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22 January 1999, Volume 22, Number 2 |
In December the Software Engineering Process Office (SEPO) conducted its 40th Software Project Management (SPM) course. This course is a condensed examination of the fundamentals of managing a software project. Its purpose is to develop and improve the skills of current and future software project managers enabling them to plan and manage a software project to a successful conclusion.
The intensive five-day course combines presentations on software management issues and exercises based on real SSC San Diego projects. The software process improvement focus of the course has received recent emphasis (see Dec. 11, 1998 Outlook article) from the SSC San Diego Executive Director Dr. Bob Kolb who frequently provides opening remarks for the course. Software best practices and the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model are the cornerstones of the course.
Using the techniques learned in the course students will be able to apply planning, tracking, and controlling processes to their software projects. The December graduating class joins over 700 others who have taken the SPM course. To date 560 SSC San Diego employees, 64 SPAWAR employees, and 100 others from various Department of Defense activities have attended.
The course was first taught in October 1991 and has been given an average of six times a year since then. The course was developed by a cadre of people including former SEPO employees Duston Hayward and Gordon Wright. The course was developed in-house because vendor courses were too generic and did not address the specific needs of this center.
The SPM course is taught by a team of subject matter experts led by Jim Wells (SEPO/Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation (OSEC)). Other SEPO instructors are Charlie Cox, Elizabeth Gramoy, Brian Groarke, Joe Reyna, and George Robertson (SEPO/OSEC). Alan Olson is an instructor from D322, Sensor Integration Branch. Instructors from the Command and Control Department are Mike Moser, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Systems Engineering and Integration (D4221); and Bill Nugent Advanced Afloat Systems Human Systems Interface (D44209). Instructors from Communication and Information Systems Department are John Howard, Systems Development Branch (D832); and Bryan Riegle, Software Configuration Management Test and Evaluation Branch (D874). Dr. Charles Sampson is from Computer Sciences Corporation.
"The course has been very well received over the years but SEPO is always striving to make it better with improvements based on student feedback," said Brian Groarke.
Here are some student comments from course evaluations of past SPM courses:
"This is one of the best government courses that I have attended."
"Well organized course. Best course offered for training at SSC San Diego."
"All project managers should attend this course as well as software involved personnel."
"This was a spectacular training opportunity provided by SSC San Diego! Course materials were among the best I've seen."
"Instructors were knowledgeable, well prepared, and enthusiastic."
"This class helped me understand the software project manager's responsibilities better."
"The more people who take this course, the better off the center will be."
The following are the course objectives:
- To develop and improve the skills required to plan and manage software development projects.
- To understand standard IEEE/EIA 12207 and Military Standard 498 throughout the life cycle of a project.
- To emphasize the early phases of the software development life cycle: requirements definition and project planning.
- To provide an overview of the Software Capability Maturity Model.
- To provide a forum for sharing sound software engineering principles among SSC San Diego projects, thereby improving software quality.
Students will also learn the seven principles of software project management, which are:
1. Clarify requirements
2. Identify the process
3. Document plans
4. Track progress
5. Control products
6. Cultivate team work
7. Apply appropriate technology
This course is valuable for all current and future SSC San Diego managers and leaders of software projects and for personnel involved in a software project. SPAWAR employees are welcome to attend. Former graduates are encouraged to retake the course on a periodic basis as the material in the course is continually being updated. The course fee is waived for previous course graduates.
How to Apply: The next four offerings of the course are Feb. 1-5, April 26-30, Sept. 13-17, and Oct. 25-29. The Training Office will announce classes one month in advance. Those interested in attending the course should submit their request to their immediate supervisor with their name, social security number, e-mail address and job order number. The course is limited to 21 students per class. Please note that this is a 40 hour course, which requires full time attendance in order to receive training credit. The cost of the course is $225.00.
For further information contact:
SEPO, X36694, e-mail sepo@spawar.navy.mil
Training Office X35422, e-mail training@ spawar.navy.mil
View the SPM flyer at http://sepo.spawar.navy.mil/spmflyer.html or just stop by the SEPO Office in Building
312, Barracks area.
Brian Groarke is shown conducting a SPM course.
