FinOps Project Manager

Position: FinOps Project Manager

Duration: 5 Months

Location: Minnesota (100% Remote)

Description of Project:

The Minnesota Department of Information Technology Services (MNIT) is seeking a vendor to assist with an assessment of MNIT's current FinOps practices and structures related to MNIT's two primary cloud goals: 1) migrate on-prem servers to the cloud by 2027 and 2) modernize the DevOps ecosystem. MNIT has developed FinOps capability to support current cloud workloads but is seeking assistance in creating a roadmap outlining how to support MNIT enterprise and executive branch agencies in their local cloud migration processes.

MNIT is seeking an external review of its current practices in comparison to industry best practices, with a focus on specific concerns related to governance and policy aspects. We have a federated IT system where MNIT Enterprise provides cloud services to executive branch agencies who, in turn stand up their own cloud systems with local support. We are looking for an evaluation of where we fall on the maturity scale with our enterprise processes and enterprise governance, with a roadmap showing how we might improve within the enterprise and also better provide services to executive branch agencies.

At a high level, the vendor will conduct an assessment of the current FinOps practices and structure, create an implementation road map that addresses how to align current processes with best practices, and deliver a presentation of findings to MNIT executive leadership.

What is Not in Scope:

To reduce ambiguity and ensure proposals align with project intent, the following activities are not in scope for this engagement:

• Individual assessments or maturity models for executive branch agencies' local FinOps practices.
• Assessment of the state's cloud migration efforts.
• Training sessions for executive branch agencies.
• Technical implementations or reconfigurations of financial systems, such as SWIFT, rate models, etc. or development or alteration of enterprise IT service rates, billing structures, or cost allocation methodologies.

Phase 1 Deliverables and Sample Tasks:

Deliverable 1 - Assessment Report(s) on Current FinOps Practices and Structure

Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current FinOps practices and capabilities to understand and document how they align with industry best practices. The report should include:

• A summary of the current state of FinOps at MNIT
• An evaluation of existing processes, governance, tools, and roles within the FinOps framework
• A comparison of current practices against FinOps best practices
• Evaluation of participation in Fin Ops by executive branch agencies
• Identification of gaps and areas for improvement
• Assessment of current tools and their alignment with FinOps framework
• Recommend tools or platform to enhance visibility, optimization, and expense control
• Identify cost-benefit analysis for each recommended tool or platform

Deliverable 2 - Design FinOps Policy and Governance Framework:

Design a FinOps policy and governance framework that establishes guidelines and procedures for managing cloud expenses effectively. This framework should:

• Define roles and responsibilities related to FinOps within the organization
• Suggest a structure for a FinOps cross-functional team or center of excellence
• Develop policies and processes for cloud resource budgeting, planning, procurement, and optimization that have a clear mechanism for monitoring, reporting, and accountability

Deliverable 3 - Implementation Roadmap:

Develop a recommended roadmap for implementing FinOps framework that brings the most value for the organization and align with best practices. The roadmap should:

• Identify the areas with the most impact vs. low impact
• Provide a phased approach with clear milestones and timelines for each phase
• Include recommendations for process improvements, tool adoption, and role adjustments or other additions
• Suggest metrics and KPIs to track the effectiveness of implemented changes

Deliverable 4 - Executive Presentation:

Conduct an executive presentation to leadership summarizing the findings, recommendations, and roadmap.

• Review the key findings and strategic roadmap in detail
• Discuss the implementation plan for the recommended FinOps practices
• Offer an opportunity for Q&A and deep dives into specific areas of interest

Optional Phase 2

The State reserves the right to add implementation services to this work order contract, which may include tasks such as training, project roll out, support, and consultation services.

Pass/Fail Requirements:

Vendor has done one FinOps maturity assessment at the state government level or higher operating in a federated model which included identifying gaps against best practices and developing actionable roadmaps for alignment and improvement.

Desired Qualifications:

Use of industry-recognized methodologies

• Experience using recognized frameworks and methodologies to guide the planning, assessment, and implementation process of a past project.

Expert team composition

• Sufficient staffing level with the necessary expertise to cover all aspects of the project.
• This includes, but not limited to, project management team, FinOps subject-matter expert, FinOps practitioners, and FinOps analysts.

Relevant certifications and skills

• The ideal vendor team will hold the following certifications pertaining to FinOps, such as:
• Certified FinOps practitioners/professionals
• Cloud platform certifications
• Financial management or accounting certifications