Do Standards Cause Software Problems?

The typical project manager must produce important products with inadequate funding, impossible schedules, and limited staff. In preparing procurement documents, the project manager looks for quick fixes things that do not take much thought to implement and that allow the project to immediately move ahead, meet the next milestone, etc. For example, tradition in the computer field holds that software will be a problem on every project, so the typical project manager will reach for the nearest set of software standards, write those into the contract, and rush off to the next problem. This is the point where standards may become the cause of problems that they purport to cure. Standards come in various packages and usually need to be applied in a knowledgeable manner. For example, one series of documents relates to the development of software to include standards for requirements documents and design documents. Requirements documents identify the capabilities the resulting computer program is to have, including the functions that the item is to perform, the external interfaces, design constraints, performance requirements, etc. These requirements documents are formal agreements with the customer on what the software will do and, as such, are formally controlled. Any changes to these requirements normally require the signatures of both parties as part of the change approval cycle. Design documents describe how to construct the item. They are agreements between elements inside the developer’s organization. Design documents are not subject to customer agreement. Recognizing customer concern. about progress, developers usually provide visibility into the construction process. However, visibility is not control, and customer signatures are not required as part of the change control process. To provide a very specific example, consider DOD-Std-2167A, “Defense System Software Development.” This comprehensive document includes, in its attached DI-MCCR-gOO25A, precise criteria for the format and content of software requirements specifications. As part of