Template: Estimate of the Situation (EoS)
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This EoS template could be used to document the Situation for the entire context covered by Evolution Plan, a Plateau, or a specific initiative. The word "initiative" is used to represent the entity that is being described.
1. Introduction
The purpose of this report is to capture the existing situation at the start of initiative. It is a second attempt to document the key stakeholders and their expectations, the objectives of the initiative, the assumptions under which the initiative is operating, and the resources and constraints the initiative must accept. The Estimate of the Situation (EoS) will be used to define the initiative accomplishments and to prioritize them with resources.
Tailor this report to capture the essential characteristics of your initiative environment. Focus on understanding what you absolutely have to do, what you should not do, and what you may do if appropriate.
The EoS will be reviewed and updated, as required, during each increment of the initiative.
1.1 Overview
State the following:
· The perspective that the EoS takes and the scope of the estimate
· The purpose of the estimate and how it should be interpreted
1.2 Revision History
As the situation continually changes, update this document to reflect those changes. Highlight in this paragraph the changes between this version and the last version. State the change, the reason for the change, and any other information necessary to understand the differences and appreciate the change in the current situation.
Version Number |
Release Date |
Author of Change |
Reason for Change |
1.3 References
State the documents used and persons interviewed to compile this report. Take great effort to protect the anonymity of the contributors. Items not cited could include initiative team experiences, interpretations, and decisions.
Get confirmation that you have accurately interpreted the interviewee's comments. Seek team consensus.
2. initiative description
In this section, review the initiative at a high level. Document the relevant stakeholders, background, mission, and history from the initiative's perspective.
2.1 initiative Stakeholders
This section contains a list of the initiative stakeholders. Mention the specific reason each stakeholder is included and the relative importance of each of the stakeholder groups. If you cannot maintain contact with a specific stakeholder, designate an initiative team member to be responsible for representing the stakeholder's point of view.
2.2 initiative Mission
This section provides an overview of the initiative mission and the initiative's responsibility to generate the product. Mention all other aspects of the initiative from each of the major perspectives (e.g., stakeholders, using organization, developing organization, company, and competition), as necessary, to explain what the initiative will obtain.
2.3 initiative History
State the initiative's history and current initiative status. State the overall initiative environment. Describe any noteworthy relationships between the initiative organization, the parent organization, and the stakeholders. Attempt to rationalize the existence of the initiative, noting supporters and detractors. Note any major changes in the initiative history (e.g., funding cuts and change in scope), the date, and a rationale for the change. You should be able to reconstruct a reasonable time line of the initiative from this description.
3. initiative Characteristics
Document the relevant objectives, assumptions, and constraints from the initiative's perspective.
3.1 initiative Objectives
Show a prioritized list of political, technical, organizational, and/or economic objectives and their origin. Give a rationale for the ranking.
3.2 Assumptions
State any technical, political, organizational, and/or economic assumptions, such as the following:
· Handling interaction with other organizational units
· Stakeholder expectations
· initiative staffing
3.3 Constraints
State a list of constraints that the initiative must work within, an interpretation of how binding these constraints are, and an assessment of possible areas of opportunities if these constraints were relaxed.
4. initiative Assessment
This section examines the influences or considerations that affect the initiative's approach to satisfying its objectives. An assessment is made of the factors affecting the initiative's operations and the requirements that the initiative must satisfy.
4.1 Assessment of Factors Influencing Success
This section identifies and analyzes the organizational, political, economic, and technical factors that impact the initiative.
4.1.1 Organizational Factors
This section examines factors that involve the different approaches and capabilities an organization can bring to software-intensive system development. These factors include organizational structure, politics, and capabilities. Consider factors such as interaction with other organizational units (including suppliers and subcontractors), staffing plans, and current organizational policies and procedures. Also consider the priority of the initiative and the importance of the initiative to the organization's mission.
4.1.2 Political Factors
This section examines factors that relate to the major political aspects of the system. Document political or public relations factors, such as how this initiative may affect long-term relations with the customer for a contractual relationship. If the customer is a part of the public sector, then discuss political factors, such as political visibility or public impact, in this section.
4.1.3 Economic Factors
This section examines economic factors that relate to the system. Discuss economic factors such as the budgeting process and the budgeting cycle.
4.1.4 Technical Factors
This section examines factors that relate to the major technical aspects of the system itself. One of the primary factors to be discussed is the change in technology that will be caused by the development and deployment of this system. Assess technical factors such as inefficient algorithms, non-modular system/software architecture, and poor database performance.
5. Possible Courses of Action
This section discusses possible actions that, being flexible, you may leave to the initiative's discretion.
6. Conclusions
Summarize the major considerations that may affect the initiative successfully achieving its objectives.
7. Reviewers
List the reviewers for this report. If personnel were interviewed as a part of the data collection for this report, list them in a separate list.
8. Approvals
List the personnel that will approve the document. State which of the stakeholder groups are represented by each approval signature.