Assignment: Describing Processes

Exeter has developed a process architecture for the city, which identifies the processes that the city has and the hierarchy of the different processes. This is a very good start for managing the processes, but you’ve noticed a problem.

Collect Garden Bins

One of the processes in the process architecture is called Collect Garden Bins. According to Paul in Communications this is what the process is about:

We pick up all the green bins, approximately every two weeks for recycling.

— Paul (Communications)

You also asked Bahnaz, a colleague in the Services department what Collect Garden Bins entails and your notebook shows:

For each city district, we have a yearly schedule to enlist a garbage waste processor to collect and recycle the garden waste bins, green or black with green lids.

— Bahnaz (Services)

It seems that Paul and Bahnaz both have a different idea of what the Collect Garden Bins process does. They differ on which and how many bins are collected, when that happens and who performs the collection. This process would benefit from a clear description that everybody shares.

Improving Descriptions

You propose that each process in the process architecture should have a (agreed upon) description that defines the process in terms of:

  • What the intent of the process is: what it is supposed to achieve;

  • What the stakeholders of the process want it to achieve; and

  • How the stakeholder can know that the process is working well.

You create a number of process descriptions to serve as an example and initiate discussions. Your approach is to describe the processes by using 5 W’s: who, what, where, why, when. Here are two examples you’ve created so far.

Example 1. Organise Farmers Market
The Organise Farmers Market process (1)
involves Events Management and registered Farms (2)
in organising a stationary market (3)
to sell locally produced farm goods to the community (4)
at the Queen's Terrace Public Parking Space (5)
on every 2nd Monday of the month, except on bank holidays (6)
1 Process name
2 Who
3 What
4 Why
5 Where
6 When
Example 2. Grant Planning Permission
The Grant Planning Permission process (1)
involves the Permits department (2)
assessing residential and commercial planning permission applications (3)
to grant permission for building and modifying buildings (4)
at sites within the Exeter City area (5)
during City office hours (6)
1 Process name
2 Who
3 What
4 Why
5 Where
6 When

Assignment

One of the processes the city executes is renewing driving licences for motorised vehicles. It needs a clear description to add to the process architecture.

Create a process description for the Renew Driving Licence process. Make sure the description defines the 5 W’s.

You may define the process description in your own language.
You are probably not an expert on the details of renewing driving licences. Don’t worry about the details; use your imagination!