| In spite of significant progress in the process of developing software, the problem of late, over-budget, and poorly functioning software remains. While there is no "silver bullet" solution, most authorities support the belief that Risk Management holds a high leverage position in gaining control over this very chaotic process.; What is needed is a vehicle that provides assistance to time-constrained and experience-limited development managers, especially in low maturity organizations. One distinguishing characteristic of these groups is the low probability of investing the time and effort associated with complex risk estimation checklists, tools, or processes. One software tool that can be customized to meet the required parameters is from an application family called "Content-Focused Matchmakers" (CFMs). This software is specifically designed to mimic the process of the "deep interview", one of the more powerful techniques in risk identification. This type of software is used in situations where there are: a large number of options, a large number of potential solutions, and infrequent use. The objective is to provide, in a very short time, a list of acceptable choices. The user adjusts the parameters until the list becomes manageable.; In this research, a prototype of a content-focused matchmaker was programmed based on the SEI Software Risk Taxonomy and on the Taxonomy-Based Questionnaire. The tool was calibrated using the experience and knowledge of experts in software development. Testing was performed using a representative sample of software developers to verify the risk identification accuracy and precision when used on two representative case studies. The tool demonstrated that it could precisely and accurately identify the enumerated risks in the case studies and that users found it quick and easy to use. |
