Project Management

Acronyms:SEPM: Software Engineering Project Management

SPM: Software Project ManagerPM: Project ManagerSPMP: Software Project Management Plan

Objectives of SEPMDelivery of a product that reliably performs

specified functions developed within cost and schedule

Real world:May not have specificationRelative importance of cost/time/specs is

ambiguousCost/schedule/spec changes during projectThe contract under discussion may not embody

all of the strategic goals of the enterpriseThe 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. Planning2. Organizing3. Staffing4. Leading5. Controlling

5 FunctionsPlanning: determine course of actionsOrganizing: Determine work to be done

and partition into unitsStaffing: Select and train people Leading: Motivate people to achieve

objectivesControlling: Evaluate accomplishment of

tasks

1. PlanningSpecify goals and objectives for projectSpecify strategies, policies, plans for

achieving goalsThree contexts:

During feasibility/proposal phaseAt beginning of projectDuring the project

Planning ActivitiesSet objectives: identify tasks and

resources neededDevelop policies (provide guides for

decision making)Forecast future and anticipate events.

Assess riskAnalyze alternatives including planning

for subcontractors, if applicablePrepare budgets: Need cost estimationDevelop project plan

2. OrganizingIdentify project functions, activities, and

tasksDescribe 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. StaffingFill positionsAssimilate new personnelEducate and train personnelEvaluate personnelCompensate personnel

Filling PositionsThis is perhaps the most important part

of project managementConsider

Intelligence, education, skillsCharacter, personality

Assimilation and EducationEnsure staff are familiar with project

objectives and schedulesEducation: 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. LeadingProvide vision and directionCreate effective work environmentMotivate personnelSupervise and coordinate personnel and

activitiesResolve conflictsHandle changes

Supervision and MotivationSupervision:

Follow up on assignmentsRecord statusRedirect efforts as needed

MotivationKeep staff focusedEnsure staff understands value of their

contributionsCommunicate project status to staffProvide visionEnsure goals of project and individuals are

in harmony

5. ControllingEnsure the project goes according to

planSet goalsMonitorMeasure resultsInitiate corrective actionsReward and discipline

Creating a Project PlanTask list; work breakdown scheduleResourcesNetwork of tasks

Task listPrecursors to the taskThe output of the taskThe resources required to complete the

taskEnd of task (milestone)

Work Decomposition

Definerequirements/objectives

Produce conceptualdesign

Estimatesize

Estimateresources

Produceschedule

DevelopProduct Size, Resource

Schedule DataProcessAnalysis

ResourcesPool

ProductivityDatabase

SizeDatabase

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 A: With a wwork ork bbreakdown reakdown sstructure, of coursetructure, of course WBSWBS

... ... is “an enumeration of all work activities in hierarchic is “an enumeration of all work activities in hierarchic refinements of detail, which organizes work to be done into refinements of detail, which organizes work to be done into short, manageable tasks, with quantifiable inputs, outputs, short, manageable tasks, with quantifiable inputs, outputs, schedules, and assigned responsibilities”schedules, and assigned responsibilities”

[Tausworthe 80][Tausworthe 80] ... provides a framework from which... provides a framework from which

the total project is described as a summation of elementsthe total project is described as a summation of elements planning can be performedplanning can be performed costs and budgets can be estimatedcosts and budgets can be estimated time, cost, and performance can be trackedtime, cost, and performance can be tracked status can be reportedstatus can be reported work assignments establishedwork assignments established tasks of interest to project management are identified and measuredtasks of interest to project management are identified and measured

[Boehm 81][Boehm 81]

Work Decomposition

Total program

Project2Project1 Projectn

Task1 Taskx

Subtask1 Subtasky

Work Pkg1

Work Pkgz

Level of Effort2

Level of Effortw

Task2

Subtask2

Work Pkg2

Level of Effortw

…

…

…

…

…

1

2

3

4

5

6

Level Description

1 Project

2 Phase

3 Subphase

4 Task group

5 Task

6 Subtask

Sample Standard WBS0000 Entire System

1000 Product1100 Subsystem 1

1110 Component 11111 Requirements Analysis1112 Design1113 Code and unit test1114 Module integration test1115 Formal qualification test1116 Problem resolution1117 Documentation1118 Formal review

1120 Component 2...

11X0 Component X11Z0 Integration test

1200 Subsystem 2...

1X00 Subsystem X1Y00 Integration test

2000 Training2100 Equipment2200 Services2300 Facilities

3000 Support equipment3100 Organizational3200 Depot

4000 Systems test and eval4100 Development test and eval4200 Operational test and eval4300 Mockups4400 Test and evaluation

equipment4500 Test facilities

Sample Standard WBS-25000 System project management

5100 Engineering support5110 Configuration management

5111 CM plan5112 Configuration item identification5113 Configuration audit5114 Configuration status accounting

5120 Quality assurance5121 QA plan5122 Process identification5123 Process control5124 QA audits5125 QA status accounting

5200 Project management5210 Planning5240 Staffing5250 Directing5260 Controlling

6000 Deployment6100 Technical support6200 Site construction6300 Site conversion

Sample Standard WBS-3

Entire System

Product TrainingSupport

EquipmentTest Mgmt Deployment

1100 Subsystem 11X00 Subsystem X1Y00 Integration test

5100 Systems engineering

5200 Project management

2100 Equipment2200 Services2300 Facilities

3100 Organizational3200 Depot

4100 Development test and eval

4200 Operational test and eval

4300 Mockups4400 Test and

evaluation equipment

4500 Test facilities

6100 Technical support

6200 Site construction

6300 Site conversion

1 2 3 4 5 6

WBS dictionary

Project number: Date:Sheet Of

WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTUREDICTIONARY

WBS level Element Designator & Title: 1000 Satellite Software

WBS level

Element Description

Associated Lower Level ElementsDesignator & Title1 2 3 4 5 6

X

The compete flyaway software for the XYZ communications satellite.

X 1100 Bird health and status subsystemX 1200 Navigation subsystemX 1300 Communications subsystem

Mapping the WBS

Analysis Design Intgr test Qual testCode & unit test

Component1 Component2

Project X

Analysis Design Intgr test Qual testCode & unit test

Mapping the WBS

What would a WBS look like for a spiral lifecycle?

Building a WBS Method:Method:

1.1. Start with project SOW, push this TASK to working stackStart with project SOW, push this TASK to working stack

2.2. Pop working stackPop working stack

3.3. Identify objectives, requirements, constraintsIdentify objectives, requirements, constraints

4.4. If within accuracy goalIf within accuracy goal****, push to finished stack, goto step , push to finished stack, goto step 88

5.5. Partition TASK into SUBTASKPartition TASK into SUBTASK11 ... SUBTASK ... SUBTASKxx

6.6. Mark TASK as a milestone, push onto finished stackMark TASK as a milestone, push onto finished stack

7.7. Push SUBTASKPush SUBTASK11 ... SUBTASK ... SUBTASKxx onto working stack onto working stack

8.8. Repeat from step 2 until working stack is emptyRepeat from step 2 until working stack is empty

9.9. Sequence through finished stack to accumulate milestonesSequence 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 RecordTeam ______

Assigned By

Assigned To Date Assigned Date Due Assignment Description Date Submitted*

* both parties should initial

Project Meeting RecordTeam ________

Meeting number:

Type of meeting:

Date:

Start time:

Duration:

Participant RolesFacilitator:

Recorder:Timekeeper:

Role: _________________Role: _________________

Subject/Meeting Objective:

Example RolesFunctioning

Explainer of ideas or proceduresRecorderEncourager of participationClarifier/Paraphraser

FormulatingSummarizerChecker of understandingElaborator

FermentingCriticizer of ideas, not peopleAsker of JustificationDifferentiatorProberReality tester

Attachments:

Summary of Covered Topics Summary of DecisionsSummary of Conclusions

Summary of Next StepsItems for Future ConsiderationOther: _________________________

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:

ResourcesTimePeopleEquipment

When are they available?How much of each is needed?

Network of TasksHow 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

4

7

7

10

5

6

Do’s and Don’ts of managementUse metrics

Measure how long it takes, then use it to estimate in the future

Be realisticDo 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”