Management Review
A management review is a systematic evaluation conducted by management to assess project status, quality, risks, and progress against objectives.
“A systematic evaluation of software acquisition, supply, development, operation, or maintenance process, performed by or on behalf of management that monitors progress, determines the status of plans and schedules, confirms requirements and their system allocation, or evaluates the effectiveness of management approaches to achieve fitness for purpose.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Management Review?
Management reviews support decision-making by examining project information, identifying issues, and determining appropriate actions or improvements.
Management focus: Reviews emphasize business objectives and project health.
Decision support: Results influence planning, resources, and priorities.
Formal activity: Findings and actions are typically documented.
Real World Example
A software vendor's leadership holds a quarterly Management review of the testing organization, examining whether the test schedule and staffing still match project milestones and whether the overall approach is achieving the department's goals.
A newly appointed test manager prepares for it the way they'd prepare for a technical peer review — bringing detailed test case walkthroughs and code coverage numbers — not realizing a Management review is management-level and process-focused, not a review of specific technical artifacts.
The test manager instead prepares a status report against the original test plan and schedule, a summary of whether current requirements are properly tracked in the test approach, and an honest assessment of whether staffing and tooling investment are achieving their intended purpose.
The review surfaces that testing has fallen two weeks behind schedule due to an unaddressed staffing gap — a planning issue that only becomes visible when a Management review evaluates progress and management effectiveness, rather than examining individual test artifacts the way a technical review would.
Practice Questions
Question 1
A newly appointed test manager prepares for a review by bringing detailed test case walkthroughs and code coverage numbers, but the review turns out to be about whether the testing schedule still matches project milestones and whether staffing is adequate. What kind of review was this actually meant to be?
Question 2
Which topic is MOST appropriate for a management review, as opposed to a technical peer review?
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