Transcript Objective Communication and Measurement

Garry Roedler, ESEP
LM Fellow
INCOSE Founder
IEEE Golden Core Member
Note: This presentation reflects the positions of the presenter and is being given from the perspective of the industry
association roles held by the presenter. It does not necessarily reflect the positions held by any specific organization or
his employer.
Communication and Program
Performance
Statistics on program failures conclude:
Most IT projects are failing.
The predominant reason:
Communication breakdown.
The Standish Group CHAOS report
Reasons for project failure:
1. Expectation mismatch amongst stakeholders.
2. Improper and unclear communication with
stakeholders.
Global Project Management
– Vote from LinkedIn
Poor communication is the reason most IT projects fail.
Unrealistic deadlines
is another
leading
Communication
consistently
cited
ascause.
a top reason for
project failure paired with
Web Poll – Computing Technology
expectations
estimates
Industry Assoc. and
– 1000 respondents
Elements of Objective Communication
 Looks for the truth, uses hard data, tries to explain as well as predict
(deterministic)
 Avoids potential of multiple interpretations or misinterpretation
 Unambiguous
 Clarity of meaning; single interpretation
 Common vocabulary – words can have multiple meanings
 Void of subjectivity
 Avoids personal bias; keeps out personal values (“value-free”)
 “Lack of judgment”
 Factual
 Quantitative, over qualitative
 Focus on cause and effect
 Predictive – looks for predictability
 Based on universal laws
 Validates theory with objective methods; e.g., experiments and surveys
 Applies objective research with precise measurement and data analysis
Does this look like objective communication?
Supports
Objective Discussion for Affordability & Other Objectives
http://dilbert.com/dyn/str_strip/000000000/00000000/0000000/000000/00000/0000/900/929/929.strip.zoom.gif
Obstacles for Objective Communication
 Psychological factors
 E.g., ego, optimism/pessimism, past influences
 Sociological factors
 E.g., culture, peer pressure, social norms
 Stake in the game
 Lack of information
 Lack of common experience
 Lack of common vocabulary
Why Objective Communication is
Important in Engineering
 Agreement between supplier and acquirer
 Understanding the needs/requirements
 Ensuring joint understanding
 Team understanding of requirements
 Insight to manage risks or make decisions
 Not a spectator sport; participative
 Understanding of decision criteria
 Using predictive insight from leading indicators and risk
assessments
 Includes confidence in the information (i.e., uncertainty)
 Progress and status
Example of Ambiguity
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI
Semantic Ambiguity
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“Lack Of Brains Hinders Research”
“Kids Make Nutritious Snacks”
“Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped”
“Miners Refuse to Work after Death”
“Police Begin Campaign To Run Down
Jaywalkers”
“Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge”
“Juvenile Court To Try Shooting Defendant”
“Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes
Over”
“Astronaut Takes Blame For Gas In
Spacecraft”
“Grandmother Of Eight Makes Hole In One”
“Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax”
“NJ Judge to Rule on Nude Beach”
Microsoft Clip Art Image 2007
The English language can be ambiguous …
some sample newspaper headlines:
Microsoft Clip Art Image 2007
Syntactic Ambiguity
Punctuation can cause very different meanings!
Example of Subjectivity
 Subjective language includes phrases such as:
 Easy-to-use, user-friendly
 Close quickly
 High-speed, medium-sized, low-frequency (high,
medium, low, large, small, …)
 Best practices
 Minimize, maximize, optimize
 Subjective terms:
 Create problems in verification
 Often lead to Affordability issues
 The use of these adjectives allows for multiple
interpretations
Example of Potential Numerical
Misinterpretation
Image from The World is Flat: http://salyee.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/week-11-infographics/ 10/14/12
1000
970
965
800
960
955
Series1
950
600
Series1
400
945
200
940
0
935
Option A
Option B
Option C
Option A
Option B
Option C
Drug company states that a competing drug increases risk of death by 100%.
Using Objective Information to
Improve Program Decisions
 Aids programs by providing true understanding and
insight
 Provides the facts and quantitative information
 Focus on cause and effect
 Allows predictions/estimations – built on historical
data, empirical relationships, accepted principles, …
 Validated through experiments, surveys, and calibration
 Cannot eliminate all subjective, ambiguous
information
 Assumptions
 Differences from historical information
 Emerging information
 Humans are involved
How this Relates to Measurement &
Cost/Schedule Estimating
 Measurement is at the root of objectivity
 Basis of factual information
 Basis of models and estimation

Realize all information is not precise – account by using ranges and
distributions, where applicable
 Necessary for calibration to improve applicability
 Cost/schedule estimation provides a model of a class of
programs
 Basis of predictions using key variables (drivers)
 Developed from objective research (i.e., precise measurement
and data analysis)
 Provides a point of departure from what is known
 But … requires verification and validation
Does this look like your program?
http://dilbert.com/dyn/str_strip/000000000/00000000/0000000/000000/00000/6000/300/6379/6379.strip.zoom.gif
Where We Are Now
Leading Indicators
Cost Estimation
Other
“COCONuts”
and Vendor
Models for
SW and SE
…
SE Leading
Indicators Guide
System Devel.
Perf. Measurement
COCOMO®
Technical
Measurement
Standardization & Harmonization
Applications / Other Guidance
SEVOCAB
Measurement Life Cycle Process
Process Std Stds – 15288, 12207
PSM
CMMI
Where We Are Now
Where We Are Now
Where We Are Now
Where We Are Now
Where We Still Need To Go
Leading Indicators
Cost Estimation
 Extensive piloting and usage of SELI
and SDPM
 Enhance ability to support trades
 Account for more of the key
 Linkage of SELI to results of SE
Effectiveness Survey and Risk
Models
decisions (e.g., Product Lines)
 Better account for uncertainty
 Integrated cost estimation
 Full system cost estimation
 Full life cycle cost estimation
 Leading Indicators for SW
Standardization & Harmonization
 Complete harmonization of System
and SW
 Continue to migrate to common
vocabulary
Applications / Other Guidance
 Revision of PSM guidance to state
of standard
 Extend PSM for emerging
information needs
 Determine measures and cost
estimation that best applies through
life cycle stages and decisions
Microsoft Clip Art Image 2007