MSF Team Model Overview

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Identifying the individuals with the right mix of technical and project management skills for deploying Windows Server 2003 is one of the first decisions that you will make. Even before staffing can begin, however, you need to identify the team roles, or areas of expertise, required for an IT project.

The MSF team model is based on six interdependent, multidisciplinary roles: product management, program management, development, testing, user experience, and release management.

Product management   Product management is responsible for identifying the organization’s business needs and the needs of the end users, and for making sure those needs are met.

Program management   The program management team’s goal is to deliver Windows Server 2003 within project constraints. The team is responsible for managing the project schedule and budget, and for reporting project status, managing risk factors, and managing the functional design of the deployment.

Development   The development team builds the Windows Server 2003 implementation according to specification. The team’s responsibilities include specifying the features of the Windows Server 2003 physical design, estimating the time and effort required to develop each feature, and preparing the product for deployment.

Testing   The testing team ensures that Windows Server 2003 is released into the production environment only after all quality issues have been identified and resolved. The team’s responsibilities include developing the testing strategy, designing and building the test lab, developing the test plan, and conducting tests.

User experience   The user experience team ensures that Windows Server 2003 meets the users’ needs. The team gathers, analyzes, and prioritizes user requirements and develops user training.

Release management   The release management team is responsible for deploying Windows Server 2003. By designing and managing a pilot deployment of Windows Server 2003, the release management team ensures that Windows Server 2003 is sufficiently stable for deployment into the production environment.

The MSF team roles are flexible; they can be adapted to your organization’s own processes and management philosophy. In a small organization or a limited deployment, one individual might play multiple roles. In larger organizations, a team might be required to perform all of the tasks assigned to each role.

For more information about the MSF team model, see the "MSF Team Model" white paper in the MSF Resource Library, which is available from the Microsoft Solutions Framework link on the Web Resources page at https://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources.