Project and Software Testing Strategy Template

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1. Introduction

Objectives
This document defines the Clinical Dashboard Project Test Strategy and approach of incremental testing stages required to ensure the acceptability of the delivered solution. It covers all phases and releases. The foundation of the test and acceptance processes will be based on Clinical Dashboard existing Guidance. These processes will need to be enhanced to embrace the acceptance statements and criteria within the document.

Scope
This Test Strategy will cover the following:
- Identifying the successive types of testing to be undertaken throughout the lifecycle of development to live operations
- Details of the ongoing testing of service enhancement and change
- The scope of each type of testing
- Identifying how common expectations and testing standards are to be achieved for all types of testing
- The high level technical, resource and environmental requirements required
- The key testing and quality assurance procedures that will be required.

Testing Overview

Test Lifecycle
The test lifecycle to be followed is defined in detail within this section. The lifecycle is based on the V-model of testing, a model that is widely used in industry. The test strategy will identify baselines - both testing and development deliverables, which shall be tested at each stage of development, i.e. testing throughout the lifecycle. It will be designed to fit with the stages defined in the Common Assurance Process. The Supplier will take the lead on management of the definition and execution of all test stages throughout the project lifecycle, with the appropriate support from NHS CFH and Trust resources.

Test Approach
The Supplier proposes a standard approach to testing, based upon the methodology used for Connecting for Health deployments in England. The proposed approach will follow the agreed model, which identifies both the testing stages and the deliverables that must be tested at each stage of the project lifecycle.

The approach falls into four main Testing stages, listed in order:
- System Testing
- Integration Testing
- Ready for Operations Testing, including volume & performance testing
- User Acceptance Testing, including any deployment testing

There is also a Test Stage carried out once for non Functional aspects:
- Central Testing

Standards

Test Stages
Each test stage is a discrete form of testing with its own objectives, methods and requirements coverage and therefore a set of its own test scripts.
A coverage matrix of all the Test Stages / Test Areas to be covered in each Test Release is appended below. This is subject to agreement.

Show if Module and System Tests are to be delivered together or separately. Also show if Ready For Operations and Scalability Tests are to be delivered together or separately.

Module and System Testing
This will be conducted by the Supplier on the Supplier's own development and test environment. It is envisaged that this will be complete before deployment to Trust sites.

Integration Testing
The IT systems that require interfacing with Clinical Dashboard will be as defined in the Data Definitions documentation.

The formal deployment Testing required to be undertaken by the Supplier is relatively limited in scope, in that the Supplier is required to test that the Clinical Dashboard is able to successfully receive messages and data from the Trust data systems.

Scripts will be used that reflect the Data Flows during which data load processes are monitored.

Ready for Operations Testing
This will incorporate Local Configuration Testing and Scalability/Performance testing. There will also be provision for an IT Health Security check to be conducted in accordance with Requirement 3.13 of the ESP IG Requirements, elaborated in NPFIT-FNT-TO-IG-PRJMGT-0031 Penetration Testing Process and NPFIT-FNT-TO-IG-DES-0162 IG Guidance Note for ESP Suppliers - IT Security Health Check.

User Acceptance Testing
This will incorporate Local Configuration Testing and Usability Testing. UAT will be conducted just prior to go-live and will involve Supplier, NHS CFH and Trust resources. UAT will be conducted on Trust sites, using the live environment. The Trust will identify and allocate appropriate members of staff who will participate in the overall testing process. These will include, but not necessarily be limited to:
- Business Change personnel
- Training personnel
- User representatives (as Subject Matter Experts)
- IT personnel
- Information personnel

Involvement of trainers will have the advantages of providing:
- An opportunity for trainers to gain practical knowledge and experience of the system;
- An opportunity for trainers to gain an understanding of the workflows;
- A means of assisting end-user trainers in subsequent development of local Training courses, within the context of new benefit opportunities offered by the dashboard.

Not all users will be trained in all aspects of the functionality, processes and procedures. Therefore, selection of users to act as testers and 'mapping' them onto particular scripts, etc, will need to be carefully considered.

This will not remove the requirement for formal end-user training. The approach to end user training will be addressed in the Training Strategy and Training Plan.

Central (Non Functional) Testing
This will incorporate all agreed Non Functional Tests and will be carried out by the Supplier. These tests will be carried out once and the evidence of successful testing carried out together with a test report will be provided to CfH and applied to referred to by each site Project for acceptance purposes.

Test Team Organisation
State who will own and deliver all test activities and deliverables. Outline the Test Management and Test Team structure showing test responsibilities (people and roles) - a diagram / organisation chart / references to Test Team documentation are required at this point. What level of independence has the Test Team? Provide detail.

All test activities and deliverables are owned by the Dashboard Test Co-ordinator. The Test Team structure has not been finalised at this point but it is envisaged that there will be a discrete team of Test/QA personnel. They will be employed by the Supplier so are not envisaged to be fully independent.

Test Execution Roles for all Stages

Test Team Support Requirements
Identify the support teams available to the Test Team which includes providing solutions to identified issues, support from overseas development, the usage and involvement of Third Parties etc.

Supply details of the staff availability together with the Service Level Agreements (SLA's) which need to be met around staff and support.

The Test Team will be supported by a dedicated Help Desk team staffed from the Supplier's business unit.

Reviews and Inspections

Include details of the Inspection and walkthrough processes that will be employed at every test stage. This can relate to documentation or code received by the Test Team as well as any deliverables produced by the Test Team. Reviews must be performed internally and where appropriate externally. Reviews could take the format of a workshop.

Reviews
Each Test Stage will be run according to the Test Plan and Test Specification applicable to that stage. Each document will be reviewed internally and submitted to NHS CFH for review and approval.

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