EPLC User Manual Practices Guide

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE LIFE CYCLE FRAMEWORK

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PRRAACCTTIICCEESS GUUIIDDEE
USER MANUAL
Issue Date: <mm/dd/yyyy>
Revision Date: <mm/dd/yyyy>
Document Purpose
This Practices Guide is a brief document that provides an overview describing the best practices,
activities, attributes, and related templates, tools, information, and key terminology of industry-leading
project management practices and their accompanying project management templates.
Background
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) is a
framework to enhance Information Technology (IT) governance through rigorous application of sound
investment and project management principles, and industry best practices. The EPLC provides the
context for the governance process and describes interdependencies between its project management,
investment management, and capital planning components. The EPLC framework establishes an
environment in which HHS IT investments and projects consistently achieve successful outcomes that
align with Department and Operating Division goals and objectives.
The User Manual clearly explains how a business user is to use the established Business Product from a
business function perspective.
Practice Overview
The User Manual should be written using non-technical terminology and should include the key features
or functions of the Business Product. The manual should explain how a business user operates the
system and should include sufficient detail and plain language so that all levels of business user can
easily understand how to use the Business Product.
The Project Team should determine the media that is most effective for their user community. Media
options include system messages (e.g.: warnings, error messages, etc.), on-line help (e.g.: field level,
screen level, etc), or printed documentation.
Developing the User Manual
Whether printed documentation or on-line help, all user manual material must adhere to HHS 508 Policy.
Please refer to http://www.hhs.gov/web/policies/standards/index.html for more detail on how to ensure
that your documents are 508 compliant.
The project manager and/or technical writing staff should consider the following when determining the
required content:
• How will the application be used?

• Who will be using the application?
o User Roles
o Primary/Power Users
o Basic Users
o External Users
• Who is the intended audience for the user manual?
• What is the expected knowledge or experience level of each audience?
• Who or what groups need to be involved with writing and reviewing the documents?
o Technical Writers
o Development Staff
o Users
• What will be the final formats of the documents?
o Printed Copies
o On-line copies
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This document is 508 Compliant [Insert additional appropriate disclaimer(s)]
HHS EPLC Practices Guide - <OPDIV> User Manual (v1.0) <MM/DD/YYYY>
PDF format?
o On-line help topics
o Web-based User Manual
o On-line Help
• What content should be included in the user manual?
Best Practices
The following best practices are recommended for User Manual development:
• Collaborate – The User Manual should be developed in collaboration with all project team
members and stakeholders.
• Determine and Include – All appropriate content necessary for the User Manual
• Design – All content should have the same look and feel
• Approve – Obtain proper approval before implementing the User Manual
Practice Activities
For Information Technology projects the following practice activities are appropriate:
• Plan – Include the User Manual as a deliverable in your project schedule
• Audiences – Identify both internal and external communication audiences
• Needs – Determine who needs what information, when, and in what format
• Distribution – Electronic vs. printed documentation
• Sources – Adhere to the 508 compliance standards for development of the User Manual
• Responsibility – Assign responsibility the creation of the User Manual or include it in the contract
• Develop – Create the User Manual based on the system developed
• Test – Validate that the User Manual matches the system
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE LIFE CYCLE FRAMEWORK

Developing the User Manual

• How will the application be used?

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