Lecture 2b: Software Project Management CSCI102 - Introduction to Information Technology B ITCS905 - Fundamentals of Information Technology

Overview Team management Team processes Team organization and decision-making Roles and responsibilities in a software team Role identification and assignment Project tracking Risk Analysis

Team Processes Adaptability Recognizing problems and responding appropriately Communication Information is clearly and accurately exchanged between team members Coordination Organizing team activities to complete a task on time

Team Processes Decision Making Using available information to make decisions Interpersonal Interacting cooperatively with other team members Leadership Providing direction for the team

Team organization and decision-making The quality of the interactions of the members of your groups will affect the quality of your overall experience in CSCI102/ITCS905 There are important questions to be answered when thinking about the organization of your CSCI102/ITCS905 team

Team organization and decision-making What roles does your project require? Who is best suited to each role? Does your team have weaknesses? How will you address team deficiencies? What are the deliverables for your group? What work has to be done? When does it have to be done? Are there any dependencies between deliverables?

Team organization and decision-making What will each group member be responsible for? Will each member be responsible for one portion of the design? Will all participants take part in all activities?

Team organization and decision-making How will major design decisions be made? Will there need to be a consensus amongst all of the team members before these types of decisions will be made? How will disputes be resolved

Team organization and decision-making These are tough questions that rarely have simple answers Questions like these should be taken seriously

Team organization and decision-making Each group should spend time discussing these issues at the start of your project Each group should come up with a solution that works best for them Draft these decisions into a group agreement that is signed by each member

Group roles There are four main types of roles: Task roles Functional roles Maintenance roles and Dysfunctional roles

Group Roles Project Leader Researcher Designer Developer Programming Leader Web Developer Webmaster Web Page Designer

Group Roles User Interface Graphic Design Accessibility Documentation Leader Tech Writer Documentation Style Manager Documentation Content Manager

Group Roles Quality Assurance Code Reviewer Documentations Reviewer Version Controller Repository Controller Testing Leader Testing and Verification

Group Roles These roles can be loosely divided into several subteams Documentation Team Implementation Team Test Team Quality Assurance Team

Features of Effective Teams The features of a team which is effective in what it does and how it does it include: Combined group effort Clear goals setting Achieving a learning orientation Mutual trust and support Open communication Democratic processes

Role identification and assignment Even in small teams involving five or six people, establishing good management practices can avoid many difficulties during development These practices should Not be complicated Not be time-consuming Not hinder the progress of the project Add just enough structure to the project to avoid big mistakes

Role identification and assignment The purpose of adopting a lightweight framework is to address the issues that can cause problems in a team project and reinforce the assets of teamwork Combining the strengths and expertise of each team member to accomplish the common goal of the project is critical

Role identification and assignment For a project to be a true product of a team effort every member Must be aware of the status of project components Should have a say in the decision made about the direction of the project

Role identification and assignment Resource management, communication, and planning are the building blocks of teamwork and are just as important to a project as the technical designs and implementation details

Role identification and assignment Each team member has specific expertise and skills that they bring with them to the project Find out more about the strengths and weaknesses of each of the team members – mind map them

Role identification and assignment Of particular interest are skills such as Programming languages Familiarity with tools and software packages Any other subject-specific knowledge that may be relevant to the current project Using this information, each team member can be assigned tasks that make the best use of their skills and knowledge

Role identification and assignment While each team member will likely contribute to each part of the project, it is often beneficial to assign each member a specific role on the team Each member is then responsible for a specific aspect of the project Each member should ensure that their aspect of the project is given the necessary and required attention Each member should alert other members of ANY issues in that part of the project

Role identification and assignment Example A member may be given the role of "documentation expert“ That member is then resposnsible for Keeping track of what documentation needs to be done Assigning other members to do any documentation that is necessary A "coding expert" would have to Check that all the parts of the software are implemented Assign any coding tasks that remain to other team members

Project Tracking Monitor project progress continually Arrange for regular progress review meetings and progress reports Determine the state of the project phases Analyse the charts to determine the cause of variations in progress

Risk Analysis Risk management identifies and controls the factors critical to the success of a project with a view to reducing the risk Therefore: Identify and assess the risks to the project Prioritize the risks Devise plans to reduce them Monitor the plans and re-evaluate the risks

Risk Analysis Types of risks: Clarity and stability of user requirements Availability of adequate resources Staff training and experience Technical novelty of the project Short timescales