Scott Ambler talks about his new work with the Eclipse Process Framework and a variety of other topics.

The term "Process Facilitator" refers to the people in your organization whose primary responsibility lies in improving the effectiveness of the work that the teams are doing. This responsibility is mainly around the process the teams are using, but also encompasses less tangible aspects of work such as team development, organizational culture change, administrative and technical tools, and working with other Process Facilitators both inside and outside of your organization. Since the role of the Process Facilitator is so broad, it can be difficult to understand and effectively support Process Facilitators who report to you. This article helps you with this challenging task.

The software development industry has a poor track record for developing and employing useful software metrics. This is because most of the metrics selected are tangential to the true goal of software development—delivering business value—and instead focus on software attributes and accounting measures. Metrics such as lines of code per developer week, function points created, hours worked, or budget consumed appear important measures, but they have dangerous and counterproductive implications.

We all encounter things at work that impede our progress. Having the skill to effectively deal with the roadblocks makes a big difference in your overall productivity. Will you get a reputation as a whiner or as someone who pushes through obstacles? In this week's column, Danny Faught offers help with two common types of roadblocks and gives suggestions for reducing the chances that any barricade will impact your schedule.