Strategic Plan

F.1.1. Introduction to the Strategic Plan

Explain the intent of the plan and the policy that has motivated it. Give references for any policy documents and spokespersons.

Give a brief history of assessments and other events leading to the development of the plan.

Cite any documents from those activities. List the types and positions of the participants.

F.1.2. Overview

Explain how the strategic portion of the action plan provides an overall framework for software engineering process improvement efforts. Use the diagram in Figure 3-1 in Chap-ter 3.

Explain that the strategic portion of the plan will provide answers to the following questions:

•What are our goals in beginning a major software engineering process improve-ment effort?

•What is our motivation to improve?

•What have we assumed?

•Who is directly responsible and how will we work together?

•How will we know when we succeed?

•What are we going to do to begin improving our software engineering process?

•How will we continue to improve?

F.1.3. Process Improvement Goals

List the strategic goals that have been developed as a result of the assessment.

22This material was aided by references to [Gessner84], [Mason81], and [Schmidt87].

F.1.4. Motivation

List the principal motivations that will drive the change effort. Use terms that are specific enough to enable people to understand what motivations are appropriate. Be clear about the need to improve.

F.1.5. Assumptions

List critical assumptions, describing how each affects the plan.

Discuss the risks implied by this set of assumptions.

F.1.6. Organizing for Process Improvement

Explain the functions of new organizational entities created in support of the process im-provement efforts. The reader should be able to determine whom to ask a question of, submit an idea to, or give feedback to. Use Figure 3-3 and text from Chapter 3 as needed.

Explain the following:

•The role of the executive sponsor and what resources he or she has committed.

•The role of the steering committee and how members are chosen.

•The role of the working groups and how members are chosen.

•How projects will participate in specific improvement efforts.

•The role of the process group.

F.1.7. Responsibility Matrix

Note that the steering committee will cross organizational boundaries to support the working groups in their implementation of software engineering process improvements.

Identify the final approving authority of the working groups.

List all process group coordinating activities with both working groups and the steering com-mittee.

List all working group responsibilities.

Use Figure 3-2 as the basis for a matrix listing responsibilities, including approvals and reporting structure.

F.1.8. Criteria for Success

Describe how to measure and evaluate the success of improvement efforts at both the or-ganization and the project levels. It would be helpful to tie this to the motivation for change.

F.1.9. Improvement Agenda

Describe the agenda for improvement that was developed as a result of the assessment and other data gathering activities. This should include any technical areas—configuration management, cost and schedule estimation, technical reviews, CASE—and organization-wide study efforts in areas such as software engineering training and education. The process group itself is an agenda item. If it already exists, the item might state how it will improve. If not, this agenda item is a statement chartering the process group. Other agenda items might note the need for working groups to support some of the process group’s efforts; for example, research into useful metrics might be a joint effort of the process group and a working group prior to beginning to develop the process database and attendant procedures.

List the agenda items in priority order with the name of the responsible person or group.

Note that the charter for each will be available in the tactical section of the action plan.

F.1.10. Guidelines for Planning Improvement Projects

Describe here the guidelines for planning specific improvement projects. Note that project teams are supported in this planning effort by members of the appropriate technical working group, the process group, and the steering committee, all of whom may join together in a planning workshop. Collectively, and prior to beginning detailed planning, this group should be able to answer all the questions listed in Chapter 6 about a new technology and the process of putting it in place.

Planning workshops should address five areas:

1. Project activation. Ensure that the project has met all legal, administrative, and bureaucratic requirements and is ready to begin operations.

2. Project organization. Plan how the project organization will function, clarify roles and responsibilities, and develop operating procedures.

3. Schedules. Agree on specific project goals and objectives, then establish realistic plans, budgets, and schedules.

4. Resources. Establish procedures for ensuring that the key project resources (money, people, training, and equipment) are available when needed.

5. Information and control system. Identify information needs, select measures and indicators, and establish a useful monitoring and reporting sys-tem.

The above process is iterative. The tasks can be completed in other sequences, but none of the five major steps can be neglected or the project will rest on a weak implementation foundation. At the end of the workshop, the participants will have prepared written plans, budgets, schedules, and responsibility descriptions to guide the implementation of specific process improvements. The planning workshop produces specific results and also builds team capacity for planning future improvements.