Method

Definition

Method
(a.k.a., Development Method, Engineering Method, and Methodology)

a cohesive collection of endeavor-specific method components modeling a systematic intended way of producing work products and providing services

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, Method is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Work Product
• Subclasses:
  • None

Responsibilities

The typical responsibilities of a Method are to:

• Document the intended:
  • Work products to be produced and modified.
  • Work units to be performed.
  • Producers who will perform these work units.
  • Stages during which the producers will perform these work units to produce these work products and provide these services.
• Improve the:
  • Probability of success of the endeavor.
  • Quality of the work products produced by the endeavor.

Contents

A Method typically has the following contents:

• Endeavor
• Language
• Producer
• Stage
• Work Product
• Work Unit

Stakeholders

The typical stakeholders of a Method are:

• Producer:
  • Performing Stakeholder Organizations
  • Performing Stakeholder Teams
  • Performing Stakeholder Roles
  • Performing Stakeholder Persons
• Evaluator:
  • Evaluation Teams
  • Management Teams
  • Quality Team
  • Customer Representative
• Approvers:
  • Technical Leader
  • Project Manager
  • Customer Representative(s)
• Maintainers:
  • Not Applicable
• Users:
  The Process is typically used by practically every endeavor producer except tools including:
  • Performing Stakeholder Organizations
  • Performing Stakeholder Teams
  • Performing Stakeholder Roles
  • Performing Stakeholder Persons

Phases

A Method is typically produced (i.e., enacted) during the following phases:

Preconditions

A Method typically can be started if the following preconditions hold:

• The endeavor has started.
• The method documentation task has been completed.
• Some of the stakeholders have been staffed and trained in the use of the method.

Inputs

The typical inputs to a Method include:

• Work Product:
  • Method Description Document
• Stakeholders:
  • Process Team
  • Training Team

Guidelines

• When constructing a method from method components:
  • Select only those method components from the repository that are appropriate and cost-effective.
  • Tailor these method components so that their contents are appropriate and cost-effective.
• Methods can very greatly in both size, complexity, and scope. Methods may be “complete” in the sense of covering all work products produced, all work units performed, and all producers of work products. Methods may also be quite small in covering only the development of a single work product or the performance of a single task.

Conventions

A Method is typically constrained by the following conventions:

• Not Applicable

Examples

• Rational Unified Process
• eXtreme Programming