Course 319:
Facilitating Project Retrospectives

(2 days)

 

Course Description

Project retrospectives, led by a skilled facilitator, can be used to leverage experiences of project participants for their own benefit. In addition, data mined from a retrospective can be used to improve the system and software life cycle processes.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the multiple roles and procedures of a retrospective facilitator
  • Understand the goals and benefits of project retrospectives
  • Explore the retrospective process, including planning and execution activities
  • Gain experience through workshops in key aspects of the planning and execution phases of the retrospective process
  • Gain insight into the structure and utilization of the retrospective database

Who Should Attend

Audience includes software process engineers, quality assurance professionals, project managers, and software practitioners, with an interest in facilitating or otherwise participating in retrospectives to increase their own insights and help improve organizational processes.

Course Outline

Chapter 1: Introduction

  • Chapter Objectives
  • Concepts
    • Retrospective Definition
    • Scope
    • Goals
    • Work Products
    • Participants
  • Leveraging Retrospective Results
    • Impact on Processes
    • Impact on Individuals
  • Costs
  • Chapter Summary and Best Practices

Chapter 2: Retrospective Process

  • Chapter Objectives
  • Process Overview
  • Planning (with Sample Work Products)
    • Setting Objectives
    • Obtaining Management Approval
    • Identifying a Facilitator
    • Selecting Participants
    • Determining Site and Duration
    • Creating Retrospective Materials for Participants
    • Obtaining Data on the Project to be Studied
  • Execution (with Sample Work Products)
    • Kickoff Session
    • Project Assessment Activities
    • Producing Project Timeline
    • Analyzing Project Timeline (Obtaining Lessons Learned)
    • Producing Retrospective Report
    • Archiving Report Data
    • Follow-On Activities
  • Roles and responsibilities
    • Facilitator
    • Software Engineering Process Group
    • Quality Assurance
    • Project Managers
    • Project Staff
  • Workshop 2.1: Completing a Retrospective Plan
  • Workshop 2.2: Producing a Retrospective Timeline
  • Chapter Summary and Best Practices

Chapter 3: The Retrospective Database

  • Chapter Objectives
  • Database Structure
    • Entity-Relationship Diagram
    • Table and Attribute Descriptions
    • Interfaces to Other Databases
  • Using the Retrospective Database
    • Adding Project Data
    • Statistical Analysis of Retrospective Data
    • Searching Retrospective Data
    • Ensuring Data Integrity
  • Chapter Summary and Best Practices

Chapter 4: Facilitator Skills

  • Chapter Objectives
  • Facilitator Roles
    • Planner
    • Organizer
    • Leader
  • Facilitator Procedures
    • Dealing with Conflict
    • Handling Resistance to Change
    • Understanding Differences in Preferences
    • Ingredients of an Interaction
  • Chapter Summary and Best Practices

Chapter 5: The Bottom Line

  • Course Summary
  • Students’ Perspectives

Please Contact Your ROI Representative to Discuss Course Tailoring!