Mission-Oriented Success Analysis and Improvement Criteria (MOSAIC) Approach
The suite of analysis techniques in the SEI Mission-Oriented Success Analysis and Improvement Criteria (MOSAIC) is designed to help evaluate success against the set of objectives that define a mission. For example, software development programs typically include three types of objectives: cost, schedule, and quality. Success for most software development programs is ultimately measured in relation to its cost, schedule, and quality objectives. Managing programs and operational processes for success requires competence in the following management areas:
- Product/Service management--What am I creating/providing?
- Process management--How am I creating/providing?
- Risk management--Do I have any concerns?
- Problem management--Do I know of any existing issues?
Traditionally, various personnel implement the four management areas independent of each other and rely on their ability to "evaluate" them together when gauging a mission's potential for success. As processes and programs become more complex, it is increasingly more difficult to evaluate effectively. As a result, new approaches are needed to help systematically sort through process and program complexity and determine the potential for success.
The SEI MOSAIC provides an integrated view of the four management areas, which enables people managing a program or overseeing a process to make better decisions and make sense of:
- Multiple areas of management
- Multiple, detailed status reports
- Complex tasks and support technologies
- Requirements from multiple stakeholders
A Structured Argument
The structured approach of the SEI MOSAIC helps establish confidence in a process or program's potential for success regardless of complexity. By evaluating "what outcome is expected" in relation to "what outcome is desired," managers can identify drivers of success and failure, gauge stakeholder satisfaction, and determine strategies for improving the potential for success.
The SEI MOSAIC looks across all mission activities to determine how current conditions and potential events affect the outcome. Then, through a systematic analysis, the range of potential outcomes for a project is discovered, providing a foundation for subsequent improvement activities.
For more information about the SEI MOSAIC analysis approach, contact sei-mosaic@sei.cmu.edu.
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