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Week 1 Introduction Software Project Versus Other Type of Projects

This document outlines the key topics to be covered in an IT project management course, including an introduction to project management tools, the PMI framework and process groups, project planning, evaluation, software effort estimation, risk management, and resource allocation. It also discusses what constitutes a project, characteristics of software projects, categorizing different types of projects, setting objectives and goals, measures of effectiveness, and identifying stakeholders.

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ZEESHAN YT
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173 views

Week 1 Introduction Software Project Versus Other Type of Projects

This document outlines the key topics to be covered in an IT project management course, including an introduction to project management tools, the PMI framework and process groups, project planning, evaluation, software effort estimation, risk management, and resource allocation. It also discusses what constitutes a project, characteristics of software projects, categorizing different types of projects, setting objectives and goals, measures of effectiveness, and identifying stakeholders.

Uploaded by

ZEESHAN YT
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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IT Project

Management
OUTLINE
 Introduction
 Introduction of PM Tools
 PMI Framework, PMI Process Groups
 Project Planning
 Project Evaluation
 Selection of an Appropriate Approach in Project
 Software Effort Estimation
 Activity Planning
 Risk Management
 Risk Control, RMMM
 Resource Allocation
 Review and Evaluation
Textbook(s)

• Software Project Management by Bob Hughes and Mike Cotterell, McGraw-Hill


Education; 5th Edition (2009). ISBN-10: 0077122798

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 3rd Edition (PMBOK


Guides), ISBN-13: 978-1930699458
– What is software project management? Is it
really different from ‘ordinary’ project
management?

– How do you know when a project has been


successful? For example, do the expectations of
the customer/client match those of the
developers?
What is a project?

“A specific plan or design”


“A planned undertaking”
“A large undertaking e.g. a public works scheme”
Longmans dictionary

Key points above are planning


and size of task
Characteristics of projects
A task is more ‘project-like’ if it is:
• Non-routine
• Planned
• Aiming at a specific target
• Work carried out for a customer
• Involving several specialisms
• Made up of several different phases
• Constrained by time and resources
• Large and/or complex
Are software projects really different from
other projects?
Not really! …but…
• Invisibility
• Complexity
• Conformity
• Flexibility

make software more problematic to build


than other engineered artefacts.
The software development life-cycle (ISO
12207)
ISO 12207 life-cycle
Requirements analysis
– Requirements elicitation: what does the
client need?
– Analysis: converting ‘customer-facing’
requirements into equivalents that
developers can understand
– Requirements will cover
• Functions
• Quality
• Resource constraints i.e. costs
ISO 12207 life-cycle
• Architecture design
– Based on system requirements
– Defines components of system: hardware,
software, organizational
– Software requirements will come out of this
• Code and test
– Of individual components
• Integration
– Putting the components together
ISO12207 continued
• Qualification testing
– Testing the system (not just the software)
• Installation
– The process of making the system
operational
– Includes setting up standing data, setting
system parameters, installing on operational
hardware platforms, user training etc
• Acceptance support
– Including maintenance and enhancement
Some ways of categorizing projects

Distinguishing different types of project


is important as different types of task
need different project approaches e.g.
• Information systems versus embedded
systems
• Objective-based versus product-based
What is management?

This involves the following activities:


• Planning – deciding what is to be done
• Organizing – making arrangements
• Staffing – selecting the right people for
the job
• Directing – giving instructions
continued…
What is management?
(continued)

• Monitoring – checking on progress


• Controlling – taking action to remedy hold-ups
• Innovating – coming up with solutions when
problems emerge
• Representing – communicating with clients,
users, developers and other stakeholders
Setting objectives
• Answering the question ‘What do
we have to do to have a success?’
• Need for a project authority
– Sets the project scope
– Allocates/approves costs

• Could be one person - or a group


– Project Board
– Project Management Board
– Steering committee
Objectives

Informally, the objective of a project can be defined by


completing the statement:

The project will be regarded as a success


if………………………………..

Rather like post-conditions for the project

Focus on what will be put in place, rather than how activities


will be carried out
Objectives should be SMART
S– specific, that is, concrete and well-defined

M– measurable, that is, satisfaction of the


objective can be objectively judged

A– achievable, that is, it is within the power of the


individual or group concerned to meet the target

R– relevant, the objective must relevant to the


true purpose of the project

T– time constrained: there is defined point in time by


which the objective should be achieved
Goals/sub-objectives

These are steps along the way to achieving the


objective. Informally, these can be defined by
completing the sentence…

Objective X will be achieved


IF the following goals are all achieved
A……………
B……………
C…………… etc
Goals/sub-objectives continued

Often a goal can be allocated to an individual.


Individual may have the capability of achieving goal,
but not the objective on their own e.g.

Objective – user satisfaction with software product

Analyst goal – accurate requirements

Developer goal – software that is reliable


Measures of effectiveness

How do we know that the goal or objective has been


achieved?
By a practical test, that can be objectively assessed.

e.g. for user satisfaction with software product:


• Repeat business – they buy further products from us
• Number of complaints – if low etc etc
Stakeholders
These are people who have a stake or interest in
the project
In general, they could be users/clients or
developers/implementers

They could be:


• Within the project team
• Outside the project team, but within the same
organization
• Outside both the project team and the
organization

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