Method
- Method
(a.k.a., Development Method, Engineering Method, and Methodology)
- a cohesive collection of endeavor-specific
method components
modeling a systematic intended way of producing work products and providing services
As illustrated in the preceding figure, Method is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:
The typical responsibilities of a Method are to:
- Document the intended:
- Work products to be produced and modified.
- Work units to be performed.
- Producers who will perform these work units.
- Stages during which the producers will perform these work units to produce these work products and provide these services.
- Improve the:
- Probability of success of the endeavor.
- Quality of the work products produced by the endeavor.
A Method typically has the following contents:
The typical stakeholders of a Method are:
- Producer:
- Evaluator:
- Approvers:
- Maintainers:
- Users:
The Process is typically used by practically every endeavor producer except tools including:
A Method is typically produced (i.e., enacted) during the following phases:
A Method typically can be started if the following preconditions hold:
- The endeavor has started.
- The method documentation task has been completed.
- Some of the stakeholders have been staffed and trained in the use of the method.
The typical inputs to a Method include:
- When constructing a method from method components:
- Select only those method components from the repository that are appropriate and cost-effective.
- Tailor these method components so that their contents are appropriate and cost-effective.
- Methods can very greatly in both size, complexity, and scope.
Methods may be “complete” in the sense of covering all work products produced, all work units
performed, and all producers of work products. Methods may also be quite small in covering only the
development of a single work product or the performance of a single task.
A Method is typically constrained by the following conventions:
- Rational Unified Process
- eXtreme Programming
