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Subject:RE: getting info From:Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- pinnaclewest -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 6 Jun 2003 10:05:13 -0700
He he, y'all are making me laugh. It's mainly because of the resistence to thinking it could ever be hard to get information. There are some organizations with very real problems as some other posters have noted.
The key I have found to understanding the problem (when in a software organization whether in house or commercial) is the CMM -- Capability Maturity Model -- from the Software Engineering Institute. The CMM levels go from one to five, showing various levels of maturity in terms of repeatable, defined, managed, and optimized processes. The first level is:
"1) Initial. The software process is characterized as ad hoc, and occasionally even chaotic. Few processes are defined, and success depends on individual effort and heroics."
When an organization exists at Level 1, a technical writer is going to run into various barriers. The nature of those barriers will reflect the specific culture of the organization. If it is a friendly company, the SMEs turning down your invites will be more polite.
When I first started here, I liked to say this place was a level 0. Heh. The developers not only turned me down with every method I used: email, phone, walking into their cubicle, written questions, etc., they also called me someone else's name, sat me in a conference room isolated from the team, didn't invite me to lunch, etc. As an experience technical writer (almost 19 years now, at that time it was almost 16 years) I tried everything, and yes, I tried everything twice. I did manage to get invited to the department lunches, and a few of my documents, which were technical in nature (not user-oriented) got finished. I would read the code to the extent that I could, and docs which I could not get time with a developer did not get finished. I went around the developers for some of the information, and interviewed Business Analysts, but then my boss told me I couldn't do that anymore, since they worked for another department. A few of the developers were responsive, so I finished those documents.
My self esteem went into the toilet... because I care deeply about quality and about finishing products. However, I realized it and did a lot of work on myself. Eventually another department snapped me up, people there would say "Hi" to me and I would freak out because I had forgotten people DID that in most worlds, and I succeeded. I was very in demand throughout the corporation and made a lot of good contacts. When my contract run out, many people pulled strings to get me extended.
To my chagrin, they decided the best place for me was the Level 0 department I had been in, since that contract would last for at least a year, and every other department was 3 months to 6 months. (They didn't really ask my opinion on it.) I decided to go back over and have a good attitude, hoping the place would change.
At first, it was dicey. However, the department rose from a Level 0 to a Level 2 on the CMM. Almost a level 3....
"2) Repeatable. Basic project management processes are established to track cost, schedule, and functionality. The necessary process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on projects with similar applications.
3) Defined. The software process for both management and engineering activities is documented, standardized, and integrated into a standard software process for the organization. All projects use an approved, tailored version of the organization's standard software process for developing and maintaining software."
My biggest barrier now is that since in the past no one documented anything, I do have to interview SMEs. I no longer have access to code. However, the Business Analysts are part of the group now. Most of the developers have amazingly changed their attitudes and give me time when I need it. I believe this is because the management values the documentation more. Unfortunately the CMM does not really incorporate documentation into the software processes. (We do not create end-user docs here at all.) In addition, the department as a whole still doesn't have a good documentation management process, which means many documents will get lost and/or not be updated. It is still a struggle, but it is not as bad as it was. My new boss's boss is a more friendly guy, so now, even when I get turned down, I get turned down in a polite way. <grin>
Rose A. Wilcox
CHQ, 17th Floor
Tranz1 QA/Documentation
602-250-2435
Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- PinnacleWest -dot- com
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