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CS405 Project Management

CS405 Project Management. Project Management. “A well-planned project will take twice as long as originally expected; a poorly-planned project, three to four times as long ” “Why is a project like a cavalry charge”? Project Management equals Project Planning + Project Execution

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CS405 Project Management

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  1. CS405 Project Management

  2. Project Management • “A well-planned project will take twice as long as originally expected; a poorly-planned project, three to four times as long” • “Why is a project like a cavalry charge”? • Project Management equals Project Planning + Project Execution • Project Management manages: • Cost • Time • Functionality • Quality

  3. Project Planning • Step 1: Brainstorm tasks • Don’t worry about whether they are too big or too small. That will shake out later. • As much as possible, each task should produce a concrete deliverable; e.g. a program, a design, an analysis document, management sign-off, etc. • Ensures that the task is truly done. • Allows an objective measure of percent-complete

  4. Project Planning • Step 2: Identify dependencies • What tasks must be complete before other tasks can begin • Step 3: Assign resources/responsible groups

  5. Project Planning • Step 4: Estimate effort in “staff/days” • A “staff/day” is what a person can reasonably accomplish in a day if uninterrupted. • Tasks should be no less than 5 person-days and no more than 15 person-days • Smaller tasks should be captured on a check list associated with a larger task of related deliverables • Larger tasks need to be sub-divided. • If at all possible, have each responsible group estimate its’ tasks. • Some tasks may be milestone tasks; e.g. “Hardware Delivered”. They do not themselves consume project resources, but project tasks are dependent on their completion.

  6. Project Planning • Step 5: Layout tasks on a timeline • Assume a person is only 85% available due to non-project activities • Never give a resource more than three tasks to work on simultaneously; better to use a maximum of two • If there are many independent tasks that a resource can do simultaneously, assign them in sequence. Concentrate on one, max two, tasks at a time. • Be prepared for a shock when you see where the final end date falls.

  7. Project Planning • Step 6: Adjust the plan • Review task descriptions to determine if the nature of any tasks were not clearly understood. Look for possible overlap with other tasks which may be causing a double counting of effort. • Consider adding more resources to tasks that are on the critical path of the project • Look for bottleneck resources and consider how you can off-load some of their work to others. • Never arbitrarily reduce the estimate for a task because it “looks too big”. Any change to a task’s estimate must have a clear explanation, usually a more precise definition of what is to be accomplished. • “Law of Little Guesses”: estimating many small tasks causes estimate errors to cancel each other, resulting in an accurate estimate for the whole

  8. Project Execution • Two documents are necessary to execute a plan: • Project Plan • Issues List • Review the plan on a weekly basis • General explanation of what was done or not done; “So what happened last week?” • Review the Issue List. (See below) • Record how much time (staff/days) was spent on each task and how much time is remaining. Re-estimate when the task will be complete. • Do not immediately change the overall plan. Work to bring the overall project back on track. If (when?) it becomes apparent that there is unrecoverable delay, then revise the plan. • “Plan the execution; execute the plan”

  9. Project Execution • Issues List • Keeps a running document on all outstanding and resolved issues. • Records: • Issue description • Date added to list • Priority- “Critical” (currently delaying project); “High” (may delay project); “Low” (not likely to delay project) • Issue manager • Estimated resolution date • Current status of the resolution • Notes documenting history of the issue (date/action taken) • Final resolution

  10. Project Execution • Project Reporting • Do not have “individual contributors” submit written status reports; this should begin with first-line project supervision • Weekly Status Report: • Tasks Completed • Tasks Late • Tasks to be completed next week • “Critical” issues (from Issues List)

  11. Project Execution • The Three Sins of Project Management • To be in trouble • To be in trouble and not know it • To be in trouble, know it, and not report it • Project success criteria: • Time • Cost • Functionality • Quality

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