Within DPS, DoTS uses best practices to plan, track and monitor new projects, major developments and all changes to production environments that support the district, employees, and students. By following change control and release management best practices, we ensure successful planning and delivery of new projects, major developments, and ensure that changes are made in a controlled and coordinated manner.

For more information, visit the Release Management site. 

Release Management Services

Release Readiness 

Prior to releasing a new technology or software to district users, we must ensure that all efforts have been made to minimize risk and ensure a successful rollout. The release readiness checklist and meeting (often called a go/no go) are used as this final check prior to a release to ensure all development and testing are complete, the deployment steps defined, and change management activities are ready.

• Release Readiness Checklist - Criteria that any technology release must meet prior to being approved for deployment. 
• Release Readiness Meeting - Review meeting to assess the readiness of a new technology release, confirm all criteria has been met, and other preparations have been put in place for a successful deployment.
• Release Readiness Consulting and Advising - Providing consultation and advisement on release and change best practices for technology initiatives.

Change Control

Change Control is the formal process that DoTS uses to ensure that changes to production software, tools, or systems are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner. This includes the following:

• Change Control Process - oversight and management of the Change Control process including reviewing and approving Standard and Minor changes.
• Change Control Tool Administration (Ivanti Service Manager) -  Provide product management for the Change module within Ivanti Service Manager (ISM), the official system for submitting and managing all change requests for the systems and tools that DoTS supports. Product Management includes gathering feedback on the tool, gathering requirements, and working with system administrators to implement improvements and best practices within the tool.
• Change Advisory Board Facilitation - The Change Advisory Board (CAB) and ERP CAB functions as an approval board that reviews and votes on the most complex changes to DoTS supported systems. Members of the CAB include representatives from across DoTS to ensure a diverse set of perspectives are considered when making changes to our production systems. The Release Manager facilitates the CAB voting process in ISM, coordinates collection of data when questions arise, and facilitates impromptu meetings to review changes as needed. The Release Manager facilitates a monthly meeting with CAB members focused on learning about cross-functional changes and reflecting upon past changes.