Measurement and Analysis

Delivery: 1-day workshop or onsite coaching

The purpose of Measurement and Analysis (MA) is to develop and sustain a measurement capability that is used to support management information needs. An effective measurement program ties together the goals of the organization and the measures employed to assess progress.

All organizations benefit when the objectives from management are clearly defined and communicated to the staff. When MA is implemented effectively, objectives and measures are established that reflect business priorities. Measurement results are then used to determine progress towards these objectives. Typical symptoms that occur when MA is not performed well include: few clear objectives; numerous measures defined but not used; or objectives are defined by rumor.

The MA workshop has the following benefits:

• organization and/or project objectives are clarified and refined
• measures are defined that assess the group’s progress towards each objective
• analysis and reporting steps are defined to enable all stakeholders to understand current progress towards objectives and corrective actions
• data storage locations are defined so that information can be found when needed

The MA workshop can be used by all levels of the organization. Project teams can use it to clarify tactical goals and measures. Organizations can use it to clarify strategic goals and organizational measures.

In this workshop, participants apply an MA process to their current work. Each step of the process is described along with tips for effective use. The workshop can have up to four teams of 2-6 people, each learning and defining its measurement program. This workshop also provides implementation details for the MA Process Area in CMMI.

Audience

Project & program managers, engineers, EPG (engineering process group) members, and others who will be involved in making critical decisions or facilitating teams.

Learning Objectives and Agenda

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will:

• clarify and refine organization and/or project objectives
• identify stakeholders for the measurement information
• define measures that tie to the defined objectives
• define analysis and reporting needed for the collected information
• define storage mechanisms to allow future access