Software resolutions

NASA's plan to embark on an agencywide effort to improve its software will

have four areas of focus:

1. Improve the process the NASA contractor work force uses to develop software.

That includes reaching higher levels on the software Capability Maturity

Model developed at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute.

2. Establish metrics to measure productivity and quality of software

developed at NASA. Two sets of metrics will be used to evaluate the characteristics

of a project and to evaluate development by comparing the actual cost, schedule

and requirements with the planned allocations.

3. Strengthen the use of verification and validation internally and

at the agency's Independent Verification and Validation Center in West Virginia

early in software design.

4. Conduct software research into ways to improve the reliability and reusability

of software code and development processes.