TEAM Zarate Tarrani Notes From the Field

Risks & Requirements. The April 2002 issue of CrossTalk is out and is essential reading for project managements, software engineers, and requirements analysts.

What's inside:

• Risky Requirements. Three articles addressing aspects of the April issue's theme:
  1. Requirements Risks Can Drown Software Projects
  2. Recommended Requirements Gathering Practices
  3. Reducing Risks Through Proper Specification of Software Requirements
• Two articles about software engineering technology:
  1. Seven Characteristics of Dysfunctional Software Projects
  2. Add Decision Analysis to Your COTS Selection Process
• In the Open Forum section: Prerequisites for Success: Why Process Improvement Programs Fail, and the issue's final article, Mapping the Capability Maturity Model

Good stuff all! I am always enamored with articles that provide quantitative measurements, processes and lessons learned, and this issue has it all.

My bliss after reading the entire issue was leveled by the Backtalk section. This is the last page in each issue and is usually a humorous look at some aspect of the theme. However, this column, titled Risqué Requirements, had more stark truth than humor (not that it wasn't facetious in its own way). The guest columnist, Gary Petersen, wrote what I consider to be one of the most incisive analyses on what's wrong with our profession that I've had the pleasure and pain of reading in a long time. I'm tempted to quote and provide my own analysis, but it would only diminish the clear message that Mr. Petersen broadcasts. I encourage you to carefully read the article, then download it, then send it to your friends, enemies and everyone else who works in software engineering in any role.