Obtain Commitment to the Plan
Commitments to the project plan are established and maintained. To be effective, plans require commitment by those responsible for implementing and supporting the plan.
SP 3.1 Review Plans that Affect the Project
Review all plans that affect the project to understand project
commitments.
For Integrated Product and Process Development
When integrated teams are formed, their integrated work plans are among the plans to review. Plans developed within other process areas will typically contain information similar to that called for in the overall project plan. These plans may provide additional detailed guidance and should be compatible with and support the overall project plan to indicate who has the authority, responsibility, accountability, and control. All plans that affect the project should be reviewed to ensure a common understanding of the scope, objectives, roles, and relationships that are required for the project to be successful. Many of these plans are
described by the Plan the Process generic practice in each of the process areas.
Typical Work Products
1. Record of the reviews of plans that affect the project
SP 3.2 Reconcile Work and Resource Levels
Reconcile the project plan to reflect available and estimated resources.
For Integrated Product and Process Development
When integrated teams are formed, special attention needs to be paid to resource commitments in circumstances of distributed integrated teams and when people are on multiple integrated teams in one or many projects. To obtain commitment from relevant stakeholders, it is important to reconcile any differences between the estimates and the available resources. Reconciliation is typically accomplished by lowering or
deferring technical performance requirements, negotiating more resources, finding ways to increase productivity, outsourcing, adjusting the staff skill mix, or revising all plans that affect the project or
schedules.
Typical Work Products
1. Revised methods and corresponding estimating parameters (e.g.,better tools, use of off-the-shelf components)
2. Renegotiated budgets
3. Revised schedules
4. Revised requirements list
5. Renegotiated stakeholder agreements
SP 3.3 Obtain Plan Commitment
Obtain commitment from relevant stakeholders responsible for performing and supporting plan execution.
For Integrated Product and Process Development
When integrated teams are formed, the integrated team plans will need buy-in from the team members, the interfacing teams, the project, and the process owners of the standard processes that team has selected for tailored application.
Obtaining commitment involves interaction among all relevant stakeholders both internal and external to the project. The individual or group making a commitment should have confidence that the work can be performed within cost, schedule, and performance constraints.Often, a provisional commitment is adequate to allow the effort to begin and to permit research to be performed to increase confidence to the
appropriate level needed to obtain a full commitment.
Typical Work Products
1. Documented requests for commitments
2. Documented commitments
Subpractices
1. Identify needed support and negotiate commitments with relevant stakeholders.
The WBS can be used as a checklist for ensuring that commitments are obtained for all tasks. The plan for stakeholder interaction should identify all parties from whom commitment should be obtained.
2. Document all organizational commitments, both full and provisional, ensuring appropriate level of signatories.Commitments must be documented to ensure a consistent mutual understanding as well as for tracking and maintenance. Provisional commitments should be accompanied by a description of the risks associated with the relationship.
3. Review internal commitments with senior management as appropriate.
4. Review external commitments with senior management as appropriate. Management may have the necessary insight and authority to reduce risks associated with external commitments.
5. Identify commitments on interfaces between elements in the project, and with other projects and organizational units, so they can be monitored.Well-defined interface specifications form the basis for commitments.
GG 2 Institutionalize a Managed Process
The process is institutionalized as a managed process.
Commitment to Perform
GP 2.1 (CO 1) Establish an Organizational Policy
Establish and maintain an organizational policy for planning and performing the project planning process.
Elaboration:
This policy establishes organizational expectations for estimating the planning parameters, making internal and external commitments, and developing the plan for managing the project.
Ability to Perform
GP 2.2 (AB 1) Plan the Process
Establish and maintain the plan for performing the project planning process.
Elaboration:
This plan for performing the project planning process differs from the project plan described in specific practices in this process area. The plan called for in this generic practice would address the comprehensive planning for all of the specific practices in this process area, from estimating the scope of the project all the way to obtaining commitment for the project plan. In other words, this generic practice calls for one to "plan the plan." In contrast, the project plan called for in the specific practices would address planning for the project effort itself in a comprehensive manner.
GP 2.3 (AB 2) Provide Resources
Provide adequate resources for performing the project planning process, developing the work products, and providing the services of the process.
Elaboration:
Special expertise, equipment, and facilities in project planning may be required. Special expertise in project planning may include the following:
· Experienced estimators
· Schedulers
· Technical experts in applicable areas (e.g., product domain and technology)
Examples of other resources provided include the following tools:
· Spreadsheet programs
· Estimating models
· Project planning and scheduling packages
GP 2.4 (AB 3) Assign Responsibility
Assign responsibility and authority for performing the process,developing the work products, and providing the services of the project planning process.
GP 2.5 (AB 4) Train People
Train the people performing or supporting the project planning process as needed.
Elaboration:
Examples of training topics include the following:
· Estimating
· Budgeting
· Negotiating
· Risk identification and analysis
· Data management
· Planning
· Scheduling
Directing Implementation
GP 2.6 (DI 1) Manage Configurations
Place designated work products of the project planning process under appropriate levels of configuration management.
Elaboration:
Examples of work products placed under configuration management include the following:
· Work breakdown structure
· Project plan
· Data management plan
· Stakeholder involvement plan
GP 2.7 (DI 2) Identify and Involve Relevant Stakeholders
Identify and involve the relevant stakeholders of the project planning process as planned.
Elaboration:
This generic practice is different from developing the plan for stakeholder involvement for the project itself, which is covered in a specific practice of this process area.
Select relevant stakeholders from senior managers, project managers,project functional managers (e.g., systems engineering, software engineering, other disciplines), software engineers, systems engineers,
manufacturing engineers, logisticians, suppliers, customers, and others who may be affected by, or may affect, the project.
Examples of activities for stakeholder involvement include the following:
· Establishing estimates
· Reviewing and resolving issues on the completeness and correctness of the project risks
· Reviewing data management plans
· Establishing project plans
· Reviewing project plans and resolving issues on work and resource issues
GP 2.8 (DI 3) Monitor and Control the Process
Monitor and control the project planning process against the plan for performing the process and take appropriate corrective action.
Elaboration:
Examples of measures used in monitoring and controlling include the following:
· Number of revisions to the plan
· Cost, schedule, and effort variance per plan revision
Verifying Implementation
GP 2.9 (VE 1) Objectively Evaluate Adherence
Objectively evaluate adherence of the project planning process against its process description, standards, and procedures, and address noncompliance.
Elaboration:
Examples of activities reviewed include the following:
· Establishing estimates
· Developing a project plan
· Obtaining commitments to the project plan
Examples of work products reviewed include the following:
· WBS
· Project plan
· Data management plan
· Stakeholder involvement plan
GP 2.10 (VE 2) Review Status with Higher Level Management
Review the activities, status, and results of the project planning process with higher level management and resolve issues.
(The following goal is not required and its practices are not expected for a maturity level 2 rating,
but are required for a maturity level 3 rating and above.)
GG 3 Institutionalize a Defined Process [CL104.GL101]
The process is institutionalized as a defined process.
GP 3.1 Establish a Defined Process
Establish and maintain the description of a defined project planning process.
GP 3.2 Collect Improvement Information
Collect work products, measures, measurement results, and improvement information derived from planning and performing the project planning process to support the future use and improvement of the organization’s processes and process assets.
