Project Configuration Management Planning Process

Objectives

To plan the configuration activities ad  identify required resources to carry out these activities.
Configuration management planning covers:

• Definition of Configuration Management System
• Identification and management of project data and configuration items
• Planning and control of project baselines
• Planning of configuration audit and status accounting
• Build and release management
• Data backup and recovery planning

Process Entry/Exit Criteria

Process Inputs/Outputs

Tasks

1. Development Manager sends project kickoff email to Configuration Controller for project commencement and Configuration Management resource assignment.
2. Project Manager sends the pre-development schedule to assigned Configuration Controller for Configuration Management Planning activities.
3. Configuration Controller defines the repository structure for standard projects in the Configuration Management Plan
4. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager defines access rights for a project repository in the Configuration Management Plan.
5. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager identifies all the work products (documents, records, code, and customer supplied documents) of the project and related information necessary to plan the management of project data according to Configuration Management Plan template.
6. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager identifies the configuration items (Configuration Items) among the project data, roles responsible for creating, reviewing, approving and changing each configuration item (Configuration Item) as well as defines their configuration method, storage and archiving media using Configuration Management Plan template.
7. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager defines unique identifiers (document numbering and code labeling scheme) for all project artifacts including records, documents, and code.
8. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager identifies the Configuration Control Board (Configuration Controller B) members and defines their responsibilities using Configuration Management Plan template.
9. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager, defines base lining strategy, project baselines and contents of each baseline in the Configuration Management Plan.
10. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager defines the methods for Builds and Releases management in the Configuration Management Plan.
11. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager defines backup and recovery plans for the project data in the Configuration Management Plan.
12. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager plans the configuration status accounting strategy and frequency
13. Configuration Controller with the consent of Project Manager plans configuration audits and defines audit scope and auditors in the Configuration Management Plan.
14. Configuration Controller documents the Configuration Management Plan according to the provided Configuration Management template in QMS repository.
15. Configuration Controller submits the Configuration Management Plan to Project Manager for initial review.
16. Project Manager reviews the Configuration Management Plan and sends review comments (if any) to Configuration Controller.
17. Configuration Controller updates the plan according to Project Manager review comments (if any).
18. Configuration Controller submits the updated Configuration Management Plan to Quality Assurance Manager for review and approval.
19. If Quality Assurance Manager finds any issue or concern during the review, he may correct the plan himself and approve it or return the plan to Configuration Controller with review comments for an update.
20. Configuration Controller updates the plan according to Quality Assurance Manager review comments and resubmits for approval.
21. Quality Assurance Manager approves the Configuration Management Plan by sending an approval email to Configuration Controller.
22. Configuration Controller distributes the Configuration Management plan to project team, System Administrator and other relevant stakeholders.

Guidelines for Configuration Management Planning

1. Documents and records are identified by the document numbering scheme, while Code is identified by applying labels in the source code folder in the project repository.
2. Projects may tailor this structure according to specific needs of their projects.
3. A baseline may be defined as a specification or product that has been formally reviewed and agreed upon, that thereafter serves as the basis for further development, and that can be changed only through formal change control procedures. It usually consists of more than one work product.
4. Every artifact whose type is “document” or “code” will be identified as Configuration Item (Configuration Item) in the respective Configuration Plan, whereas artifacts of the type as “record” will not be considered as Configuration Item.
5. It is not necessary to include every Configuration Item is the baseline, usually technical specifications, testing and user supporting documents and code are included in the baselines but plans may not be considered as part of baseline because plans are required frequent and quick changes, especially project schedule and it is difficult to initiate change management process for every change in plans and also maintain intermediate baselines as a result of change in baseline. However, version control and revision history will be maintained for such Configuration Items.
6. Project baselines are often planed at the completion of project phases. So, baseline of analysis and design phase may be established after customer approval of requirements. The baseline of Design may be established after Design review and baseline for Code is usually planned after systems testing completion and before external shipment.
7. A baseline is identified by a baseline label applied on the project repository in Visual SourceSafe. Baseline label should be meaningful and show the project code, project stage/phase, and a sequential baseline number. However exact labels will be provided in the respective project’s Configuration Management Plan.
8. Baseline Criteria elaborates the conditions and constraints that must be fulfilled prior to establish/create a baseline. Baseline criteria may vary from baseline to baseline due to the nature of baselines contents, so, specific criteria for each baseline is documented in Configuration Management Plan, however, a general criteria may consist of following attributes:
   • All Configuration Items for current baseline are available
   • All Configuration Items are documented and verified/reviewed
   • All Configuration Items in the baseline are approved
9. All planed baselines in Configuration Management plan should be reflected as milestones in project schedule in order to avoid them being skipped.
10. Besides baseline criteria, a Re-baseline Criteria and Re-baseline approver are also documented for each Baseline in the Configuration Management Plan because after establishing a project baseline, it may be updated due to the authorized changes in any Configuration Items of that baseline. For such cases, Re-baseline Criteria and approver will be required to establish those intermediate baselines.