| p>The goal of the Software Project Tracking and | | | | made available to project stakeholders. Your MS |
| Oversight Key Process Area (KPA) is to provide | | | | Project file will satisfy this criterion and will convert |
| sufficient insight into project performance so that the | | | | your WBS/schedule to several formats that can be |
| project manager can detect variances between | | | | accessed by stakeholders who do not have MS |
| performance and the plan and take preventive or | | | | Project on their desktop. |
| corrective action. This KPA influences all PMBOK | | | | 2. The project plans are revised according to a |
| knowledge areas and is most closely associated with | | | | documented procedure. This procedure will be your |
| the Monitoring and Controlling group of processes. As | | | | Change Management plan, or Integrated Change |
| with the other KPAs Software Project Tracking and | | | | Control System (ICCS). The various components of |
| Oversight is organized into goals, commitments, | | | | the project plan specify how changes approved by |
| abilities, activities, measurements, and verifications. | | | | the ICCS/Change Management plan are to be |
| Goals | | | | implemented. The activity also calls for a review of |
| The goals of this KPA relate to and support project | | | | the revised project plan. |
| oversight and corrective actions. The goals are that | | | | 3. Commitments made to external groups, and any |
| results are tracked against project plans, that | | | | changes to those commitments, are reviewed with |
| corrective actions are taken when there is a variance | | | | senior management according to a documented |
| between planned results and actual results, and that | | | | procedure. In the context of tracking and oversight |
| corrective actions that change the project plan are | | | | this activity will be described in the project's Change |
| agreed to by the affected groups. The abilities and | | | | Management plan. |
| activities all support the achievement of these goals. | | | | 4. Approved changes to the software project are |
| Commitment to Perform | | | | communicated to the members of the software |
| Commitments to this KPA are required at the | | | | engineering group and other software-related groups. |
| executive level. The first commitment is that a | | | | Your Change Management plan, or Communications |
| software project manager be assigned to the | | | | Management plan, should describe this. |
| project. This commitment will be made by default for | | | | 5. The sizes of work products, or changes to the |
| most IT projects. The project manager responsible | | | | work products are tracked and corrective actions |
| for the entire project is likely to be someone who is | | | | taken as necessary. CMM uses the word "size" to |
| considered a "software project manager", or at least | | | | refer to the number of lines of code,.html pages, or |
| has experience managing software projects. When | | | | pages of documentation produced. The idea is to |
| larger projects require a sub-project for the creation | | | | compare the actual size with the estimates for the |
| of a software system or application to be defined, | | | | purpose of identifying actions required to correct the |
| this commitment requires a project manager to be | | | | estimation procedure and future estimates. |
| assigned to manage the sub-project. This is an | | | | 6. Effort and costs are tracked and corrective |
| organizational commitment, but might require you to | | | | actions taken when necessary. The cost |
| identify and assign a project manager to manage the | | | | management portion of the project plan will govern |
| software sub-project if you are the overall project | | | | monitoring and controlling expenditures and identify |
| manager. | | | | how corrective actions are to be identified. The |
| The second commitment is also at the organizational | | | | Change Management plan governs how changes to |
| level and it is that project management follows a | | | | the cost estimates are to be made. Since software |
| written organizational policy for managing software | | | | development projects frequently aren't governed |
| projects. PMs working out of a PMO or PMC should | | | | directly by budgets, this may be accomplished in the |
| have such a policy to follow. If you are a project | | | | Time Management plan for the project. |
| manager leading the charge for CMM/CMMI | | | | 7. Critical computer resources are tracked and |
| certification you should undertake the writing of this | | | | corrective actions taken when necessary. These will |
| policy to govern your project and future projects for | | | | be tracked, along with other project resources, in the |
| your organization. | | | | resource management plan. |
| Ability to Perform | | | | 8. The schedule is tracked and corrective actions |
| There are 5 abilities required to meet CMM/CMMI | | | | taken when necessary. The Time Management |
| level 2 criteria. The first ability is that software | | | | portion of the project plan will describe how this |
| project has a project plan. The second is that the | | | | happens, including the analysis of late and early |
| software project manager assigns work to the | | | | delivery dates on the plan. |
| project team. This means not only that the project | | | | 9. Technical activities are tracked and corrective |
| manager defines, organizes, and schedules the work | | | | action taken when necessary. Technical activities |
| in their plan, but that they direct individual team | | | | refer to the methods, procedures, and processes |
| members to do the work. I believe that meeting the | | | | used to develop and test the software. Testing |
| criteria for this ability requires the software project | | | | activities will be described in the Quality Management |
| manager to be given the authority to direct the | | | | plan. Most of the methods, procedures, and |
| project resources work for the duration of the | | | | processes associated with development of the |
| project. The best way for this authority to be | | | | software should be captured in the Configuration |
| officially granted is through the Project Charter which | | | | Management plan. Activities not covered by the |
| governs the project. | | | | Configuration Management or Quality Management |
| The third ability calls for adequate resources to be | | | | plans should be described in a separate plan. |
| provided for tracking and oversight activities. Planning | | | | 10. Project risks are tracked. This is accomplished by |
| of the activities will be supported by the project's | | | | the Risk Management plan |
| plans and schedule. Adequate funding will be | | | | 11. Measurement data and re-planning data are |
| demonstrated by the budget for resources to | | | | recorded. This includes estimates and data associated |
| perform oversight and tracking activities being part | | | | with the estimates, plus data measuring completed |
| of the approved project budget. Ability 4 requires | | | | work. Estimates will be captured in the WBS and |
| the software project manager to be trained in | | | | schedule. Estimating tools and methods such as |
| managing the "technical and personnel aspects" of | | | | Function Point Analysis (FPA) will be described |
| the software project. I would argue that there is no | | | | elsewhere. |
| better way of demonstrating this ability than by the | | | | 12. The software engineering group conducts periodic |
| certification of the software project manager as a | | | | internal reviews to track technical progress, plans, |
| Project Management Professional (PMP®). The | | | | performance, and issues against the plan. The |
| Project Management Institute oversee this | | | | software engineering group includes the first-line |
| certification and are recognized globally as the leaders | | | | managers and software project manager. This |
| in the area of project management certification and | | | | activity is covered by your weekly status review |
| project management best practices. Certification of | | | | meetings. |
| your software project manager is straight forward, | | | | 13. Formal reviews to address accomplishments and |
| providing PMI's criteria for project management | | | | results are conducted at selected project milestones. |
| experience are met. Providing they are, the project | | | | These formal reviews will correspond to your Gate |
| manager can choose from a host of quality PMP® | | | | Reviews. |
| courses or PMP® exam preparation training | | | | Measurement and Analysis |
| products to prepare them for the certification exam. | | | | The effort required to perform the tracking activities |
| These courses will train project managers in Project | | | | is measured |
| Management best practices and their implementation, | | | | Verification |
| as well as helping the project manager pass their | | | | Verification is performed by senior management who |
| exam. | | | | review the tracking and oversight activities |
| The final ability calls for first-line software managers | | | | periodically. This will be satisfied with the Gate |
| to receive "orientation in the technical aspects of the | | | | Reviews planned for the project and by any Steering |
| software project". CMMI defines a first-line software | | | | Committee or Project Sponsor reviews scheduled. |
| manager as someone who has direct management | | | | Verification is also done by the project manager. This |
| responsibility, including responsibility for providing | | | | requirement can be satisfied with regular status |
| technical direction, for staffing and activities of a | | | | review meetings in addition to the Gate Meetings. |
| single organizational unit. This definition matches the | | | | These two verifications also require you to produce a |
| PMBOK®'s definition of a functional manager. The | | | | status report after each meeting. |
| first-line manager should be educated in the tools, | | | | The 3rd verification calls for reviews or audits of the |
| processes, procedures, and standards used for the | | | | project by a Quality Assurance group. Since CMM |
| project. | | | | regards the Quality Assurance group as an entity |
| Activities | | | | outside of the control of the project, the senior |
| Activities called for by CMM include: | | | | management of your organization should be |
| | | | responsible for this verification. If you are assigned to |
| 1. Use the project plan for tracking activities and | | | | manage the project by a PMO or PMC this group |
| communicating project status. The plan should be | | | | may provide the audits or reviews required by CMM. |
| updated with information for work completed and | | | | |