Documentation Plan

Definition

A documentation plan is the management work product that formally documents the development organization’s plans for producing and managing documentation.

Objectives

The typical objectives of a documentation plan are to formally document plans for:

• Producing, reviewing, approving, storing, publishing, and distributing documents.

Benefits

The typical benefits of a documentation plan include:

• A well-written documentation plan will improve the development organization’s process for developing documentation.
• A well-written documentation plan will improve the quality of deliverable documentation.
• A well-written documentation plan significantly increases the probability of all deliverable documents will be successfully produced.
• A well-written documentation plan will increase the standardization and reuse of documentation across projects.

Contents

A documentation plan typically has the following contents:

• Deliverable Documentation Overview
• Documentation Goals
  • Quality Goals
  • Schedule Goals
  • Cost Goals
  • Reuse Goals
• Documentation Audiences
  • External Audiences
  • Internal Audiences
• Standard Documentation (organized by work product set)
• Documentation Process:
  • Standard Steps:
    • Ordering/requesting of documents
    • Content and Format Standards (e.g., standard frontmatter, introduction, and appendices)
    • Templates
    • Research and Content Gathering
    • Writing
    • Graphics
    • Copy Editing
    • Technical Editing
    • Evaluation (e.g., inspection checklists)
    • Production (e.g., printing, binding)
    • Approval
    • Formal Delivery
    • Distribution (e.g., physical delivery, Internet)
  • Documentation Tools
  • Standard Team and Role Responsibilities (e.g., technical writer)
  • Documentation Risks
• Appendices:
  • Major Issues
  • TBDs
  • Assumptions

Stakeholders

A documentation plan typically has the following stakeholders:

• Producers:
  • Management Team:
    • Contact Center Management Team
    • Data Center Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Project Management Team
    • Reuse Center Management Team
• Evaluators:
  • Management Inspection Team
  • Process Team
  • Quality Team
• Approvers:
  • Management Team:
    • Contact Center Management Team
    • Data Center Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Project Management Team
    • Reuse Center Management Team
  • Technical Leader
  • Customer Representative
• Maintainers:
  • Development Organization
• Users:
  • Management Team:
    • Contact Center Management Team
    • Data Center Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Project Management Team
    • Reuse Center Management Team
  • Process Team
  • Reuse Team

Phases

A documentation plan is typically produced and maintained during the following phases:

• Business Strategy: Completed
• Business Optimization: Maintained
• Initiation: Not Applicable
• Construction: Not Applicable
• Delivery: Not Applicable
• Usage: Not Applicable
• Retirement: Not Applicable

Preconditions

A documentation plan can typically be started if the following preconditions hold:

• The enterprise or program has started.
• The program management team is properly staffed and trained in document planning.

Inputs

A documentation plan typically has the following inputs:

• Work Products:
  • Program Contract
  • Program Statement Of Work
  • Program Management Plan
  • Program Risk Management Plan
  • Program Work Breakdown Structure
• Stakeholders:
  • Management Team:
    • Contact Center Management Team
    • Data Center Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Program Management Team
    • Project Management Team
    • Reuse Center Management Team
  • Process Team
  • Technical Leader

Guidelines

• This is a living document that must be maintained and updated as the documentation process changes.
• Minimize redundancy between the documentation plan and the process framework description document.
• Use the procedure in the associated work flow to produce this work product.
• If you tailor this work product, then tailor its associated standard, template, and inspection checklist.

Conventions

Documentation plans are typically constrained by the following conventions:

• Work Flow
• Content and Format Standard
• MS Word Template
• XML Template
• Inspection Checklist

Examples

• Example Documentation Plan