MATURITY, MODELS, AND GOALS - HOW TO BUILD A METRICS PLAN

Many software project managers want to implement a process or product improvement program for their software development or maintenance project. To be effective, the improvement activities must be accompanied by measurements to support them. Thus, managers must select metrics for a measurement plan that will start small and address key project needs. This article explains what a metrics plan is and describes an approach that combines a goal-question-metric analysis with process maturity assessment and process modeling. This combination allows an organization to tailor metrics collection and analysis to the needs and characteristics of the project and organization that will use the metrics. The goal-question-metric technique ensures that each measurement is useful to someone in the organization. The process maturity framework is used to ensure that what needs to be measured is visible in the process, and the process model helps the project manager understand when and where metrics will be collected and how they will be used. In concert, these techniques enable the project manager to migrate from a small, initial set of key indicators to a larger, more comprehensive measurement program. The article lists example goals, questions, and metrics that have been identified for a defense organization and a reuse project manager, and describes how the techniques discussed have actually been used on real metrics programs to tailor metrics plans to individual project needs.