Task: Iteration Evaluation Criteria Review
This task describes how to approve the criteria that will be used to determine if the work completed during an iteration meets the iteration's objectives.
Disciplines: Project Management
Relationships
RolesPrimary Performer: Additional Performers:
InputsMandatory: Optional:
  • None
Outputs
Process Usage
Main Description

The Iteration Evaluation Criteria Review is a formal review of the tests and reviews that will be used to demonstrate to the customer that the objectives for an iteration have been met. This is an important review because it ensures that the project team and customer have consistent expectations for how success in the work of the iteration will be measured.

Steps
Schedule Iteration Evaluation Criteria Review Meeting

The Iteration Evaluation Review meeting is a meeting between a customer representative and the project's management team (the project manager, plus the team leads for the various functional areas of the project team). Representative(s) of the Project Review Authority may also be involved.

Once the attendees of the meeting have been identified, set a date/time for the meeting to take place. It is important that you provide sufficient lead time to allow the participants to review the materials that will be used as the basis for the approval decision.

Distribute Meeting Materials

Prior to the meeting, distribute the review materials to the reviewers. Make sure these materials are sent out sufficiently in advance of the meeting to allow the reviewers adequate time to review them. A minimum set of work products that should be presented for review is:

  • Iteration Plan
  • Test Plan
Conduct Iteration Evaluation Criteria Review Meeting

During the meeting, the reviewers assess the proposed program of tests and reviews defined in the Test Plan that will be used to determine if the iteration's objectives have been met. During the meeting, make sure that:

  • Both the customer representative and the project team have a clear understanding of which project work products will be delivered at the end of the iteration
  • Both the customer representative and the project team have a clear understanding of which reviews, tests and demonstrations will be carried out, and how the results will be interpreted
  • That reviews and tests are planned covering each of the objectives defined for the iteration in the Iteration Plan

At the end of the meeting, the reviewers should make their approval decision. The result can be one of the following:

Criteria Approved   The customer representative and the project team agree that the evaluation criteria are satisfactory 
Criteria Rejected   The evaluation criteria are not acceptable. This could be due to incomplete coverage of iteration objectives, or tests/reviews that do not properly assess whether particular objectives are met. 

If the criteria are rejected, the project team should address the identified deficiencies and re-submit revised iteration evaluation criteria for a follow-up review.

Record Decision

At the end of the meeting, a Review Record is completed capturing any important discussions or action items, and recording the result of the Iteration Evaluation Criteria Review. If the result was "criteria rejected" a follow-up Iteration Evaluation Criteria Review Meeting should be scheduled for a later date.



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