Chapter 14 -- Project Review

Chapter 14

About This Chapter

An old saying notes that "the road to destruction is paved with good intentions." Despite having the best of intentions, some firms never take the time to conduct an organized review of a project once it is complete. As a result, many of these firms end up living with out-of-control development projects.

In this chapter, we will discuss the value of a formal project review. This discussion relates to projects that have recently been completed, and to the ongoing growth and improvement of an organization's development process. We'll examine the relationship between the project review and the Capability Maturity Model for Software, and also show a project review's importance in providing feedback on an organization's best practices.

Next, we'll examine the practical considerations of conducting a project review: when to schedule a project review, who should attend, and the proper physical setting for conducting a project review. We'll demonstrate how to prepare for and run the actual meeting. We'll show various ways to gather and document the information. Finally, we'll discuss the possibility of utilizing a project review team for large projects.

The principles and guidelines provided in this chapter are based on our own experiences with creating application architectures and implementing enterprise applications, as well as on the following resources:

• Microsoft Solutions Framework
• Dempsey, Dvorak, and Meehan's "Escaping the IT Abyss," The McKinsey Quarterly
• Mark C. Paulk, Charles V. Weber, Bill Curtis, and Mary Beth Chrissis' The Capability Maturity Model: Guidelines for Improving the Software Process
• Dr. Joyce Statz's white paper Microsoft Solutions Framework and the Capability Maturity Model

Upon completion, you will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of a project review.
• Evaluate the relationship between a project review and the Software Capability Maturity Model.
• Identify some practical considerations involved in project reviews.