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: 1. Planning 2. Organizing 3. Staffing 4. Leading 5. Controlling

5 Functions 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 Three contexts: During feasibility/proposal phase At beginning of project During the project

Planning Activities 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

Supervision and Motivation Supervision: Follow up on assignments Record status Redirect efforts as needed Motivation Keep staff focused Ensure staff understands value of their contributions Communicate project status to staff Provide vision Ensure goals of project and individuals are in harmony

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

Work Decomposition A: With a work breakdown structure, of course A: With a work breakdown structure, of course WBS 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] ... 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 Total program Project 2 Project 1 Project n Task 1 Task x Subtask 1 Subtask y Work Pkg 1 Work Pkg z Level of Effort 2 Level of Effort w Task 2 Subtask 2 Work Pkg 2 Level of Effort w … … … … … LevelDescription 1Project 2Phase 3Subphase 4Task group 5Task 6Subtask

Sample Standard WBS 0000Entire System 1000Product 1100Subsystem Component Requirements Analysis 1112Design 1113Code and unit test 1114Module integration test 1115Formal qualification test 1116Problem resolution 1117Documentation 1118Formal review 1120Component X0Component X 11Z0Integration test 1200Subsystem X00Subsystem X 1Y00 Integration test 2000Training 2100Equipment 2200Services 2300 Facilities 3000Support equipment 3100Organizational 3200Depot 4000Systems test and eval 4100Development test and eval 4200Operational test and eval 4300Mockups 4400Test and evaluation equipment 4500Test facilities

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

Sample Standard WBS-3 Entire System ProductTraining Support Equipment Test MgmtDeployment 1100Subsystem 1 1X00Subsystem X 1Y00 Integration test 5100Systems engineering 5200Project management 2100Equipment 2200Services 2300Facilities 3100Organizational 3200Depot 4100Development test and eval 4200Operational test and eval 4300Mockups 4400Test and evaluation equipment 4500Test facilities 6100Technical support 6200Site construction 6300Site conversion

WBS dictionary Project number:Date: SheetOf WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE DICTIONARY WBS level Element Designator & Title:1000 Satellite Software WBS level Element Description Associated Lower Level Elements Designator & Title X The compete flyaway software for the XYZ communications satellite. X1100Bird health and status subsystem X1200Navigation subsystem X1300Communications subsystem

Mapping the WBS AnalysisDesignIntgr testQual test Code & unit test Component 1 Component 2 Project X AnalysisDesignIntgr testQual test Code & unit test

Mapping the WBS What would a WBS look like for a spiral lifecycle?

Building a WBS Method: Method: 1.Start with project SOW, push this TASK to working stack 2.Pop working stack 3.Identify objectives, requirements, constraints 4.If within accuracy goal **, push to finished stack, goto step 8 5.Partition TASK into SUBTASK 1... SUBTASK x 6.Mark TASK as a milestone, push onto finished stack 7.Push SUBTASK 1... SUBTASK x onto working stack 8.Repeat from step 2 until working stack is empty 9.Sequence through finished stack to accumulate milestones ** The “accuracy goal” is the desired granularity of the WBS. Can be expressed as cost, time, etc [Tausworthe 80]

Task Assignment Record Team ______ Assigned By Assigned ToDate AssignedDate DueAssignment DescriptionDate 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 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 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 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

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”