Process Area 3.5 – Peer Reviews – SG 1 – Establish a peer review approach

A review approach is established and agreed upon.

Introduction

This Specific Goal is looking to the organisation demonstrating that it has a clearly defined framework and approach to identifying and planning for work products to be reviewed and the levels of review rigour is decided based on risk.

If it is more important to get requirements complete, correct and unambiguous than the test plan, then the former require more, and more formal, levels of review than the latter).

IEEE 1028 – Standard for Software Reviews, outlines six types of review that could be considered:

• Informal Reviews
• Technical Reviews
• Inspections
• Walk-throughs (informal and formal)
• Audits
• Management reviews

Software testing is mainly concerned with the first four. The organisation should demonstrate that a plan to review the different work products is developed and each type of review has clearly specified entry and exit review criteria.

It should also demonstrate the collection of review data and the procedures for reviews conduct.

Specific Practices

SP 1.1 Identify work product to be reviewed

SP 1.2 Define peer review criteria

Deployment notes

• Is there a defined approach to undertake reviews including criteria for different types of reviews and success criteria agreed by all stakeholders?
• Are all work products evaluated and a review plan established (based on risk) which identifies products for review and the types of review to apply?

Example Sub-practices and work products

Specific Practice1.2 Define peer review criteria

Prepare for peer reviews on selected work products.

Typical work products –

• Peer review entry and exit criteria & criteria for requiring another peer review

Sub-practices

• Establish and maintain entry criteria for peer reviews
• Establish and maintain exit criteria for peer reviews
• Establish and maintain criteria for requiring another peer review
• Review the defined criteria with stakeholders