1. Objective
List the principal objective(s) of this measurement implementation effort. Identify the measures to be implemented, explain why they are important to your organization, and summarize the expected outcomes.
2. Description
Outline the origins of the plan, describe the goals and scope of the activities encompassed, and explain how the measures and efforts in the plan relate to other efforts and activities. The subsections that provide this information are described below.
Background
Give a brief history of the events that have led to or motivated this plan. Describe the origins of the plan, the work that has been done to date, who participated, and (optionally) the process that was used. Relate the planned actions to other existing or concurrent measurement activities within your organization and (if appropriate) in those of your customers or suppliers.
Goals
List and explain the goals that motivate and guide the activities under this plan. This section identifies three kinds of goals: (a) business goals, (b) measurement goals, and (c) the goals of this plan.
• The business goals frame the importance of the program and the level of support to be provided by senior executives.
• The measurement goals are more detailed and more specific. They guide the methods that will be used for collecting, storing, and using measured results.
Each measurement goal should be identified and related to one or more of the business goals.
• The goals for this plan are more operationally oriented. They specify the outcomes that are sought. What do you want to achieve? How will you know when you are done? Often the most effective way to express these goals is in terms of exit criteria or criteria for success.
Scope
Relate the measures that this plan implements to the measurement goals they serve and describe their range of application. Do the measures apply to new projects only?
To development projects? To procurement actions? To maintenance projects? To contractors and subcontractors? To large or small programs? To only certain
affected by the measurement practices, processes, and methods? Who will use the results? Identify the time span over which this plan is to be effective.
Relationship to Other Software Process Improvement Efforts
Describe how the measurement efforts in this plan relate to other process improvement activities at your organization. Explain how the efforts relate to any goals or actions your organization may have established with respect to the CMM, the Baldrige Award, or ISO 9000 certification.
Relationship to Other Functional Activities
Describe how the measurement efforts in this plan relate to (and interface with) other functional groups and activities at your organization, such as cost estimating, time and effort reporting, cost accounting, procurement, technical writing, and quality assurance.
3. Implementation
Describe the actions that are to be taken to implement the measures identified in Section 2. For example, will you use pilot projects? Will you use focused subsets of the measures, perhaps locally, before broad organization-wide implementation? Put together a comprehensive strategy that addresses all aspects of implementation, including the tools and training needed to introduce, use, and sustain effective measurement. Address data-storage issues and the steps for incorporating these measures and measurement practices into your organization's policies, procedures, practices, and training curricula. Describe how you will use the measured results and how you will obtain feedback to continuously improve the measurement processes.
Describe your plans for identifying problem areas and successes, and for publishing success stories and lessons learned. The subsections that provide this information are described below.
Activities, Products, and Tasks
Describe how the effort is to be accomplished. Partition the effort into manageable activities, products, and tasks that can be used as a basis for planning, reporting, management, and control. For each activity, product, or task, state the objective and identify the principal subtasks. Identify all sequences and dependencies that affect either the schedule or assignment of resources. Where possible, identify the entry and exit conditions that will determine start and completion of the task.
Schedule
Describe when each of the activities, products, or tasks is to be accomplished. Use Gantt charts, PERT charts, or alternative displays where appropriate to describe sequences and dependencies. Translate key actions, events, and deliverables into milestones so that performance can be tracked against plans.
Resources
Describe the resources that are being allocated to this effort. Address personnel, money, facilities, teaming plans, computer resources, etc.
Responsibilities
Name the individuals or groups that will be responsible for overseeing, planning, implementing, managing, approving, and funding this effort. Assign responsibility and authority for acquiring tools, for training, and for implementing and operating databases.
Measurement and Monitoring
Describe how the progress of implementing these measures will be measured, analyzed, and reported. Identify replanning points and describe how significant schedule deviations or changes and revised funding needs will be handled.
Assumptions
Identify the key assumptions upon which this plan is based. Key assumptions are ones which, if not satisfied, pose risks for successful implementation.
Risk management
Describe how you will identify, assess, track, and do contingency planning for the risk factors associated with the measurement implementation efforts covered by this plan.
Describe the actions that will be taken to monitor the assumptions, and provide mechanisms for reacting if assumptions are not met. Also, identify all places where planned schedules and resources differ from estimates and describe the actions that are being taken to make the planned outcomes achievable.
4. Sustained Operation
Describe the actions that will be taken to sustain and use the measures implemented in Section 3. Assign resources and responsibilities and make provisions for continuing evolution. Describe the practices that will be used to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the measures and to assess their business value and their effects on organizational performance. Alternatively, if appropriate, provide direction and resources for preparing an operational plan for sustaining the collection, use, retention, evolution, and evaluation of these measures.
Exercise 10: Writing the Plan
With the results from Exercises 1 through 9 in hand, you have most of the information that you need to begin planning actions to implement the measures you have defined. Your final assignment is to write an action plan. You will, of course, follow through by getting approval for your plan and by implementing and tracking the measurement and management actions that are called for in the plan.
The template that was presented on the previous pages provides a generic outline for the major topics that your plan should address. You may use this template as a guide for your plan, or you may select an alternative structure that better meets your needs.