XLC Project Process Agreement

The Project Process Agreement (PPA) is a key artifact in the XLC that sets expectations and increases overall project predictability. It is a written agreement between the key stakeholders that establishes a common understanding regarding which reviews will be conducted for the project, which artifacts are appropriate, and which tests are necessary based on the project’s  complexity level as determined by the Business Owner. An Excel-based tool is used to create the PPA.

The PPA is approved by the Division of IT Governance (DITG) prior to the Investment Selection Review (ISR); you can send a draft of your PPA to the DITG mailbox for review and approval.

The approved PPA can be provided to a contractor as part of a request for proposal (RFP). As a proposal input, the PPA helps scope the expected work and time-frame for completion.

These sample PPAs are meant to illustrate the possibilities — not to be prescriptive or to replace a careful review of what is appropriate for your individual project. Click on any of the thumbnail images to view a sample PPA.

Sample PPA: Complexity Level 1	Sample PPA: Complexity Level 2	Sample PPA: Complexity Level 3

Risk Considerations back to top

When planning project activities and life cycle processes, it is important to 1) consider the risk of waiving a review and 2) plan appropriate mitigation strategies to ensure project success. For descriptions of the risks of omitting a review, please refer to the CMS XLC Detailed Description Document.