Software Engineering

7.6 
Step 6: Technical planning
Each technical organization utilizes its WBS to generate or revise organizational 
plans and schedules. These plans should identify the organizational role and 
responsibilities associated with each work package. Task descriptions, depend-
encies, duration (start and stop dates), resource requirements, expected results, 
risks, and contingency plans should be addressed. The SWE-IPT is responsible for 

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CHAPTER 7 
Understanding Software Requirements
ensuring that organizational plans are consistent with established project objectives, 
budgets, and milestones. An integrated technical plan (ITP) and schedule (ITS) 
must be established by combining organizational plans, eliminating duplication of 
effort, and preparing integrated work package definitions.
The software engineering plan (SWEP) must be prepared or revised to capture 
the detailed tasks for the impending stage of software development. The SWEP 
addresses the focus of the SWE-IPT by identifying the approach to developing the 
desired results for the stage of development it is addressing. It should identify any 
known risks that will be monitored and the contingency plans of action that will be 
initiated to redirect planned activities toward an alternate design solution. Plans to 
conduct trade studies for identified design challenges should be conveyed, the com-
peting alternatives described, and the selection criteria established.
The primary software engineering activities involve requirements analysis, func-
tional analysis, and application design synthesis. They are supported by software 
analysis, control, verification, and validation activities. Software analysis involves 
the conduct of risk assessments and trade-off studies, and is applied whenever 
deemed necessary. The control, verification, and validation activities will be differ-
ent during each stage of software development as the focus of the effort progresses 
from stakeholder needs and expectations to the software architecture, implementa-
tion, and acceptance testing. The SWEP, ITP, ITS, and organizational plans must be 
updated to reflect the evolution of the software development effort as it progresses 
through each stage.