A Global Teaming Model for Global Software Development Governance: A Case Study

Global software development (GSD) is increasingly the norm. As firms expand into new markets overseas, acquire companies in different countries, and recruit talented developers in new locations, projects become distributed by necessity. As projects become increasingly distributed, and include external participants such as outsourcing vendors, conventional top-down management oversight and control becomes more difficult. How can organizations ensure that the activities of all parties involved are aligned with the strategic objectives and values of a software development undertaking? The Global Teaming Model is a framework that specifies practices and recommendations for Global Software Development. As such, it serves as a means to organize GSD practices relevant to Software Development Governance. We conducted a case study of a small team engaged in Global Software Development, identifying governance shortcomings. Then, we used the Global Teaming Model to identify governance practices that would address those shortcomings. We identified several aspects of the team's interactions with other teams in the company that would be improved by recommendations from the Global Teaming Governance Model. The Global Teaming Model provides a blueprint for Software Development Governance that organizations seeking to globalize their current development projects in a controlled way can use to implement good Software Development Governance.