Applied Software Project Management

Deskchecks

A deskcheck is a simple review in which the author of a work product distributes it to one or more reviewers. In a deskcheck, the author sends a copy of the work product to selected project team members. The team members read it, and then write up defects and comments to send back to the author. Work products that are commonly reviewed using a deskcheck include vision and scope documents (see Chapter 2) and discussion summaries (see Chapter 6).

There are times when a full inspection is neither necessary nor useful. Some work products do not benefit enough to warrant the attention of an entire inspection team because they do not need consensus or approval. In these cases, the author simply needs input from others to prevent defects, but does not require that they approve the document. In these cases, the deskcheck is a useful review practice.

Unlike an inspection, a deskcheck does not produce written logs that can be archived with the document for later reference. There is no follow-up meeting or approval process. It is simply a way for one team member to check another's work. Deskchecks are not formal reviews (where "formal" simply means that it generates a written work product that meets a certain standard and is archived with the rest of the project documentation); there is no standard for the results of the deskcheck. The reviewers simply review the work product and return the results. There is no moderator, and there is not necessarily any consensus generated.

But, despite ...