RM Assignment 1

This paper discusses lessons learned from risk management in software development projects. It identifies key risk factors such as unrealistic schedules and budgets, requirements changes, and performance issues. It also outlines a "Soft Risk" process model for risk management. While the paper highlights important lessons, it could be improved by comparing risks from the author's own projects and addressing risks specific to small projects rather than just large organizations. More explanation of the "Soft Risk" model and some risk management concepts could also strengthen the analysis.

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RM Assignment 1

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Assignment No. 01
Research Paper (Project Risk Management: lessons learned from software
development environment) Critical Review

COURSE:
Research Methodology

Department of Computer Software Engineering

MCS, NUST

SUBMITTED BY:
Arooba Abdullah

MSSE-25
ABSTRACT
This paper shows the importance of software risk management that is learned
from development process of software from software environment. The risk
management in software development is clearly described in this paper. Some of
the factors that can be lead to good risk management are also shown. Relating to
risk management some software environment factors are also indicated that can
be useful to avoid risk in order to prevent from software failure. Different
perceptions taken from different people, companies and organizations about
software risks are also in this paper. To avoid risk in software development
project, a process model as “Soft Risk” is also discussed. All the lessons learned
from different software development projects, the challenges regarding risk
management and importance of risk management implementation in the software
projects are also discussed.

CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS FIELD

1. Highlight the important factors of software environment and software

development projects such as interaction between many entities of software and
dependencies among different entities of software environment. Highlight many
entities relationship with each other such as cost and budget etc due to which
project fails often.
2. Mention one of the important point in projects failure as due to lack of
understanding of software environment and all of its terms and factors such as
e.g. cost and schedule estimation can lead us to risk development and in turns
will be software failure.
3. Risk can be of different types such as budget affection, system or project
unsatisfactory performance and user satisfaction. These three main factors
almost lead to project failure.
4. Highlight the risks that arise from organization or company and are responsible
for project failure such as lack of communication or feelings disconnection
between software developers and higher staff such as managers. Their lack of
trust on each other is a type of risk and is also responsible for project failure.
Almost 45% of project fails due to organizational risks.
5. The risk can be control from previous projects such as by reading its
documentation and the difficulties faced in previous projects. Comparison of
existing project with the old projects can also helpful in avoiding risks and can
proof good risk management. Cost, schedule, developers, requirement
everything can be helpful in avoiding risk by comparing to previous projects.
6. Clearly mention and identify many software development risk items which is best
part of this paper and these items are:
 Personal shortfalls
 Unrealistic schedules and budgets
 Developing the wrong functions and properties
 Developing the wrong user interface
 Gold plating (adding more functionalities/features than is necessary)
 Continuing stream of requirements changes
 Shortfalls in externally furnished compo
 Shortfalls in externally performed tasks
 Real-time performance shortfalls
 Straining computer-science capabilities.
7. Few of the executive software risk factors in organization has been identified
such as wrong estimation and lack of good schedule planning and external
pressure by means of client or project deadline or any other lack of resources.
8. The importance of risk management had been realized and places it at the top of
software development project.
9. The process model for risk management named as “Soft Risk” has been
identified and mentions all the names of 8 steps of “soft Risk” process model.
10. Many of the lessons regarding risks management in form of mistakes from other
software developed projects has been mentioned clearly in paper. All types of
risks that lead to software failure are mentioned in paper. The deficiencies that
occur in previous projects and lead the project as failure one is also mention.

DEFICIENCES
1. It will be very good if author implements few of his own projects and note down
each and every risk that occur in his own implemented projects and after that he
compares his risks with that of lessons learned risks which he mention in paper.
A comparison table or some kind of graphical chart would then be very helpful in
identifying the major and most important risks in risk management process for
software development.
2. The author did not talk about small projects. He often mentions big projects and
talk about big companies which has some executive staff as well. But risks
management can also be part of small projects such as for any educational
organization or like small shopping center.
3. Researcher didn’t even mention factors that will affect small projects or may lead
to failure. He didn’t talk about requirement phase regarding small projects as how
change in requirements can affect project and can be a risk factor or how
ambiguous requirements can lead to software failure and to affect risk
management. What must be in mind to avoid risks in small projects? Do we have
risk management team? Do we care about management team or just ignore
them in small projects? Such questions also arise from this paper as well.
4. Lack of communication and bad relationship with customer can also be part of
risk management and researcher didn’t even mention it.
5. Researcher didn’t clearly mention the different between software risk and risk
management. He must clearly define in few lines what are they?
6. The main thing of this paper that is Process model “Soft Risk” is not clearly
highlighted. “Soft Risk” and its items or 8 steps are just identified not properly
explained which can help to the reader.
7. Didn’t have satisfactory explanation to the statement of Conrow (2000) “one of
the biggest problems with many risk management processes is that one or more
process steps is either missing, weakly implemented, or out of order”.
Researcher replies as it is not very helpful as we have identified root causes for
risk management and mentioned fundamental elements such as people and
environment. But problem in researcher reply is that what kind of people will
affect project. Is it users or administrative staff? Is it client or customer? Is it
developers, designers, engineers or other stakeholders? Is it organization itself
or what?
8. Researcher mention very good lessons that he learned from other mistakes but
he can learn many best factors that will affect risk management or project by
implementing and comparing own projects with other developed projects.