The purpose of this training plan outline is to sketch out the basic elements and structure of training to be provided to personnel from organisations selected to become Information Technology Nodes (ITNs) in the area of Software Quality Assurance, Audit and Certification.

It is recognised that prospective receivers of this training in Third Mediterranean Countries exhibit a wide variety of experiences, technical competence and potential for their own markets. While on average, Third Mediterranean Countries are at an intermediate development level in industrial and information technology areas, there are countries closer to the advanced industrialised world and others closer to underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the training material will be flexibly structured to enable adaptation to each individual ITN level of maturity and market potential. Trainers will adjust the pace and focus of the presentation and handling of delivered material, so to make the course best suitable for their audience and the needs of the local market.

Since the ITNs are going to operate as experts and innovation carriers in the local market, they must:

1. Support the providers of services to the local market in SPI, S/W Qual. Audit and Certification, by making available up to date information and disseminating best practices in these subjects, enabling them to contact european and international centres of related expertise and excellence, facilitate transfer of process/quality technology by performing market analysis, establishing trends etc.
2. Increase the awareness of end-users in the local market on the benefits and possible alternatives of approaches and techniques related to SW Qual. Audit, Certification and SPI, leading to increased demand for services in these areas.
3. Provide a channel for constant transfer of know-how and ongoing developments in the subject areas to both providers and users, as well as to and from the local market in relation to EU countries, other Med IT Nodes (countries), as well as the rest of the world.

The role of the ITNs in the case of S/W Qual. Audit, Certification and SPI is significant because these techniques:

4. provide a strategic framework for process improvement especially for SMEs in the IT and S/W development business.
5. constitute a strong vehicle for increased market competitiveness, both locally and internationally for SMEs, especially outside the inner circle of technologically developed countries.
6. help in converging the practices in S/W development with mature experiences in other highly developed industrial areas.

The training course will focus in the development of Business Intelligence/Capability at the ITNs, by assisting in:

7. understanding the position of local market providers and end-users in the subject area
8. building a value-added action plan, addressing what and when should be undertaken and whom to target
9. tailoring the plan to best fit local culture and circumstances
10. operating as a know-how transfer node in S/W process and quality issues

 

Preparation: Before the course begins, the trainees will have the chance to take some preparatory actions, the essential part being the answering of the specially prepared questionnaire, which indicates their background and interest in the ITN area of specialisation and prospects. Another questionnaire should be filled by 1 person from each participant organisation, to identify the organisation’s awareness, involvement and interest in SW Quality issues. They are also encouraged to reflect upon the special area of SW quality in relation to their country’s circumstances and, if possible have available examples, experiences, any relevant surveys and statistics and any other information that might be useful during the course, especially the action planning. When at the beginning of the course they will present themselves, they should also identify any concrete information they may have availabe, so that the trainer and other trainees will know and take it into account in time.

 

The approach taken seeks to address the general characteristics and needs that are common to a great extent in Third Mediterranean Countries, concerning the software quality area. Thus, it provides wide coverage on several relevant subjects and experiences from the EU and other advanced markets. The course is structured in 5 Modules in a manner that allows for a flexible introduction to Software Quality Issues to match the trainees’ interests and needs. While details about each module is given in section 2, Presentation of the Module, an explanation about the rationale underlying each modules, follows here. The division in modules does not adhere to a formally strict categorisation, since this may not be very fruitful with relatively inexperienced audiences and may confuse them. Instead a pragmatic approach is followed, where essential issues are explained and discussed and an open strategy is adopted to introduce elements of best practices, sometimes originating from different sources, in a way best fitting the needs of a developing country, economy and market. A more formal approach could be part of a more specialised training, maybe as part of actions to be planned and undertaken by an ITN.

In the First Module, we compiled some introductory information on the subject of quality in general and in particular software quality, to allow a common understanding of problems related to software development and use as well as the significance of some common approaches to manage and solve these problems. This should link to experiences of trainees both in the software field as well as other areas where similar problems and approaches are also found

In the Second Module, the focus shifts to the issue of building a Quality System for Software, based on ISO 9001 (and associated standards), and going through the process of third-party certification. The standards that apply are introduced and explained, the certification as well as accreditation schemes presented and their significance emphasized. This area is considered of special importance as a foundation to building a stable infastructure ensuring good quality, but also capable of being used as a springboard for further improvements. It is expected that for many audiences in the Third Mediterranean countries it will address their immediate needs and they should be encouraged to take this relatively well-paved route to start in their long journey towards quality for software.

In the Third Module, there is an overview of other, alternative/complementary approaches to SW quality, mainly based on process assessment and improvement models (CMM, SPICE etc.). These offer the potential for a more ambitious advance in areas particularly important and relevant to Software (but not necessarily limited by it.). Such models should be interesting to know and use when planning long-term improvements as well as building maturity for software development in a staged/evolutionary manner. It could provide valuable complementary material for trainees and countries where ISO and certification will be the priority strategy. It should also allow more mature and demanding users to path their way ahead in a manner that is increasingly recognised as important for international markets and high-end applications.

The Fourth Module, includes presentation of several other techniques and Best Practices that have already proven or promise improvements in particular aspects of software development. Issues cover a wide range including process related and product related standards and techniques, experiences and organisations in Europe active in Sofware Quality, the role of the EU and the Commission (ESPRIT, ESSI) etc. Case studies could be presented and discussed here (when not directly related to one of the issues covered in previous modules, in which case they should be handled there).

Throughout the presentation of the first 4 modules, preparation related to the 5^th module will begin, by briefly introducing the issue of Action Plan and identifying/disc/summarising relevant issues from each module’s material and from trainee experiences and needs.

In the Fifth Module, the issue of ACTION PLAN Preparation which is critical to the operation of the prospective ITNs will be presented to some extent and discussed extensively in relation to the material presented in previous modules. A practical exercise for preparing such a plan, should allow trainees with the help of the trainer to better grasp the important issues and start exploring/planning possible activities that an ITN embark in within their respective countries. The approach is quite generic and similar to the one taken in other ITN areas (e.g. WWW and Multimedia), but special attention to peculiarities of SW quality as well as local concerns should be used as guiding criteria when selecting and planning appropriate actions

After a general training session introducing the issues of software quality assurance, audit and certification, emphasis is put on ISO 9001 application in software development. Additionally, more dynamic and specialised models like the CMM and SPICE are presented, followed by several other best practices and approaches that complement the potential for improving software quality in a practical manner.

The training course on “Software Quality Audit and Certification” will be structured along the Modules presented in the following table:

Module	Days	Hours
1. Software Quality Overview	0.5	3
2. ISO 9001 applied to Software Quality	1.0	6
3. Evolutionary Models for Software Quality Improvement	0.5	3
4. Other Best Practices for Software Quality Improvements	0.5	3
5. Action Plans	1.5	9
TOTAL	4	24

 

This programme can be changed according to the specific national needs of ITNs personnel. For example, less time can be dedicated to “Module 2” and more to “Module 3” if there is such a willingness among the participants.

In total, four days (or 24 hours) of training are planned for each training intervention. There will be two 3-hour sessions daily. The morning session (ms) from 9 am to 12 am and the afternoon session (as) from 2 pm to 5 pm.

The following table presents the time scheduling of training activities:

	1st day		2nd day		3rd day		4th day
Module	ms	as	ms	as	ms	as	ms	as
1. Software Quality Overview
2. ISO 9001 applied to Software Quality
3. Evolutionary Models for Software Quality Improvement
4. Other Best Practices for Software Quality Improvements
5. Action Plans

 

The schedule indicated includes 30 min. of discussion/preparation on the Action Plan issue (i.e. Module 5), at the end of each session (3-hr either morning or afternoon) after covering relevant material of Modules 1-4. The slack (30 min.) in each session for covering Modules 1-4, in total 5x30=150min., is expected to be covered when reviewing and discussing the SW quality issues and techniques presented throughout the last 1.5 days, where training will concentrate on Action Plan preparation. The focus areas for training are thus displayed with darker shading than the secondary ones (which are in lighter gray).

 

With respect to the case studies provided in the material, their number is much higher than what could be possible to present and discuss during the course. The intent is for the trainer to select among them a few, taking into account the particular background (by using the Mapping.xls table provided titled Case Study versus Types of Target Audiences) and expressed needs of the trainees and the respective country. These should serve 3 purposes:

11. They should reinforce the material presented in Modules 1-4 where relevant (as identified in the Index.xls table provided, tilted Case Study Overview)
12. They should offer alternate approaches to SW quality improvement, indicating that specific needs can be served by different techniques
13. They should provide useful material for the preparation of Action Plan for the ITN (Module 5), identifying activities with added value that could be used by way of immitation, comparison with other approaches suggested by trainees etc., as may be fit.

Of particular importance is the case study material provided from the ESPITI programme. For the prospective ITNs in the area of SW quality, the experience gained by the ESPITI programme which had essentially similar objectives for the Lot 4 ones is of critical significance and should be particularly addressed and evaluated during the Action Plan preparation.. For this purpose, relevant ESPITI material (both User Survey Analysis and Final Report) will be distributed beforehand and discussed in the event to draw useful hints for Lot 4.

The ESPITI information and experience will be approached in a careful manner. It is understood that it addresses the issues important for prospective Med ITNs regarding Software Quality and Certification, but one should take into account that in most cases the level of development of 3^rd Med countries is less than in EU countries in general and in SW industry in particular. Examples of less developed european countries are of particular importance and relevance, but in certain cases, the experience in more developed countries is also of high importance to trainees. They should be part in evaluation ESPITI’s relevance to their circumstances, as well as take it into account in the preparation of an Action Plan for the ITN.

Other experiences besides the ESPITI can be also useful, like the emerging SPIRE case studies- reports, as well as the SPI for SMEs Guide that is being published by this consortium (ordered but not received yet at the time of the writing). For this purpose a reference to such material has been included in the Case Studies material so that trainees will have the chance to search and familiarise themselves with it. Another source of useful material is the dissemination CD-ROM from the SMILE programme, addressing exactly issues relevant to the training and prospective ITN actions, i.e. SW Process Improvement.

Material to be distributed before

14. Questionnaire (for orientation on personal background of each trainee)
15. Questionnaire for organisational background of ITN organisation(s).

Trainee's Material

16. presentation slides
17. supporting material on case studies (text descriptions, links)
18. list of web links on software quality
19. literature references on SW quality
20. evaluation questionnaire

 

Trainer’s material

21. presentation slides
22. supporting material on case studies (text, links)
23. list of web links on software quality
24. literature references on SW quality
25. (orientation) questionnaire answered by the participants
26. evaluation questionnaire
27. a table indicating a mapping of the 20 case studies to various types of target audiences
28. an overview table of case studies (what is demonstrated)

 

Deliverables

29. The questionnaires (orientation, evaluation)
30. Country report
31. Evaluation report based on trainees’ comments and evaluation answers

In the following pages there is a presentation of each of the above Modules together with a short description of the objectives and technical approach to be followed.

 

 

2. Presentation of the Modules

 

Module 1: Software Quality Overview

Objectives

The first module’s objectives are to:

32. provide a general introduction to the problem of software quality that plagues the S/W and IT industry in general
33. establish a context and general justification for undertaking SW quality system certification as well as S/W process improvement.
34. provide an executive overview and orientation of the subsequent training modules.
35. offer initial guidance to generate ideas for creating an Action Plan (to be addressed in the last day)
36. to seek feedback from trainees on their current level of knowledge and experience, their needs and preferences as well as for the local market, in order to adjust the content and pace of the subsequent presentations.

Content

1. Software development problems
1. Software quality principles
1. Measurements and software quality
1. Benefits from software quality improvements
1. Overview of important models and approaches to assure and improve software quality
1. Selection criteria for the best suited approach
1. Overview of next training modules (including Action Plan Preparation)

Duratio

3 hours

Presentation material

1. slides in Module1.ppt

Trainer’s material

2. slides in Module1.ppt
3. list of web links on software quality
4. literature references on SW quality
5. an overview table of case studies (what is demonstrated)
6. (orientation) questionnaire answered by the participants

 

Trainees’ material

7. slides in Module1.ppt
8. list of web links on software quality
9. literature references on SW quality

 

Instructions to the trainer/Work to be done during the session

The presentation should be rather informal, without going into deep technical detail. Through this module, the instructor will actively seek feedback (complementing the questionnaire that the trainees must have returned, via short exercises, questions etc.) to get to know the audience better and establish good relationship and confidence. The actual module duration will depend on the maturity / needs of the individual ITNs.

The trainer should keep notes about the exact status and background of various trainees, any special interests and expectations etc., in order to tailor the remainder of the presentation to best suit their particular needs.

The general idea about an Action Plan should be discussed to set up the context for detailed coverage at the last module. To this effect, an exploratory discussion about the local market conditions should be performed, in a relaxed manner, trying to bring forward interesting points and to build up confidence in trainees as well as better understanding for the trainer.

Indicative Schedule

Introduction: 30min.

Lecture: 1hr 45min

Discussion: 45min.

Deliverables expected

Discussion chapter within the country report

 

 

Module 2: ISO 9001 applied to Software Quality

Objectives

This module’s objectives are to:

10. provide a clear understanding about the purpose and use of the ISO 9001 and ISO 9000-3 standards.
11. offer an insight of key aspects of the ISO standards
12. explain the rational for adopting a programme leading to ISO 9001 certification in relation to SW development.
13. introduce and explain the particularities related to ISO certification as applied to SW (IT)
14. present and discuss the groundwork to be established for success in ISO 9001 certification of SW (or IT) organisations.

Content

· The main features of ISO 9001 and ISO 9000-3 standards

· Quality audit and software (also introduce ISO 10011)

· Trends and driving forces for adopting ISO 9001 in software development

· The programme to introduce ISO 9001 and obtain certification: steps and milestones

· Case studies from the European industry on ISO 9001 introduction and certification (ESPITI, CSE, INTRACOM, etc.)

· Benefits and drawbacks from ISO9001 introduction: industrial experiences

· The accreditation scheme, national and international normalisation efforts: TickIT, ITQS etc.

· Discussion on status of ISO 9001 introduction in Third Mediterranean Countries

Duration

6 hours

Presentation material

15. slides in Module2.ppt
16. slides in Cases.ppt related to ISO registration (e.g. case studies 2, 3, 5, 9, 11)

Trainer’s material

17. copies of ISO 9000 standards, mainly ISO 9000-3 (1997)
18. slides in Module2.ppt
19. slides in Cases.ppt related to ISO registration (e.g. case studies 2, 3, 5, 9, 11)
20. table indicating a mapping of 20 case studies to various types of target audiences: mapping.xls

Trainees’ material

21. slides in Module2.ppt
22. slides in Cases.ppt related to ISO registration (e.g. case studies 2, 3, 5, 9, 11); other supporting material
23. copy of ISO 9000-3 (licenced)

 

Instructions to the trainer/Work to be done during the session

Depending on trainees background, a varying degree of explanation on the standard(s) will be given. Some exercises will be presented to deepen understanding and receive feedback (e.g. handle a hypothetical certification scenario; an audit scenario etc.). Experiences from the trainee organisations or their national markets will be discussed.

The module duration will depend on the maturity / needs of the individual ITNs. In case where there is some experience in place, a focus on consolidating such experiences together with european and international ones should be followed. Possibly, the duration can be shortened, in order to ensure more time for next modules (3-4).

If no significant experience is available in trainees, then a more rudimentary and detailed presentation and discussion should be followed. In such a case, the 6hours time should be a minimum, if necessary expanded by cutting next modules (3-4). The ISO 9000-3 (which includes ISO 9001 text) should be thoroughly analysed.

Investigate the possibility to distribute and then retreive copies of ISO 9000-3 to trainees (to ensure property rights), in case the ITN does not posses a licenced copy.

In the end, a discussion about possible scheme for ISO registration in the local market should be performed and suggestions and opinions noted (to be used in the Action Plan also).

 

Indicative Schedule

Introduction to ISO 9000 series and ISO 9001: 1hr

Analysis of ISO 9000-3 (1997): 2 hrs

Presentation of Audit and Certification issues: 2hrs

Discussion: 1hr.

Deliverables expected

Discussion chapter within the country report

 

 

Module 3: Evolutionary Models for Software Quality Improvement

Objectives

This module aims to:

24. explain how an organisation can complement ISO 9001 with an adopted evolutionary model
25. provide background on the birth, evolution and use of SEI’s CMM, BOOTSTRAP, TRILLIUM, SPICE (now ISO TR 15504).
26. clarify the process assessment approach and the groundwork to be established for success.

Content

· Historical evolution of software capability assessment and models

· Overview of the basic models: CMM, SPICE and BOOTSTRAP

· Comparison between ISO 9001 - CMM - SPICE

· Orientation on how to select the appropriate model for an organisation

· The capability assessment approach and rational (as opposed to quality audit)

· Other derivative models (People CMM, System Engineering CMM etc.)

· Case studies from assessments and software process improvement programmes based on CMM

Duration

3 hours

Presentation material

27. slides in Module3.ppt, cmm.ppt, boot.ppt, trillium.ppt, spice.ppt, p-cmm.ppt
28. slides in Cases.ppt related to SPI models (e.g. case studies 18, also AMI/PITA, and issues like in c.s. 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17)
29. access to WWW (internet) to relevant web pages.

Trainer’s material

30. slides in Module3.ppt, cmm.ppt, boot.ppt, trillium.ppt, spice.ppt, p-cmm.ppt
31. slides in Cases.ppt related to SPI models (e.g. case studies 18, also AMI/PITA, and issues like in c.s. 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17)
32. access to WWW (internet) to relevant web pages.
33. table indicating a mapping of 20 case studies to various types of target audiences: mapping.xls

 

Trainees’ material

34. slides in Module3.ppt, cmm.ppt, boot.ppt, trillium.ppt, spice.ppt, p-cmm.ppt
35. slides in Cases.ppt related to SPI models (e.g. case studies 18, also AMI/PITA, and issues like in c.s. 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17); also other supporting material
36. access to WWW (internet) to relevant web pages.

Instructions to the trainer/Work to be done during the session

The module duration will depend on the maturity / needs of the individual ITNs.

For less mature organisations and markets, it is generally recognised that the ISO 9001 is the primary approach. In such cases the emphasis is on module 2, even allowing for some shrinking of module 3 (say, 2,5 hrs).

Otherwise, the evolutionary models merit greater coverage. When there is evident interest, the allocated time could rise to, say 4 hrs or evem more (by reducing module 2 allocated time).

In any case, emphasis will be put on comparisons and discussion of practical scenarios, including 1-2 familiarisation exercises.

It is important to ensure that access to WWW pages be effected in the classroom andf the trainees can work also their own way on line. If this is impossible, some additional material (e.g. some CMM printout) could be helpful.

In the end, a discussion about the relevance and importance of the material for the local market should be effected, as well as explore some possible scenaria for applying these techniques. Notes should be taken to help in the Action Plan module.

Indicative Schedule

Introduction to CMM and other evolutinary models: 30min

Analysis of SW-CMM: 1 hr

Overview of other models: 45min

Discussion: 45min.

Deliverables expected

Discussion chapter within the country report

 

 

Module 4: Other Best Practices for Software Quality Improvements

Objectives

This module aims to:

37. provide a survey of more focused or specific but high-powered software process improvement techniques
38. show how these can be either alternative or complementary to the ones presented in modules 2 and 3.
39. provide a link to concrete achievements and experiences in projects funded by the CEC in the EU.

Content

· Other relevant standards: ISO 12207, ISO 9126, ISO 14598

· Application of Metrics in Industry (ami method)

· Best practices in Software Inspections (Fagan’s approach, Gilb’s approach)

· The Personal Software Process (PSP) and related experiences in Europe

· ESSI : The European Systems and Software Initiative

· PIEs, ESPINODEs and ESBNETS

· Case studies from Europe and the rest of the world

· International co-operation, consulting services and dissemination related to software quality

· Conclusion and discussion on software quality issues

Duration

3 hours

Presentation material

40. slides in Module4.ppt, 14598.ppt, annamipita.ppt, Med.ppt, PSP.ppt, inspections.ppt
41. slides in Cases.ppt related to othe SPI techniques (e.g. case studies 1, 7, 12, also AMI/PITA etc.)
42. access to WWW (internet) to relevant web pages.

Trainer’s material

43. slides in Module4.ppt, 14598.ppt, annamipita.ppt, Med.ppt, PSP.ppt, inspections.ppt
44. slides in Cases.ppt related to othe SPI techniques (e.g. case studies 1, 7, 12, also AMI/PITA etc.)
45. table indicating a mapping of 20 case studies to various types of target audiences: mapping.xls
46. relevant WWW pages

Trainees’ material

47. slides in Module4.ppt, 14598.ppt, annamipita.ppt, Med.ppt, PSP.ppt, inspections.ppt
48. slides in Cases.ppt related to othe SPI techniques (e.g. case studies 1, 7, 12, also AMI/PITA etc.)
49. relevant WWW pages

Instructions to the trainer/Work to be done during the session

The training approach in this module will heavily depend on the particular background of trainees and their needs. Case studies and best practices will be available, allowing a selection each time, best suited to the needs of an ITN organisation. The module duration will also depend on the maturity / needs of the individual ITNs.

The duration, if there is interest and maturity can be extended to, say, 4 hrs (by trimming the mod 2).

The techniques that are presented here could become part of a set of services (training, consulting, linking to international IT experts), to be provided to the local community.

During presentation of ESSI and other CEC activities, WWW access is preferable.

It is important to give a judgment about the general value of such techniques, especially to compare them with approaches in mod. 2 and 3 and to explore how they can become part of an integrated SPI effort.

A discussion at the end should explore such possibilities for the local market.

Indicative Schedule

Presentation of various techniques: 1hr 45min

ESSI and other CEC activities presentation: 30 min.

Discussion: 45min.

Deliverables expected

Discussion chapter within the country report

 

 

Module 5: Action Plan Preparation

Objective

The objective of this Module is to provide training to the representatives of organisations in the IT Node on:

1. how to design, organise ,coordinate and implement actions aimed at materialising the purposes of the IT NODE,
2. how to follow up the implementation of these actions, and
3. how to evaluate the effectiveness and redesign actions in the future.

The presentation of examples, cases and best practices during the previous Modules will provide the basis for selecting the most appropriate actions to be developed in Module 5.

 

Content

Firstly the representatives of the organizations will be requested to establish a Memorandum of Association which is deemed significant prior to commencing work as IT Node. .

Related guidelines and a model will be presented.

Thereafter the following issues will be addressed:

4. Selection of Actions;
5. Consideration of their implementation in fine detail;
6. Adaptation to local needs and resources;
7. Drafting of a detailed plan for implementation;
8. Presentation of monitoring mechanisms for evaluation and redesign.

At the end the trainees will be briefly introduced to the follow up and supporting actions provided by the trainer for a 12 month period.

 

Selection of Actions

By describing an Action plan for an IT Node as “A programme of strategic actions, which complement one another, have well defined goals, and which are realised via the co-operative effort of the members of the IT Node consortium”, the next step will be to indicate and organise a series of activities - projects that should be included into the outline of the IT Node Action Plan:

9. The profiling of local industry, to understand which are the important industrial and commercial sectors centered on or related to software development which should be the target for their activities, to understand what is the level of technological development and process maturity for these sectors, to understand the level of readiness of these sectors to effectively undertake and exploit software quality and process improvement and to understand what preparation is required for this to take effect.
10. Consultation at a technical level with industrial or commercial entities to help define research orientations of interest for industrial and commercial sectors. This should promote validating in an industrial context techniques and best practices originating in EU or in other developed countries in a research context in cooperation with capable parties in such countries or other developing countries in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, so as to better understand human and organisational aspects related to the take-up of the new approaches and techniques.
11. Participation in international consensus building fora, which play a role in helping research, industry and commercial entities to synchronise their independent developments in the fast moving and convergent domains related to software quality. Examples of existing fora include the European Software Institute, the European Organisation on Quality (Software Committee), the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7 which has embarked in the prepartion of various standards related to SW Engineering and quality etc.
12. Highly focused awareness and dissemination campaigns, which address large numbers of potential end-users from specific sectors on well-defined issues on software quality, audit, certification, process improvement etc.
13. Such campaigns should go beyond the small number of enterprises involved in traditional actions, with the intention of reaching 100s or 1000s of potential end-users.
14. IT Nodes should learn to evaluate themselves and to benchmark their performance based on the range of their actions, the impact of their actions, and their ability to address the needs of local industry and to contribute to local economic development.
15. Large scale awareness and dissemination activities can be considered a form of advanced training or skill enhancement for industry. In the EU such actions are established with the goal of becoming self-financing, and models exist for the creation of sustainable entities which provide new services to industry related to the take-up and efficient exploitation of new technologies.
16. An important challengfor the IT Nodes in the Mediterranean will be to consider ways in which successful actions can be transformed or spun-off into self sustaining new service industries. Examples already exist of how this is being done in Europe.
17. Actions at the level of local SPINs (Software Process Improvement Networks) or SIGs (Special Interest Group) focusing on more particular issues.
18. Possible establishment of a local certification and accreditatioon scheme if one does not exist, or to address the needs of IT and software industry if one exists in a generic form.

 

Sub-activities could include:

19. Establishment of a Data Base with material to be used for the promotion and support of software quality improvements.
20. Publication of case studies based on local industry and their experiences in relation to software quality problems and how they solved them by adopting systematic techniques and best practices from international experience.
21. Provision of matching services for Software Quality, Audit and Certification experts and professionals.
22. Establishing guidelines useful for the better uptaking of SW Certification as well as quality improvement in the local market.
23. Selectively adapting approaches tried in Europe in relation to promotion of SW quality know-how and best practices (e.g. ESPITI).
24. Training for skills development in SW quality issues.
25. Organisation of task forces for the support of the supply, the demand and the innovation transfer
26. Development and or implementation of pilot SW Quality, Certification consultation etc. applications/services by the IT Node.

 

The selection of these themes has been based on the case studies and best practices presented in previous Modules. In this context, trainees are going to have beforehand an illustration in real terms of the value and importance of their potential activities in these fields.

 

Consideration of Action plans implementation in fine detail

Preparation of Action Plans (analytical design and organisation of activities) for the services proposed to be selected and provided by the IT Nodes. The action plans to be prepared will contain an analytical list of activities together with the necessary “tools” required (e.g. structured and semi-structured questionnaires etc.).

There will also be an analytical presentation of the significance of the selected Action Plans for the SW Quality Audit and Certification sector together with the identification of the specific role that the agents of the sector have in each of them.

 

Monitoring Mechanisms - Evaluation and Redesign

Presentation of the major evaluation techniques and indicators to be used for monitoring and evaluations of actions.

The importance of each technique and indicator will be explained and the methodology of feeding this information into the design cycle for future events will be presented.

An indicative list of such indicators is given below:

27. number of events - meetings - seminars organised,
28. number of participants,
29. number of persons participating in the network,
30. number and copies of information bulletins issued,
31. volume of data held in created databases,
32. use of the database - services provided,
33. number of handled enquiries,
34. number of cases in which commercial exploitation followed the services and technical assistance provided by the IT Node,
35. citations of IT Node activities in national and local press,
36. number of study visits organised,
37. qualitative assessment of the organisational infrastructure created,
38. assessment of the promotional activities organised.
39. use/mobilisation of own resources for each of the partners
40. performance of periodic surveys (every 1-2 years) in the local industry to determine the problem areas, the changing level of awareness and the uptake of best practices in relation to SW quality
41. number of case studies carried out and publicised in the local industry in relation to SW quality
42. number of IT/SW firms certified according to ISO 9001 in the local industry
43. etc.

 

Technical Approach

The Module will be delivered in three major parts:

44. During the first part the trainer will present the major concepts and tools.
45. During the second part the trainees will work separately preparing an action plan, having the continuous support of the trainer.
46. During the last part the trainees will present action plans and discuss comments with other participants and the trainer. At the end, the action plans will be finalised in order to be ready for immediate real life implementation.