Risks & Issues

Risk is something that is likely to occur and has a direct bearing on cost, schedule, or quality (or all the three) of a project. Risks can be prevented from becoming issues through proper Risk Management. Risks should be identified, categorized, prioritized, and discussed on a regular basis (team meetings).

Issue is something that's already there. It is a "risk that has occurred". Issues can only be dealt with, but cannot be prevented. Issues are limitations that we have to live with or we have to find a suitable workaround for them.

Sunset of CMMI V1.1

The SW-CMM and related products (e.g., CBA IPI and SCE) were fully retired by December 31, 2005.

SW-CMM appraisal results from CBA IPI and SCE appraisals expire on December 31, 2007.

Sunset of CMMI Version 1.1

The sunsetting period for CMMI Version 1.1 will commence when V1.2 is released. To allow the user community a reasonable amount of time to upgrade to Version 1.2, a measured approach will be used for retiring training and appraisal materials, with the sunset period ending on December 31, 2007.

Fixed Bid and T&M

Courtesy : http://weblogs.sqlteam.com

Configuration Management

Software Configuration Management is a set of activities designed to control change by identifying the work products that are likely to change establishing the relationship among them, defining mechanisms for managing different versions of these work products, controlling changes imposed, and auditing and reporting on the changes made (Roger Pressman).

It consists of the following 4 activities:

1. Configuration Identification
2. Configuration Control
3. Configuration Status Accounting
4. Configuration Audits

Configuration Identification: Project teams (and also the SEPG, OT, OID, QAG teams) are required to identify the work products (in their respective teams) that need to be put under configuration control. Data required / used in a project can be placed under two categories: configurable and non-configurable items. Configurable items are those work products, which are likely to undergo changes and will have multiple versions at any given time during the project execution. Project plans, CM Plans, code, etc. are configurable items. On the contrary, data like emails, client chat scripts, audit reports, etc. do not change. They need not be version controlled. Such items are put under Data Management Plan.

Configuration Control: is the systematic evaluation, coordination, approval / disapproval and dissemination of proposed changes and implementation of all approved changes in the configuration of any item after formal establishment of its configuration baseline.

Change requests to process / products have to be routed through configuration control board (CCB) for approval before they can be used. Product change requests are analyzed for impact by the CCB. The mandated changes are implemented in the respective artifacts and then baselined. The CM issues a communication to the team on the baselined artifacts.

As the project advances, multiple versions of the baselined configurable items will exist. Configuration control is essential to keep the latest approved set (by CCB) of the work products floating. For code, it ensures that all developers work on the same baselined version.

Configuration Status Accounting: the recording and reporting of the configuration information is called configuration status accounting. This activity includes:

1. List of identified configurable items. (nos, and names)
2. Changes / Deviations / Waivers to configuration.
3. Implement status of approved changes. (configuration control status)
4. Version, baseline status

Configuration Audit: are necessary to verify that the integrity of work products is being maintained. Checks would be done on: baselining, configuration item identification, configuration control status, etc.

Run Charts and Control Charts

Run Charts

Run chart gives the trend of processes - its performance over a period of time; against previous performance. Run charts help in spotting aberrations in process performance and its progression over time. We can add an average line (parallel to the X axis) to the Y values to see the data deflection from average.

We can also have multiple run charts where the trends of process compliance of several projects can be compared.

Since run charts depict process trends, significant trends or patterns can be identified and investigated for the root causes. Similarly, special variations (significant deviant data points) can be spotted and their causes identified & addressed.

The above chart does not tell anything about the tolerance limits of PCI (that the organization would put up with). It merely tells us about the PCI trend for the months stated. So, without a guiding process performance limits, it is not of much use.