Method Construction

Definition

Method Construction
(a.k.a., Method Engineering)

the process engineering task during which an endeavor-specific or producer-specific method is constructed

Classification

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

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Tasks
• Subclasses: None

Responsibilities

The typical responsibilities of Method Construction are to:

• Construct an endeavor-specific method.
• Ensure that the constructed method is appropriate:
  • Required to meet the endeavor’s needs (e.g., in terms of the endeavor’s schedule, required quality, required managability, required managability).
  • Consistent Internally so that the method components are cohesive and fit well together.
  • Consistent Externally so that the method components are consistent with:
    • The development or customer organization’s standard approach.
    • Any required industry or governmental process standards.
  • Complete (i.e., contain all relevant method components).
  • Practical (e.g., easy to learn, can be used efficiently given the endeavor’s stakeholders’ experience and training, and neither to formal or informal).
  • Cost-effective in terms of cost (e.g., training, tools, and staff effort including both development and maintenance costs).

Preconditions

Method Construction can typically begin when the following preconditions hold:

• The endeavor is started.
• The process team is adequately:
  • Staffed.
  • Trained or experienced in method construction (a.k.a, method engineering).
• The method needs assessment task has been started.
• The repository containing the framework of reusable method components is available.

Completion Criteria

Method Construction is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

• The method components of the endeavor-specific method have been:
  • Selected.
  • Tailored to meet the needs of the endeavor.
  • Integrated to produce the method.

Steps

Method Construction typically involves the process team performing the following steps in an iterative, incremental, and parallel manner:

• Select the relevant method components.
• Tailor the selected method components to meet the needs of the endeavor.
• Integrate the tailored method components to produce the method.

Techniques

Method Construction can be performed using the following techniques:

• Reuse repository
• Process framework
• Instantiation of method components

Work Products

Method Construction typically results in the production of the following work products:

• Method
• Selected Tailored and Integrated Method Components

Guidelines

• The first step is to select the work products to produce because the work products are the reason why the endeavor exists in the first place. Customer organizations are paying for the work products and are interested in method only because the quality of the method influences the quality of the work products and the cost and schedule of the endeavor.
• Different endeavors require different sets of method components.
• Hire a methodologist as a consultant if the process team has inadequate training or experience in assessing the endeavor’s method needs.
• This task is typically performed iteratively, incrementally, and in parallel with the method needs assessment and method documentation task. For example, the method documentation task can formally document the method components as they are selected.
• As documented, the steps in this task are performed mostly in a bottom-up manner that is based on the work products that the customer organization is paying the development organization to develop. These steps can also be performed in a top-down manner by rearranging them.
• Great care should be taken when constructing a method from the process framework. If certain method components are left out, the process team must ensure that the selected method components are properly tailored to remain consistent (e.g., a selected role should not remain responsible for producing a work product that was purposely left out of the method).