TSP Product Suite: Procedures

1.1 Definitions

“SEI- Authorized Individual” means an SEI-Authorized PSP Instructor.

“SEI-Authorized PSP Instructor” means a person who (i) has earned the PSP instructor authorization credential by successfully completing SEI’s training and authorization process to become an instructor for TSP Product Suite Courses as described below (ii) has met all ongoing requirements to maintain such authorization, including the payment of any and all fees due for such authorization, and (iii) is sponsored by an SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite.

1.2 Requirements

To become an SEI-Authorized PSP Instructor, an Authorization Candidate must:

Complete either the PSP for Engineers I and II courses, or the PSP for Engineers, Academic, blended learning version course, or the PSP Fundamentals and PSP Advanced courses from either the SEI or from an SEI-Authorized PSP Instructor (Note: Use of the self-study PSP for Engineers course materials available at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/tsp does not satisfy this requirement. The self-study material is not supported by SEI and will not evolve over time.),

• Be recommended by at least one of the SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors who taught the Authorization Candidate either the PSP for Engineers I or II courses or the PSP Fundamentals or PSP Advanced courses,
• Be an SEI-Certified PSP Developer,
• Sign the Code of Professional Conduct for SEI Services,
• Have previous teaching or public speaking experience,
• Be proficient in both spoken and written English, and
• Be sponsored by an SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite.

1.3 Process Steps

1. Authorization Candidate must register for the PSP Instructor Training course within 18 months of completing the PSP for Engineers I and II courses or PSP Fundamentals and PSP Advanced courses. Within 10 days of receipt of Authorization Candidate’s registration request, Authorization Candidate will receive a registration packet containing registration instructions and a data submission form. Authorization Candidate must provide completed registration materials, including Authorization Candidate’s data from his or her PSP for Engineers I and II) courses or PSP Fundamentals and PSP Advanced courses, no later than 60 days prior to the start of instructor training. (If Authorization Candidate is enrolled in the PSP for Engineers II or PSP Advanced course at SEI, the registration materials will be distributed to Authorization Candidate on the first day of that course.)

2. The SEI will review registration materials to ensure that the Authorization Candidate has a basic understanding of PSP concepts, is qualified to attend the instructor training course, and has met all other entry requirements. Authorization Candidate will receive email notification of the results of the pre-course screening.

3. Authorization Candidate attends the PSP Instructor Training course.

4. Authorization Candidate must pass the qualification exam offered on the last day of the PSP Instructor Training course. If Authorization Candidate does not pass the exam, Authorization Candidate may retake the exam at a later time for an additional fee. The qualification exam will be offered at SEI at least twice per year (in conjunction with PSP Instructor Training). In addition, the exam will be offered at the annual TSP Symposium (http://www.sei.cmu.edu/tsp/symposium.html).

Upon successful completion of the foregoing, the SEI shall grant the Authorization Candidate a two-year authorization to deliver TSP Product Suite Courses and the SEI shall provide access to the instructional materials listed at www.sei.cmu.edu/partners/tsp/materials. Authorization Candidates also receive a Certificate of Authorization to teach TSP Product Suite Courses. The SEI reserves the right in its sole discretion to require remedial work for Authorization Candidates pursuing authorization, and Authorization Candidates agree to perform such remedial work as a condition of becoming an SEI-Authorized PSP Instructor.  Any remedial work for Authorization Candidates assigned by the SEI must be satisfactorily completed within three (3) months of when the SEI notifies the Authorization Candidate of the remedial work, unless otherwise stipulated by the SEI. Any additional SEI support for remedial work will be billed in accordance with applicable fees.

1.4 Maintenance and Renewal of SEI-Authorized
PSP Instructor Authorization

At the end of each two-year authorization period, an SEI-Authorized PSP Instructor must meet the following requirements to renew their instructor authorization for another two years:

• Teach the PSP for Engineers I and II  courses or the PSP Fundamentals and PSP Advanced courses at least once within each two-year authorization period and submit Course Participant data (see section 1.4.3 below) to the SEI within 90 days of the course end date,
• Provide the SEI with an attendee list for all TSP courses started each quarter and satisfactory course evaluations for all courses completed each quarter (see sections 1.4.1 and 1.4.2 below),
• Successfully complete SEI-required course upgrades and/or exams,
• Comply with all procedures for SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors and with all provisions in the TSP License Agreement between SEI and sponsoring SEI Partner,
• Accept and use upgraded materials when available, and
• Be sponsored by an SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite in good standing (at a minimum, such SEI Partner shall have met all payment obligations to SEI and shall not be in breach of its agreement with SEI).

The SEI will notify individuals as their authorization renewal milestone approaches. Instructors who meet the criteria for maintaining their authorization will automatically have their authorization reinstated for an additional two year period. If an instructor's authorization lapses, the instructor must take refresher training course and/or retake and pass the qualification exam.

1.5 Data Submission Requirements

1.6 Use of TSP Product Suite Course Materials

The SEI shall provide electronic access for the TSP Product Suite materials to the Agreement Partner business point of contact within 30 days of the execution of the Agreement.

Agreement Partner may alter the TSP Product Suite materials only to make minor grammatical corrections or to change spelling to accommodate regional style (such as changing “center” to “centre”). No other changes may be made to the TSP Product Suite materials unless agreed to in advance by the SEI. Supplementary material, clearly designated as such, may be added. Supplementary material should not be used to replace SEI-supplied material. All SEI-supplied material should be presented.

Agreement Partner may make one paper copy of the student materials per Course Participant.  Written permission from the SEI is required for all other reproduction.
Agreement Partner may engage a third party to reproduce the course materials as long as (i) the number of copies produced is limited to one copy of the materials per Course Participant, and (ii) any copies produced are distributed exclusively to Course Participants as permitted under the TSP License Agreement.

Each Course Participant attending a TSP Product Suite Course shall be provided a copy of the appropriate course text(s).

SEI training material should be assembled and delivered according to assembly instructions and associated instructor collateral materials provided in the download file for each course located on the Partner Resource Center at https://partner-resources.sei.cmu.edu/.

Course evaluation forms and other class data may be reviewed by SEI to evaluate the quality of course delivery. The SEI may perform random reviews of Agreement Partner-delivered courses at the discretion of the SEI, including on-site reviews of courses in progress and follow-up surveys with Course Participants. The SEI shall notify the Agreement Partner if an on-site review will be performed and schedule with the Agreement Partner a time for such review to occur. Agreement Partner shall not be responsible for any expenses incurred by SEI in performing any review. After an on-site review, the SEI shall provide a written evaluation to Agreement Partner, which may include recommended actions and mitigation plan. The SEI may perform subsequent random reviews in its discretion.

Agreement Partner is required to provide each Course Participant in any version of the PSP for Engineers course or PSP Fundamentals course with a TSP Tool for use by Course Participant during and after participation in the course.

Agreement Partner and its SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors are encouraged to submit change requests to the SEI for review. Change requests may be submitted to tsp-data@sei.cmu.edu.

Agreement Partner and SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors are required to successfully complete Ethics & Compliance Training as provided by the SEI Partner Network Ethics and Compliance Office.

The SEI provides support for SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors. This support includes:

• Review of requests for changes to course materials
• Maintenance of course materials and distribution of any updates pursuant to the TSP License Agreement
• Email support at tsp-data@sei.cmu.edu
• Annual workshop at SEI location (registration and other fees may be required)
• Listing of Instructor name in SEI Partner Directory

2.1 Definitions

“SEI-Certified Individual” means an SEI-Certified TSP Coach.

“SEI-Certified TSP Coach” means a person who (i) has earned the TSP coach certification credential by successfully completing SEI’s training and certification process to become a TSP coach as described in this Agreement, (ii) has met all ongoing requirements to maintain such certification, including the payment of any and all fees due for such certification, and (iii) is sponsored by an SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite.

2.2 Initial Qualification Process

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/certification/tspcoach.html

2.3 Renewal of Qualifications

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/certification/tspcoachrenewal.html

2.4 Data Submission Requirements

TSP data files are required to be submitted after each occurrence of a launch, checkpoint, phase postmortem, relaunch and project completion events. To submit data, follow the instructions on the TSP Data Submission Form at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/tsp/tsp-datasubmission.pdf. The following data files are required.

• For launches and relaunches
  • Workbooks (top-down, consolidated, and individual)
  • Questionnaires (site, project, and team member)
  • Evaluations (launch and relaunch)
  • Launch meeting 1 and meeting 9 presentations

• For all other events
  • Workbooks (consolidated and individual)
  • Monthly management reports
    

• Any other supporting documentation that helps describe your project implementation may also be submitted with the data files.

Workbooks should be in the most current tool version and should be properly consolidated. Zipped workbooks are preferred to exported text files.

2.5 TSP Sponsorship of Certification Candidates

Agreement Partner shall provide confirmation of sponsorship of Certification Candidates to the SEI by submitting the sponsorship form located at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/partners/forms.html.

Agreement Partner shall notify the SEI if any Certification Candidate or SEI-Certified TSP Coach sponsored by Agreement Partner changes his or her contact information within 30 days of the effective date of such change.

Agreement Partner shall notify the SEI if any Certification Candidate or SEI-Certified TSP Coach sponsored by Agreement Partner leaves Agreement Partner organization or sponsorship within 30 days of the effective date of such change.

2.6 Providing TSP Product Suite Services

The SEI shall provide electronic access for the TSP Product Suite materials to the Agreement Partner business point of contact within 30 days of the execution of the Agreement.

TSP Product Suite Services (including launches) shall be performed by SEI-Certified TSP Coaches according to the official scripts and processes and within tailoring guidelines provided below.

Successful use of the TSP Product Suite requires that all users be properly trained. TSP Product Suite training should be provided by SEI or an SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite. Current training recommendations are:

• TSP team members with software skills complete the PSP for Engineers I and II courses or PSP Fundamentals course.
• Team members without software skills complete the Introduction to Personal Process course.
• The team’s executive management attends the TSP Executive Seminar course
• The TSP team’s middle line management completes the Leading a Development Team courseor Managing TSP Teams course
• Leaders of TSP teams complete Leading a Development Team course

Agreement Partner may tailor the TSP process scripts, forms, instructions, and standards as instructed in the TSP Coach Training course. Agreement Partner shall not change any other TSP Product Suite materials, printed or electronic, unless agreed to by the SEI in advance. Agreement Partner may add supplementary, Agreement Partner-developed material, clearly designated as such. Supplementary material should not be used to replace SEI-supplied material.

Launch evaluation forms and other launch data may be reviewed by SEI to evaluate the quality of TSP coaching. The SEI may perform random reviews of Agreement Partner-delivered TSP Product Suite services at the discretion of the SEI, including on-site reviews of coaching activities in progress. The SEI shall notify the Agreement Partner if an on-site review will be performed and schedule with the Agreement Partner a time for such review to occur. Agreement Partner shall not be responsible for any expenses incurred by SEI in performing any review. After an on-site review, the SEI shall provide a written evaluation to Agreement Partner, which may include recommended actions and mitigation plan. The SEI may perform subsequent random reviews.

Agreement Partner and its SEI-Certified TSP Coaches are encouraged to submit change requests to the SEI for review. Change requests may be submitted to tsp-data@sei.cmu.edu.

The SEI provides support for SEI-Certified TSP Coaches. This support includes:

• Review of requests for changes to TSP Product Suite materials
• Maintenance of TSP Product Suite materials and distribution of any updates pursuant to the TSP License Agreement
• Email support at tsp-data@sei.cmu.edu
• At the discretion of the SEI, access to SEI-compiled TSP data submitted to the SEI
• Annual workshop at SEI location (registration and other fees may be required), and
• Listing of SEI-Certified TSP Coach name in SEI Partner Directory

3.1 Blended Learning – Overview

SEI may offer selected TSP Product Suite Courses with Internet-based support. This is known as SEI – Blended Learning (SEI-BL).  Any TSP Product Suite Course with the phrase “blended learning version” in the course title is an SEI-BL course.

3.2 Definitions

The following definitions apply to SEI-BL Courses:

1. “Agreement Partner BL POC” means an individual named by Agreement Partner to serve as the primary point of contact with SEI regarding issues associated with Agreement Partners use of SEI-BL courses under this Agreement.
2. “SEI-BL Course” means any blended learning version of any SEI course made available under an applicable license agreement. A TSP Product Suite Course with the phrase “blended learning version” in the course title is an SEI-BL Course under this Agreement.
3. “SEI-BL Course Section” means a particular offering of an SEI-BL Course, scheduled for a certain time and place, in which Course Participants are enrolled under the direction of one or more SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors.
4. “SEI-BL Liaison” means one or more individuals named by the SEI to facilitate communication with SEI Partners regarding issues associated with delivering SEI-BL Courses.
5. “SEI-BL System” means the on-line electronic learning system made available by the SEI to facilitate the conduct of SEI-BL Courses.

3.3 Procedures Regarding SEI-BL Course Sections

1. The Agreement Partner BL POC shall be responsible for providing:
   • The SEI-BL Course Section information required by the SEI-provided Course Attendee List Template will be provided electronically to the SEI-BL Liaison at Bl-attendees@sei.cmu.edu in the form of an email attachment;
   • Information on SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors who will be in charge of particular SEI-BL Course Sections for Agreement Partner; and    
   • Assistance with Course Participant-account disambiguation.
2. Finalized SEI-BL Course Section information must be provided three (3) weeks before the start of any SEI-BL Course Section; except for finalized roster information on the SEI-provided attendee list template, which must be provided one week before the start of any SEI-BL Course Section.
3. Course Participants may be added, at the SEI’s discretion, to an SEI-BL Course Section at any time before the start of the SEI-BL Course Section with prior written notification by the Agreement Partner BL POC to the SEI-BL Liaison. Notification must include accurate, timely information about the SEI-BL Course Section and Course Participant. If there is any reason why the SEI cannot accommodate a requested addition, it will be communicated by the SEI-BL Liaison to the Agreement Partner BL POC via email.
4. Course Participants may be dropped, at the SEI’s discretion, from an SEI-BL Course Section with prior written notification by the Agreement Partner BL POC to the SEI-BL Liaison.  When a Course Participant is dropped, the Course Participant’s account will be deleted from the SEI-BL Course Section as if it had never been added.
5. SEI-BL Course Section rosters will comprise the official attendee list. Course completion certificates will be provided for Course Participants of the SEI-BL Courses in accordance with the procedure described in Section 1.5.1 above.
   

3.4 Availability of SEI-BL System

If TSP Product Suite materials include any SEI-BL Courses and Agreement Partner elects to use such courses, then SEI will make available to Agreement Partner access to the SEI-BL System. SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors shall complete any training that may be required by the SEI in order to utilize the SEI-BL System for course delivery.  The SEI-BL System is designed to: host SEI-BL Courses, provide materials to Course Participants, collect Course Participant assignments, facilitate grading, and provide additional functionality as may be required for a particular course. Access to the SEI-BL System shall be on an “AS-IS”, “AS-AVAILABLE” basis. Agreement Partner understands that the SEI-BL System may be provided through a third-party vendor and that SEI makes no guarantees regarding uptime or availability. For as long as SEI makes such SEI-BL System available to Agreement Partner, Agreement Partner may access and use the SEI-BL System to the extent of the license granted to Agreement Partner for the use of TSP Product Suite materials. Agreement Partner agrees that both the Agreement Partner and Course Participants will report any problem with the SEI-BL System directly to SEI and not to an SEI-BL System vendor or any other third-party, unless otherwise specifically instructed by SEI.  SEI makes no guarantees about the feasibility and/or timeframe for fixing any problems.

This procedure applies only to Commercial-Use SEI Partners for the TSP Product Suite.

Agreement Partner is encouraged to have its TSP customers become Internal-Use SEI Partners for the TSP Product Suite by having those customers enter into an Internal-Use TSP Product Suite license agreement with SEI according to the process described herein.

1. Definitions
   • “Customer” means the TSP customer of a Commercial-Use SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite who wishes to become an Internal-Use SEI Partner.
   • “Commercial Partner” means the Commercial-Use SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite who is nominating the Customer to become an Internal-Use SEI Partner.
   • “SEI Contact” means the point of contact at the SEI who manages the processing of the Internal-Use agreement with Customer, if any.
2. Becoming an Internal-Use SEI Partner will allow the Customer to sponsor its own SEI-Authorized PSP Instructors and SEI-Certified TSP Coaches for delivering TSP Product Suite Courses and TSP Product Suite Services inside Customer’s organization.
3. Commercial Partner shall submit an application on behalf of a Customer who wishes to become an Internal-Use SEI Partner. Commercial Partner shall list its information as the point of contact on the application. All other information on the application shall be related to the Customer. The application form is available at http://partner-application.sei.cmu.edu/  and includes additional instructions that should be followed for submitting the application. Commercial Partner is responsible for any processing or application fees that may be due with the application and for obtaining the Customer’s signature on the SEI’s Code of Professional Conduct at the appropriate time.
4. Within 45 days of receipt of the application, SEI will contact Commercial Partner with results of the application review. If the application is accepted, SEI will provide Commercial Partner with an Internal-Use agreement for Customer’s signature and will provide contact information for the SEI Contact.
5. Commercial Partner shall present the Internal-Use agreement provided by the SEI to the Customer. Commercial Partner refers any questions that Customer may have to the SEI Contact. Commercial Partner understands and agrees to inform Customer that the SEI does not intend to negotiate the terms and conditions of the Internal-Use agreement. The SEI Contact will be available for questions, but not negotiations.
6. If Customer is satisfied with the Internal-Use agreement, Customer signs the agreement. After signing, Commercial Partner sends the signed agreement to the SEI Contact.
7. SEI signs the agreement so long as no changes have been made to the Internal-Use agreement.
8. Customer becomes an Internal-Use SEI Partner for the TSP Product Suite as of the date that the last party signs the Internal-Use agreement.

Agreement Partner understands and agrees that: (i) the resulting Internal-Use agreement, if fully executed, will be between Customer and SEI; (ii) such Internal-Use agreement is subject to SEI’s acceptance and execution; and (iii) Agreement Partner may not alter any terms and conditions of the Internal-Use agreement provided by the SEI.

Agreement Partner understands and agrees that Course Participants and Service Participants must be provided with access to a TSP Tool and PSP student workbook. Such a TSP Tool is currently available via the Partner Resource Center at https://partner-resources.sei.cmu.edu/  and Agreement Partner may make such TSP Tool available to Course Participants and Service Participants during the delivery of applicable TSP Product Suite Courses and Services. Use of such TSP Tool is subject to any and all accompanying license terms and conditions. Agreement Partner understands and agrees that it may not remove or modify any such license terms and conditions.

The authoritative source of the TSP Product Suite materials shall be that written in the English language.  Unless an SEI-sanctioned translation of the TSP Product Suite materials is made available by the SEI, Agreement Partner and SEI-Authorized Individuals are required to use the authoritative source in the delivery of the TSP Product Suite.

Agreement Partner may create unofficial translations of the course slides, course exercises and assignments for the TSP Product Suite Courses only as long as the SEI has not released an SEI-sanctioned translation in the language of the unofficial translation and if Agreement Partner shall: 1) for unofficial translations of the course slides, obtain advance written permission from the SEI with requests submitted through permission@sei.cmu.edu; 2) for course exercises and assignments, provide advance written notification of Agreement Partner’s intent to create an unofficial translation to the SEI ; 3) provide a copy of the English language version of the course slides, course exercises and assignments to the Course Participants; 4) provide a copy of the unofficial translation in electronic format to the SEI for posting in an instructor resource library; and 5) display the following notices and disclaimers on the unofficial translations:  

• “This translation of Carnegie Mellon University copyrighted material is not an SEI-sanctioned translation.
  
  
• “This unofficial translation of course exercises and assignments from [insert name of TSP Product Suite course] was prepared by [insert name of Agreement Partner] under license and special permission by the Software Engineering Institute.
  
  
• “Neither Carnegie Mellon University nor the Software Engineering Institute directly or indirectly endorses this unofficial translation. Accuracy and interpretation of this translation are the responsibility of [insert name of Agreement Partner]. The SEI has not participated in this translation.
  
  “[insert name of TSP Product Suite course] course materials including all slides, exercises, and assignments are copyrighted materials of Carnegie Mellon University.
  
• “This unofficial translation may be used only as long as the SEI has not released an SEI-sanctioned translation in the language of the unofficial translation.”

Except for unofficial translations of course slides, exercises, and assignments of the TSP Product Suite Courses, Agreement Partner is not permitted to develop or distribute any other unofficial translations of any TSP Product Suite materials. If an SEI-sanctioned translation does not exist, an SEI-Authorized Individual or an independent translator may orally translate the materials as long as the English language version of the SEI materials is distributed to Course Participants.