We know that defects in early project documentation cost the most to correct in terms of cost and schedule. However, as an industry we do not generally do a good job reviewing technical documentation. Here are some common reasons for ineffective document reviews:

• If we don't take the time to find the defects, we typically have no problem signing off or approving a poor quality document.
• When we don't demand to check the source references, we miss a tremendous opportunity to find expensive defects.
• Many times we skim over a document or try to review too much at one time instead of conducting a careful review of a sampling of the important sections. We may find some issues. But there is a probability that many more deep-rooted defects are missed.
• The lack of document review rules (standards) is evident as many authors throw a document our way and ask us to review it without any review objectives and guidelines.

This course addresses these document review problems and more.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their documents to class to begin applying effective and efficient document review techniques. Our techniques are based, in large part, on the research and practical experience gained from Tom Gilb's book Software Inspections. Tom is a leading authority on document reviews.

The Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM) developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) advocates peer reviews in their Peer Review Key Process Area (KPA). This course helps organizations comply with the guidelines in the SW-CMM Peer Review KPA. The roles and responsibilites for each review participant are covered. Example rules (standards) and checklists are provided along with review process guidance to help jump-start organizations to be immediately effective with peer reviews.