned PDF). Use the following naming convention noting that Project Cost Delegation is
abbreviated in the file names as PCD.
Project Cost Delegation Accreditation:
Org Code_Department Acronym_PCDAccreditation_FY20xx-xx
(e.g. 7502_CDT_PCDAccreditation_FY20xx-xx.doc).
Project Cost Delegation Accredi
tation - Historical Projects Worksheet:
Org Code_Department Acronym_PCDHistoricalProjects_FY20xx-xx
(e.g. 7502_CD
T_ PCDHistoricalProjects_FY20xx-xx.xls).
Project Cost Delegation Trans
mittal:
Org Code_Department Acronym_PCDAccreditationTrans
mittal_FY20xx-xx
(e.g. 7502_CDT_ PCDAccreditationTransmittal_FY20xx-xx.pdf).
Supporting documentation should be submitted in PDF format and follow the naming
convention:
Org Code_Department Acronym_PCDAccreditation_DocumentName_FY20xx-xx
(e.g. 7502_
CDT_PCDAccreditation_OrganizationStrategicPlan_FY20xx-xx.pdf).
California Department of Technology
SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation March 2021
15A Accreditation Instructions
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Once signed, securely send the entire package and all attachments via the following email
address ProjectOversight@state.ca.gov to the Office of Statewide Project Delivery (OSPD).
Questions related to the transmittal should be directed to [email protected].
California Department of Technology
SIMM Section 15 Project Cost Delegation
15A Accreditation Instructions
March 2021
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