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The following are some tips and Best Practices for managing the work of SME Teams, Spec Teams and the deliverables being requested - prioritization of user stories, statements of work/assignments, spec writing, reviews, managing meetings, and creating models to communicate goals (workflows, story relationships, teams, etc).
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Spec, Research, & Other Teams
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h5. Managing Meetings (Spec Team lead and SA)
* Meetings
** {link-window:http://www.cdlib.org/cdlinfo/2010/10/13/how-to-host-an-effective-virtual-meeting|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false}"How To Host An Effective Virtual Meeting"{link-window}. Source: UC California Digital Library
** {link-window:http://www.facilitate.com/support/facilitator-toolkit/docs/Great-results-virtualQA.pdf|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false} "Getting Great Results from Virtual Meetings"{link-window}. Source: Facilitate.com
* Always communicate meeting agenda and goals in advance
** {link-window:http://goo.gl/gEupI|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false}OLE Meeting Minutes Agenda Template{link-window} is available for your team use
{HTMLcomment}[- Meetings
- . Source: UC California Digital Library
- . Source: Facilitate.com
- Always communicate meeting agenda and goals in advance
- is available for your team use
]{HTMLcomment}
* Maintain Meeting Minutes to capture discussions & brainstorming (can be annotated into specs)
* Document your decisions
* Utilize a "parking lot" to keep discussions from going off track - come back to these issues at a later date
* Due dates - assign and communicate due dates for any tasks
* Time-limit brainstorming & discussions in order to accomplish meeting goals
* No meeting ends without assignments, next steps
* {link-window:http://www.doodle.com|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false}Doodle.com{link-window} is a useful tool for surveying meeting availability
h5. Managing (leveraging) Resources
* Ask your SME Team for Help
* Use the (historical) OLE [OLE:Functional Specifications Facilitators Guide] for team start-up
* Use your Kuali OLE distribution list for discussions - this saves all emails to KIS team page archive
* Define leads for tasks (spec writing vs modeling vs data requirements vs testing)
* Make assignments vs requesting help, as needed
* Celebrate decisions and accomplishments
* See [Teams & Collaboration Lists|OLE:OLE Tools & Working Teams] to see who else is working on specs & collaborate overlaps
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h5. Managing Deliverables & Team Documentation
* Maintain all team documents in your {link-window:http://goo.gl/JXA5p|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false}OLE Google Docs{link-window} folders (even if you draft offline, add to team folder - not via email)
{HTMLcomment}[- Maintain Meeting Minutes to capture discussions & brainstorming (can be annotated into specs)
- Document your decisions
- Utilize a "parking lot" to keep discussions from going off track - come back to these issues at a later date
- Due dates - assign and communicate due dates for any tasks
- Time-limit brainstorming & discussions in order to accomplish meeting goals
- No meeting ends without assignments, next steps
- is a useful tool for surveying meeting availability
Managing (leveraging) Resources- Ask your SME Team for Help
- Use the (historical) OLE Functional Specifications Facilitators Guide for team start-up
- Use your Kuali OLE distribution list for discussions - this saves all emails to KIS team page archive
- Define leads for tasks (spec writing vs modeling vs data requirements vs testing)
- Make assignments vs requesting help, as needed
- Celebrate decisions and accomplishments
- See Teams & Collaboration Lists to see who else is working on specs & collaborate overlaps
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| Managing Deliverables & Team Documentation- Maintain all team documents in your folders (even if you draft offline, add to team folder - not via email)
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* Start with a schedule and a plan
* Sample [ |OLE:Spec Team- Roles in Spec Writing#timeline]
* Specs
** {link-window:http://goo.gl/F1p00|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false}Google Drawings{link-window}
{HTMLcomment}[]{HTMLcomment}
** [Gliffy Diagrams|OLE Gliffy Sandbox Instructions]
** Visio (if license)
*** {link-window:http://goo.gl/nqvji|scrollbars=true|menubar=true|location=true|statusbar=true|resizable=true|width=800|height=600|icon=false}Open Source Alternatives{link-window}
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** Microsoft Office
*** Word
*** Powerpoint
* [Balsamiq - Wireframes|UI Mockup Tools for Design] (user interface design)
* Use the OLE Documentation & Specification [Templates|Specification & Documentation Templates] (user story spec template, whitepaper template, models, data requirements, test scripts)
h5. Managing Scope of Specifications
* Think "critical path" - not every alternative workflow
* 80/20 rule - for agreement in discussions, and for documenting critical workflows in specs
* Try to stay within the scope of work and story goals of the assignment
* Other teams, SME Team reviews, gap analysis and testing will pick up alternate workflows or missed requirements
- Balsamiq - Wireframes (user interface design)
- Use the OLE Documentation & Specification Templates (user story spec template, whitepaper template, models, data requirements, test scripts)
Managing Scope of Specifications- Think "critical path" - not every alternative workflow
- 80/20 rule - for agreement in discussions, and for documenting critical workflows in specs
- Try to stay within the scope of work and story goals of the assignment
- Other teams, SME Team reviews, gap analysis and testing will pick up alternate workflows or missed requirements
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SME Teams
Please refer to tips for spec teams, and also use the following ideas and resources as applicable or helpful to your efforts.
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| Prioritization of User Stories- This is an iterative process - work with Project Team and Scope Team
- Leverage other SME Team leads to find the optimal process
- Use the work that's come before - prior specs, investigations to guide prioritization
- KISS - get some spec teams started, then evaluate as you go
- Utilize the OLE Roadmap and Implementation Schedule for priorities in planning
Statements of Work/Organizing Assignments- Formulate SOW's for each spec team (see SOW template & samples)
- Use the SOW as a template for thinking through assignments
- Leverage your SME Team's expertise to get this started
- KISS - you don't have to know everything, but can draft Goals to assist team efforts
Managing competing priorities- Stagger spec team starts - have multiple teams going, but stagger them to manage spec writing vs. review periods and re-prioritization
- Start Spec Team #1
- Start Spec Team #2
- Complete Specification reviews for Team #1
- Start Spec Team #3
- Complete Specification reviews for Team #2
- ...and so on...
- Have SME Team members be "owners" of different tasks and administration
- Circulate agendas and action lists for commitments by TT SME Team members
- Solicit help from the Functional Council
- Rotate meeting facilitation based on topics
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| Specification Reviews- Leverage the expertise of your SME Team
- What's missing in specs? (initial Gap Analysis)
- What's in specs that needs more details? Send back to spec team with comments.
- You don't have to rewrite the specs - leverage your Subject Matter Experts on spec teams by giving them feedback
- Keep it moving - use email distribution lists to facilitate offline work and assignments between meetings
Gap Analysis- "You know what you know" - now use it!
- This is iterative process - things will get missed
- Testing, other specs, and other teams can often identify anything you've missed
- Be critical, be thoughtful, but avoid "analysis paralysis"
Technical tasks and needs, as identified- Utilize your Technical Council member to lead technical investigations
- Contact TC members on other SME Teams or the Technical Council distribution list for more support
- Talk to Project Team, Developers - facilitate joint efforts & understanding
- If you've identified a critical technical need or roadblock, maybe someone else has too - communicate with other SME Teams & Project Team
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