1. Software Project Management
Session 1
Qaiser Abbas Fall 2010

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

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

9. 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

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

11. The Scope Triangle

12. 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
Incorrect reporting
Removal of fear from environment
Activity breakdown to small, measurable level
Random checks on work done

13. 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
Lack of awareness
Increase awareness
Change control process

14. Software Projects vs. Others
Invisibility
Complexity
Conformity
Flexibility

15. Project Management Activities
Feasibility Study
Planning
Execution

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

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

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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Requirement Specification
Functional Requirements
Quality Requirements
Resource Requirements

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