Software Project Management Session 1 Qaiser Abbas Fall

Software Project Management Session 1 Qaiser Abbas Fall 2010

Job Functions and Tasks for Project Management • Project Planning – Develops preliminary study with project team, identifying business problem, requirements, project scope and benefits – Identifies key project results and milestones – Develops project plan and work breakdown structure and communicates to team and client – Determines needed resources; including client involvement – Estimates timelines and phases – Influences selection of project team members – Assigns project responsibilities based on assessment of individual skills and development needs – Defines clear individual roles and performance expectations – Establishes acceptance criteria – Determines appropriate technological approach

Job Functions and Tasks for Project Management (Continued) • Managing the project – Continually reviews project status – Reviews work against key results criteria – Uses systematic method for logging project status, checking against schedule – Uses change management / request procedure – Uses project meetings to measure progress against plan, communicate changes and issues – Assesses skill-needed documentation of meetings, work, conversations, and decisions – Measures quality through testing against requirements – Conducts project reviews and walk-throughs (with appropriate client involvement)

Job Functions and Tasks for Project Management (Continued) • Lead project team Involves team in planning Uses both formal and informal methods to track project status Recognizes individual and team accomplishments or results Manages performance issues in a timely manner Delegates tasks effectively based on understanding individual strengths and weaknesses – Maintains open door for staff ideas and concerns – Sets performance and development objectives for staff – Schedules and holds regular team meetings – – –

Job Functions and Tasks for Project Management (Continued) • Building client partnerships – Involves working jointly with client in defining project goals and key results – Works with client to ensure alignment of project to overall business goals – Listens and responds actively, documents client needs, changes, and demands – Implements procedures for controlling and handling change – Develops client understanding of the system and trains in systems use – Presents and reports periodically to client – Establishes lines of responsibility and accountability to client

Job Functions and Tasks for Project Management (Continued) • Targeting to the business Manages in accordance with visions and values Links overall architecture principles Interfaces effectively with business systems and processes Plans for impacts on related systems / departments to achieve maximum efficiency – Understands business needs, time, and cost pressures – Keeps current with business and technology development competitors – Aligns project with corporate and business priorities and direction – –

Additional Factors • • Company / project structure and vision Domain and technical expertise Nature of client / market Nature of project team

What is a Project? • Dictionary Definitions – A specific plan or design – A planned undertaking – A large undertaking: e. g. a public works scheme

Characteristics of a Project • Non-routine tasks are involved • Planning is required • Specific objectives are to be met or specified product is to be created • Pre-determined time span • Work is carried out for someone other than yourself • Work involves several specialisms • Work is carried out in several phases • Resources that are available are constrained • Project is large or complex

Project Parameters • Scope – What is included – What is NOT included • Quality – Product – Process – People • Cost – Project cost – Customer budget • Time • Resources – People – Equipment – Physical facilities

The Scope Triangle

The Scope Triangle (Continued) • Scope Creep – Causes • Poorly defined scope and requirements • Addition of requirements by client – Controls • Well-defined scope, requirements, and contract • Change control process • Hope Creep – Causes • Incorrect reporting – Controls • Removal of fear from environment • Activity breakdown to small, measurable level • Random checks on work done

The Scope Triangle (Continued) • Effort Creep – Causes • Lack of expertise or ability • Underestimation of tasks – Controls • Activity breakdown to small, measurable level • Adequate resource allocation and training • Provide mentoring or additional resources • Feature Creep – Causes • Lack of awareness – Controls • Increase awareness • Change control process

Software Projects vs. Others • • Invisibility Complexity Conformity Flexibility

Project Management Activities n Feasibility n Planning n Execution Study

Classic Project Life Cycle n Requirements Analysis n Specification n Design n Coding n Verification and Validation n Implementation/Installation n Maintenance and Support

Methods, Plans and Methodologies n Method – Steps to perform a type of activity n Plan – Converting a method to a real activity – Start and end dates – Who will carry it out – What tools and materials will be used n Methodology – Sequenced group of methods or techniques

Categorizing Software Projects • Information Systems vs. Embedded Systems • Objectives vs. Product

Management • • Planning – deciding what is to be done Organizing – making arrangements Staffing – selecting the right people for the job, etc. Directing – giving instructions Monitoring – checking on progress Controlling – taking action to remedy hold-ups Innovating – coming up with new solutions Representing – liasing with users, etc.

Problems with Software Projects • Poor estimates and plans • Lack of quality standards and measures • Lack of guidance about making organizational decisions • Lack of techniques to make progress visible • Poor role definition – who does what? • Incorrect success criteria

Problems with Software Projects (Continued) Inadequate specification of work Management ignorance of IT Lack of knowledge of application area Lack of standards Lack of up-to-date documentation Preceding activities not completed on time – including late delivery of equipment • Lack of communication between users and technicians • Lack of communication leading to duplication of work • • •

Problems with Software Projects (Continued) • Lack of commitment – especially when a project is tied to one person who then moves • Narrow scope of technical expertise • Changing statutory requirements • Changing software environment • Deadline pressure • Lack of quality control • Remote management • Lack of training

Setting Objectives • • Project Authority Project Steering Committee/Project Board Sub-Objectives and Goals Measures of Effectiveness

Stakeholders • Internal to the project team • External to the project team but within the same organization • External to both the project team and the organization

Business Case • Feasibility Study – Cost-Benefit Analysis • Ensure Intactness of Business Case, For Example – Development costs are not allowed to rise to a level which threatens to exceed the value of benefits – Features of the system are not reduced to a level that the expected benefits cannot be realized – Delivery date is not delayed so that there is an unacceptable loss of benefits

Requirement Specification • Functional Requirements • Quality Requirements • Resource Requirements

References • Effective Project Management, 2 nd Edition, Robert K. Wysocki, Robert Beck Jr. , David B. Crane, John Wiley and Sons Inc. , 2000 – Chapter 2, 4 • Software Project Management, 3 rd Edition, Bob Hughes and Mike Cotterell, Mc. Graw Hill, 2002 – Chapter 1