Project Management

Acronyms: SEPM: Software Engineering Project Management SPM: Software Project Manager PM: Project Manager SPMP: Software Project Management Plan

Objectives of SEPM Delivery of a product that reliably performs specified functions developed within cost and schedule Real world: May not have specification Relative importance of cost/time/specs is ambiguous Cost/schedule/spec changes during project The contract under discussion may not embody all of the strategic goals of the enterprise The contract under discussion may not embody all of the goals of the PM

Definitions Project Management: a system of procedures, practices, technologies, skills, and experience needed to manage a project: Planning: determine course of actions Organizing: Determine work to be done and partition into units Staffing: Select and train people Leading: Motivate people to achieve objectives Controlling: Evaluate accomplishment of tasks

1. Planning Specify goals and objectives for project Specify strategies, policies, plans for achieving goals Process: Set objectives: identify tasks and resources needed Develop policies (provide guides for decision making) Forecast future and anticipate events. Assess risk Analyze alternatives including planning for subcontractors, if applicable Prepare budgets: Need cost estimation Develop project plan

2. Organizing Identify project functions, activities, and tasks Describe organization of project team and identify dependence on external groups Select project management structure for monitoring, coordinating, and communicating Create position descriptions and define responsibilities and qualifications

3. Staffing Fill positions Assimilate new personnel Educate and train personnel Evaluate personnel Compensate personnel

Filling Positions This is perhaps the most important part of project management Consider Intelligence, education, skills Character, personality

Assimilation and Education Ensure staff are familiar with project objectives and schedules Education: teaches basic principles and theory (long term) Training: teaches a specific skill to use, operate, or make something (short term) Projects require training; Organizations require education.

4. Leading Provide vision and direction Create effective work environment Motivate personnel Supervise and coordinate personnel and activities Resolve conflicts Handle changes

5. Controlling Ensure the project goes according to plan Set goals Monitor Measure results Initiate corrective actions Reward and discipline

Creating a Project Plan Task list; work breakdown schedule Resources Network of tasks

Task list Precursors to the task The output of the task The resources required to complete the task End of task (milestone)

Work Decomposition Q: How to you eat an elephant? Need Define requirements/objectives Size Database Estimate size Produce conceptual design Productivity Database Estimate resources Subdivide work into manageable units Produce schedule Resources Pool Identify risks Develop Product Size, Resource Schedule Data Process Analysis Sequence project activities Product Tracking Reports Q: How to you eat an elephant?

Work Decomposition A: With a work breakdown structure, of course WBS ... is “an enumeration of all work activities in hierarchic refinements of detail, which organizes work to be done into short, manageable tasks, with quantifiable inputs, outputs, schedules, and assigned responsibilities” [Tausworthe 80]

Work Breakdown Structure …provides a framework from which the total project is described as a summation of elements planning can be performed costs and budgets can be estimated time, cost, and performance can be tracked status can be reported work assignments established tasks of interest to project management are identified and measured [Boehm 81]

Work Decomposition Level Description 1 Project 2 Phase 3 Subphase Total program 1 2 3 4 5 6 Level Description 1 Project 2 Phase 3 Subphase 4 Task group 5 Task 6 Subtask Project1 Project2 Projectn Task1 Task2 Taskx Subtask1 Subtask2 Subtasky Work Pkg1 Work Pkg2 Work Pkgz Level of Effortw Level of Effort2 Level of Effortw

Sample Standard WBS 0000 Entire System 1000 Product 2000 Training 1100 Subsystem 1 1110 Component 1 1111 Requirements Analysis 1112 Design 1113 Code and unit test 1114 Module integration test 1115 Formal qualification test 1116 Problem resolution 1117 Documentation 1118 Formal review 1120 Component 2 ... 11X0 Component X 11Z0 Integration test 1200 Subsystem 2 1X00 Subsystem X 1Y00 Integration test 2000 Training 2100 Equipment 2200 Services 2300 Facilities 3000 Support equipment 3100 Organizational 3200 Depot 4000 Systems test and eval 4100 Development test and eval 4200 Operational test and eval 4300 Mockups 4400 Test and evaluation equipment 4500 Test facilities

Sample Standard WBS-2 5000 System project management 5100 Engineering support 5110 Configuration management 5111 CM plan 5112 Configuration item identification 5113 Configuration audit 5114 Configuration status accounting 5120 Quality assurance 5121 QA plan 5122 Process identification 5123 Process control 5124 QA audits 5125 QA status accounting 5200 Project management 5210 Planning 5240 Staffing 5250 Directing 5260 Controlling 6000 Deployment 6100 Technical support 6200 Site construction 6300 Site conversion

Sample Standard WBS-3 Entire System Product Training Support Equipment Test Mgmt Deployment 1100 Subsystem 1 1X00 Subsystem X 1Y00 Integration test 5100 Systems engineering 5200 Project management 3100 Organizational 3200 Depot 4100 Development test and eval 4200 Operational test and eval 4300 Mockups 4400 Test and evaluation equipment 4500 Test facilities 6100 Technical support 6200 Site construction 6300 Site conversion 2100 Equipment 2200 Services 2300 Facilities

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE DICTIONARY Associated Lower Level Elements WBS dictionary Project number: Date: WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE DICTIONARY Sheet Of WBS level Element Designator & Title: 1000 Satellite Software 1 2 3 4 5 6 X Element Description The compete flyaway software for the XYZ communications satellite. WBS level Associated Lower Level Elements 1 2 3 4 5 6 Designator & Title X 1100 Bird health and status subsystem X 1200 Navigation subsystem X 1300 Communications subsystem

Mapping the WBS Project X Component1 Component2 Analysis Design Code & unit test Intgr test Qual test Analysis Design Code & unit test Intgr test Qual test

Task Assignment Record Team ______ Assigned By Assigned To Date Assigned Date Due Assignment Description Date Submitted* * both parties should initial

Project Meeting Record Team ________ Meeting number: Type of meeting: Date: Start time: Duration: Participant Roles Facilitator: Recorder: Timekeeper: Role: _________________ Subject/Meeting Objective: Attachments: Summary of Covered Topics Summary of Decisions Summary of Conclusions Summary of Next Steps Items for Future Consideration Other: _________________________ Meeting’s Overall Score: Comments: Unproductive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Productive Next Meeting: Date: ______________ Time: ___________ Location: _____________________ Subject/Meeting Objective:

Example Roles Functioning Explainer of ideas or procedures Recorder Encourager of participation Clarifier/Paraphraser Formulating Summarizer Checker of understanding Elaborator Fermenting Criticizer of ideas, not people Asker of Justification Differentiator Prober Reality tester

Project Meeting Record Team ________ Attachments: Summary of Covered Topics Summary of Decisions Summary of Conclusions Summary of Next Steps Items for Future Consideration Other: _________________________ Meeting’s Overall Score: Comments: Unproductive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Productive Next Meeting: Date: ______________ Time: ___________ Location: _____________________ Subject/Meeting Objective:

Project Meeting Record Team ________ Attachments: Summary of Covered Topics Summary of Decisions Summary of Conclusions Summary of Next Steps Items for Future Consideration Other: _________________________ Meeting’s Overall Score: Comments: Unproductive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Productive Next Meeting: Date: ______________ Time: ___________ Location: _____________________ Subject/Meeting Objective:

Resources Time People Equipment When are they available? How much of each is needed?

Network of Tasks How are all the tasks related? What is the critical path? What are the milestones? Gantt charts, PERT charts

Gantt Charts

Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) Charts 7 4 7 6 10 5

Do’s and Don’ts of management Use metrics Measure how long it takes, then use it to estimate in the future Be realistic Do you have enough time? Will the outsiders produce the needed product? Allow preliminary design: adjust plan Can’t say how long until you fully understand the problem. Don’t accept arbitrary plans “We need the new accounting system in 3 months” Can’t say how long to build a house, but can say how long to build a 3 bedroom, two story, 2000sq ft, with two baths and garage, in Kern Place.