Task: Refine Test Process |
This task focuses on ensuring that the test process being used is appropriate for a given test effort.
Disciplines: Test
Relationships
Roles | Primary Performer: Test Manager | Additional Performers:
Inputs | Mandatory: Test Motivator | Optional: Test Evaluation Summary Test Plan [Project Risk] Risk List [Project Status] Iteration Plan Test Evaluation Summary Work Items List
Outputs | Test Plan
Steps
Determine Nature of Testing
Identify the main factors driving the test effort. Look at the list of test motivators for some of the similar types of projects, and find the common ones. Understand the development organization, the team specific responsibilities, and how they interface with each other. Capture the main focus and scope for the teams that are supposed to follow the test process, and review these with all of the interested teams (and with the main stakeholders of the development organization). Define the test areas and the test teams responsible for each of them.
Ensure Test Process Supports Testing Context
Start with the current test process, and review it against the agreed upon testing context. Perform a gap analysis and identify the missing process guidance for the main test areas: test levels and test types. Fill in these gaps by providing the necessary support based on the previous experience of the main test experts in your organization, and make sure that each test team has enough process guidance to do their specific test work.
Capture Test Process Configuration in Test Plan
Create test plan templates for all of the test areas identified in the previous steps. Address the specific concerns for each test type and level by providing specialized sections. For each section, describe their scope and goals, and provide examples. Define a naming convention that will enable the creation, the maintenance, and the review of the artifacts that will be produced during the test-related projects. For example, include the iteration identifier, the test level, and the test type in the name of the test plan. Define the lifecycle of each type of artifact produced during a test cycle, and its review and approval process.
Review Test Process Configuration with Test Team
Review the test plan templates and the related process guidance with each test team. For each test team, focus on the test areas that they are responsible for. Capture their comments, and maintain a list with all of the issues that need to be addressed (either in the current test cycle, or for the next projects). Provide the tools that will enable an easy way to provide feedback, and track the process-related change requests and improvements.
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