P050702 ODMA Project  ODMdev Bootspiral Scoping

ODMA>active> ODMref10>envision> P050702> 0.12 2006-01-20 -15:06 -0800

1. Approach (2005-07-10)

• Unwind the startup, development, deployment, and feedback cycle as needed to reflect in the scope
• Identify essential information for use by participants (adopters)
• Assume conduct of each process using light-weight scaffolding for running a confirmation cycle.
• Assume rolling-wave development, with cycles scoped precisely as they are initiated.
• Have a way to short-circuit the full cycle as a way of testing build-up of the scaffolding while bootstrapping.

2. Activities (2005-08-02)

• 2005-07-05 Create Placeholder to be expanded
• 2005-07-10 2005-07-06 Define packaging and elements of the scope artifacts: P050702c
• 2005-08-02 Reflect Motivation and Engagement
• Reflect any review comments that are received.
• Retrofit connection with process patterns and TROSTing approach (later, ad lib.)

3. Motivation and Engagement (2005-08-02; adapted from 2005-07-11)

3.1 Wanting to Demonstrate Trustworthiness.  While wrestling with the project part of my M.Sc dissertation, I learned that demonstration of trustworthiness (what I call TROSTing the software) has to be incorporated from the very beginning.  Furthermore, achieving trustworthiness requires anticipation of users having their hands on the product for the duration of the activities that are important to them; the delivered software is merely an instrument in the adopter’s pursuits and that must be recognized and supported.

3.2 Respecting the User’s World.  This leads to taking the software-development life cycle out beyond the usual level of attention into what is called the system-life cycle view in the adopter’s world.  In particular, it involves anticipating that the software-product life cycle intersects a consumer’s distinct application life cycle that is nowhere coterminous with that of the software. (By the way, I am shopping for terms other than producer-consumer, especially the -consumer part, as labels for the participants in this kind of engagement/commerce.  I notice that I have been using adopter and I think that will stick.)

3.3 Starting from Nothing.  The upshot of this perspective is that, in preparing to build up to a stable release where there is no delivery process already in place, I needed to bootstrap the construction and deployment of deliverable packages first.  That provides the necessary foundation for periodic software builds, confirmation of the builds (a software quality assurance and stabilization activity), and delivery of preliminary material to potential reviewers and interested developers in a way that exercises and confirms the deployment methodology, building trustworthiness along the way.

3.4 What They Get Is What They See?  So what do we put in the hands of those lucky recipients?  There’s certainly some (early) version of the software itself, but what else must be in place to have there be what I’m calling, for now, a trustworthy deployment? 

3.5 Exhibit A: The scoping checklist.  The checklist is a general one that came to mind for delivering software of this kind.  Because I’ll be bootstrapping my way into the deployment process ahead of and then concurrent with building the software itself, versions of the checklist will have a good number of “not addressed for this version”) entries at first.  That’s all right:  Accounting for the checklist elements makes explicit what the desired state is (the envisioned scope), and what the current state is (an interim, achieved scope). 

3.6 Feedback Invitation.  The draft scoping checklist is available for review and comment.  Comments are welcome here and on the TROST-discuss and ActiveODMA-discuss lists. I’ve already received some feedback.  My notes on what I’ve learned are in the Diary & Job Jar page that accompanies the scoping document.  

3.7 Trustworthiness in Artifacts?  Laying out the trial scoping and discussing it today have given me a powerful insight into how trustworthiness is reflected in artifacts:  the artifact is an expression of the producer’s care for the adopters/users.  I invite your consideration for how developer attention to such elements is an opportunity to express care for the recipient of the artifact and thereby build trustworthiness.

Revision History:

0.12 2005-08-02-22:06 Add Motivation and Engagement

Bring in overview posted by blog and update links and cross-references here.  Change status to Routine.

0.11 2005-07-10-14:47 Touch-up Text and Change from "Scope" to "Scoping"

items noticed after the initial posting are tweaked, with others added to the job jar.

0.10 2005-07-10-10:46 Reflect completion by provision of the 0.10 scope description.

The initial specification is posted for review.

0.01 2005-07-06-12:56 Incorporate Initial Approach and Activities

Keep a simple approach with more to be provided on the detail pages.

0.00 2005-07-05-18:20 Create Placeholder of Folio Cover Page

Incorporate job jar and use it to drive the completion of essential items here, providing an initial skeleton for more content.  This page is a customization of the Project Folio Bootstrap Template.  A version from Project Folio Bootstrap 0.11 Material was used.