A Guide for Preparing Software Project Management Plans

A Guide for Preparing Software Project Management Plans John M. Glabas Richard E. Fairley

Overview • Software Project Management Plan (SPMP) • Outline of SPMP • Detailed Description of SPMP – – – – – Front Matter Overview References Definitions Project Organization Managerial Process Technical Process Work Activity Plan Additional Components • Summary 2

Software Project Management Plan (SPMP) • The controlling document for a software project • Specifies the technical and managerial approaches to be used in developing a software product • Related plans for the project must be incorporated such as – – Configuration management Quality assurance Verification Validation • There must be sufficient detail to ensure that the resulting software product will satisfy the needs, software requirements, and contractual agreements for the project 3

Outline of SPMP Title Page Preface / Revision Information Table of Contents / List of Figures / List of Tables 1. Overview – – 1. 1 Scope 1. 2 Purpose 1. 3 Project Deliverables 1. 4 Evolution of the SPMP 2. References 3. Definitions / Glossary 4

Outline of SPMP - 2 4. Project Organization – – 4. 1 Process Model 4. 2 Organizational Structure 4. 3 Organizational boundaries and Interfaces 4. 4 Project Responsibilities 5. Managerial Process – – – 5. 1 Management Objectives or Priorities 5. 2 Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints 5. 3 Integral Processes 5. 4 Scope Management 5. 5 Schedule Management Plan 5. 6 Budget Management Plan 5. 7 Resource Management Plan 5. 8 Quality Assurance Management Plan 5. 9 Risk Management Plan 5. 10 Resource Procurement Plan 5. 11 Communications Management Plan 5

Outline of SPMP - 3. • 6. Technical Process – 6. 1 Product Scope – 6. 2 Methods, Tools, and Techniques – 6. 3 Software Documentation • 7. Work Activities Plan – – – 7. 1 Activity Definitions and Scope 7. 2 Activity Dependencies 7. 3 Activity Scheduling 7. 4 Activity Budget 7. 5 Activity Resource Requirements • 8. Additional Components – 8. 1 Annexes – 8. 2 Index 6

Front Matter • Title page – Title – Revision notice sufficient to uniquely identify the document • Preface – Scope of activities – Purpose – Intended audience • Revision sheet – – – Version number of the current document Date of release Approval signature List of pages that have been changed in the current version List of version numbers Dates of release for all previous versions • Table of contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables – Titles and page numbers for clause headings, subclause headings, and figures and tables 7

Overview • Scope – Define the scope of both the project and the product to be delivered – Identify the activities that shall be performed in order to deliver a product – The identified products shall be described in a way that clarifies what the product will and will not do • Purpose – State the business need to be satisfied by the project – Describe the relationship of this project to other projects and how it will be integrated with other projects or ongoing work processes • Project Deliverables – – • List the work products that will be delivered to the customer Delivery dates Delivery locations Quantities required to satisfy the terms of the project agreement Evolution of the SPMP – Plans for producing both scheduled and unscheduled updates to the SPMP – Methods of disseminating the updates – Mechanisms used to place the initial version of the SPMP under change control 8

Definitions • Define, or provide references to the definition of all terms • Each Definition should be numbered as a subclause • Define Acronyms required to properly interpret the SPMP • Acronyms shall be included within the definitions clause 9

Project Organization • Process Model – Define the relationships among major project functions and acivities by specifying the timing of • • • Major milestones Baselines Reviews Work products Project deliverables Signoffs – Describe using a combination of graphical and textual notations – Include project initiation and project termination activities • Organization Structure – Describe the internal management structure of the project – Use graphical devices such as organizational charts or matrix diagrams to show the lines of authority, responsibility, and communication within the project 10

Project Organization - 2. • Organization Boundaries and Interfaces – Describe the administrative and managerial boundaries between the project and each of the following entities • • Parent organization Customer organization Subcontracted organizations Or any other organizational entities that interact with the project • Project Responsibilities – Identify and state the nature of each major project function and activity – Identify the individuals responsible for each major project function and activity – A matrix of functions and activities versus responsible individuals may be used to show project responsibilities 11

Managerial Process • Management Objectives or Priorities – Describe the philosophy, goals, and priorities for management activities during the project • • • Frequency and mechanisms of reporting Relative priorities among requirements, schedule, and budget of the project Risk management procedures Statement of intent to acquire, modify, or use existing software Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints – State the assumptions on which the project is based – State the external events on which the project depends – State the constraints under which the project is to be conducted • Integral Processes – Plans for the integral processes necessary for the successful completion of the software process • • Configuration management Software quality assurance Verification Validation 12

Managerial Process - 2 – The following shall be specified for each process • • • Responsibilities Resource requirements Schedules Budgets Project Scope Management – Include the plan for managing the scope of the project – The project scope specifies the project work processes that shall be completed in order to deliver a product – Include procedures for integrating scope changes into the SPMP • Schedule Management Plan – Include the plan for ensuring that the project is completed on time – Specify the documents that serve as inputs or that place constraints on the schedule – Specify the tools or methodology that will be used to manage the schedule – Include a description of factors most likely to result in schedule changes and the degree to which the schedule would be affected 13

Managerial Process - 3 • Budget Management Plan – – – • Include the plan for ensuring that the project is completed within the established budget Specify the documents that serve as inputs or that place constraints on the budget Specify the tools or methodology that will be used to manage the budget Include a description of factors most likely to result in budget changes and the degree to which the budget would be affected Describe the method to be used in responding to changes to the established budget and the process for incorporating those changes into the SPMP Resource Management Plan – Include the plan for managing the resources required for successful completion of the project • • – – Estimates of the numbers and required skill levels of personnel Estimates of the numbers and required quality attributes of material resources Nature of service contracts Describe the point in the project when each resource will be required The method for obtaining the resource The duration of need for each resource Training requirements of human resources Specify the methods used to estimaterial, service, and human resource requirements Include a description of factors most likely to result in resource requirement changes and the degree to which the resource requirements will be affected 14

Managerial Process - 4 • Quality Assurance Management Plan – – • Include the plan for managing the quality of both the process and the project Specify the standards that are integral to the project and the methods and resources required to implement and ensure compliance with those standards Include a description of factors most likely to result in project quality changes and the degree to which the project quality will be affected Indicate how changes to project quality will be identified and the method by which identified changes will be documented, communicated, and controlled Risk Management Plan – – Include plans for managing the risk factors associated with the project Describe the methods that will be used to identify risk factors, as well as evaluate the potential impact of the identified risks Include mechanisms for tracking the various risk factors, evaluating changes in the level of associated risk, and responses to those changes Risk factors that should be considered • • • – Contractual risks Technological risks Size and Complexity risks Personnel Acquisition and Retention risks Customer Acceptance risks Include the degree to which identified risks will affect the project 15

Managerial Process - 5. • Resource Procurement Plan – Include the plan for managing the project procurement process • • – – – • Equipment Estimates of computer time Computer hardware and software Service contracts Facilities Transportation Training Include a description of the procurement process, including assignment of responsibility for all aspects of the process Include the process for obtaining tangible and intangible resources Include a description of factors most likely to result in procurement changes and the degree to which the project will be affected Communications Management Plan – Include the plan for managing communications related to the project • • • – Reporting mechanisms Report formats Information flows Review and audit mechanisms Tools and techniques to be used in monitoring and controlling adherence to the SPMP Indicate how changes resulting from communications failures will be identified and the method by which the changes will be documented, communicated, and controlled 16

Technical Process • Product Scope Management – – – • Include the plan for managing the scope of the product Specify the methods by which the project scope will be measured against the product requirements Include the assessment of the probability of changes to requirements and the resulting product scope Methods, Tools, and Techniques – Include the plan that describe • • – • Computing system Development methodologies Team structures Programming language The technical standards, policies, and procedures governing development and/or modification of the work products and project deliverables shall be included Software Documentation Plan – Include the description of the documentation plan for the software project • • • – Style guide Naming conventions Documentation formats Provide a summary of the schedule and resource requirements for the documentation effort 17

Work Activity Plan • Activity Definitions and Scope – Specify the activities to be completed in order to satisfy the project requirements – A diagram of the breakdown of activities into subactivities and tasks (a work breakdown structure) may be used to depict hierarchical relationships among activities • Activity Dependencies – Specify the ordering among project activities and associated tasks to account for the dependency relationships among activities – Techniques such as dependency lists and matrices, directed graphs, and critical path methods could be used to indicate activity dependencies • Activity Scheduling – Specify the schedule for various activities taking into account the precedence relationships and the required milestone dates – Schedules may be expressed in absolute calendar time or in increments relative to a key product or project milestone • Activity Budget – Specify the allocation of budget to the various activities and tasks – An earned value scheme may be used to allocate budget and to track expenditures 18

Work Activity Plan - 2. • Activity Resource Requirements – Specify estimates of the total resources required to complete the activity as a function of time – Typical resources that should be specified • • Personnel Computer time Support software Computer hardware Office and laboratory facilities Travel budget Maintenance requirements for product activities and tasks – An earned-value scheme may be used to allocate resources and to track resource utilization 19

Additional Components • Annexes – Include either directly or by reference – Provide supporting details that could detract from the SPMP if included in the body of the SPMP – For example • • • Detailed personnel lists Details of cost estimates Detailed work breakdown structures Supplementary information that the audience may want to know Glossary of terms Index – An index to the key terms and acronyms used throughout the SPMP is optional but recommended if it will improve the usability of the SPMP 20