Pat O’Toole (PACT), Eat Your Own Dog Food – Applying the CMMI to the Process Improvement Project

September 10, 2008

Location: University of Minnesota, EE/CS 3-115

Twin-SPIN
For the Minneapolis/St. Paul Regional Area

Meeting Announcement:
Wednesday September 10th, 2008
5:30-8:00 p.m. at The University of Minnesota
5:30 start for networking, 6:00 start for meeting.

Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Building
200 Union Street SE
Minneapolis, MN55455
Room EE/CS 3-115 (Look for signs)

Directions:
A map is available at http://onestop.umn.edu/Maps/EE/CSci/
Check out the detailed map under the “close up” button.

This Month’s Meeting:

Program Manager:   Alex Dietz – Vital Images

Topic:  Eat Your Own Dog Food – Applying the CMMI to the Process Improvement Project

Speaker: Pat O’Toole – PACT

Abstract:

It’s often been said that process improvement programs should operate one maturity level higher than the group that they are trying to influence, thereby reflecting process discipline in their own work.  Unfortunately, many improvement programs convey a different message – “Do what I say, not what I do!”

It’s time for process improvement programs to use the CMMI as THEIR guidebook for improving their own internal practices – in other words, it’s time for them to eat their own dog food!  This session outlines the multi-course meal plan.

Speaker's Bio:

Pat O’Toole is the Principal Consultant at Process Assessment, Consulting & Training (PACT).  He is one of the most active SEI certified SCAMPI high maturity lead appraisers, and has led appraisals spanning all maturity levels.  Pat is an authorized instructor for the “Intro to CMMI” course and has taught the course more than 50 times.  Pat is a Visiting Scientist at the SEI, and as such has taught the “Intermediate Concepts of the CMMI” course, the “CMMI Instructor” course, and has observed more than 10 “Intro to CMMI” candidate instructors.  He also served as a member of the SEI’s 12-person Expert Group for CMMI Interpretive Guidance project, and co-teaches a course in the University of Minnesota’s Masters of Computer Science program.  In addition to his popular “Do’s and Don’ts” articles, Pat facilitates ATLAS (ATLAS = ”Ask The Lead AppraiserS”), an email forum that poses model interpretation questions to the SEI-authorized community, and then compiles and publishes the results. 

With over 25 years of software development, project management, and consulting experience, Pat works with all levels of management, (S)EPGs, and Process Action Teams in establishing, evaluating, and sustaining their process improvement initiatives.  He is a popular instructor who supplements standard training material with a vast array of case studies and humorous examples.

Twin-SPIN Mission Statement:
The Twin-SPIN software process improvement network (SPIN) is a regional organization established in January of 1996 as a forum for the free and open exchange of software process improvement experiences and ideas. Representatives from industry, government, academia, other professional organizations, and consultants are welcome to participate. Our mission is to help sustain commitment and enhance skills in the area of software process improvement through an active program of networking and mutual support. The organization strives to serve as a source of educational and experiential information for its members, other SPIN organizations, and the general community of software professionals.

Meetings are normally held on the 1st Thursday of each month from 5:45-8:00 p.m. Twin-SPIN is a non-profit organization and is sponsored by the University of Minnesota Center for Software Engineering (UMSEC). See: http://twin-spin.cs.umn.edu

2008 Sponsors:
Facility Sponsor
University of Minnesota, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

$2,000 Sponsors
University of Minnesota Software Engineering Center (UMSEC)