Events Leading to this SPIP

The directorate initiatives for 1998 are to have this project assessed using the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) at level 2. This project is included in the projects selected to achieve level 2 maturity for the organization. The CMM is a

framework that describes the key elements of an effective software process. The CMM describes an evolutionary improvement path for software organizations from an ad hoc, immature process to a mature disciplined one. This path consists of five maturity levels. The CMM covers practices for planning, engineering, and managing software development and maintenance. When followed, these practices improve the ability of organizations to meet goals for cost, schedule, functionality and product quality.

Purpose of the SPIP

This SPIP defines goals, objectives, areas for improvement, strategy for implementing improvements, resources and schedule for the project’s Software Process Improvement Initiative.

Objectives of the Software Improvement Project

The objectives of the software improvement project are to:

Improve the project’s software development process within the level 2 defined process areas.

Achieve level 2 maturity as defined by the SEI Capability Maturity Model (CMM) by December 31, 1998 and verified by the SEI assessment process.

Identify any weakness within the project, which could be improved in preparation for level 3.

Major Recommendations and Initial Actions

In order to implement SPI activities, the four phases have been established. The software improvement plan will consist of executing and completing the four phases shown below:

Definition phase, which primarily consists of planning and training CMM core members.

Development phase, which primarily consists of completing the software plans as outlined in the Key Process Area (KPA) matrices and the Requirements process document.

Deployment phase, which primarily consists of executing the documents of the deployment phase, gathering the artifacts and training the entire organization in the BMP phase commit/review process model (PC/RPM).

Verification phase, which consists of participating in the CMM assessments.

 

 

SPI Success Criteria

The SPI plan will be successfully executed by passing the four quality gates outlined in this plan. The quality gates are at the end of the project phases of: (1) Definition, (2) Development (3) Deployment and (4) Verification.

Assumptions

The following assumptions hold for this plan:

All areas of the CMM level 2 key process areas will be satisfied except the Software Subcontract Management KPA. Statements of work that target practices not in the level 2 KPAs are not included.

Project will be participating in the CMM level 2 assessment in November 1998.

Organization of the Software Process Improvement Plan

The software process improvement plan for the project is structured following the guidelines of the Directorate Project Plan Guidelines. This structure includes an executive summary and introduction at the beginning of the project plan, followed by a detailed description of the project organization and structure. At the end of the project plan are the detailed schedules, gap analyses and work breakdown structure, which will define the work efforts and time line of the project.

The executive summary will constitute a removable section of the document that will address the strategic goals and advantages of the project. The introduction will contain goals, objectives and scope statements, and assumptions that will be adhered to within the project and this document.

The organization and structure section will define the infrastructure of the project, roles assigned, decision making responsibilities, methods of communication, quality controls, project staffing, and project tracking methods and possible supplemental plan requirements.

Process Improvement Description, Background, and Scope

The software process improvement project for the project will prepare the existing project team for an assessment of the maturity level by mid November of 1998. A gap analysis conducted prior to the creation of this plan defines which work products are already complete, which work products require additional

work, and which work products need to be created entirely. The updated gap analysis will be included within this plan, as well as a statement of work, a work breakdown structure, and a schedule with time budget & resource requirements.

This project will include satisfying all of the requirements of the level 2 KPAs, except the Software Subcontract Management KPA. This project will not include statements of work that target practices not in the above five KPAs.

To identify and help improve any weaknesses within the project processes.

To support the directorate 1998 Level 2 Deployment Initiative.

To improve BMP project's process maturity to satisfy the practices of the Key Process Areas of the Capability Maturity Model at level 2.

Improvement Approach and Related Process Products

The process that we will utilize to achieve our result will mirror the Phased Commit/Review Process Model. It will follow the waterfall approach using the phases defined in the PC/RPM with similar quality gates and milestones controls. A head count and effort hours metrics will be collected for this project, as defined by the CMM Initiative team, rather than the PRI metrics associated with the PC/RPM.

All five key process areas and the practices of these process areas will be incorporated at the same time in an iterative improvement effort. The core team will meet weekly to discuss progress. Each KPA area will be considered and the next steps for improvement within the KPA area will be taken. The advantage of this strategy is to balance the effort over all of the resources, balance the significance of each area, and insure that all areas are complete with enough lead time for the requirements of the assessment.

The objectives of the weekly meetings and the efforts between these meetings are:

Resolve the outstanding process issues identified in the gap analysis

Resolve process issues or to fix process weaknesses identified in these status meetings

Extend the BMP project to address the practices of the KPAs of CMM Level 2

Provide status of the CMM project

 

3. Communications Mechanisms

Meetings

The project will conduct weekly meetings scheduled for each Wednesday. The attendees of the meeting will be the CMM project manager, the two project advisors (CMM & SQA) and the KPA contacts for the affected projects. In addition members of senior management will be invited to attend where possible.

Information Exchange

All documents, work products and meeting minutes related to this effort will be collected. The project manager will keep a hard copy of all documents in organized binders and an electronic copy on a network backed up drive. The CMM Advisor will also be given an electronic copy of all of the work products for this effort, which will be posted, to the Project home page under the CMM area.

Issue/Action Item Tracking & Resolution

A member of the team will be assigned the responsibility to collect, prepare and distribute minutes of these meetings. At the end of each meeting the CMM advisor will have a list of the issues raised within the meeting, and a portion of the meeting will be to allocate action items related to these issues. Tracking and resolution of these issues will be recorded in the minutes of the weekly project status meetings.

Change Control/Configuration Management

If the status or issues raised create a change to the baseline schedule for the project, a sub-team will be formed to assess the impact. This sub-team will consist of the Project’s project manager, the SPI Project manager, the CMM advisor and the SQA PRI manager. Upon reaching conclusions, the sub-team will advise senior management of the decisions and ask for approval and comment. The Project’s project manager will negotiate with senior management any changes to budget, time or content of the work.

All process artifacts come under the Directorate and Project’s change control, configuration management policies, standards, and procedures and the Project’s Requirements Change Control Process.

Quality Methods

The Directorate SQA plan and procedures apply to this project. This will include peer reviews, quality gates, audits and review by the 1998 CMM Initiative Team. The CMM advisor has created a schedule of quality gates in accordance with the Phased Commit/Review Process Model that will control the course of this project. In addition milestones have been identified where reviews are necessary.

Training Strategy