MobileD/Release Project Process/Explore/ Stakeholder Establishment/ Outi Salo Version_01_20040610

Name Type

Stakeholder Establishment Pattern type: Phase pattern Stage pattern Task pattern Practice pattern Pattern classification: Essential Recommended Supporting Optional

Motivation

The purpose of this stage is to identify and establish the stakeholder groups that are needed in various tasks of Explore phase as well as in supporting activities during the software development excluding the software development team itself. Wide variety of expertise and co-operation is needed to plan a controlled and effective implementation of the software product. The goals of the Stakeholder Establishment are to identify and establish different stakeholder groups needed in different task throughout the project. Each stakeholder group should be: 1. 2. Identified, in order to make sure that all the different tasks of the project can be conducted flexibly. Committed, to ensure that all the needed competence and effort is available during the project and that the different stakeholder groups are included as a part of the software development project. Thus, the selected stakeholders should be able and willing to participate as needed in the product development. Defined, to ensure that all the stakeholders are aware of their specific tasks, roles and responsibilities during the incipient software development project. This is to make sure that all the interest groups agree and are aware of the contribution needed in the project and can also plan and arrange the effort needed for the project.

Goal

3.

Entry & Inputs

Entry criteria: 1. 2. 3. The product proposal exists, Contract has been agreed, and Exploration group consisting of the person(s) responsible for the initiation of the project has/have been defined.

MobileD/Release Project Process/Explore/ Stakeholder Establishment/ Outi Salo Version_01_20040610 Inputs: 1. 2.

Exit & Outputs

Mobile-D process library, and Product proposal.

Exit criteria: 1. Outputs: 1. The project plan that is updated with defined stakeholder groups and their specific tasks, roles and responsibilities throughout the project. The stakeholder groups have been identified and established.

Process

The following figure illustrates the sequence of the tasks needed to conduct the Stakeholder Establishment stage.
Steering Group Establishment Customer Establishment Architecture Group Establishment

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Tasks

The Stakeholder Establishment includes the tasks of identifying, committing and establishing different stakeholder groups needed in the software development process. The establishment of customer group is described in detail in task patterns of Explore phase (Customer Establishment) due its special role in Mobile-D process. This pattern, however, can be used in establishing other stakeholder groups also.

Roles

The following roles can be identified in executing the Stakeholder Establishment:

1. 2.

Exploration team Stakeholder groups

FAQ

The answers to the frequently asked questions will provide the Stakeholder Establishment with additional in-depth information gained when applying it in practice. Q What central stakeholders are needed in Mobile-D process? A Different organizations have different names for certain stakeholders, but at least the following roles/stakeholders are defined for Mobile-D process:

MobileD/Release Project Process/Explore/ Stakeholder Establishment/ Outi Salo Version_01_20040610 Steering group for managing the project, making decisions and monitoring and steering the project Project team (including different roles for the developers, e.g. project manager, architect, metrics tracker and tester), Customer group for tasks related to requirements identification, testing, and accepting the product releases. Customer representation is also necessary in steering group, Support group including variety of different supporting roles needed throughout the development project, such as process specialists for assisting in tailoring and improving the process for the project team as well as in software process improvement tasks including metrics collection, training personnel, experts/coaches of different technical aspects and architects, and Exploration group for handling the initiation of the project (Explore phase) prior to the existence of project team

Depending on the context of the software development project, the listed stakeholders may be needed to ensure the expert planning of different aspects of the incipient software development project. Also, monitoring and managing the software development will involve the same stakeholders at the later stages of software development.

Related patterns

Other patterns which are part of, composed of or associated closely to Stakeholder Establishment are identified here: Customer Establishment: The Customer Establishment task pattern that specifies the establishment of Customer group is included in the pattern description due to the important role of Customer whether on- or off-site in Mobile-D process. However, also other stakeholder groups can be established by following the steps of Customer Establishment task pattern. Explore: Stakeholder Establishment stage pattern is part of Explore phase.

Variations

N/A

Risks

Possible risks which can result from Stakeholder Establishment as well as the solutions including pre-emptive actions for avoiding the risks and actions to take to minimise the risks effects are discussed here: Not all the relevant stakeholders are identified and allocated to the project may result as many different complications in the incipient project. For example, the lack of process and support personnel may cause an ad hoc approach for software development with lower quality

MobileD/Release Project Process/Explore/ Stakeholder Establishment/ Outi Salo Version_01_20040610 and productivity. Post-Iteration Workshop pattern (in PlanningDay) can be used in identifying problems during the project. They may help in identifying shortcomings related to e.g. supporting personnel. It may well be that not all the relevant stakeholders cannot always be identified at the beginning of the project. In such a case, the new stakeholders should be defined and committed to the project as soon as they are identified. For example, during the Process Establishment stage when the Mobile-D process is tailored for the project, new stakeholders may be identified. If, for example, Post-Iteration Workshops task pattern is included in the process the role of moderator is needed. This role would be most suitable for quality group member. Of course the size of the stakeholder group depends on the size of the organization.
References & Further Reading N/A