SPM Chapter1

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Introduction to software project management

CHAPTER

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Introduction to software project management

CHAPTER

1

Objectives

 Define the scope of software project management;

 Distinguish between software and other types of development

project;

 Understand some problems and concerns of software project

manager;

 Define the usual stages of a software project;

 Explain the main elements of the role of management;

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Software Project Management

 Explain the main elements of the role of management;

 Appreciate the need for careful planning, monitoring and

control;

 Identify the stakeholders of a project and their objectives and

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Introduction to software project management

1 .

1 Introduction

What is ‘Project’ ?

A project, then, is a temporary endeavor undertaken to

create a unique product or service. It is specific, timely,

usually multidisciplinary, and always conflict ridden.

Projects are parts of overall programs and may be broken

down into tasks, subtasks, and further if desired.

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management

vs

General Management

General Management Project Management

Dependent on good planning Budget, schedule, control, and evaluation

Well-defined managerial hierarchy Low in the hierarchy chain of command

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Introduction to software project management

What is ‘Project management’ ?

Project management differs grately from general management.

Every project is planned, budgeted, scheduled, and controlled as a

unique task. Unlike nonprojects, projects are often multidisciplinary and

usually have considerable need to cross departmental boundaries for technology, information, resources, and personnel. Crossing these

boundaries tends to lead to intergroup conflict.

Unlike their general management counterparts project Unlike their general management counterparts, project

managers have responsibility for accomplishing a project, but little or no

legitimate authority to command the required resources from the

functional departments. The PM must be skilled at win-win negotiation to

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Introduction to software project management

The three goals of a project

The performance of a project is measured by three criteria. Is the

project on time or early ? Is the project on or under budget ? Does the

project meet the agreed-upon specifications to the satisfaction of the

customer ?

Performance

Required performance

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Target

Time

Cost

Required performance

Due date

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Introduction to software project management

Projects have been interrelated objectives: to (1) meet the

budget, (2) finish on schedule, and (3) meet specifications that satisfy

the client. Because we live in an uncertain world, as work on the

project proceeds, unexpected problems are bound to arise. These

chance events will threaten the project’s schedule or budget or specifications. The PM must now decide how to trade off one project

goal against another (e.g., to stay on schedule by assigning extra

resources to the project may mean it will run over the predetermined budget.) If the schedule, budget, and specifications are rigidly

predetermined, the project is probably doomed to failure unless the

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Introduction to software project management

The Life cycles of projects

co m pl et io n

100 _{Slow finish} There are two different paths ₍life

cycle) along which projects

% pr oj ec tc om pl et io n

0 Slow start

Quick momentum Time co m pl et io n 100

cycle) along which projects

progress from start to completion. One is S-shaped and the other is

J-shaped. It is an important

distinction because identifying the different life cycles help the PM to focus attention on appropriate matters to ensure successful

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% pr oj ec tc om pl et io n 100 0 Time

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

Definition Planning Execution Delivery

Le ve lo f ef fo rt 1. Goal 2. Specification 3. Tasks 4. Responsibilities 1. Schedules 2. Budgets 3. Resources 4. Risks 5. Staffing

1. Status reports 2. Changes 3. Quality 4. Forecasts

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

1) Initiation - involves starting up the project, by documenting a business case, feasibility study, terms of documenting a business case, feasibility study, terms of reference, appointing the team and setting up a Project Office.

2) Planning - involves setting out the roadmap for the project by creating the following plans: project plan, resource plan, financial plan, quality plan, acceptance plan and communications plan.

3) Execution - involves building the deliverables and controlling the project delivery, scope, costs, quality,

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controlling the project delivery, scope, costs, quality, risks and issues.

4) Closure - involves winding-down the project by releasing staff, handing over deliverables to the

customer and completing a post implementation review.

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

1) Project Initiation

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

2) Project Planning

After defining the project and appointing the project team, you're ready to enter the detailed Project Planning phase. This involves creating a suite of planning documents to help guide the Project Planning phase. This involves creating a suite of planning documents to help guide the team throughout the project delivery. The Planning Phase involves completing the following 10 key steps:

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

3) Project Execution

With a clear definition of the project and a suite of detailed project plans, you are now ready to enter the Execution project plans, you are now ready to enter the Execution phase of the project.

This is the phase in which the deliverables are physically built and presented to the customer for acceptance.

While each deliverable is being constructed, a suite of management processes are undertaken to monitor and control the deliverables being output by the project.

These processes include managing time, cost, quality, These processes include managing time, cost, quality, change, risks, issues, suppliers, customers and

communication.

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

4) Project Closure

Project Closure involves releasing the final deliverables to the customer, handing over project documentation to the business, terminating supplier contracts, releasing project resources and documentation to the business, terminating supplier contracts, releasing project resources and communicating project closure to all stakeholders. The last remaining step is to undertake a Post Implementation Review to identify the level of project success and note any lessons learned for future projects.

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Introduction to software project management

Project Life Cycle

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Role

•

Facilitator

•

Facilitator

o

Manager-as-facilitator

vs.

Manager-as-supervisor

o

System approach

vs.

Analytical approach

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Role

•

Facilitator

•

Facilitator

•

Communicator

Senior Management

PM

Client Project Team

Outside

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Role

•

Facilitator

•

Facilitator

•

Communicator

•

Virtual Project Manager

Depend on:

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- Geographical

- Location

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Role

•

Facilitator

•

Facilitator

•

Communicator

•

Virtual Project Manager

•

Meetings, Convenor and Chair

 Reports to senior management & Instructions to the

project team

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Introduction to software project management

Project Manager

(

PM

)

ROLES:

_{• Facilitator}

• Communicator

• Virtual Project Manager

• Meeting,

Convenor and Chair

The PM is a facilitator, unlike the traditional manager who is a supervisor. The

PM must adopt the systems approach to making decisions and managing

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PM must adopt the systems approach to making decisions and managing projects. Trying to optimize each part of a project, suboptimization, does not

produce an optimized project. Multiple communication paths exist in any project and some paths bypass the PM causing problems. Much project comm. Takes place in meeting that may be run effectively is via high technology channels. Above all, the PM must keep senior management informed about the current

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Responsibilities

• Acquiring Resources



Quality and Quantity of resources and personnel

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Responsibilities

• Acquiring Resources

• Fighting Fires and Obstacles



The successful PM is also a talented and

seasoned fire fighter

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Responsibilities

• Acquiring Resources

• Fighting Fires and Obstacles

• Leadership and Making Trade-Offs

Performance Schedule (Time)

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Responsibilities

• Acquiring Resources

• Fighting Fires and Obstacles

• Leadership and Making Trade-Offs

• Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Persuasion

The skill of persuasion:

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Introduction to software project management

Project Management’s Responsibilities

• Acquiring Resources

• Fighting Fires and Obstacles

• Leadership and Making Trade-Offs

• Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Persuasion

The PM is responsible for acquiring the human and material resources needed by The PM is responsible for acquiring the human and material resources needed by the project. The PM is also responsible for exercising leadership, fire fighting, and

dealing with obstacles that impede the project’s progress. Finally, the PM is

responsible for making the trade-offs between budget, schedule, and specification

that are needed to ensure project success. To be successful at meeting these responsibilities, the PM must be skilled at negotiation, conflict resolution, and

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Introduction to software project management

Selection of Project Manager

• Creditability

o

Technical creditability

o

Administrative creditability

• Sensitivity

o

Interpersonal relationship

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Introduction to software project management

Selection of Project Manager

• Creditability

• Sensitivity

• Leadership, Style, Ethics

Successful PMs have some common characteristics. They are “closers.” They also

have high administrative and technical credibility, show sensitivity to interpersonal

conflict and possess the political know how to get help from senior management conflict, and possess the political know-how to get help from senior management

when needed. In addition, the PM should be a leader, and adopt a participatory

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Introduction to software project management

Project Team

• They must be technically competent.

• Senior members of the project team must be politically

sensitive.

• Members of the project team need a strong problem

orientation.

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Introduction to software project management

1.2 Why is software project management important?

• First of all there is the question of money.

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Introduction to software project management

1 .

3 What is a project

?

Routine _{of Outcome}Uncertainty

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Jobs Projects Exploration

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Introduction to software project management

The Characteristics of projects:

• Non-routine tasks are involved; • Planning is required;

• Specific objectives are to be met or a specified product is to be created;

• The project has a predetermined time span;

• Work is carried out for someone other than yourself; • Work involves several specialism;

• Work involves several specialism;

• Work is carried out in several phases;

• The resources that are available for use on the project are constrained;

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Introduction to software project management

Exercise 1.1

A. producing an edition of a newspaper

B. building the channel tunnel connected France and UK C. getting married

C. getting married

D. amending a financial computer system to deal with a common European currency

E. a research project into what makes a good human-computer

interface

F. an investigation into the reason why a user has a problem with a computer system

G. a second year programming assignment for a computing student

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G. a second year programming assignment for a computing student H. writing an operating system for a new computer

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Introduction to software project management

1.4 Software project versus other types of project

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Introduction to software project management

1.5 Contract management and technical project management

• Many organizations contract out IT development to

outside specialist developers.

• Project manager will be able to delegate many

technically oriented decision to the contractors.

• Supplier side, ‘technical’ project managers.

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Introduction to software project management

1.6 Activities covered by software project management

Is it worth doing?

How do we do it?

Do it!

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Introduction to software project management

1.6 Activities covered by software project management

Requirements

analysis Specification Design Coding and validationVerification

Implementation / installation Maintenance

and support

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Introduction to software project management

Requirements analysis Architecture design Requirements analysis Sy st em Architecture design Requirements analysis Detailed design

Code and test

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Introduction to software project management

1.7 Plan

,

Methods

,

and Methodologies

Plan for an activity must be based on some idea of a method of work. • analyze the requirements for the software;

• devise and write test cases that will check that each requirement has been satisfied;

• create test scripts and expected results for each test case;

• compare the actual results and the expected results and identify discrepancies.

Method relates to a type of activity in general, a plan takes that

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Method relates to a type of activity in general, a plan takes that

method and converts its to real activities.

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Introduction to software project management

1.8 Some ways of categorizing software projects

• Information systems versus embedded systems

Exercise 1.3 Would an operating system on a computer be an_{information system or an embedded system?}

• Objectives versus products

Would the project to implement an independent

payroll system at the Brightmouth College described

Exercise 1.4 payroll system at the Brightmouth College described

in exercise 1.2 above be an objectives-driven project

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Introduction to software project management

1.9 What is management

?

• Planning

• Organizing

• Staffing

• Directing

• Monitoring

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• Controlling

• Innovating

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Introduction to software project management

1.10 Problems with software projects

A survey of managers published by Thayer, Pyster and Wood identified the following commonly experienced problems:

the following commonly experienced problems: • 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.

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Introduction to software project management

List of

problems:

• inadequate specification of work; • management ignorance of IT;

• lack of knowledge of application area;

1.10 Problems with software projects

• lack of knowledge of application area; • lack of standards;

• lack of up-to-date documentation;

• preceding activities not completed on time;

• lack of communication between users and technicians; • lack of communication leading to duplication of work; • lack of commitment;

• narrow scope of technical expertise;

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• narrow scope of technical expertise; • changing statutory requirements; • changing software environments; • deadline pressure;

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Introduction to software project management

1.11 Setting objectives

• Project objectives should be clearly defined.

• This committee is likely to contain user, development and

management representatives.

–

Sub-objectives and goals

–

Measures of effectiveness

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Introduction to software project management

1.12 Stakeholders



Internal to the project team



Internal to the project team



External to the project team but within

the same organization



External to both the project team and

the organization

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the organization

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Introduction to software project management

1.13 Business Case

• that development costs are not allowed to

rise to a level which threatens to exceed the

value of benefits;

• that the features of the system are not

reduced to a level that the expected benefits

cannot be realized;

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Introduction to software project management

1.14 Requirement Specification



Functional requirements



Quality requirements



Resource requirements

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Introduction to software project management

1.15 Management Control

The real world

Actions

Data

Information Information

Decisions

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Introduction to software project management

1.15 Management Control

An IT project is to replace locally held paper-based

records with a centrally organized database. Staff in a large

number of offices that are geographically dispersed need

training and then need to use the new IT system to set up

the back-log of manual records on the new database. The

new system will only be successful if new transactions can

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new system will only be successful if new transactions can

be processed within certain time cycles.

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Introduction to software project management

1.16 Conclusion

• Projects are by definition non-routine and therefore more uncertain than normal undertakings.

normal undertakings.

• Software projects are similar to other projects but have some attributes that present particular difficulties, e.g. the relative invisibility of many of their products.

• A key factor in project success is having clear objectives. Different

stakeholder in a project, however, are likely to have different objectives. This points to the need for a recognized overall project authority.

• For objectives to be effective there must be practical ways of testing that objectives have been met.

objectives have been met.

• Where projects involve many different people, effective channels of

information have to be established. Having objective measures of success helps unambiguous communication between the various parties to a

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Introduction to software project management

Annex

1

Contents list for a feasibility study

• Introduction: identifies what the document is; • Introduction: identifies what the document is; • Description of current situation;

• Problem description; • Proposed development

– business and financial aspects – technical aspects

– organizational aspects;

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– organizational aspects; • Estimated costs

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Introduction to software project management

Annex

2

Contents list for a project plan

• Introduction;

• Background: including reference to the business case;

• Project objectives;

• Constraints: these could be included with project objectives;

• Project product: deliverable product & intermediate product;

• Methods;

• Activities to be carried out;

• Resources to be used;

• Risks to the project;

• Management of the project, including