SKILL CATEGORY #3- MANAGING TEST PROJECT

MANAGING THE TEST PROJECT

1. TEST ADMINISTRATION (What is needed to be available to test)

Managing the affairs of test software

 Customization of the test process –If The process is not adequate for a
specific project , Customize the test Process for the project
 Scheduling – Establishing start and completion dates
 Budgeting – the resources to accomplish the test objectives
 Staffing – obtain the testers to achieve the plan
The four key tasks for test project administration
 Test plan defines the step of testing
 The schedule determines the date testing is to be completed
 The budget determines the amount of resources that can be used for testing
 Customization assures the test process will accomplish the test objectives

Customizing the test process

Some of the characteristics of software development that may cause customization
of the test process are:
 Release cycle Schedule (Nothing but SW Release cycles)
 Software Development methods (Unix, .NET, off-shore, and delivery methods)
 User Schedules (Important dates & delivery schedules)
 Project Status Reporting (Everyone wants reports their way)
 Interfacing with other project (Multiple projects ending at same time)
 Interacting with other databases(Merge with Elbonian database)
 Naming conventions(Everyone wants to change the names of projects as per the
standard)
 Adding new tasks and deleting some test tasks currently in the process
 Adding or deleting test tools

Budgeting
 IT organization use judgment and experience to build the budget and others will
use automated tools to develop the budget
 The tester needs to be familiar with the general concept of budgeting and then
use those processes available
 The factors that must be estimated are : Size, requirements, expertise and tools
 The important of the estimation cannot be underestimated
 Factors (Requirements, Past data, Culture, resources available & tools)
 SMART Goals
o Specific – clear to all involved
o Measurable - % complete
o Agreed Upon - stakeholders
o Realistic – resources, time, skill
o Time Frame – calendar days

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 SKILL CATEGORY #3- MANAGING TEST PROJECT

Budgeting techniques
Top-Down Estimation
 The approach is that software has its own complexity and difficulty in design and
implementation. Past data plays on important role here
The following types of models are used to estimate the cost
 Cost Model (lines of code, few example for Cost models are FP & COCOMO)
 Constraint Models (Putnam’s SLIM ( Software Life Cycle Management )
K = (LOC / (C * t4/3)) * 3
K = life in years, t = development c technology constant (610-57314)
 Functional Points (Measure the size in terms of the amount of functionality in a
system. FP’s are computed by calculating by UFC
 COCOMOII Model (Constructive Cost Model II = size of system and cost drivers)-
It provides support for object-oriented software, Business Software & Cots
Application Utilities)
Expert Judgment
 Based on the experience in certain types of projects or certain tools, their
expertise can be used to estimate the cost that will be incurred in implementing
the project
Bottom-Up Estimation
 Use WBS and estimate all steps needed at each phase, then total
 In this level , each activity has a resource and skill level attached to it and
dependencies have been identified
Scheduling
 Scheduling is a calendar based breakdown of tasks and deliverables
 It helps Pm & PL manage the project with in the time frame and keep track the
same
 WBS helps to define the activities at a border level (Identifies roles and tasks,
Facilitates tracking, Helps management corrective action, NOT an org chart &
Defines total project)

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 SKILL CATEGORY #3- MANAGING TEST PROJECT

Staffing

 Needed well trained team members

 Test manager should document the needed skills and the skills available by the
team members
 If the test team does not have the required skills, it’s the responsibility of the test
manager to teach those individual the needed skills. This training can be on the
job-training, formal classroom training or e-learning training

Test Team Approaches

D:\Santhosh\CSTE\
Test Team Approach.doc

2. TEST SUPERVISION

 Communication Skills(The ability to communicate the needed direction)

 Negotiation and complaint resolution skills(Resolving Complaints, good judgment)
 Project leader ship (Effective relation ship with test project stakeholders)
 Motivation Mentoring and Recognition(Encouraging individual, Supporting
Individual and rewarding individual)
o Communication Skills (Written and oral communication, Listing skills,
Interview Skills & analyzing Skills)
 Written and oral communication
o Best solution to the customer’s problem
o Project team is well equipped to implement the solution
o Personal management capabilities

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 SKILL CATEGORY #3- MANAGING TEST PROJECT

o Do the project Effectively , efficiently and economically

Preparing the proposal
o Outline proposal
o Prepare visual aids,
o Main points crystal clear
o Rehearse, be brief & on time
o Prepare for objections and alternatives
o It’s better to say too little than too much
Presenting the proposal
o Start and finish your discussion on time
o Use terms that auditors will understand
Closing the proposal
o The close is getting approval to proceed according to the proposal
o Don’t be concerned about objections to your proposal
Listening Skills
o Hearing the speaker (Subject, words, tone, gestures, visuals)
o Attending the speaker (Subject, words, tone, gestures, visuals, sbject,
words, tone, gestures, visuals)
o Understanding the speaker
 Discriminative – listening for one thing – how much will it cost?
 Comprehensive – listening for whole content,
 Therapeutic – empathy, sympathy
 Critical – analyze, doubt
 Appreciative – discovery channel
Interviewing Skills
o Test engineers must interview lots of people all the time, we just don't
call it interviewing, such as hallway conversations.
o Primary purpose of interviewing is fact-finding
o Secondary purpose is giving information.
o Third is to get a new job
o Fourth is to hire someone for a job
Facts vs finding
o Fact – attribute or condition agreed to be correct...
o “it is...”
o Finding is identifying the difference between real and expected....”the
gap” as in the requirement is for x, and test results show y.
o When documenting a 'finding',
o Facts (describe why difference is significant)
o Cause (reasons for deviation)
o Significance, impact, importance,
o Make a recommendation, we are consultants, so we make a lot of 'em.
Don't just find problems, suggest courses of action based on your
analysis
o Conclusions are judgment based, hence there must be a sales pitch to
have recommendations and point of view accepted.
o Analysis is part of the job
o Value of a recommendation is based on the analysis.
o Subject recommendations to challenges by peers to develop value and
thoroughness.
Analyzing Skills
o Make a recommendation; we are consultants, so we make a lot of 'em.
Don't just find problems, suggest courses of action based on your
analysis

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o Conclusions are judgment based, hence there must be a sales pitch to

have recommendations and point of view accepted.
o Analysis is part of the job
o Value of a recommendation is based on the analysis.
o Subject recommendations to challenges by peers to develop value and
thoroughness.

Negotiation Skills
o Conflict resolution – understand the cause is often first step to
resolution.
o Sources of conflict
o Project priorities, policies, procedures
o Technical opinions, performance tradeoff
o Human resources, costs, personalities
o Schedule
Conflict Resolution
o Forcing by might
o Smoothing – neglect, postpone
o Withdrawal, neglecting own interests
o Compromise, win-win or lose-lose
o Problem-solving, address interests
Resolving Complaints
o Four minutes to resolve or your customer wants to give up on you.
o 1. Get in your customer's mind(Show interest, privacy, empathy,
apologize)
o 2. Get the facts, ask them to explain(Listen, take notes, repeat and
affirm)
o 3. Initiate an action(dmit error if needed, negotiate a resolution)
o Follow up with customer
Judgement Skills
o Ideal is based on facts, standards, and experience. A good judge
brings experience to the bench
Constructive Criticism
o Do it privately
o State the positive first, be specific
o Lay out the deficiencies in the work,

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o Criticize the work/product not the individual

o Get agreement there is a problem
o Ask for suggestions on improvements

Project Relationship
o Define – stakeholders, who are owners, users, testers, managers
o Roles – Who is to do what tasks
o Consult, inform, approve, responsible
o Importance of relationship to test
o Influence on the testing

Motivation Skills
o It's hard to be 'up' all the time. Some motivators...
o Personal challenge
o Respect towards team
o Rewards, specific goals/objectives
o Recognition
o (here is where my cynicism threatened to overwhelm my sense of duty
and I quit typing)
Mentoring
o Mentoring is helping or supporting other people in a non-supervisory
capacity.
o Career counseling
o Work tasks, technical skills

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o Professional achievement (CSTE)

o Networking opportunities
Recognition
o Recognition by an IT manager at a formal IT meeting
o Group Luncheons, appreciation mails

3. TEST LEADERSHIP
 Leadership will address these areas(Charming Meetings, team Building, Quality
Management Org Structure & Code of ethics)
 Charming Meeting
o Meeting should be defined with objectives, agenda & goals
o Get the right people to attend
o Chairperson, assigned responsibilities
o Approval method (decree, consensus)
o Insure stakeholders have opportunity to be heard (not everyone)
o Minutes of Meeting
 Team Building
o Loyalty to company & boss – GONE Loyalty to team, peers, & career –
IN Recognize that loyalties are not all aligned, some conflict with
others
o Communicate common goals, objectives, and vision. Why are we
here? What are we trying to do?
o Define roles and responsibilities
o Empower team members to manage own area
o Hold team members accountable for areas
o Ensure team members have skills, training, resources
o Reward team members appropriately
Team Member Attraction
o Learn work and communication style preferences
 Email vs IM vs oral vs memo
 Late night vs child care & family issues
o Set clear, measurable work requirement standards
o Delegate authority to perform tasks in efficient manner
o Exact responsibility and accountability
o Give immediate and objective feedback
o Communicate about any events that impact team
Team ethics
o Customer relations are truthful & fair
o Protecting company property
o Compliance with company policies
o Integrity of information
o Attendance & promptness
o Define standards of quality and notify stakeholders of gaps
o Appropriate rewards & recognitions
Team rewards
o Team Celebrations
o Team Financial Rewards
o Team recognition
 ORG Structures
o Traditional o People cause problems
o Control results o Motivate by fear
o Who made errors o MBO
o Fix errors o Fight fires

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o Quotas bottom line o Self motivated

o Quality Mgmt o Manage processes
o Use processes o Continuous
o What caused error improvement
o Prevent errors o Long term incremental
o Process causes problems improvement

4. Manage in Change

 A test plan is a contract, if test plan is executed, the testing should be viewed as
successful.
 Test plans, tools, procedures, all need updating
 Change plans to reflect unfolding reality (calendar)
Software Configuration Management
o Key component of the infrastructure.
o Ability to maintain control of all changes to all artifacts
 Requirements, plans, tests, tools, data
 Version information, decisions, postponed plans

Change Management
o Source code o Manuals
o Requirements o HW, SW configs
o Analysis models o Paper archives
o Design models o Decisions
o Test cases o Versions & labels
o Test procedures o Builds
o scripts o
o User docs o
Version Control

 Once dynamic testing started, the project team must ensure that the appropriate
versions of the software components are being tested.
 The time and effort devoted to testing are wasted if either the incorrect
components.
 Have been migrated to the testing Environment
 The CM must develop both migration and back out procedures to support this
process
 These process can be either manual or automated
 A test Environment, where the test team conducts testing on each build

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