Razer Technology Solutions, Inc.

332 Gordon Drive
Exton, PA 19341
610-524-7073

Prologue By: T.Anderson

Sometimes software projects can go awry. Anyone who's read ACM's RISKS coulmn knows
what we mean. Here are some humorous (and not so humorous) blurbs as examples. The
survey we published below is a simple tool that you can use to gauge how your project is
doing.

This is the first in a series of "health check" articles that we're producing, all aimed at helping
you deliver successful projects. Keep in mind, ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL! What does this mean?
Simply put, the survey below, copyrighted by Stephen McConnell (yes, the same guy who wrote
Code Complete), is geared towards full lifecycle software development projects.

Your "minor" enhancement project may have some different drivers, your Exchange migration
won't quite fit the mold, or your SAP implementation does not utilize the parameters in the
survey below. Understanding the nature and success factors of your own project first and
foremost is a good begining to getting beyond simple "survial" and ensuring success. The key
areas in the survey are a good foundation for you to create your own "health check" list:

1. Requirements
2. Project Control
3. Risk Management
4. Personnell

If you find the survey points below to not fit with what you're doing, use the focus areas
to guide you in creating your own points to monitor. Keep in mind, a good result on this
health check survey is NOT a substitute for dilligent and proactive management of your
projects!

Survival Test

Give the project 3 points for each "yes" answer. Give the project partial credit if you feel that
is most accurate—for example, give it 2 points for "probably" and 1 point for "kind of, but not really."
If the project is in the early stages, answer the questions based on the project plans. If the project is
well underway, answer the questions based on what has actually happened on the project. The section
following the test explains how to interpret the score.

Requirements 1. ____ Does the project have a clear, unambiguous vision statement or mission statement? 2. ____ Do all team members believe the vision is realistic? 3. ____ Does the project have a business case that details the business benefit and how the benefit will be measured? 4. ____ Does the project have a user interface prototype that realistically and vividly demonstrates the functionality that the actual system will have? 5. ____ Does the project have a detailed, written specification of what the software is supposed to do? 6. ____ Did the project team interview people who will actually use the software (end users) early in the project and continue to involve them throughout the project? 7. ____ Does the project have a detailed, written Software Development Plan? 8. ____ Does the project’s task list include creation of an installation program, conversion of data from previous versions of the system, integration with third-party software, meetings with the customer, and other "minor" tasks? 9. ____ Were the schedule and budget estimates officially updated at the end of the most recently completed phase? 10. ____ Does the project have detailed, written architecture and design documents? 11. ____ Does the project have a detailed, written Quality Assurance Plan that requires design and code reviews in addition to system testing? 12. ____ Does the project have a detailed Staged Delivery Plan for the software, which describes the stages in which the software will be implemented and delivered? 13. ____ Does the project’s plan include time for holidays, vacation days, sick days, and ongoing training, and are resources allocated at less than 100 percent? 14. ____ Was the project plan, including the schedule, approved by the development team, the quality assurance team, and the technical writing team—in other words, the people responsible for doing the work? Project Control 15. ____ Has a single key executive who has decision-making authority been made responsible for the project, and does the project have that person’s active support? 16. ____ Does the project manager’s workload allow him or her to devote an adequate amount of time to the project? 17. ____ Does the project have well-defined, detailed milestones ("binary milestones") that are considered to be either 100 percent done or 100 percent not done? 18. ____ Can a project stakeholder easily find out which of these binary milestones have been completed? 19. ____ Does the project have a feedback channel by which project members can anonymously report problems to their own managers and upper managers? 20. ____ Does the project have a written plan for controlling changes to the software’s specification? 21. ____ Does the project have a Change Control Board that has final authority to accept or reject proposed changes? 22. ____ Are planning materials and status information for the project—including effort and schedule estimates, task assignments, and progress compared to the plan thus far—available to every team member? 23. ____ Is all source code placed under automated revision control? 24. ____ Does the project environment include the basic tools needed to complete the project, including defect tracking software, source code control, and project management software? Risk Management 25. ____ Does the project plan articulate a list of current risks to the project? Has the list been updated recently? 26. ____ Does the project have a project risk officer who is responsible for identifying emerging risks to the project? 27. ____ If the project uses subcontractors, does it have a plan for managing each subcontract organization and a single person in charge of each one? (Give the project full score if it doesn’t use subcontractors.) Personnel 28. ____ Does the project team have all the technical expertise needed to complete the project? 29. ____ Does the project team have expertise with the business environment in which the software will operate? 30. ____ Does the project have a technical leader capable of leading the project successfully? 31. ____ Are there enough people to do all the work required? 32. ____ Does everyone work well together? 33. ____ Is each person committed to the project? Total ______ Preliminary score. Add up the points next to each answer. ______ Size multiplier. Write in 1.5 if the project team has 3 or fewer full-time– equivalent people including developers, quality assurance personnel, and first-level management. Write in 1.25 if it has 4 to 6 full-time–equivalent people. Otherwise, write in 1.0. ______ Final score. Multiply the preliminary score by the size multiplier.

 

Scoring Guidelines

This is a difficult test for most projects; many will score less than 50 points. The table below explains how to interpret the score.

This material is copied and/or adapted from the Survival Guide Website at www.construx.com/survivalguide/. This material is copyright © 1993-1998 Steven C. McConnell. Permission is hereby given to copy, adapt, and distribute this material as long as this notice is included on all such materials and the materials are not sold, licensed, or otherwise distributed for commercial gain.