On The Road To Virtual Technical Reviews

Present

Past
Future

William Fournier, SAIC

fournierw@saic.com
INCOSE WMA Chapter
Meeting
14 August 2007
 Agenda
• Introduction
• Meeting Management
• TR Best Practice
• TR over Life Cycle
• Summary
 You Might be at a Dog & Pony TR if
• Serve Primarily as Training Sessions
• Detailed Problem Solving
• Fancy Presentations no Details or Decisions to be made
• Schedule Driven and Predetermined Outcome
• No Preparation Work Completed
• Plan on for Social Activities only
• Surprises to Either Sides including title of TR
• Non Prioritized Work Topics
• No Action Item Plan
• Not Tailored
 Engineer Role

• Tools and Processes of MM, PM and SE

• Secondary Role
• Human Element
• Applied Psychology
• Decision Brief not Preconceived Notion
• Balance Product, People, and Processes
 Blind Men and Elephant
• “It was six men of Indostan “To learned much inclined
Who went to see the Elephant
• (Though all of them are blind). And so these men of Indostan
• That each by observation Disputed loud and long.
• Might satisfy his mind Each in his opinion
•
• Exceeding stiff and strong,
• The first approached the Elephant, Though each was partly in the right
• ….. And all were in the wrong
Moral
• Is very like a wall!”
• So oft theologic wars.
• The second feeling of the tusk, The disputants, I ween,
• …… Rail on in utter ignorance
• Of what each other mean”
• Is very like a spear!”
• The Third approached the animal
• ….
• Is very like a snake!”
• The Fourth reached out an eager hand
• ….
• Is very like a tree!”
• The Fifth who chanced to touch the ear,
• ….
• Is very like a fan!”
• The Sixth no sooner had begun
• ……..
• Is very like a rope!
 TR References
• Mil-STD-1521 B
• NAVAIR SETR
• My new directions book- lulu
• How to make meeting work- Doyle & Straus
• Articles like PM by Ken Crowe
• Courses- DAU, Honour
• Meeting Management- “ How to Make Meetings
Work”, MPI
• Project Management- PMI
• Systems Engineering- SE Standards, handbooks,
INCOSE
 Meeting Process
• Pre Meeting
• Meeting
– Opening
– During
– Closing
• Follow up
 Meeting Keys as Applied to TR
• Purpose
• Type
• Plan
• Participants, roles- facilitator, scribe(s) not dual
headed
• Agenda
• Process/rules
• Facilities
• Follow up
 TR Best Practice
• Purpose: Maturity / Risk check
• Tailored
– Commitment/ Relationship / Trust
– Risk/ Acquisition & CM strategy
– Staff
– Electronic Meeting Equipment
– Location
– Organization
– Funding
– Level
 TR Preparation Long Term
• Provide timely and effective incremental insight which is
integrated and balanced.
• Long Term
– Event Driven w/ entrance & Exit criteria
– Number, Length, Timing, number attendees
– Fit with other formal & informal meetings
– Commitment all parties
– Necessary expertise
– At Contractor Facilities
 TR Preparation Near Term
• Near Term
– Exact attendees
– Negotiated agenda
– Proof not show
– AI close out
– Training
– Side meetings
– Ground rules
 TR Entrance Criteria
• What product progress
• What associated process progress
• Tailored for Risk & Acquisition Strategy
 Technical Review Execution
• Meeting Management- Roles/Agenda/Rules
• Side Meetings
• If parallel efforts integration at end of day
• KISS
• Reasonably specific
 Technical Review Closure
• AI- Name, Date, Specific details
• AI Follow up plan
• Decisions clear
• AI timely & important
 TR over Life Cycle

ASR/ACR FCA/PCA

SRR SVR

SDR PRRs/RAR
/SFR SSR
PDR TRR

CDR
 Summary

The Road to Virtual Technical

Review

Future

Present
Past
 Ten Commandments of TR
• Thou shall
1. Not make them training sessions
2. Not make them detailed problem solving sessions
3. Be Event Driven
4. Come to TR prepared
5. Not kill time
6. Not make them Dog & Pony shows
7. Not go without a plan
8. Not surprise anyone
9. Plan Action items
10. Tailor reviews