Commitment to Software Process improvement Development of Diagnostic Tool to Facilitate Improvement1

TL;DR

This paper introduces a behavior-based commitment model as a human-centered diagnostic tool to enhance software process improvement initiatives, enabling better planning and benchmarking of projects.

Contribution

The paper develops and empirically tests a new commitment model focusing on human factors, complementing existing process improvement frameworks like CMM and SPICE.

Findings

Behaviors in the model are relevant to SPI initiatives.

The model increases awareness of people issues in process improvement.

Early results support the model's usefulness alongside traditional frameworks.

Abstract

This paper suggests that by operationalizing the concept of commitment in the shape of a model, a new insight is provided in improving software processes - a more human centered approach as opposed to various technical approaches available. In doing so the SPI managers/change agents are able to plan better the software process improvement initiative and benchmark successful projects (as well as failed ones). Results from five interviews with SPI professionals on the proposed Behavior-based Commitment Model are reported, together with early results from the empirical test in 14 software process improvement projects. Early results suggest that the behaviors introduced in the model are relevant in SPI initiatives, the use of model raises the awareness about the people issues in improving processes, and the model could be used aside with CMM, SPICE or other process improvement models. Keywords: software process improvement, commitment, diagnostic tool, self-perception theory.