The capacity to change with the times and meet evolving demands is more important than ever in today's fast-paced corporate world.
Under the auspices of IT, citizen development gives non-technical staff members the tools they need to build and launch business apps on low-code or no-code platforms. The result is an organization that is more agile and adaptable because to the democratization of technology and the acceleration of innovation.
The problem of departmental silos, which caused ineffective information flow and fractured communication, was a major obstacle for one of our well-known clients on a global scale. Project timeframes were impacted and communication throughout the business was impeded as a result. A system that could be readily maintained by non-technical workers and improve communication and information exchange was needed. Our adventure with citizen development started here.
A Plan for Citizen Development
We set out to create a citizen development plan that would meet the specific requirements of our customer by drawing on the principles laid out by the PMI. A straightforward but lofty objective was to improve departmental communication and information flow by empowering them to build and manage their own SharePoint sites using SharePoint, a robust collaboration platform.
Creating a Governance Structure
Creating a system of government that was in line with PMI's recommendations for community development was the initial stage. To accomplish this, we had to lay out specific rules, assign certain duties, and monitor the IT infrastructure to make sure data was secure and compliant, all while giving staff the freedom to come up with their own solutions.
Education and Self-determination
The next area of emphasis was training. Making sure our staff, who are also our citizen developers, have the skills to make the most of SharePoint was a top priority. To guarantee that the solutions created were centered around the needs of the users, we held workshops and distributed materials that addressed not just the technical parts of SharePoint but also user experience best practices and design thinking.
Putting It All Together and Getting Feedback
We proceeded to implementation after establishing the governance framework and training our citizen developers. The process of creating a SharePoint site started rolling out across departments, changing the way people worked together. Our goal was to give citizen developers the tools they needed to confidently manage and improve their solutions, so we offered continuous support.
The outcomes had a profound impact. Before, departments worked alone, but now they share data and work together on initiatives. A culture of independence and innovation was fostered by the combination of SharePoint's user-friendliness and the training and governance we provide. The company staff noticed projects that normally would have taken weeks to launch were launched in a matter of days.
This achievement exemplifies the efficacy of community development. In addition to improving efficiency, we can encourage a spirit of creativity and constant progress by giving workers the tools they need to tackle problems technologically.
Along with selecting the correct platform, our success hinged on developing a citizen development strategy that adhered to PMI's best practices and comprised robust training, continuous support, and strong governance.