Project Reviews

This section contains documentation of project reviews for the ReX project, including architecture reviews, code reviews, and sprint retrospectives.

Overview

Project reviews provide opportunities to reflect on development progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure alignment with project goals. Documentation of these reviews preserves insights and lessons learned, creating a valuable historical record of the project’s evolution.

Review Types

The ReX project conducts the following types of reviews:

Technical Reviews

• [TODO] Architecture Reviews: Evaluations of the system architecture against requirements, technical goals, and industry best practices
• Design Reviews: Assessments of specific design decisions (documented with relevant components)
• Performance Reviews: Evaluations of system performance against targets and benchmarks

Process Reviews

• [TODO] Sprint Retrospectives: Reflections on development sprints, focusing on process improvement and team effectiveness
• Documentation Reviews: Assessments of documentation quality, completeness, and coherence
• Quality Assurance Reviews: Evaluations of testing coverage, error handling, and system resilience

Review Lifecycle

Reviews follow a defined lifecycle:

1. Scheduling: Reviews are scheduled at regular intervals or significant milestones
2. Preparation: Participants prepare discussion points and review relevant documentation
3. Execution: Structured review meeting with clear agenda and goals
4. Documentation: Recording findings, decisions, and action items
5. Follow-up: Implementation of action items and verification of improvements
6. Closure: Final review of implemented changes and lessons learned

Review Process

Each type of review follows a consistent process:

1. Preparation:

   • Gathering relevant data, metrics, and documentation
   • Distributing materials to participants in advance
   • Setting clear objectives for the review

2. Review Meeting:

   • Structured discussion following a predefined agenda
   • Focus on constructive feedback and problem-solving
   • Documentation of findings in real-time

3. Documentation:

   • Recording insights, decisions, and action items
   • Assigning responsibility for action items
   • Setting deadlines for implementation

4. Follow-up:

   • Tracking implementation of action items
   • Verifying effectiveness of implemented changes
   • Refining the review process itself

Review Documentation Standards

Review documentation should follow these standards:

• Completeness: Include all relevant discussion points and decisions
• Objectivity: Focus on facts and observable patterns rather than blame
• Action-oriented: Every identified issue should have a corresponding action item
• Measurable: Include metrics to verify improvements after changes
• Traceable: Link to relevant planning documents, tasks, and architecture decisions

Review Template

# [Review Type]: [Specific Focus]

## Date and Participants

- Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
- Participants: [List of attendees]

## Objectives

- [Clear statement of review goals]

## Findings

1. [Major finding with supporting evidence]
2. [Major finding with supporting evidence]

## Strengths Identified

- [Positive aspect worth preserving/expanding]

## Areas for Improvement

- [Issue requiring attention]
- [Issue requiring attention]

## Action Items

1. [Specific action] - Assigned to: [Name] - Due: [Date]
2. [Specific action] - Assigned to: [Name] - Due: [Date]

## Follow-up

- Next review date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
- Metrics to track: [List of relevant metrics]

Review Frequency and Scheduling

Reviews are conducted according to the following schedule:

1. Architecture Reviews:

   • Major reviews at the completion of significant system components
   • Minor reviews when architectural changes are proposed

2. Sprint Retrospectives:

   • At the conclusion of each development sprint (typically bi-weekly)
   • Focus alternates between:
     • Process improvement
     • Technical debt assessment
     • Documentation quality
     • Test coverage

3. Comprehensive System Reviews:

   • Quarterly reviews of the entire system
   • Focus on integration points, performance, and overall architecture cohesion

Benefits of Reviews

Regular reviews provide several benefits:

1. Knowledge Transfer: Sharing understanding across the team
2. Early Problem Detection: Identifying issues before they become critical
3. Continuous Improvement: Regularly enhancing processes and architecture
4. Alignment: Ensuring continued alignment with project goals
5. Historical Record: Creating valuable documentation of decision-making
6. Learning Culture: Fostering an environment of reflection and improvement

Connections to Other Documentation

Reviews are closely connected to other project management documents:

• Planning: Reviews evaluate progress against roadmap goals
• Tasks: Review findings generate new tasks in the TODO document
• Architecture: Reviews often lead to architectural refinements and new ADRs