In 1992 Norm Brown, founder of the Software Program Managers Network (SPMN), was assigned responsibility for planning and conducting assessments of Navy programs in the Assistant Secretary of the Navy's office. He observed firsthand the devastating effect that ineffective software management has on software projects. During the same period Mike Evans, President of C&C Associates, was conducting software risk assessments for commercial and DoD customers. He was finding similar problems delaying, if not destroying projects. In comparing notes the two recognized that they had independently reached the same conclusion of the 1987 Defense Science Board: "Major problems with military software development are not technical problems, but management problems." The SPMN was formed in reaction to this chronic problem and in response to cries for help from software practitioners and program managers.

The SPMN's goal is to help software-intensive projects operate as successfully as possible by identifying and conveying to practitioners and managers what works, and what does not work, in real-world software management. What began in the Navy soon spread to the other services, major defense agencies, and other government agencies, as the value of what the Network was undertaking became apparent. The Network and its activities also encompass the U.S. commercial and academic sectors.

The SPMN services are free to the approximately 2,000 members. The SPMN provides useful, practical, and proven management methods, techniques, and tools directly to program managers and software practitioners. Members have access to a unique set of training classes funded through the DoD, and can participate in SPMN symposia dealing with critical software management topics. Members receive the SPMN newsletter, NetFocus, which provides insights into key management matters, techniques, and tools that have proven effective in dealing with common project problems. SPMN direct satellite broadcasts address critical software management topics and present lessons learned and best practices information to a broad audience. The SPMN develops and distributes videotapes, audiotapes, guidebooks, and software on best practices and related software management issues. These and other products and services offer members practical help in dealing with the challenges posed by a software development or maintenance project.

Direct project support has been a principal SPMN focus since its inception. Using project support teams and a panel of experts, the Network has provided projects with insights into strengths, weaknesses and potential problems. Follow-on, on-site expert practitioners assist projects with observed problems and help them to avoid common pitfalls as well as to assist with the implementation of practices.

In July 1994, the Department of Defense officials responsible for virtually all software developments, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (both Network members) launched the DoD-wide Software Acquisition Best Practices Initiative based upon the SPMN's activities. The Initiative's chartering memo announced that the "Initiative will identify practices used by successful software projects from both government and industry, and will expand and support the efforts now underway by the SPMN to identify and convey these practices."

The Software Acquisition Best Practices Initiative is organized into three components:

1. The Airlie Software Council: The Airlie Software Council, composed of some of the software industry's leading experts, is charged with identifying fundamental processes and proven solutions that are essential to successfully managing large-scale software development and maintenance projects. The Council is purposely comprised of highly successful managers of large-scale software projects, internationally recognized authors, prominent consultants, and executives responsible for software development at major companies. Considering this diversity, opinions on the issues were expected to be contentious, if not irreconcilable; remarkably, a strong consensus emerged. The Airlie Council identified nine Principal Practices crucial to management and project success, a Software Project Control Panel that displays essential project indicators, a Project "Breathalyzer" that enables one to determine the viability of a project, and Project Caveats, which are frequently used rationalizations that should never be used to resolve project problems.

2. Seven Issue Panels: The panels address seven key software management areas: Risk Management, Planning and Baselining, Program Control, Program Visibility, Engineering Practices and Culture, Process Improvement, and Solicitation and Contracting. The Issue Panels reviewed 163 practices submitted by 56 companies. From these practices and their own extensive experience on large-scale programs, the panelists identified 43 Best Practices. These not only support the nine Principal Best Practices, but also provide insights into advanced management and development techniques. The Issue Panels comprise nearly 180 software practitioners, with roughly equal representation from industry and government.

3. The "Program Managers Panel": A group composed of highly experienced and successful industry program managers whose role is to assure that the program manager's perspective is central to all deliberations and outputs.

In the interest of assuring robust and meaningful results, the Council and the Issue Panels checked and verified each other's outputs. The Program Managers Panel performed a "reality check" on the outputs of both the Council and the Issue Panels.

It's amazing that the most effective practices are often ignored in favor of the latest perceived "silver bullet." The SPMN is helping software organizations to move from a reliance upon silver bullets and a checklist mentality to an "eyes-open and heads-up" use of proven management practices. The focus must turn to the bottom line productivity, quality, timeliness and user satisfaction. Process improvement efforts need to directly address and accomplish these fundamentals. The SPMN's goal is to help software managers succeed by putting useful tools, concepts, strategies, and tactics to use of their projects.

Software practitioners and managers are welcome to join the SPMN. Membership and products are available free of charge by contacting:
SPMN
(703) 521-5231
[email protected]