Citizen Development Best Practices for Effective Governance and Implementation

Quixy Editorial Team

January 18, 2024

This article was first published on Customer think.

Citizen development Best Practices , the practices wherein non-technical employees take on the role of creating custom software solutions, has emerged as a powerful approach organizations are adopting to streamline their operations and drive innovation. This innovative approach allows individuals within an organization to build software applications tailored to their specific needs, reducing dependency on IT departments and accelerating the development process.

However, to harness the full potential of citizen development while maintaining control, efficiency, and adherence to best practices, it’s crucial to establish effective governance and implementation strategies. Here, we will explore essential tips and strategies for successfully implementing citizen development best practices within your organization and ensuring it aligns with your overarching goals.

11 Citizen Development Best Practices for Effective Governance and Implementation

1. Start with Governance and a Center of Excellence

Inception of Governance

To embark on a successful journey of citizen development, it’s imperative to initiate governance right from the program’s outset. Governance sets the tone for the entire process, ensuring that all citizen-driven initiatives align with the organization’s broader goals, compliance standards, and quality benchmarks.

Establish a CoE (Center of Excellence)

Creating a Center of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to citizen development is a pivotal step. This CoE serves as a central hub for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and best practice dissemination between IT professionals and citizen developers. It fosters an environment where these two groups can work together seamlessly, leveraging their respective expertise to drive innovation effectively.

2. Prioritize Governance Areas

Prioritize Governance

Effective governance involves focusing your efforts on key areas that have the most significant impact on the success of citizen development initiatives. Prioritize governance in the following areas:

• Use Case Selection: Ensure that the citizen development projects selected align with the organization’s strategic objectives.
• CoE Establishment: Continually nurture and evolve the CoE to meet the needs of your organization.
• Design Governance: Enforce design standards to maintain consistency and usability across applications.
• Infrastructure Governance: Oversee the technical infrastructure to ensure scalability, security, and performance.

Change Management: Implement robust change management processes to facilitate the adoption of new citizen-developed solutions seamlessly.

Also Read: How to Implement and Govern Citizen Development

3. Ensure Effectiveness

Use Tools and Metrics

Effectiveness in citizen development can be measured through various means, including:

• Issue Tracking Tools: Implement robust issue-tracking tools to identify and address problems promptly.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Define and monitor KPIs that provide insights into the performance of citizen-developed applications.
• Feedback Surveys: Gather feedback from users to identify areas for improvement.
• Regular Reviews and Audits: Conduct periodic reviews and audits to maintain the quality of citizen-developed solutions.

Also Read: Measuring ROI and Tracking Citizen Development KPIs

4. Involve IT Professionals Early

Engage IT Experts

Early engagement of IT professionals is critical to the success of citizen development initiatives. IT experts can provide guidance, support, and oversight, ensuring that citizen-developed applications align with technical standards and security protocols.

Also Read: Myths Vs. Facts of Citizen Development

5. Implement a Structured Approach

Structured Approach

To streamline decision-making within citizen development, implement a structured approach that centralizes key aspects:

• Application Types: Define which types of applications are suitable for citizen development.
• Development Responsibilities: Clarify the roles and responsibilities of citizen developers and IT professionals.
• Timelines: Establish clear timelines for project milestones and deployments.

Also Read: Citizen Development Value Tree: A Comprehensive Guide

6. Understand Departmental Needs

Tailor Solutions

To boost departmental productivity, it’s essential to understand the unique needs of different departments within your organization. Tailor citizen-developed solutions to address specific use cases and challenges faced by each department.

7. Foster Collaboration for Digital Transformation

Collaborate with IT

Enhance collaboration between citizen developers and IT professionals to ensure the success of your digital transformation efforts. Promote training, risk assessment, and the establishment of boundary agreements to facilitate smooth cooperation.

8. Empower the Community

Community Empowerment

Empower the broader community within your organization to engage in low-code/no-code development. Conduct training sessions and hackathons to nurture talent and drive innovation.

9. Emphasize Governance Structures

Structured Governance

During the training and scaling phases of citizen development, emphasize the importance of governance structures. This helps prevent issues from arising within the citizen development process and ensures that all initiatives adhere to organizational standards.

10. Provide Guidelines and Best Practices

Set Standards

Offer clear guidelines, best practices, and standards to ensure uniformity in UI design, adherence to security protocols, and risk mitigation. Standardization enhances the quality and reliability of citizen-developed applications.

11. Establish Clear Boundaries

Define Boundaries

To safeguard essential processes and sensitive information, clearly define boundaries within citizen development. Implement the necessary controls and measures to protect data and ensure compliance with regulations.

Also Read: A Guide to Suitability Assessment in Citizen Development

Conclusion

Are you prepared to explore the captivating world of citizen development? A clearly defined journey through Citizen Development can help you guide through every step of the way. This authoritative compendium is enriched with valuable insights and practical tips that will help you to harness the true potential of citizen development.