# Presentation: 001896

## Branch Status Review

**Number:  **580-TM-023-03  				**Approved By: (signature)**
**Effective Date:  **November 24, 2008**	****	****	****	****Name: **John Donohue
**Expiration Date:  **November 24, 2012**	****	****	****	****Title: **Chief, SED
**Responsible Office: **580/Software Engineering  Division (SED)		**Asset Type:**  Template
**Title**: Branch Status Review (BSR)				**PAL Number:  **1.4.3.4

| Purpose | The purpose of this document is to provide a template for use in producing a Branch Status Review (BSR). This template is intended to be used by project personnel in preparing mission software planning and status information that MUST be presented to Branch Management in regularly scheduled Branch Management Reviews.  |
| --- | --- |
| Scope | This template is to be used for mission software in-house and acquisition projects.  Such projects may or may not be part of a larger, mission-level project.  |
| General Tailoring
Guidelines | The slides in this template provide recommendations on how project-specific planning and status information may be organized, packaged, and presented to Branch Management. 
All components of the BSR template MUST be addressed, however, the level of detail of the BSR should be commensurate with the scope and complexity of the project. Slides may be added where necessary, but topics on template slides should not be deleted. 
The term “Acquisition Projects” used throughout this template refers to projects that consist of mission software completely developed by one or more contractors.  The Acquisition Project may or may not manage requirements or perform product acceptance. |

- Branch Status Review Template, Version: 3.0			11/07/2008
- Check the Process Asset Library at _[http://software.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[gsfc](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[nasa](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[gov/process](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[cfm](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)_ to obtain the latest version.

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Template Change 

| General Tailoring Guidelines

 | This template is NOT intended to prescribe:
   A specific order for presentation of information
   A specific format or layout for the required information
   The maximum set of information that may be presented
Projects are free to add any information they deem appropriate.

In the target BSR, the introductory slides (i.e., these lead pages containing the Document Header, “Purpose”, “Scope”, “General Tailoring Guidelines”, “Additional BSR Requirements”, and “Template Change History”) should be deleted.  
The footer on the target BSR should be changed.  Replace the word “Sample” with the name of the Project and change the date to the date of the actual BSR. |
| --- | --- |

- Branch Status Review Template, Version 3.0			11/07/2008
- Check the Process Asset Library at _[http://software.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[gsfc](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[nasa](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[gov/process](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[.](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)__[cfm](http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/process.cfm)_ to obtain the latest version.

| Version | EPG Approved Date | Description of Development Changes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1.0 | June 1, 2005 | Approved by the ISD CCB. |
| 2.0 | Aug 15, 2007 | Modified to condense the material and recommend the minimum requirements for a BSR. This modification addresses change requests 2, 12, and 29 (CCB approved on 8/13 for posting) |
| 3.0 | November 8, 2008 | Modified to remove the automatic date in the footer, require process effort chart, and add a new process monitoring slide. |

**Template Change **
**History**

| Additional BSR Requirements | BSR meeting attendance must be recorded and minutes must be taken.
Action items and issues developed during BSRs must be documented and tracked to closure. 	 |
| --- | --- |

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## <Project> Status

**<Month/Year>**
**<Preparer>**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Activities and Accomplishments

**Prepare one or more slides that describe your project’s activities and accomplishments **
**Minimum Requirements: **
**State your project’s activities and work product status against planned schedule.  Include:**
**Technical, management, and process activities**
**Status and results of the activities**
**Issues or deviations from plan**
**Results of milestone reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR)**
**As appropriate, involvement of other groups/personnel (i.e., “stakeholders”) in achieving completion of the activity/accomplishment**
**State your project’s planned activities for next reporting period**
**Acquisition Projects: Include GOVERNMENT accomplishments and activities relating to acquisition as well as contractor activities and accomplishments****.**
**Preferred method of presentation: **
**Consider organizing this slide under a high level breakout that is appropriate for your project – for example: Project phases (e.g., development / test / operations); Major systems or subsystems; Project Teams (e.g., engineers / developers / testers).**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Activities and Accomplishments:  Reporting Process Activities (1 of 3)

**As appropriate for the reporting period, address process activities / milestones such as those listed in the boxes below.**
**The activities, their status against the plan/schedule, and the related completed products should be reported.**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Activities and Accomplishments:  Reporting Process Activities (2 of 3)

**As appropriate for the reporting period, address process activities / milestones such as those listed in the boxes below.**
**The activities, their status against the plan/schedule, and the related completed products should be reported.**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Activities and Accomplishments:  Reporting Process Activities (3 of 3)

**As appropriate for the reporting period, address process activities listed in the boxes below as they relate to each process area. The activities, their status against the plan/schedule, and the related completed products should be reported.**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example:  Activities and Accomplishments Slide

**Management**
**Established the CM approach and obtained approval from Branch Management one week later than planned**
**Prepared CM plan draft and distributed it for review by the development, test, and customer teams as scheduled**
**Expected commitment on funding for FY07 was not received May 1****st**** as planned**
**Plans for next month:**
**Obtain commitment on funding for FY07**
**Deliver and obtain comments on Project Management Plan Review version**
**Development**
**Started Build 1 one week later than planned because security checks on the development lab took longer than anticipated**
**...****..**
**Plans for next month:**
**Complete operating system configuration in development lab**

**Sample Only**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example:  Activities and Accomplishments Slide(Acquisition Projects Example)

**Contract Administration**
**Drafted the SOW for the contract mod as scheduled.  This mod will extend the contract to September 30, 2008.**
**Started draft of the surveillance plan as scheduled.**
**Plans for next month:**
**Submit completed package to the CO**
**Monitoring**
**Reviewed the delivered Build 1 Test Plan as scheduled.**
**Held a status review with the XYZ contractor 2 weeks later than planned to accommodate vacation schedules.**
**Plans for next month:**
**Conduct CM Audit of government documentation**
**Contractor XYZ**
**Started Build 1 one week later than planned because security checks on the development lab took longer than anticipated**
**...****..**
**Plans for next month:**
**Complete operating system configuration in development lab**

**Sample Only**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Schedule

**Prepare one or more slides that show your project’s schedule AND your project’s progress against that schedule**
**Milestones complete against plan**
**Progress Tracking points planned vs actual**
**Minimum Requirements:**
**Slide must address your project’s schedule AND progress against that schedule**
**Schedule must include, at a minimum, major activities and major milestones to be met for each activity**
**Schedule must include management, technical, and process activities**
**Acquisition projects:  Include your schedule as well as contractor schedule(s)**
**Preferred method of presentation:**
**Best to show one chart with complete multi-year schedule and a second more detailed chart with shorter period (12-18 months) **
**Any schedule format that can demonstrate both planned activities AND progress against those activities**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example: Project Schedule Overview

**Example: Project Schedule Overview**

- 1

- 2

- (Requirements Analysis/ Design/ Code/ Unit-test/Build Integration Test)

- SW Maintenance

- Req Analysis

- Operations Support

- Prelim.
- Design

**Sample Only**

**Software Project **
**Milestones**

- Development

- Test

- Requirements

- Design

- Software Maintenance

- Operations Support

**Customer**
**Milestones**

- Project Management

- Critical
- Design

- Project Planning,  Control, and Monitoring

- Build 1

- Prototype

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example: Project Detailed Status

**Sample Only**

**SCHEDULE BASELINE DATE:  09/15/04**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Measurement Summary

**Prepare one or more slides that address project measures **
**Minimum Requirements: **
**Select measurement summary slides based on phase of project.  Potentials:**
**Any phase: staffing summary, audit results**
**Early: requirement volatility, review action status, inspection summary**
**Implementation: point counting, change requests**
**Testing: point counting, problem reports, change requests**
**Delivery: functionality**
**The Process Effort Chart is required at every BSR**
**Include analysis, impact, and corrective actions with each measure**
**Acquisition Projects: Include your process effort chart and charts relating to any other government activities your project is doing (e.g., requirements development, acceptance testing). Include contractor measures of interest as desired.**
**Preferred method of presentation:**
**Charts or graphs are preferred, with words to show an analysis of the metrics (i.e., describe the essence of what the chart is showing), impacts or potential impacts on the project, corrective actions taken or planned to be taken.  **

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example Measurement Summary Slides: Required for all Phases

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example Measurement Summary Slides: Any Phase

**Samples:**
**Staffing **
**Summaries**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example Measurement Summary Slides: Early

**Samples:**
**Requirements**
**Volatility**

**Sample:**
**Review Actions**

**Sample: **
**Inspection**
**Summary**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example Measurement Summary Slides: Implementation / Testing

**Sample:**
**Point Counting**

**Sample:**
**Problem Reports**

**Sample: **
**Defects by **
**Priority**

**Sample:**
**Change Requests**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example Measurement Summary Slides: Delivery

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Risks

**Provide a summary of each risk and a risk matrix**
**If there are Red risks, provide additional slide(s) with details on these risks**
**Minimum Requirements:**
**Slide(s) must address your project’s risks and must address at least all Red risks**
**Risk Summary Slide must include at least:**
**Risk Matrix (i.e., the NASA Risk Cube)**
**Clear, concise statement of each risk**
**Date each risk was last reviewed and/or updated**
**Summary of status on each risk (e.g., rank, trend, exposure, person to which risk is assigned, time period risk may become a problem, current state (i.e., research, accept, watch, mitigate, retired)**
**Risk Details Slide must include the above and at least:**
**Source and Category of the risk**
**Mitigation steps**
**Acquisition Projects: Address government risks.**
**Preferred method of presentation:**
**Reports from the Risk Management Tool (http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/tools.cfm), however, any format that can fully describe the required items is acceptable.**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example: Risk Summary Slide

**This example uses the format in the Risk Management Tool (http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/tools.cfm), however, any format that can fully describe the required items is acceptable.**

**Sample Only**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example: Risk Details Slide

**This example uses the format in the Risk Management Tool (http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/tools.cfm), however, any format that can fully describe the required items is acceptable.**

**Sample Only**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Issues

**Provide a brief description of each issue for the purposes of:**
**Bringing them to management’s attention**
**Obtaining management direction **
**Soliciting management’s assistance in resolving**
**Minimum Requirements:**
**Slide(s) must address the project’s technical, management, and/or process issues and must include at least:**
**Issue: Clear, concise statement of the problem or concern**
**Analysis:  An analysis of the issue including specific internal and external groups/personnel that may be affected or need to be involved in resolving the issue**
**Impact: Specific, quantifiable impact(s) on your project **
**Action Plan: Action(s) that are planned and dates the actions are to be completed**
**Status: Current progress against the action plan including actual completion date(s)**
**Acquisition Projects: Address government issues.**
**Preferred method of presentation:**
**Use any format that can fully describe the required items**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example:  Issues Slide

**This example uses the format in the Issues Tracking Tool (http://software.gsfc.nasa.gov/tools.cfm), however, any format that can fully describe the required items is acceptable.**

**Sample Only**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Monitoring Summary

**Provide a summary of monitoring activities**
**Minimum Requirements:**
**Slide must show the date the following were last monitored:**
**Team Training**
- Monitoring of planned vs actual team training is required at least quarterly
**Commitments**
- Monitoring of planned vs actual commitments (i.e., deliverables, receivables, and services) is required at least monthly
**Data Management**
- Monitoring of items on the Data Management List is required at least quarterly, with every item checked at least once per year
**Stakeholder Involvement**
- Monitoring of planned vs actual stakeholder involvement is required at least monthly
**Risks**
- Monitoring of risks is required at least monthly
**Acquisition Projects: Address monitoring of the above government activities.**
**Preferred method of presentation:**
**Use any format that can fully describe the required items**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example:  Monitoring Summary Slide

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Process Monitoring Summary

**Provide a summary of the results of monitoring your processes**
**Minimum Requirements: **
**Slide must address your assessment of how the processes in each process area are working:**
**For each process area, ask yourself and your team:**
- Is enough staff available for planned process activities?
- Is the process efficient? (i.e., Does the process you are using work well or are there problems and bottlenecks?)
- Is the process effective? (i.e., Are you getting the expected results?)
- Do you have any suggestions for improving the process?
**After analysis of your schedule progress and the staffing tool’s Process Effort chart, ask yourself**
- Are process activities occurring as scheduled?
- Is enough effort being applied?
- Are there any corrective actions I need to take?
**If you color any areas yellow or red, add a comment describing what is happening and what you recommend and/or are doing about it.**
**Caution:  This slide is intended for you to examine how well your process activities are working and comment on your observations; this slide is NOT to be used to report status or accomplishments. **
**Preferred method of presentation:**
**Use example chart (in Excel) on the next slide however, any format that can fully describe the required items shown in the example chart is acceptable.**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>

## Example: Process Monitoring Chart 

**Sample Only**

- Sample Project Status Review

- <Date>