A Federal Agency Lifecycle Case Study
Insights into how OMB's 25-Point Plan might be implemented, in part, using the Object Management Group's Software Process Engineering (SPEM) Metamodel and the Eclipse Process Framework.
Caveats
- The subject team, including operational and program management office remain anonymous.
- The opinions expressed on this site are solely my own. No representation is made by my employer regarding the utility, objectivity, accuracy or integrity of the information published through any on my communications.
- The information published here including the referenced PDF images is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution, NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0, Unported License.
Motivation
"But despite spending more than $600 billion on information technology over the past decade, the Federal Government has achieved little of the productivity improvements that private industry has realized from IT. Too often, Federal IT projects run over budget, behind schedule, or fail to deliver promised functionality. Many projects use grand design approaches that aim to deliver functionality every few years, rather than breaking projects into more manageable chunks and demanding new functionality every few quarters." Vivek Kundra, 2010
As-Is Artifacts
To-Be Goals
- Introduce contemporary approach and language (pattern)
- Reinforce SPEM semantics in method content and delivery process
- Introduce widely-known approaches - CMMI-DEV and Unified Process
- Leverage some Eclipse Process Framework Capabilities
Lifecycle Choices
EPF Screen Shot
- Differentiate lifecycles as capability patterns.
- Elaborate an evolutionary approach with meaningful iteration names.
Embed CMMI-DEV Requirements Development in Unified Method Architecture
EPF Screen Shot
| Unified Method Architecture (UMA) | CMMI-DEV | UMA Category |
|---|
| Content Package (Subpractices) | Tasks | Content |
| Standard Content (Disciplines) | Requirements Development | |
| Process Package | Process Area | Process |
| Capability Pattern | Specific Goal (AnalyzeAndValidateRequirements) | |
| Activity | Specific Practice (EstablishOperationalScenarios) | |
| Task Descriptor | Sub-Practice (DevelopOperationalScenarios) | |
Activity Semantics
EPF Screen Shot
- Activity semantics add process flow to specific practices from CMMI-DEV Requirements Development
- Splits and joins preserve activity semantics
- By now you may have recognized that I have extrapolated a few terms and relations where necessary from CMMI-DEV RD.
Elaborating a Content Package
EPF Screen Shot
Interface Governance Content Package, integration remains an ongoing challenge for this team, we provided roles, tasks, a work products and more informative guidance including guidelines and a tool mentor.
- Business Analyst, Role Preview
- Systems Analyst View, Role Preview
- Completely Specify Data Exchange Scenarios, Tasks Preview
- Data Exchange Specification, WorkProducts Preview
- Use Case, Work Products Preview
- Data Exchange Guidelines, Guidance Preview
- Understand Use Case Relationships, Guidance Preview
Standard Categories, we also provided domains, a work product kind, role set and a tool.
- Requirements Development, Disciplines Preview
- Data Exchange, Domains Preview, Financial Reporting Unspecified
- Specification, Word Product Kinds Preview
- Analyst, Role Sets Preview
- Rational Software Architect, Tools Preview
Activity Detail
EPF Screen Shot
- Based on the content package elaboration, we were then able to provide an activity model to the level of activity detail.
Work Product Dependency
EPF Screen Shot
- As well as work product dependencies
Team Status
- On going management support for engagement
- Visiting late 2011 for workshop
- Management stressed high morale and operational continuity
- No planned changes in 2012
Eclipse Process Framework Webinar
I had the flu on the day I gave the Government Case Study. Please overlook the aahhs and be sure to queue your laugh track in time for the joke about rebaselining in the section on the as-is planning process.
License
A Federal Agency Lifecycle Case Study by Richard C. Murphy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
