Lately I have been thinking about topic of how best practice frameworks fit together. Whether you follow the PMBOK, ITIL CMMI, COBIT, and the list goes on, a good chance exists that you will find times when the schools of thought overlap as well as contradict one another. It is fair to say that all models inevitably have both evangelists and critics, but it is my belief that all the proclaimed “best practice” models have at least some good takeaways. So, to dismiss any one model altogether is a bit close-minded.

Jim Haustein and Vick Dean of Cornell University delivered a presentation titled “Process Improvement in Higher Education” that discussed the process improvement program. Since mid-2007, Cornell has been using ITIL as a framework to create a more process-focused and service-focused organization. This was an excellent presentation filled with lessons learned and tips for people to take back to their institutions.

Here are a few quick points worth repeating:

Continuous management support is key to success.
Change Management was their first win.

Deming's process improvement model, the "PDCA" cycle, consists of four steps:

• Plan
• Do
• Check
• Act

I think organizations progress from a "Do" cycle (with no planning), to a "Plan-Do" cycle (with no check), to a "Plan-Do-Check-Act" cycle. Personally I have created project plans for process improvement that did not include any post-implementation check-ups--and without these check-ups it's easier for the improvement to "roll back" if it wasn't implemented fully.