Below is a simple COE template. As you use it, you’ll find you want to change things. Have at it - just keep it simple. Remember, people have to write it in 72 hours, and it can’t be so complex that no one reads it.
COE TEMPLATE
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NOTE: REMOVE notes in orange before publication. These elements are meant to assist you in understanding the intent and how to complete each section of the document.
Throughout the document, remember to NEVER use passive voice – check out this primer. This is especially important as COE ties together cause and effect, and the passive voice disassociates the two.
COE Executive Summary
Primary Author:
Date:
Several paragraphs that outline the problem, root cause and mitigation. The mitigation is NOT how to solve the immediate problem (e.g. we fixed the bug). It is a systemic fix (e.g. we will implement an automated QA script…). Also: errors involve multiple root causes and mitigations, either nested or adjacent.
Summarize from end of doc, using bullets:
Root Cause 1:
Mitigation 1:
Root Cause 2:
Mitigation 2:
ETC.
Background
If relevant to explaining the COE, provide content that introduces what was going on before, or as this critical issue occurred. The historical context, or statistics shared should help illuminate the who, what, when, why or the associated impact of the COE.
What Happened: Timeline
List key timeline elements associated with the critical issue from when it was first detected, to when it was resolved. Add only the events that are salient to how/when it was detected and resolved. Reminder, if you now know that there was a large gap in time from when the issue first manifest, to when it was detected, inserting those entries could be very instrumental in explaining why improved detection, or other improvement capabilities are required. These are not the root causes or systemic fixes – this is just a ‘what happened’
Date / Time (PT)
Event
How Resolved:
Date / Time (PT)
Event
How Resolved:
Date / Time (PT)
Event
How Resolved:
ETC.
Primary Systemic Errors
Focus on identifying the root cause of the critical issue; this background information may be helpful. Remember there are ultimately three potential root causes areas in any situation:
a) People – the professionals involved in the critical issue
b) Process – the procedures followed or used by the professionals. Includes work instructions, standards, frameworks, and methodologies
c) Technology – the automation used to enable, protect, control, and support the people and processes.
Adjust the sub headers below to add/remove groups that were involved in your critical issue’s underlying error(s).
Secondary Errors and Issues:
list other systemic errors that may have aggravated the issue, but are not core to the main error(s)
Impact
(usually on revenue, customer experience, expense. Quantify where possible).
Corrections:
(Always either people, process, or tools. E.g. training, workflow, feature). Each error requires at least one systemic remediation)
Remediation Steps
(Each correction requires an owner (person, team) and date when owner will complete step.)