Risk Management Methods for Test Projects

Risk Management Methods for Test Projects – Make Sure the Most Important Testing is Done in Limited Available Time

Fall 2017 Course – Cancelled

Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017

Time: 8:30am –5:00 pm

Decision date: Thursday, December 7, 2017

Early Registration Date deadline: Wednesday, December 30, 2017

Before Early Registration Date:
Members $220
Non-members $245

After Early Registration Date:
Members $245
Non-members $265

WHERE: Crowne Plaza Hotel
15 Middlesex Canal Park Drive
Woburn, MA 01801
USA

Phone 781-245-5405

email sec.boston@ieee.org

If paying by check, the check must be received before the appropriate dates for Early Registration and Decision Dates.

Make Checks payable and send to:
IEEE Boston Section
One Centre Street, Suite 203
Wakefield, MA 01880

Testing is our primary means of reducing risks related to systems and software. All testing is risk-based in that there are more potential tests than we have time and resources to run, so we choose those that address higher risks. The difficulty is adequately identifying the potential risks, for which a number of structured techniques are described. Risk management involves obtaining, directing, and controlling resources for continuously planning, strategizing, identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, preventing, responding to, mitigating, monitoring, controlling, and reporting risk. Key types of risks and identification approaches are distinguished. Powerful Proactive Testing techniques are demonstrated that enhance conventional reactive testing risk analysis to enable testing higher risks not only more but earlier. Exercises aid learning by allowing participants to practice applying practical methods to realistic examples.

Participants will learn:

* The elements of risk and risk response, and their relation to software development and testing.
* Importance of distinguishing business, management, functional, and technical risk causes and effects.
* Alternative methods for identifying, analyzing, classifying, and prioritizing the several types of risks.
* Proactive Testing methods that enhance conventional reactive testing risk identification, response.
* Monitoring, evaluating, adjusting, and reporting on risk activities, findings, and results.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This course has been designed for analysts, designers, programmers, testers, auditors, users, and managers who rely on, plan, oversee, and/or carry out testing of software products.

1 NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF RISK
Murphy’s Law; O’Brien’s Law
Relation of risk to software and testing
Classical risk management
Impact and probability risk elements
Classical risk mitigation, contingency plans
Costs, ease of detecting, controlling vs. harm
Quantifying qualitative risk, tricks and traps
Types, classifications of risks
Threats, vulnerabilities, triggers
Risk identification analysis methods
Business, functional, and operational risks
Direct and indirect forms of injury
Management and technical risks
Effects vs. causes risk identification
Monitoring, controlling, reporting risks

2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT RISKS
Most frequently encountered risks
Changing requirements and scope creep
Lack of management support, priorities
Typically unrecognized interrelationships
Features/quality, resources, schedule risks
Software risks–or just poor management
Sizing implications for software QA/testing
Traditional checklists for project managers
Evaluating risk factor checklists usefulness
Software risk taxonomy
Monitoring and managing risk as a project

3 CONVENTIONAL RISK ANALYSIS
Testing riskier features, components more
Costs, additional testing resources vs. fixed
System, development practices checklists
Design analysis vs. prioritizing test cases
Common subjective risk judgment methods
Rating vs. ranking, setting objective criteria
Reporting, gaining agreement on risks

4 PROACTIVE RISK-BASED TESTING
Why typical risk-based testing is reactive
Proactive Testing Life Cycle
Structured model of test planning
Multiple levels, points of risk analysis
Prioritization demands knowing the choices
Project-level proactive risk analysis
Identifying overlooked project-specific risks
Refocusing on tests that reduce the key risks
Letting testing drive development
Gaining user, manager, developer support
Identifying and analyzing lower-level risks
Differentiating user and technical views
Risk analysis in test designs and test cases
Risks of not testing some things
Metrics to monitor effectiveness, efficiency
Anticipating and measuring operational risks
Risk management roles and responsibilities
Reporting risk status, expected and actual
Categorizing actuals, improving over time

Speaker’s Bio:
Robin F. Goldsmith, JD is an internationally recognized authority on software development and acquisition methodology and management. He has more than 30 years of experience in requirements definition, quality and testing, development, project management, and process improvement. A frequent featured speaker at leading professional conferences and author of the recent Artech House book, Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success, he regularly works with and trains business and systems professionals.