Implementing Ultimate Citizen Dev (UCD) is an ambitious transformation, but it is achievable with the right tools and principles. Instead of focusing on theory, this article provides practical and actionable solutions. We will discuss the key steps, proven technologies, and organizational strategies needed to empower Citizen Developers and encourage collaboration.
Before starting this transformation, it is important to assess the feasibility and the conditions required for the success of Ultimate Citizen Dev (UCD).
Prolegomena to Any Future UCD
What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him
Every organizational change is a kind of battle. We have seen that UCD is not suitable for web-based companies or startups, but it is well-suited for corporate IT.
Before moving forward, three key questions arise:
- Does the company leadership want to support this transformation?
- What is the technical expertise level of the business teams?
- Will IT cooperate?
For the first question, goodwill from management is not enough. Training the current or future Citizen Developers will be necessary, and this comes at a cost. Building or finalizing new infrastructure will also require investment. Finally, ensuring IT’s cooperation will be challenging and unpleasant.
The second question helps define the effort needed for training. A framework like the “knight’s scale” can be used, and it’s also important to survey business teams to understand their interests and concerns.
The last question is by far the most critical. IT will bear the greatest burden: adapting its governance tools, providing its technological and human resources, and stepping back to allow these less skilled but highly visible new developers to take the stage. IT has the power to derail this transformation, either actively or passively.
Finally, it is essential to conduct a technological inventory. This can be done based on the elements detailed later. Specifically, evaluate the company’s self-service platform, the Citizen Dev runtime platform, and their development environment.
We seek the meaning behind the action, the principle that justifies the practice, and the framework that guides choices. These are defined by UCD’s core values: simplicity, independence, and self-learning.
To implement successfully, we must first focus on the heart of the reactor: Data.
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