Before joining the SEI Process Program in 1988, he performed various software engineering roles from constructing large-scale economic models and systems programming to developing software standards and benchmarking supercomputers in the federal government in the Washington, DC area. He also was a software engineer and group manager in private industry in New England.
At the SEI, he worked with Watts Humphrey (author of Managing the Software Process) and other members of the Process Program developing the SEI’s assessment method that has been in use worldwide. With his colleagues in the Process Program, he made many innovations in the method of conducting assessments, including evolution of the training course into a highly interactive experience for assessment teams. He also consulted with SEI clients on post-assessment process improvement. While working with the SEI Risk Program, he incorporated many lessons learned into software risk assessments and the training of its practitioners. He was founder and leader of the Industry Risk Management project at the SEI and brought the collaborative features of assessment to systematic identification of software risks.
He has participated in numerous process and risk assessments in all roles as team member, coordinator, process coach, trainer, and team leader. He is an SEI-authorized SCAMPIsm lead appraiser, and instructor for Introduction to the CMMI v1.3.
He is a recognized authority in the CMM and developed the pictogram method to illustrate CMM processes. His 1995 book, A Guide to the CMM, based on pictograms was translated into French, Spanish, German and Japanese. His book A Guide to the CMMI, (2nd edition) v1.2 was published in 2007. The Dymond Diagrams have been recognized in SEI's Introduction to CMMI course as the technique used to illustrate Process Area details.
Other Recent Publications since 2000: pdf copies available on PTI's homepage and its Consultants Corner .
“Essence and Accidents of Software Process Assessment or ‘Maybe This Time the Voice of the Engineer Will Be Heard’,” Chap. 11, Elements of Software Process Assessment and Improvement. published by the IEEE CS Press, 1999.
“The Level 4 Software Process from the Assessor’s Viewpoint,”
Proceedings, 1996 Conference of the International Software Consulting
Network, Brighton, UK, Dec. 1996.
The Assessment Coordinator’s
Handbook, Annapolis, Md.: Process
Transition International, Inc., 1997.
“A Case Study of Life at Level 5”, with Govilkar and Kumar,
Proceedings, European SEPG Conference, Amsterdam, 2000.
M.S. Computer Science, George Washington University, 1979
A.B. Classical Languages, magna cum laude, Seton Hall University, 1965
Professional Organizations
IEEE Computer Society
At the SEI, she worked with Watts Humphrey (author of Managing
the
Software
Process) and was SEI Task Leader for developing the Capability
Maturity Model
(CMM) as a member of the Software Capability Evaluation Project in
the Process
Program. She is co-author of v1.0 of the SEI's Key Practices of the
Capability Maturity
Model (CMM) and is a recognized authority on its interpretation and
application.
She has participated in numerous process assessments in all roles as
team member,
coordinator, process coach, trainer, and team leader. She is an
SEI-authorized
lead
assessor in the CMM-Based Appraisal for Internal Process Improvement
(CBA-IPI) and
has a wide range of experience in coaching and training assessment
teams in both the
SEI method and the Trillium method for assessing telecommunications
product
development and support capability. She also participated on the review
team for Trillium v2.3.
Prior to joining the SEI, she was Manager of Development Methodology
for both Kraft,
Inc. and Signature Group. In this position, she assessed the process
improvement
needs of the IS organization via structured interviews and facilitation
of interactive
workshops. She introduced and facilitated an innovative method for
bringing end-users
into the design process. She implemented a productivity measurement
program and
developed, implemented and supported the organization's project
management
process
and tools. Her responsibilities also included maintaining the Division
Standards and
Procedures and the evaluation, selection and implementation of new
development
methodologies and tools for the IS organization.
While at the Signature Group, she managed the installation and
maintenance
of a
Document Management System. She also has performed various software
development
roles in the development of IS systems for both Signature Group and
PepsiCo., Inc.
Recent Publications
"Senior Management Actions Critical for Successful Software Process
Improvement,"
Proceedings, The Seventh Annual Software Technology Conference,
Software Technology Support Center,
Hill Air Force Base and Utah State University, Salt Lake City, Utah,
April, 1995.
"Trillium and the CMM: Differences between the two models and their
assessment
methods, and guidelines on conducting multi-site assessments," Barbara
Popel, co-author,
Proceedings, 1996 SEPG Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey,
May, 1996.
Education
M.A. Business Administration, majoring in Organizational Behavior,
Ohio
State
University
B.S. Accounting/Computer Science, Olivet Nazarene University
Professional Organizations
Member of American Society for Quality (ASQ)
As Director of Publications for Process Transition International,
Inc.,
she brought her
editorial experience to designing, editing and overseeing the
publication
of its books.
Process
Transition
International, Inc. Homepage.
©1997 Process Inc US
©1998 Process Transition International, Inc.
January 2011