Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers About the IEEE Computer Society/SEI SPA Award
This Web page addresses frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the SPA Award's scope, the desired nomination material contents, approaches to submitting the nomination material, and the decision-making process.
Questions
- Why was the IEEE Computer Society/SEI Software Process Achievement Award established?
- Is this award open to organizations from countries other than the United States?
- Who may submit nominations?
- What is a target organization?
- If our organization does not develop or integrate software, can we still receive an award?
- Is there any size limitation for the group that can receive an award?
- Should we nominate our entire organization, a unit within our organization, a team, or an individual for the award?
- Should we include material in our nomination to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the nominee's accomplishments?
- Should we describe our process improvement process?
- What sort of data should we include in the nomination?
- If we have last minute problems and cannot deliver the nomination on or before the November 1 deadline, can we get an extension?
- What should we do if we want to send printed copies of the Nomination Material?
- Can we FAX the nomination material?
- If we FAX the nomination material, do we need to send the entire nomination material package or just the two pages without the backup?
- Are there any limitations on the formats, type sizes, or figures in the nomination material?
- What are some of the typical mistakes that people have made when submitting a nomination?
- What are the criteria for requesting a visit with a potential award recipient?
- When can we expect to hear if we have been selected for a visit and when will the visit be made?
- Should we make any special plans for an Award Committee visit?
- How many Award Committee members will visit if we are selected for a visit?
- Who pays for the travel expenses for an Award Committee visit?
- Is support available for the travel costs for an Award Committee visit?
- If we are visited by the Award Committee, does that mean we are an award recipient?
- When can we expect to hear if we have been selected as an award recipient?
- How does the Award Committee handle situations where a committee member has been associated with one of the nominees?
- Who receives the $1500 honorarium?
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Answers
Why was the IEEE Computer Society/SEI Software Process Achievement Award
established?
In addition to highlighting and rewarding excellence, the award was
established to foster continuous advancement in the practice of
software engineering and process improvement through the dissemination
of insights, experiences and proven practices throughout the relevant
research and practitioner communities. By publicizing the award
recipient's results, other organizations will be better able to
undertake a software process improvement effort and the researchers
will develop capabilities directly addressing problems occurring in
practice.
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Is this award open to organizations from
countries other than the United States?
Yes, the award may be presented to organizations in any region
throughout the world. Previous award recipients include organizations
from the United States, India, and Australia.
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Who may submit nominations?
There are no restrictions upon who may submit a nomination. In particular,
nominees may nominate themselves.
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What is a target organization?
A target organization is the organization (or division within a
large, multi- division company) which has experienced improvements to
their software development or maintenance capability as a result of the
nominee's process-improvement efforts. A target organization may be
different from the nominee's organization. For example, the nominee's
organization may be a software process improvement consultancy and the
target organization may be one their customers.
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If our organization does not develop or
integrate software, can we still receive an award?
Award decisions are based on the improvements gained within one or more
target organizations, and the nomination material must describe these
improvements and argue the excellence of the nominee's work leading to
them. The nominee's organization may be different from the target
organizations. For example, the nominee's organization may be a
software process improvement consultancy that has a customer organization that
develops or integrates software.
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Is there any size limitation for the group that can receive an award?
Most often, a nominee is a medium-to-large group of professionals
responsible for the target organizations' process improvement
achievements. The size of this group should be determined by the degree
to which the process improvement professionals actively led or
participated in the work. If needed to
recognize work within small organizations, or within organizations that
do not formally define a process improvement-related
group, a nominee may be an individual or small
group of individuals.
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Should we nominate our entire
organization, a unit within our organization, a team, or an individual
for the award?
It is most appropriate to nominate a unit, team, or individual having
responsibility for the target organizations' process improvements.
While one-to-three people must be identified as representatives for the
group, an award should
recognize all those who had a substantial and meaningful role in
producing the results.
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Should we include material in our
nomination to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the nominee's
accomplishments?
Yes. Endorsements, data, commendations, or any other evidence of the
significance of the improvement should be provided (note, however,
that there is a ten-page limit on the amount of supporting
material).
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Should we describe our process improvement process?
Yes. The process used to improvement software development and
maintenance capabilities within the target organizations must
be described.
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What sort of data should we include in the
nomination?
You should provide data that demonstrate the magnitude, significance,
and permanence of the improvement. You should also demonstrate, to the
best of your ability, that the process improvement efforts led to
these measured results. Previous award recipients have included data
regarding the following: productivity, schedule accuracy and adherence, cost
estimation accuracy, cost containment, defect rates, defect containment,
customer satisfaction, personnel training expense, appraisal effort, regulatory
constraint satisfaction effort, etc.
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If we have last minute problems and cannot
deliver the nomination on or before the November 1 deadline, can we get
an extension?
In most cases, no. If, however, the problems are operational and
unpredictable (e.g., weather-related disruptions to mail
service), and the effect is minimal (e.g., a delay of one-or-two
days), please contact the Process Achievement Award Coordinator (award@sei.cmu.edu) to discuss the
situation.
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What should we do if we want to send printed copies
of the nomination material?
Electronic submissions are preferred. If, however, you want to submit
printed copies, you must include seven copies and send them to the
Process Achievement Award Coordinator at the address appearing at the
end of this Web page. They must be sent in time to arrive no later than the
November 1 submission deadline.
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Can we FAX the nomination material?
Yes. The SEI FAX number is (412) 268-5758. Send your material to the
attention of the Process Achievement Award Coordinator.
Within one to two working days, follow up your FAX with either an electronic
submission or printed copies.
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If we FAX the nomination material, do we need
to send the entire nomination material package or just the two pages
without the backup?
You must FAX all the nomination material: the two pages of description
and ten pages of supporting material.
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Are there any limitations on the
formats, type sizes, or figures in the nomination material?
While no explicit format has been set, the nomination material should
be single spaced and easy to read. Text type fonts should be 10 points
or larger, and figures should be limited to no more than four per page.
Text within figures must be readable.
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What are some of the typical mistakes that people
have made when submitting a nomination?
The most common mistake has been a failure to include sufficient data
demonstrating the improvement and its significance. Nominees have also
failed to adequately explain what their data meant and why these data
were significant. Another common error has been to include a few
generalized curves showing trends without showing actual data. Several
nominees have failed to explicitly identify the improvement, nominee,
nominee's representation, and points of contact.
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What are the criteria for requesting a visit
with a potential award recipient?
Site visits are requested when the SPA Award Committee feels it needs
further information regarding general issues and specific
questions resulting from the Award Committee's review of the nomination
material. Often, this information may be provided by submitting
additional material. A visit is requested when the Award Committee
feels this is the most appropriate or effective way to address the
issues and questions, or if the Award Committee feels that the
additional information needs further, interactive scrutiny.
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When can we expect to hear if we have been
selected for a visit and when will the visit be made?
Visit requests are normally made in December or January. Visits are
normally made in January or February.
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Should we make any special plans for an
Award Committee visit?
If your organization is to be visited, the Award Committee will contact
you in advance of the visit. They will describe the issues and
questions to be addressed during the visit and work with you to
establish an agenda and identify people who should participate. They
will request that you make a special effort to demonstrate senior
management interest in and commitment to the process improvement
effort.
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How many Award Committee members will visit
if we are selected for a visit?
At least four Award Committee members will participate in any visit.
When schedules permit, all Award Committee members will
participate.
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Who pays for the travel expenses for an
Award Committee visit?
Travel expenses for site visits are the responsibility of the nominee's
organization and the target organizations.
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Is support available for the travel costs for
an Award Committee visit?
Travel-expense support is not provided by the IEEE Computer Society,
the SEI, or the Award Committee Members' organizations. As appropriate,
the nominee's organization and the target organizations may seek
travel-expense support from other organizations (e.g., a regional
professional society or local Software Process Improvement Network
organization).
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If we are visited by the Award Committee, does that mean we are an award
recipient?
No. While it is more likely that you would be an award
recipient, it is not guaranteed.
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When can we expect to hear if we have been
selected as an award recipient?
Award decisions are normally made no later than the end of
March.
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How does the Award Committee handle situations
where a committee member has been associated with one of the nominees?
When, in the Award Committee's judgment, there either is a conflict of
interest or the likely appearance of a conflict of interest, the
involved committee member will excuse himself or herself from all
discussions involving that nomination.
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Who receives the $1500 honorarium?
The purpose of the honorarium is to offset the expense of preparing the
required high-quality SEI Technical Report. Therefore, the honorarium
is given to the organization that employs the report's authors.
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For More Information
For more information about the IEEE Computer Society/SEI SPA Award, see
Award Recipients or contact
Process Achievement Award Coordinator
Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-7701
FAX: 412-268-5758
E-mail: award@sei.cmu.edu
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