Software Engineering

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CHAPTER 4 
Understanding the Software Project Environment
4.1 
Integrated product teams
Integrated product teams (IPTs) are the organizational construct used to manage the 
complexity of the software development effort and ensure proper stakeholder par-
ticipation in the decision-making process. IPTs are the basis of organizing develop-
ment personnel and stakeholder representatives to enable IPPD. Implementation of 
IPTs represents a transition from a functional stovepipe organizational arrangement 
to a product and process focus. Teamwork drives the functional disciplines into a 
mutually supportive relationship that helps remove barriers to software development 
success. The teams can be formed at all levels of the organization and are empow-
ered to make critical life-cycle decisions for the development of a software product 
or sustainment process. 
Figure 4.3
 identifies several recommended software IPTs. 
Additional IPTs should be formed to oversee the development of individual product 
elements or sustainment processes, depending on the critical nature of the article.
The software engineering IPT is chaired by the chief software engineer and 
involves representatives from the technical organizations and stakeholder groups. 
The team is responsible for establishing and controlling the software product and 
process architectures in a manner that ensures the symmetry and harmony of the 
interests of all representatives. Issues that cannot be resolved by this team should 
be raised to the project control IPT for deliberation. It acts as the technical change 
control board (CCB) for change requests that can be accommodated within the 
current scope of the development project. Change requests that cannot be accom-
plished within available technical resource levels should be elevated to the project 
control IPT for consideration.
The project control IPT is responsible for monitoring project progress toward 
the achievement of project objectives, as well as stakeholder satisfaction with the 
software product. The team acts as a filter for change proposals that require the 
application of additional resources to execute. Change proposals that cannot be 
accommodated within available project resource levels should be elevated to the 
project CCB.