Guidelines for Writing Team Contract

TEAM CONTRACT

IS 823: Object Oriented System Analysis and Design / Team # 1 / Team Name: AIM

Team Members:

1) Umair Abbasi

2) Ziad Haddad

3) Rupinder Sohal

4) Artyom Zhukov

1.  Day, time, and place for regular team meetings:

Meeting Dates will be announced at the end of every meeting based on each team members schedule for the

following week.

2.  Preferred method of communication (e.g., e-mail, cell phone, wired phone, Blackboard Discussion Board, face-to-face, in a certain class) in order to inform each other of team meetings, announcement, updates, reminders, problems:

In case of urgent attention to a topic, team members may reach each other on their cell phones. The norm of communication in all other scenarios is to communicate via the discussion board set up on Blackboard.

3.  Decision-making policy (by consensus? by majority vote?):

Decision will be made by a majority vote in case a decision cannot be reached, the project manager will weigh all outcomes and opinions and make the final decision.

4.  Method for setting and following meeting agendas (Who will set each agenda? When? How will team members be notified/reminded? Who will be responsible for the team following the agenda during a team meeting? What will be done to keep the team on track during a meeting?):

Agendas and opinions will be discussed and classified by each team member. The project manager will then handout the agenda to each team member at the end of the meeting, additionally work required will also be stated in the minutes report posted within 24hours of the meeting on the discussion group.

Each team member is on his/her own accord to keep him/herself updated in case of a missed meeting, by referring to the minutes report posted on the discussion group. If a team member is missing during a meeting his/her agenda will be decided upon without requiring the missing team members consent.

5.  Method of record keeping (Who will be responsible for recording & disseminating minutes? How & when will the minutes be disseminated? Where will all agendas & minutes be kept?):

Records will be kept in the form of minutes report by the project manager and updated within 24hrs on to the discussion group. A backup copy will also reside in a secure location not on the Internet. It is each team members responsibility to update him/her self on the particular week’s minutes by downloading the report off the discussion group.

Work Quality

1.  Project standards (What is a realistic level of quality for team presentations, collaborative writing, individual research, preparation of drafts, peer reviews, etc.?):

Any document submitted must contain the Group header and the page number at the bottom of the document. If a document is in draft version the file name must contain the word draft in it. Professional quality documents are expected off each team member. In case the document does not meet certain aesthetical standards the project manager will advise the member on the proper formatting and may under certain circumstances take on the work of formatting the document. The project manager has the right to edit the document in any way he/she deems necessary to meet format, information requirements.

Project presentation, individual research, peer reviews all must be undertaken at a professional level.

2.  Strategies to fulfill these standards:

Use templates provided on the discussion group, Internet, gain ideas from previous documents submitted and accepted, maintain color theme of document previously submitted and accepted, avail yourself of resources in the textbook.

Team Participation

1.  Strategies to ensure cooperation and equal distribution of tasks:

Agendas will be decided at the end of every meeting and will be left open for each team member to choose which agenda he/she wishes to pursue. If found by a team member in conjunction with the project manager that a specific individual team member has been undertaking less taskful agendas in every meeting or on a regular basis, the project manager will have the right to intervene and reassign a heavier work load task to that particular team member.

2.  Strategies for encouraging/including ideas from all team members (team maintenance):

Each team member is encouraged to visit the discussion forum as often as possible and post regular posts not necessarily on every visit. Posts may be an encouraging opinion regarding another team member’s work, discussion on a new idea, release of frustration, positive criticism etc.

3.  Strategies for keeping on task (task maintenance):

Regular weekly meetings in which bigger task/s will be divided into smaller pieces and distributed among the team members, each team member is expected to deliver his/her highest potential of work.

4.  Preferences for leadership (informal, formal, individual, shared):

Individual leadership will be examined in the group where an individual is recognized as the team leader but on the contrary decision making for less critical agendas will be distributed among the team members.

Personal Accountability

1.  Expected individual attendance, punctuality, and participation at all team meetings:

Each member is accountable for his or her own attendance at the meetings, and to update him/her self on the minutes of that meeting. Punctuality will be observed and noted in the minutes additionally may be noted by either team members, participation of all team members present is required.

2.  Expected level of responsibility for fulfilling team assignments, timelines, and deadlines:

Deadlines are kept in such a way that a 2 day leeway is provided in case the deadline cannot be matched, if after the 2 day leeway the assignment is still pending, affirmative action will be taken and future deadlines for that team member may be discounted.

3.  Expected level of communication with other team members:

All team members are encouraged to interact with other team members via the forums providing feedback and productive input.

4.  Expected level of commitment to team decisions and tasks.

More than two team members have to affirm commitment to a decision else the issue may be taken to the project advisor and the decision taken by the advisor would be the final verdict.

1.  As a group, how infractions of any of the obligations of this team contract will be handled:

Any infractions that may arise based on the team contract or mutual understandings among the team members and the project manager stated/not stated in this contract will be dealt with first internally among the group. A written forewarning will be given to the team member/s if the infraction continues to exist. After the forewarning the agenda will be taken up to the project advisor and his or her faith will be decided there upon.

Note: Team members may also issue written forewarnings to the project manager if an infraction exists by the project manager and a warning had been issued.

2.  Consequences if the infractions continue:

Load of project participation will discontinue and his/her efforts to the point of infraction will be recognized, there after his participation will cease to exist and infractions and reasons of discontinued work-load will be documented as part of the final project report.

***********************************************************************************************

a)  I participated in formulating the standards, roles, and procedures as stated in this contract.

b)  I understand that I am obligated to abide by these terms and conditions.

c)  I understand that if I do not abide by these terms and conditions, I will suffer the consequences as stated in this contract.

1) ______Date______

2) ______Date______

3) ______Date______

4) ______Date______

Team Contract

Project Name: University Registration System (URS)

Team Performance Expectations:-

·  Every team member shall, to the best of his/her ability:

o  Strive to complete all assigned tasks before or by deadlines

o  Complete all tasks to the best of his/her ability

o  Listen carefully and attentively to all comments at meetings

o  Accept and give criticism in a professional manner

o  Focus on results before the fact, rather than excuses after

o  Provide as much notice as possible of problems with commitments

o  Attend and participate in all scheduled group meetings

o  Group interest comes before individual interest

o  Team members should accept and deliver criticism professionally

o  Work will be divided equally among team members

o  Maintain agreed project plan and other priorities

o  Work will be divided equally among team members

o  If there is anything that is bothering a team member/s, it should be communicated to the team.

o  We should respect each other.

Your signature below confirms that you have read and agreed to these terms. If you don’t plan to abide by them, advise your group and don’t sign.

Unmet Expectations

When team members fail to live up the above expectations, it is important that the group as a whole not be dragged down by their lack of responsibility. Therefore,

·  Any member who misses 2 meetings, assignments or other key elements of the team effort shall be deemed to have failed to meet the expectations agreed to above.

·  The penalty for this failure is expulsion from the group, with whatever consequences that might entail.

Our Commitment:

We, the undersigned, have read and understood all of the above terms and conditions and agree fully to abide by them or accept the consequences set out above.

Signature Date

Signature Date

Signature Date

Signature Date