Test Process Advanced (ITPA)

Steen Lerche-Jensen
24 May, 2019

3.2 Test Monitoring and Control Process

This process is used to validate if the testing progress is according to the Test Plan and the organizational specifications. If not, activities will be initiated to correct or compensate for the resultant variances.

The process is normally applied so it manage the whole test project, but can of course also be applied on the different test levels (phases) (eg. System or/and Acceptance testing). If applied as part of the monitoring and control of the testing for the whole test project then it will interact directly with the test management processes being used to manage the individual test levels and test types of the project.

Purpose:
Determine whether testing progresses in accordance with the Test Plan and with organizational test specifications. Initiates control actions as necessary and identify necessary updates to the Test Plan

Inputs to activities in this process may include:

  1. Test Plans
  2. Product documentation
  3. Organizational Test Policy
  4. Organizational Test Strategy
  5. Control Directives (from a higher level process)
  6. Measures from the Test Process being managed

Expected outcome of Test Monitoring and Control Process implementation:

  1. The means of collecting suitable measures to monitor test progress and changing risk are set up
  2. Progress against the test plan is monitored
  3. New and changed test-related risks are identified, analyzed and necessary action(s) invoked
  4. Necessary control actions are identified
  5. Necessary control actions are communicated to the relevant stakeholders
  6. The decision to stop testing is approved
  7. Test progress and changes to the risks are reported to stakeholders
  8. Information items to be produced:      
    1. Test status reports
    2. Test plan updates
    3. Control directives
    4. Project and product risk information

3.2.1 Graphic overview of the Test Monitoring and Control Process:

Figure: Test Monitoring and Control Process. Important to understand that in practice some of the activities are carried out iteratively. This means that you might have to revisit some of the activities multiple times
The Test Manager or the person(s) responsible for test monitoring and control shall implement the following activities and tasks in accordance with applicable organization policies and procedures with respect to the Test Monitoring and Control Process.

# Activity Tasks

TMC1

Set-up

 

  1. Suitable measures for monitoring progress against the Test Plan should be identified, if these measures are not already defined in the Test Plan or the Organizational Test Strategy.
  2. Suitable means of identifying new and changing risks should be identified, if these are not already defined in the Test Plan or the Organizational Test Strategy.
  3. Monitoring activities, such as test status reporting and test metrics collection, shall be put in place to collect the measures

TMC2

Monitor
  1. The test measures shall be collected and recorded.
  2. Progress against the Test Plan shall be monitored using the collected test measures.
  3. Divergence from planned testing activities shall be identified and any factors blocking progress recorded.
  4. New risks shall be identified and analyzed to identify those that require mitigation by testing and those that need to be communicated to other stakeholders.
  5. Changes to known risks shall be monitored to identify those that require mitigation by testing and those that need to be communicated to other stakeholders.

TMC3

Control
  1. Those actions necessary to implement the test plan shall be performed.
  2. Those actions necessary to implement control directives received from higher level management processes shall be performed.
  3. Those actions necessary to manage the divergence of actual testing from planned testing shall be identified.
  4. Means of treating newly-identified and changed risks shall be identified.
  5. As appropriate:
    1. control directives shall be issued to make changes to the way testing is performed;
    2. changes to the test plan shall be in the form of test plan updates; and
    3. Recommended changes shall be communicated to the relevant stakeholders.
  6. Readiness for commencing any assigned test activity shall be established before commencing that activity, if not already done.
  7. Approval shall be granted at the completion of assigned test activities.
  8. When the testing has met its completion criteria, approval for the test completion decision shall be obtained.

TMC4

Report
  1. Testing progress against the Test Plan shall be communicated to stakeholders in a test status report for the specified reporting period.
  2. New risks and changes to existing risks shall be updated in the risk register and communicated to the relevant stakeholders.
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