SSC SAN DIEGO POLICY FOR SOFTWARE PROJECT TRACKING AND OVERSIGHT

Version 1.1 - 10/9/97

The purpose of Software Project Tracking and Oversight is to provide adequate visibility into actual progress so that management can take effective actions when the software project's performance deviates significantly from the software plans.

Software Project Tracking and Oversight involves tracking and reviewing the software accomplishments and results against documented estimates, commitments, and plans, and adjusting these plans based on the actual accomplishments and results.

SSC San Diego projects shall:

1. Track actual results and performances against the software plans.

2. Take corrective actions and manage to closure when actual results and performance deviate significantly from the software plans.

3. Obtain agreement to changes to software commitments from the affected groups and individuals.

4. Designate a project software manager to be responsible for the project's software activities and results.

5. Document and approve a software development plan for the software project.

6. Have the project software manager explicitly assign responsibility for software work products and activities.

7. Provide adequate resources and funding for tracking the software project.

8. Train the software managers in managing the technical and personnel aspects of the software project.

9. Orient first-line software managers in the technical aspects of the software project.

10. Use a documented software development plan for tracking the software activities and communicating status.

11. Revise the project's software development plan according to a documented procedure.

12. Review software project commitments and changes to commitments made to individuals and groups external to the organization with senior management according to a documented procedure.

13. Communicate approved changes to commitments that affect the software project to the members of the software engineering group and other software-related groups.

14. Track the size of the software work products (or size of the changes to the software work products) and take corrective actions as necessary.

15. Track the project's software effort and costs and take corrective actions as necessary.

16. Track the project's critical computer resources and take corrective actions as necessary.

17. Track the project's software schedule and take corrective actions as necessary.

18. Track the software engineering technical activities and take corrective actions as necessary.

19. Track the software risks associated with cost, resource, schedule, and technical aspects of the project.

20. Record actual measurement data and replanning data for the software project.

21. Conduct periodic internal reviews by the software engineering group to track technical progress, plans, performance, and issues against the software development plan.

22. Conduct formal reviews to address the accomplishments and results of the software project at selected project milestones according to a documented procedure.

23. Make and use measurements to determine the status of the software tracking and oversight activities.

24. Review with senior management the activities for software project tracking and oversight on a periodic basis.

25. Review with the project manager the activities for software project tracking and oversight on both a periodic and event-driven basis.

26. Have the software quality assurance group conduct reviews or audits on the activities and work products for software project tracking and oversight and report the results.

Software Project Managers are responsible for implementing this policy.

The Software Engineering Process Office (SEPO) is responsible for maintaining this policy.