Re: Help testing - how do you handle it?

[Beth Agnew <beth -dot- agnew -at- senecac -dot- on -dot- ca>]

I make sure every project is covered by a documentation plan that 
includes the requirements for getting the documentation, Help, and any 
other products of the plan tested, reviewed and approved. When 
management signs off on the plan, approving my requirements, they are 
also committing to providing the resources I need. If those resources 
are not forthcoming, I'm covered by a statement in the doc plan under 
"risks" that says something to the effect that quality of the final 
result is dependent upon timely testing, review and approval as outlined 
in the plan.

The doc plan specifies every aspect of the documentation project I'm 
working on, so all the stakeholders know what will happen, who is 
involved, and what part everyone plays in the success of the 
documentation. If the best I can garner is Help testing from ther other 
writers when they have a chance, then that's what I put in the plan. On 
complicated projects I've gone so far as to create a test plan for Help 
or websites or even a large suite of documents. As with software, the 
plan is a specification of what it would be if it is perfect; I often 
have to settle for less, but at least I've shifted responsibility for 
the lack off my shoulders onto management who approved the plan and 
weren't able to come up with the resources they said they'd provide.

mearro -at- msn -dot- com wrote: