[DRAFT] A checklist of good practices and recommendations for RSE projects

[pineapple-cat]

Summary

Based on discussions with other RSEs in ARC, the RSE Good Practices team will create a draft checklist of good practices and recommendations for RSE projects using the phases of the SDLC as a structural guideline. This checklist is intended to flag information that should be considered throughout the lifetime of a project and will not consist of concrete, prescriptive steps.

The Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) in ARC

There are multiple ways to view the SDLC, but its phases have been grouped into three main stages that ARC projects tend to undergo.

Planning (Outline + Requirement Analysis + Design)

• What is the purpose and scope of the project?
• What are the user requirements and expectations?
• How will the software function?

Development (Implementation + Testing + Documentation)

• Is the codebase being reviewed regularly?
• Is the functionality of the software being tested regularly?
• Is there a clear, updated user manual or reference for the API?

Support (Deployment + Maintenance + Evaluation)

• How will users be supported and have their feedback taken into account?
• Will the project need further assistance or improvement?
• What are the lessons learned from this project?

An ARC project will typically cycle between various phases of planning and development for most of its lifetime.

Next Steps

Once the project stages have been reviewed and agreed upon, the RSE Good Practices team will begin gathering recommendations for each stage.

[samcunliffe]

I vote that we avoid introducing SDLC and just use words.

[samcunliffe]

https://github.com/UCL-ARC/arc-internal-documentation/tree/main/arc-teams/Collaborations/processes/projects