Software Project Management Project Integration Management

Software Project Management Course Objectives Understand how integration management helps putting together all the PM processes Perceive the role of project charters and how they are used as a base for further management activities Discuss the purpose of creating a preliminary project scope document Describe project management plan development, including content and performing a stakeholder analysis to help manage relationships Explain project execution, its relationship to project planning Describe the process of monitoring and controlling project work Understand the integrated change control process, planning for and managing changes on information technology projects, and developing and using a change control system Explain the importance of developing and following good procedures for closing projects Software Project Management

Software Project Management PM Knowledge Areas Software Project Management

Project Integration Management Project managers must coordinate all of the other knowledge areas throughout a project’s life cycle Big picture vs. details Key to overall project success Interface management  Stakeholders satisfaction Software Project Management

Software Project Management Project selection Top management identifies potential projects IT supports some organizations business Strategic planning: identifying the long term objectives by analyzing the Strength and Weaknesses of the organization and studying the Opportunities and Threats in the business environment(SWOT) Software Project Management

Project selection methods Focusing on broad organizational needs (e.g. customer service improvements) Categorizing IT projects Impetus: Problems, Opportunities, Directives Time window Priority Performing Net Present Value or other financial analysis(ROI, Payback) Using a weighted scoring model (weights for criteria) Software Project Management

Software Project Management Knowledge Area Processes Project Management Process Groups Initiating Process Group Planning Process Group Executing Process Group Monitoring and Controlling Process Group Closing Process Group Project Management Integration - Develop Project Charter - Develop Preliminary Project Scope Statement - Develop Project Management Plan - Direct and Manage Project Execution - Monitor and Control Project Work - Integrated Change Control - Close Project Project Scope Management   - Scope Planning - Scope Definition - Scope WBS - Scope Verification - Scope Control Project Time Management Activities management Schedule Development - Schedule Control Project Cost Management - Cost Estimating - Cost Budgeting - Cost Control Project Quality Management - Quality Planning - Perform Quality Assurance - Perform Quality Control Software Project Management

Project Integration Management Software Project Management

Software Project Management PMBOK® Guide Third Edition, 2004, p. 79. Software Project Management

Software Project Management Project Charter After deciding what project to work on, it is important to let the rest of the organization know A project charter is a document that formally recognizes the existence of a project and provides direction on the project’s objectives and management Key project stakeholders should sign a project charter to acknowledge agreement on the need and intent of the project; a signed charter is a key output of project integration management Software Project Management

Project Charter Inputs Contract Includes much of the needed info Difficult to read if used instead of a charter Statement of Work Describes products and services to be created Shows the alignment of the project with the strategic goals Enterprise environmental factors Organization’s structure, culture, infrastructure, human resources, policies, stakeholder risk tolerances, PM information systems Organizational process assets Formal/informal plans, information systems, financial systems, management systems, lessons learned, etc. Software Project Management

Project Charter Content Project title, date, authorization Project manager’s info Summary schedule: start and finish dates, milestones if available Summary of project’s budget Brief description of project objectives Summary of the planned approach for managing the project, describing stakeholders’ expectations, assumptions and constraints, references to related docs Roles and responsibilities matrix Signatures of stakeholders Comments of the stakeholders Software Project Management

Preliminary Scope Statement A scope statement is a document used to develop and confirm a common understanding of the project scope It’s important for preventing scope creep The tendency for project scope to keep getting bigger It’s good practice to develop a preliminary or initial scope statement during project initiation and a more detailed scope statement as the project progresses Software Project Management

Preliminary Scope Statement I/O Input Project Charter Statement of work Enterprise environmental factors Organization process assets Outputs Project objectives Product requirements and characteristics Project boundaries and deliverables Acceptance criteria Initial list with risks Summary of milestones Rough cost estimate Configuration management requirements Software Project Management

Project Management Plans A project management plan is a document used to coordinate all project planning documents and help guide a project’s execution and control Plans created in the other knowledge areas are subsidiary parts of the overall project management plan Also document planning assumptions, decisions regarding choices, facilitates communication among stakeholders, define the content, extent and timing of key management reviews, and provide a baseline for progress measurements and control Tailored to project size by assessing how many and how much of the PM processes will be considered Software Project Management

Elements of a Project Management Plan Introduction or overview of the project Description of how the project is organized Management and technical processes used in the project Work to be done, schedule, and budget information Stakeholder analysis Software Project Management

Overview of the Project Project name Brief description of the project Sponsors Project manager and key team members Deliverables List with important reference materials List with acronyms and definitions Software Project Management

Software Project Management Project organization Organizational charts (sponsoring company, customer company, internal) showing involved people and relations Project responsibilities: major functions and responsibilities (responsibility assignment matrix) Other organizational and process related information Software Project Management

Management and technical processes Management objectives: top management views, priorities and expectations Project controls: how to monitor progress and changes (need for monthly, quarterly updates, what approval is needed for changes) Risk management: briefly address how the risks should be identified, managed and controlled. Project staffing: people (number and types) required for the project Technical processes: document specific methodologies and explain how to document information Software Project Management

Software Project Management Work to perform Major work packages: preliminary WBS, detailed scope statement, references to scope management plan Key deliverables: key sub-products descriptions, quality expectations Other work related information: specific hardware and software, specification to follow, major assumptions Software Project Management

Software Project Management Schedule information Summary schedule: one page with overall project schedule (e.g. Gantt chart) Detailed schedule: references schedule management plans, discuss dependencies among project activities Other schedule-related information: document major assumptions on schedule Software Project Management

Software Project Management Budget Summary budget: total estimate for the overall budget possibly split by month and year Detailed budget: the cost management plan, projected benefits, labor costs, references to project cost management docs Other budget related information: major assumptions and important cost information Software Project Management

Stakeholders and Top Management Document: key stakeholders names, organizations, roles specifics level of interest influence on the project, suggestions for managing relationship Not part of the plans available for all the stakeholders to review Software Project Management

Sample Stakeholder Analysis Software Project Management

Sample Contents for a Software Project Management Plan

Software Project Management Project Execution Project execution involves managing and performing the work described in the project management plan The majority of time and money is usually spent on execution The application area of the project directly affects project execution because the products of the project are produced during execution The project manager decides on how different knowledge area plans related to scope, costs, human resources, procurements are executed The PM provides strong leadership and supportive culture The PM has to have at least a working knowledge of the domain if not extensive technical experience The PM should promote execution tools and methodologies Software Project Management

Planning and Execution Relationship Monitoring & Controlling Process Planning Process Planning Process Initiating Process Closing Process Initiating Process Closing Process Key Points: These are the types of results you should see after implementing SCOPE iT. Executing Process Executing Process

Coordinating Planning and Execution Project planning and execution are intertwined and inseparable activities Those who will do the work should help to plan the work Project managers must solicit input from the team to develop realistic plans Software Project Management

Leadership and a Supportive Culture Project managers must lead by example to demonstrate the importance of creating and then following good project plans Organizational culture can help project execution by: Providing guidelines and templates Tracking performance based on plans Project managers may still need to break the rules to meet project goals, and senior managers must support those actions Software Project Management

Important Skills for Project Execution General management skills like leadership, communication, and political skills Product, business, and application area skills and knowledge Use of specialized tools and techniques Software Project Management

Project Management Tools and Techniques Project management tools and techniques assist project managers and their teams in various aspects of project management Some specific ones include: Project charter, scope statement, and WBS (scope) Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, and critical chain scheduling (time) Cost estimates and earned value management (cost) See Table 1-1 (K. Schwalbe) for many more Software Project Management

Software Project Management Important Tools “Super tools” are those tools that have high use and high potential for improving project success, such as: Software for task scheduling (such as project management software) Scope statements Requirements analyses Lessons-learned reports Tools already extensively used that have been found to improve project importance include: Progress reports Kick-off meetings Gantt charts Change requests Software Project Management

Monitoring and Controlling Project Work Monitoring project work includes collecting, measuring, and disseminating performance information Inputs: project management plan, work performance information, performance reports, change requests Key tools and techniques: using a PM methodology, a PM information system, expert judgment and earned value management Outputs: recommended corrective and preventive actions Software Project Management

Integrated Change Control Changes are inevitable on most projects, so it’s important to develop and follow a process to monitor and control changes Three main objectives are: Influencing the factors that create changes to ensure that changes are beneficial Determining that a change has occurred Managing actual changes as they occur Changes may affect scope, costs, schedule, technology, people, etc. A baseline is the approved project management plan plus approved changes Software Project Management

Change Control on IT Projects Former view: the project team should strive to do exactly what was planned on time and within budget Problem: stakeholders rarely agreed up-front on the project scope, and time and cost estimates were inaccurate Modern view: project management is a process of constant communication and negotiation Solution: changes are often beneficial, and the project team should plan for them Software Project Management

Software Project Management Change Control System A formal, documented process that describes when and how official project documents and work may be changed Describes who is authorized to make changes and how to make them Change Control Board: A formal group of people responsible for approving or rejecting changes on a project CCBs provide guidelines for preparing change requests, evaluate change requests, and manage the implementation of approved changes CCB includes stakeholders from the entire organization Software Project Management

Configuration Management Ensures that the descriptions of the project’s products are correct and complete Involves identifying and controlling the functional and physical design characteristics of products and their support documentation Configuration management specialists identify and document configuration requirements, control changes, record and report changes, and audit the products to verify conformance to requirements Source control, Version/Releases/Branches/Patches management See www.icmhq.com for more information Software Project Management

Communicating changes Use of written and oral performance reports to assess changes Synchronized access to common resources (like documents and source files) Keep regularly/ad-hoc meetings Maintain a project wide WEB site Report to stakeholders on significant changes Software Project Management

Software Project Management Hints for ICC View project management as a process of communication and negotiation Plan for change Establish a change control board (CCB) Use effective configuration change management Use reporting (written and oral) for assessing and manage changes Use software for managing and communicating changes Software Project Management

Software Project Management Closing Projects To close a project, you must finalize all activities and transfer the completed or cancelled work to the appropriate people Main outputs include: Administrative closure procedures (define the approval process) Contract closure procedures (delivery and payment completes) Final products, services, or results Organizational process asset updates Software Project Management

Using Software to Assist in Project Integration Management Several types of software can be used to assist in project integration management Documents can be created with word-processing software Presentations are created with presentation software Tracking can be done with spreadsheets or databases Communication software like e-mail and Web authoring tools facilitate communications Project management software can pull everything together and show detailed and summarized information Business Service Management (BSM) tools track the execution of business process flows Software Project Management