Value-Added Verification: Enhancing Management Practices

1. Value Added Verification:Building Relationships through Verification and Validation of Management PracticesMargo Rice, PPC

2. EPA Collaboration • 18 year partnership with EPA • Environmental Program Support • 50 Task Orders on ITS-BISS • CPIC, Finance, Security, PMO, and Management IV&V • ITS BISS TO#45 FSMP Management IV&V

3. PPC Background • Recently partnered with AEA Group, a world leader in environmental consultancy • Management Consulting and IT Infrastructure Design Services • QMS compliant with CMMI ML3 and ISO 9001:2000 standards • Internal audit, product and peer review processes

4. Agenda • Foundations of a Quality Assurance Program • Best practices for auditing • Example: PPC internal audit methodology • Best practices in Independent Verification and Validation • Example: IV&V methodology for EPA FSMP project • Best practices in peer review • Example: PPC peer review methodology • Lasting results: building organizational knowledge

5. Foundations of a Quality Assurance Program • Objective evaluation of process compliance (internal auditing) • Independent Verification and Validation • Product testing • Peer review

6. Evolution of Auditing Concepts • Quality and process audits • Defined criteria • Focus on process compliance • Value-added auditing • Risk analysis • Problem solving • Consultant to higher level management

7. Example: PPC’s Process Audit Methodology

8. The Auditor Role • Auditor goals • Supportive • Focus on opportunities not defects • Sensitive to long term objectives • Auditor qualifications • Project management experience • Training in audit methodology • Facilitation and problem solving skills • Quality standards For criticism to be effective, it must be constructive Issues are inevitable, and can be powerful learning tools

9. Independent Verification and Validation Best Practices • Independent to organization • Project or program relationship

10. Independent Verification and Validation Best Practices Cont. • Defined evaluation methodology • Process specific • Appropriate for product development methodology • Involvement throughout lifecycle • Example: software development lifecycle

11. Example: FSMP IV&V Methodology (Risk Management)

12. IV&V Findings Structure • Finding • Derived from evaluation criteria • Non-judgmental statement of evidence • Observation • Recommendation • Process improvement opportunity • Plan of action to restore process compliance

13. Findings Scorecard

14. Findings Report Stakeholders

15. Application of Peer Reviews • Traditionally a verification technique for key deliverables • Example: requirements specification, technical design, code review • Add value to project planning, vetting of process and policy • Add rigor and structure to internal review processes

16. Peer Review Best Practices • Defined evaluation criteria • Formality of process • Definition of reviewer qualifications • Qualified facilitator

17. Example: PPC Peer Review Methodology Sample Peer Review Checklist

18. Consolidation Approaches • Consensus session (reviewer walk-through) • Benefits: opportunity to define addition comments, reviewers gain understanding of context of comments • Facilitate consolidation and define priority of comments • Benefits: ensures priority of comments reflects PM objective, expedites consolidation while still receiving benefit of peer comments.

19. Peer Review Facilitator Role • Ensure compliance to process • Maintain focus on relevant, constructive comments • Mediate conflict or disagreement

20. Organizational Knowledge Sharing • Inputs PMO project data • Opportunities for improvement of organizational process assets

21. Examples: Collaboration Tools • Project collaboration • Integrated project management resources • Process Asset Library

22. Conclusion • Thank you for attending! Contact information: Margo Rice, Senior Analyst 703-748-7034 mrice@ppc.com Jason Brown, Principal 703-748-7248 jbrown@ppc.com Alison Ferner, Principal Analyst 703-748-6407 aferner@ppc.com