Introduction

Purpose of the software support and maintenance guidelines
Software maintenance is carried out after a software product has been launched with the objectives of improving the software, correcting issues or bugs, boosting performance and more. Software maintenance is part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). 

 The purpose of these guidelines is to provide Government institutions with recommendations on best practices for software support and maintenance. This ensures that software is kept usable and updated. It also ensures that support and maintenance is carried out using a well-defined process that ensures that additional risks are not introduced to software. 

 The objectives of software maintenance and support are to:  -    Correct any faults, bugs or issues reported by users. -    Improve the design of the software. -    Implement enhancements required based on evolving organization needs. -    Interface with other systems. -    Accommodate programs so that different hardware, software, system features, and telecommunications facilities can be used. -    Upgrade the software made on continuous product improvements and technology changes  -    Migrate legacy software. -    Retire software.

Overview of the software support and maintenance guidelines
Software support is reactive and covers activities to address urgent issues that arise from software use that can hamper software operations or cause downtimes. Software maintenance is proactive and includes scheduled activities to address non-urgent issues or perform planned improvements. 

 The support and maintenance plan will differ depending on the specifics of the supported software and its underlying infrastructure, as well as the scope of the required support and maintenance activities.  

 To determine the scope of the support and maintenance activities, you need to analyze:  -    The software’s related infrastructure.  -    Prospective new features and changes.  -    The current and planned number of software users. 

 These guidelines provide recommendations and best practices on software support and maintenance and include guidance on the support process, maintenance activities,  software updates and patch management, software change management and release process. They also define the roles and responsibilities for support and maintenance.

Scope and applicability of the guidelines
This document covers guidelines for support, maintenance, software updates and patch management, software change management and release processes. They apply to all Government institutions in Rwanda.