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Published by the Southern California Quality Assurance Association, San Fernando, a QAI federated Chapter. SCQAA-SF chapter sponsors the sharing of information to promote and encourage the improvement in information technology quality practices and principles through networking, training and professional development.. SCQAA enables members to share quality practices, principles, concepts, ideas, and methods through meetings, seminars, workshops, reinforces IT quality concepts and practices through networking and membership, and sponsors IT quality concepts and practices throughout Southern California. Join us and help lead the way to better quality software. Visit our web site: WWW.SCQAA.US. NOTE: "Quality In Blue" e-mails are never sent unsolicited. SCQAA-SF only sends e-mails to registered members. If you would like to unsubscribe follow the subscription information instructions at the end of this newsletter. Fee: $10 nonmembers; Free for members. Membership: $65/year standard (one year of meetings); $100/year (one year of meetings + training discount) Questions? Contact scqaasf_newsletter@sbcglobal.net

The Role of Quality Assurance Specialist in CMMI

Rich Hefner, Director of Process Initiatives, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems

Wednesday, February 2, 2005 at Countrywide, 2900 Madera, Simi Valley, CA 93065

Networking Dinner @ 5:45; Bootcamp @ 6:15; Business @ 6:45; Program @ 7:00 PM

The Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI) provides a collection of industry best practices for software and systems engineering and management. This presentation discusses the role of the quality assurance specialist in implementing the CMMI practices. As an organization matures, the value of QA changes, and the QA specialist's role and skills must evolve to keep pace. A brief overview of the model will be given, followed by an in-depth examination of the CMMI QA requirements across all maturity levels. Contrast with traditional QA activities will be discussed.

Dr. Rick Hefner is the Director of Process Initiatives at Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman has been an industry leader in CMMI adoption. Sixteen Northrop Grumman organizations have been externally appraised at CMMI Level 5. Dr. Hefner has over 25 years of experience in software and systems development, research, and management, and has served in industrial, academic, and government positions. He has over 80 presentations. Dr. Hefner is one of the authors of the CMMI, an SEI-authorized Instructor and Lead Assessor, and a Six Sigma Black Belt and trainer.

“Quality Control Testing, Deciding What to Test and What Not to Test” Pre-Meeting Bootcamp! This informative half hour training session, presented byJagadeesh S. Kolli with Bill Hackenberg of Countrywide, is an added bonus based on real life experience. Come a half hour early at 6:15 to learn and enjoy!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Wednesday, March 2, 2005 Monthly Meeting in Countrywide, Simi Valley, CA Speaker: Jeff Kohan, Information Technology Partner with Tatum Partners Topic: Outsourcing Benefits, Risks and Mitigation Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Monthly Meeting in Countrywide, Simi Valley, CA Speaker: John Suzuki Topic: Quality and Project Management

SCQAA-SF Meetings – Door Prizes

Just by attending our great meetings, you are eligible to win the raffle for some really GREAT door prizes. During our meetings in 2004 we gave away a variety of great door gifts, including a Visioneer 7100 USB flatbed 48 bit color scanner with powerful document software, a Canon LiDE 30 USB flatbed 48 bit color scanner with powerful document software and various other software packages and books. We are also able to provide entrance tickets to professional conventions and other events from time to time. Be sure to attend so you can have an opportunity to win one of these useful and interesting door prizes!

Whether you come for our enlightening speaker, come for the announcements, come for the food, or come for a chance at the door prize, come to our next meeting and learn even more about software quality assurance!

Quality Meetings Upcoming

January 27, 2005 dinner meeting What your vendors don't want you to know about your projects! Peter Mansfield, President and CEO of Mansfield and Associates a Strategic Marketing and Web Development firm. Sponsored by PMI – Los Padres. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

January 27, 2005 6 – 9 PM Managing Offshore Projects by Leslie Swanson, President, eXalt Solutions. Sponsored by PMI Los Padres Chapter. Location: Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

January 27, 2005 6 PM premeeting, 7 PM Charting your Future: Strategies for Career Advancement plus a Panel Discussion by IT Recruiters, Current Trends, and How to Stand Out in Todays’ Job Market. Brought to you by The Association of Information Technology Professionals at the Ramada Inn, Culver City http://www.aitp-la.org/schedule1.html

January 28, 2005 Negotiation Skills for Those Who Must Make Change By Influence, Not Authority: An Interactive Workshop, by Byron Hanchett. Sponsored by LA SPIN. http://sunset.usc.edu/cse/pub/event/future/index.html

February 4, 2005 8:30 AM – Noon. Above and Beyond Process Improvement - What makes Good Software? Part II, presented by Southern California Software Process Improvement Network. Northrop Grumman Park Patio (Northeast corner of building S), Redondo Beach, CA (formerly TRW), 2299 Marine Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90278. http://www.uces.csulb.edu/spin/2004meetings.htm

February 10, 2005 6 – 9 PM Monthly Chapter Meeting, presenting Aditi Kumar, Senior Manager, Amgen Research Informatics Group. Sponsored by PMI Los Angeles Chapter. At Proud Bird Restaurant, 11022 Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles. http://www.pmi-la.org/

February 15 5:45 – 8:45 PM CMMI Level 0 to 5 by Jim Cisneros. Sponsored by SCQAA – Orange County. At Volt Information Sciences, 2401 N Glassell St. Orange, CA 92865. http://www.scqaa.com/meetings.htm

February 15 & 16, 2005. Fraud, Waste, & Abuse presented by IIA – San Fernando Valley, San Gabrial Valley and Los Angeles Chapters & ACFE – Los Angeles Chapter. Hilton Hotel, 100 West Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA. http://www.iia-sfv.org/1024x768_idx.html

February 22, 2005 6:30 – 9 PM. New Tool Night featuring Altadero Systems. Sponsored by Society for Technical Communication, San Fernando Valley. At Radisson Hotel in Chatsworth. http://www.stcsfv.org/meetings.htm

February 24, 2005 Wireless Applications: Making Them Work for You - a panel of experts discuss today's trends. Brought to you by The Association of Information Technology Professionals at the Ramada Inn, Culver City http://www.aitp-la.org/schedule1.html

February 24, 2005 6 – 9 PM GQM - Rx: A Prescription to Prevent, by Emanuel R. Baker, Ph.D., Consultant, Process Strategies, Inc. Sponsored by PMI Los Padres Chapter. Location: Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

February 25, 2005 Software Engineering, Professionalism, and Liability by John Cosgrove, P.E., CDP, Cosgrove Computer Systems Inc. Sponsored by LA SPIN at University of Southern California - Information Sciences Institute http://sunset.usc.edu/cse/pub/event/future/index.html

March 22, 2005 6:30 – 9 PM Communicating Up: "Taming the Lions" by De Murr. Sponsored by Society for Technical Communication, San Fernando Valley. At Radisson Hotel in Chatsworth. http://www.stcsfv.org/meetings.htm

March 24, 2005 6 – 9 PM Predicting Project Disasters, by Paul Glen. Sponsored by PMI Los Padres Chapter. Location: Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

March 31, 2005 Interpreting CMMI for COTS-Based Systems, by Lisa Brownsword and Ceci Albert, SEI. Sponsored by LA SPIN at Manhattan Beach Marriott. http://sunset.usc.edu/cse/pub/event/future/index.html

April 11-13, 2005. ISACA – LA 2005 Spring Conference. Early Registration Deadline- March 14th http://isacala.org/

April 24, 2005 6 – 9 PM Leadership’s Ten Fatal Flaws, by Ronald Hagler, Ed.D, Professor of Business, California Lutheran University. Sponsored by PMI Los Padres Chapter. Location: Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

April 29, 2005 6:30 – 9 PM Best Practices for Successful Project Management by Jack Molisani of ProSpring. Sponsored by Society for Technical Communication, San Fernando Valley. At Radisson Hotel in Chatsworth. http://www.stcsfv.org/meetings.htm

May 17, 2005 6:30 – 9 PM. TBD, by Judy Barbuto, President of Instructional Design Associates, Inc. Sponsored by Society for Technical Communication, San Fernando Valley. At Radisson Hotel in Chatsworth. http://www.stcsfv.org/meetings.htm

May 26, 2005 6 – 9 PM Establishing Project Management and Quality Management Culture in a Corporate Environment, by Bill Hackenberg, 1^st VP, Enterprise Technologies, Countrywide Financial Corporation. Sponsored by PMI Los Padres Chapter. Location: Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

June 23, 2005 6 – 9 PM Internet Law Briefing for Project Managers, by San Fernando Valley Bar Association. Sponsored by PMI Los Padres Chapter. Location: Palm Garden Hotel, Thousand Oaks. http://pmi-lospadres.org/index.phtml

Job Opportunities

Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at Countrywide in Simi Valley. Contact: (805) 520-5206 or Kidra_Shadroo@Countrywide.Com.

Plantronics Staffing has several positions available in Santa Cruz. Visit www.plantronics.com/careers or Call Merrin Morse at 831.458.4404. The list includes:

Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Quality Assurance US-CA-Santa Cruz

Software Quality Assurance Engineer to support the Quality activities related to software dev

Sr. Technician (s)-Temporary

Quality Assurance US-CA-Santa Cruz

Implement verification test plans for new products

Product Assurance Engineer

Quality Assurance US-CA-Santa Cruz

Provide core team leadership for all Quality activities throughout the product definition

Compliance Engineer

Quality Assurance US-CA-Santa Cruz

Works with test labs and approval agencies to attain approvals

Technical Assistance Specialist - Gaming

Quality Assurance US-CA-Santa Cruz

Will provide technical assistance to Plantronics customers in a call center environment

Compliance and Component Engineering Manager, Quality Assurance US-CA-Santa Cruz

Manage attaining and maintaining regulatory and safety agency approvals

QA Testers and Analysts, RCM Technologies, Inc. (www.rcmt.com) 3-5 + years experience with both manual and automated testing, the ability to create test plans and test cases as well as write test scripts from scratch. Ideal candidates will have specific experience with WinRunner, but experience with other tools may also be acceptable. 800-972-6269

RecuitingManager has two open fulltime positions in Orange County. Software QA Manager and QA Engineer. Contact: "Sherilyn Allen" <sherilyn@recruitingmanager.com> or visit their website: http://www.recruitingmanager.com/careers.htm

Director of QA, based in Europe. Prerequisites include extensive experience managing/leading progressively larger QA teams. Strong Standards and Methodologies are also very important. Our client is a rapidly growing company in the telecommunications industry. Attractive compensation, paid accommodations, automobile, and other benefits. Contact: Gary Stein, BA, MBA,Business Development Manager, FERN STEVENS & ASSOCIATES, 4950 Yonge Street, Suite 1102, North York, Ontario, M2N 6K1. PH:416) 928-1212 EXT 228 FAX: (416) 928-0555 garys@fernstevens.com www.fernstevens.com

Our Corporate Meeting Sponsors

Serena, Corp. at 20920B Warner Center Lane, Woodland Hills, is our very first chapter Corporate Meeting Sponsor. We very much appreciate their sponsorship, which provides the SCQAA San Fernando Board with a fine workspace for our Board meetings.

Countrywide, Corp. in Simi Valley is our second chapter Corporate Meeting Sponsor, as they are providing Membership meeting space, starting with the first monthly meeting on September 17, 2003.

Our Corporate Sponsors

Kaiser Permanente, headquartered in Oakland, is sponsoring SCQAA-SF this year to enable its Southern California employees to take advantage of chapter meetings and instructor-led QAI training.

QAI Certification Programs

To request more information, send email to certify@qaiusa.com.

Earn CPEs

Are you a CQA or CSTE? Earn some of your Continuing Professional Education (CPE) points by attending SCQAA-SF meetings. Earn even more by helping with our committees!

Southern California Quality Assurance Association San Fernando Chapter (SCQAA-SF)

QAI Certification Programs

To request more information, send email to certify@qaiusa.com.

Meet Your SCQAA

San Fernando Chapter Board

The current Board slate is composed of:

Position	Board Member	Backup Member
Chapter Chair	Judy Cheves	Shahidul Manan
Vice Chair	Shahidul Manan
Treasurer	Deanna Witrack	Judy Cheves
Secretary	John Heeg	TBD
Chapter Advisor	Jim Stoumpos
Distribution Chair	Gerry Caruso	Karina Gamble
Employment Opportunity Chair	Tina Tararache
Events/Promotion	TBD
Food Service Chair	Peter Reidy
Librarian\Historian	Lenni Lara
Meeting Chair	Kidra Shadroo
Membership Chair	Ron Winters
Newsletter Chair	Elizabeth Runyon	Deanna Witrack
PMI Liaison	Bill Hackenberg
Program/Education Chair	Karina Gamble
Sponsor/PR Chair	Bob Tabaka	Bill Hackenberg
Web Team	Shahidul Mannan Kidra Shadroo Leonard Daly
Webmaster	TBD

Would you like to be a speaker and have a topic of interest to the quality community? Contact the Program Chair (karina@qainsight.com) or Chapter Chairperson (Judy.cheves@Countrywide.com) and let us know what you would like to contribute.

Would you like to contribute information to this Newsletter? Contact the Newsletter editor at this address: scqaasf_newsletter@sbcglobal.net.

The SCQAA San Fernando Board holds monthly Board Meetings at Serena Inc. in Woodland Hills. If you would like to attend the Board meeting and would like to help this chapter, please contact Judy Cheeves at E-Mail (Judy.cheves@Countrywide.com ) to obtain the meeting schedule and location.

Subscription Information

"Quality In Blue" e-mails are never sent unsolicited. SCQAA-SF only sends e-mails to registered members. To unsubscribe, send just the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to: scqaasf_newsletter@sbcglobal.net. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you want your own free subscription, e-mail to scqaasf_newsletter@sbcglobal.net

Would you like to advertise in our "Quality in Blue" newsletter? mailto:newsletter@scqaa.us

We'd love to hear from you. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please help us respond to your requests and input by writing to one of the Board members. See our contact list at http://scqaa.us/contact.php

Privacy policy: We will not distribute your name or e-mail address to anyone, other than for SCQAA or QAI chapter purposes.

Directions to Our Meeting Location in Simi Valley:

You might want to check out driving directions from your starting point on yahoo.com, but here is how you will finish the trip:

Countrywide Financial 2900 Madera Road, Simi Valley, CA 93065 1C Central Lobby Presentation & Video Make your way to CA-118 and go to Simi Valley Exit CA-118 on Madera Road North Go 0.3 miles then turn right on North Madera Road Go 0.3 miles past Countrywide Way to first driveway on the right: 2900 North Madera Road. Follow the driveway up and around the building on your right and park on the other side (which is actually the front). Conference room 1C is right off the main lobby.