Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic, Geidam

Department of Computer Science

COM 412 lecture note (Software Project Management)
Week 1-2

INTRODUCTION

Software project management includes the tools, techniques, and knowledge essential to deal
with the growth of software products. In Software Project Management, the end users and
developers require to know the cost of the project, duration and length. It is a process of
managing, allocating and timing resources to develop computer software that meets necessities.
It consists of eight tasks:

 Problem Identification
 Problem Definition
 Project Planning
 Project Organization
 Resource Allocation
 Project Scheduling
 Tracking, Reporting and Controlling
 Project Termination

In Problem Identification and Definition, the conclusions are made as approving, declining or
prioritizing projects. In problem identification, project is recognized, defined and justified. In
problem definition, the use of the project is clarified. The main product is project proposal.

In Project Planning, it explains a series of actions or steps that are needed to for the growth of
work product. In Project Organization, the functions of the personnel are incorporated. It is
done in corresponding with project planning.

In Resource Allocation, the resources are allocated to a project in order that the goals and
objectives are attained.

1
In Project Scheduling, resources are allocated so that project objectives are attained within a
sensible time span.

In Tracking, Reporting and Controlling, the process engaged whether the project results are in
accordance with project plans and performance specification. In controlling, suitable action is
taken to correct improper deviations.

In Project Termination, the concluding report is submitted or a release order is signed.

WHAT IS A PROJECT?

A project is a sequence of unique, complex, and connected activities having one goal or purpose
and that must be completed by a specific time, within budget, and according to specification.
This definition tells us quite a bit about a project. To appreciate just what constitutes a project
let’s look at each part of the definition.

Sequence of Activities
A project includes a number of activities that must be completed in some particular order, or
sequence. An activity is a defined chunk of work. The chain of the activities is based on
technical requirements, not on management concern. To conclude the sequence, it is helpful to
think in terms of inputs and outputs as follows:
What is needed as input in order to begin working on this activity?

What activities produce those as output?

Unique Activities

The activities in a project must be unique. A project has never happened before, and it will never
happen again under the same conditions. Something is always different each time the activities
of a project are repeated. Usually, the variations are random in nature—for example, a part is
delayed, someone is sick, a power failure occurs. These are random events that can happen, but
we never are sure of when, how, and with what impact on the schedule. These random variations
are the challenge for the project manager.

Complex Activities

2
The activities that make up the project are not simple, repetitive acts, such as mowing the lawn,
painting the house, washing the car, or loading the delivery truck. They are complex. For
example, designing an intuitive user interface to an application system is a complex activity.

Connected Activities

Connectedness implies that there is a logical or technical relationship between pairs of activities.
There is an order to the sequence in which the activities that make up the project must be
completed. They are considered connected because the output from one activity is the input to
another. For example, we must design the computer program before we can program it.

Unconnected Activities

You could have a list of unconnected activities that must all be complete in order to complete the
project. For example, consider of developing a payroll system. With some exceptions, the
different modules of payroll system like, data entry module, Updation module, calculation
module, etc. can be developed separately in any order. But the pay roll system as a whole cannot
be completed until all its modules are completely developed, but the different modules may be
developed in any order. So developing a payroll system with various modules in which the
modules can be developed in any order is not considered a project according to the definition.

What is Project Management?

The methods and regulation used to define goals, plan and monitor tasks and resources, identify
and resolve issues, and control costs and budgets for a specific project is known as project
management.

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS

Despite above diversities, projects share the following common characteristics.

 Unique in nature.
 Have definite objectives (goals) to achieve.
 Requires set of resources.
 Have a specific time frame for completion with a definite start and finish.
 Involves risk and uncertainty.
 Requires cross-functional teams and interdisciplinary approach.

3
Assignment………………….??

Distinguish between project, seminar and Term paper?

TWO MAIN APPROACHES TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1. Traditional (Waterfall)
2. Agile project management
TRADITIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Traditional project management involves very disciplined and deliberate planning and control
methods. With this approach, distinct project life cycle phases are easily recognizable. Tasks are
completed one after another in an orderly sequence, requiring a significant part of the project to
be planned up front. For example, in a construction project, the team needs to determine
requirements, design and plan for the entire building, and not just incremental components, in
order to understand the full scope of the effort. Traditional project management assumes that
events affecting the project are predictable and that tools and activities are well understood. In
addition, with traditional project management, once a phase is complete, it is assumed that it will
not be revisited. The strengths of this approach are that it lays out the steps for development and
stresses the importance of requirements. The limitations are that projects rarely follow the
sequential flow, and clients usually find it difficult to completely state all requirements early in
the project. This model is often viewed as a waterfall.

Figure 1: The waterfall project life cycle model

4
Today, business processes are more complex, interconnected, interdependent and interrelated
than ever before. For years, economists have been warning that success in a global marketplace
is contingent upon the capability to produce small batches of tailored products on a tight
schedule to meet growing demands in emerging markets. However, huge cost and schedule
overruns have been commonplace in the past.
AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Agile project management is a set of tools, templates, and processes for managing project whose
goal is clearly known but whose solution ranges from partially unknown to almost totally
unknown whether iterative, adaptive, extreme (XPM) or an approach like SCRUM.
For projects involving a significant software component, traditional project management can be
somewhat ineffective since the requirements are elusive, volatile and subject to change. An
alternative approach, Agile Project Management (APM), is emerging in the industry. APM is a
highly iterative and incremental process, where developers and project stakeholders actively
work together to understand the domain, identify what needs to be built, and prioritize
functionality.
Agile methods are used when these conditions are present: project value is clear; the customer
actively participates throughout the project; the customer, designers, and developers are co-
located; incremental feature-driven de velopment is possible; and visual documentation (cards on
the wall vs. formal documentation) is acceptable. Figure below depicts the Agile Development
Model.

Figure 3: The Agile Project life cycle model

There are two types of Agile project management;

5
1. Iterative - (used when most of the solution is known) and
2. Adaptive – (used when little of the solution is known)
Agile Management Components

There are several key elements that provide the basis for APM. It is important to note that these
techniques can also be used in traditional software development methods to improve project
performance. They are:

1. Visual control.
2. Co-located high-performing teams.
3. Test-driven development.
4. Adaptive control.
5. Collaborative development
6. Feature-driven development
7. Leadership and collaboration rather than command and control
8. Lessons learned.

PROJECT SCOPE, MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES

Milestones
Milestones are the dates by which you need to deliver certain things, or may be the date on
which a major activity ends. A milestone is a marker in a project that signifies a change or stage
in development. Milestones are powerful components in project management because they show
key events and map forward movement in your project plan.
Milestones act as signposts through the course of your project, helping ensure you stay on track.
Without project milestone tracking, you’re just monitoring tasks and not necessarily following
the right path in your project.
In project management, milestones are specific points within the project schedule that help teams
measure their progress toward an ultimate goal. For example, imagine a manufacturing team
that’s tasked with increasing productivity for a process that outputs loaves of bread. Some
milestones for such a project might include:

 Documenting the current state of the process

 Developing measurements for outputs
 Conducting a root cause analysis to identify the most important inputs
 Choosing an input to work on
 Coming up with a potential solution
 Getting approval for the solution
 Implementing and testing the solution
 Setting up a control process

6
 Completing a successful hand-off to day-to-day process teams

What is Project Scope Management?

Project scope management is a process that helps in determining and documenting the list of all the project
goals, tasks, deliverables, deadlines, and budgets as a part of the planning process. In project management,
it is common for a big project to have modifications along the way.
With the scope in the project management defined right in the beginning, it becomes much easier for
project teams to manage and make the required changes.

What are Project Outcomes

Project outcomes are results that occur from creating your product or service. They are the
changes in policies, people and communities that you aim to achieve with your work. Outcomes
may be positive or negative and sometimes occur unintentionally. These statements are specific
and measurable, letting you know when you accomplished your goal. While they lead to
creations, project outcomes focus more on the broad mission.
For example, when creating a bookshelf, the overall purpose isn't to have more bookcases and
wooden furniture, but to have a place to store your books. If the bookshelf company keeps that in
mind, they focus on designing a bookshelf that helps you hold your books.

Project Management Software, examples and their uses e. MS Project

Outline the uses of Project Management software
Outline the roles of Project Managers

UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT LIFECYCLE

A project life cycle is the sequence of phases that a project goes through from its initiation to its
closure. The number and sequence of the cycle are determined by the management and various
other factors like needs of the organization involved in the project, the nature of the project, and
its area of application.
The phases have a definite start, end, and control point and are constrained by time. The project
lifecycle can be defined and modified as per the needs and aspects of the organization. Even
though every project has a definite start and end, the particular objectives, deliverables, and
activities vary widely. The lifecycle provides the basic foundation of the actions that has to be
performed in the project, irrespective of the specific work involved. Project life cycles can range
from predictive or plan-driven approaches to adaptive or change-driven approaches. In a
predictive life cycle, the specifics are defined at the start of the project, and any alterations to
scope are carefully addressed. In an adaptive life cycle, the product is developed over multiple
iterations, and detailed scope is defined for iteration only as the iteration begins.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

7
Although projects are unique and highly unpredictable, their standard framework consists of
same generic lifecycle structure, consisting of following phases:
1. The Initiation Phase: Starting of the project
2. The Planning Phase: Organizing and Preparing
3. The Execution Phase: Carrying out the project
4. The Termination Phase: Closing the project

1. The Initiation Phase: The initiation phase aims to define and authorize the project. The
project manager takes the given information and creates a Project Charter. The Project Charter
authorizes the project and documents the primary requirements for the project. It includes
information such as:
 Project’s purpose, vision, and mission
 Measurable objectives and success criteria
 Elaborated project description, conditions, and risks
 Name and authority of the project sponsor
 Concerned stakeholders
2. The Planning Phase: The purpose of this phase is to lay down a detailed strategy of how the
project has to be performed and how to make it a success. Project Planning consists of two
parts:
 Strategic Planning
 Implementation Planning
In strategic planning, the overall approach to the project is developed. In implementation
planning, the ways to apply those decisions are sought.

8
3. The Execution Phase: In this phase, the decisions and activities defined during the planning
phase are implemented. During this phase, the project manager has to supervise the project and
prevent any errors from taking place. This process is also termed as monitoring and
controlling. After satisfaction from the customer, sponsor, and stakeholder’s end, he takes the
process to the next step.
4. The Termination Phase: This is the last phase of any project, and it marks the official
closure of the project.
Week 3
Project Lifecycle
Every project, from conception to completion, passes through various phases of a life cycle
synonym to life cycle of living beings. There is no universal consensus on the number of phases
in a project cycle. An understanding of the life cycle is important to successful completion of the
project as it facilitates to understand the logical sequence of events in the continuum of progress
from start to finish. Typical project consists of four phases- Conceptualization, Planning,
Execution and Termination. Each phase is marked by one or more deliverables such as Concept
note, Feasibility report, Implementation Plan, HRD plan, Resource allocation plan, Evaluation
report etc.
Conceptualization Phase
Conception phase, starting with the seed of an idea, it covers identification of the product /
service, Pre-feasibility, Feasibility studies and Appraisal and Approval. The project idea is
conceptualized with initial considerations of all possible alternatives for achieving the project
objectives. As the idea becomes established a proposal is developed setting out rationale,
method, estimated costs, benefits and other details for appraisal of the stakeholders. After
reaching a broad consensus on the proposal the feasibility dimensions are analyzed in detail.
Planning Phase
In this phase the project structure is planned based on project appraisal and approvals. Detailed
plans for activity, finance, and resources are developed and integrated to the quality parameters.
In the process major tasks need to be performed in this phase are
Identification of activities and their sequencing
Time frame for execution
Estimation and budgeting
Staffing

9
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) specifying various aspects of the project is finalized to
facilitate execution in this phase.
Execution Phase
This phase of the project witnesses the concentrated activity where the plans are put into
operation. Each activity is monitored, controlled and coordinated to achieve project objectives.
Important activities in this phase are
• Communicating with stakeholders
• Reviewing progress
• Monitoring cost and time
• Controlling quality
• Managing changes

Monitoring/Control and Closure………………..

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRIANGLE
It has been given many names, the Project Management Triangle, Iron Triangle and Project
Triangle which should give you an idea of how important the Triple Constraint is when
managing a project. If you are managing a project, then you are working with the Triple
Constraint.
Therefore, it can be easily argued that the Triple Constraint might be the single most important
concept in the history of project management. The genius who invented this model is on par with
the person who first came up with the wheel.
Triple constraint: It is a model of the constraints inherent in managing a project. Those
constraints are three fold:
1. Cost: The financial constraints of a project, also known as the project budget
2. Scope: The tasks required to fulfil the project’s goals
3. Time: The schedule for the project to reach completion
Basically, the Triple Constraint states that the success of the project is impacted by its budget,
deadlines and features. As a manager of that project, you can trade between these three
constraints; however, changing the constraints of one means that the other two will suffer to
some extent.
Triple Constraint is an important part of any successful project, it doesn’t determine success.
Projects are made from many parts, more than the three, albeit major ones, that make up the
Triple Constraint. Sometimes you can’t play around with the Triple Constraint, but those three
factors are always at play in the project.
Why Is the Triple Constraint Important?

10
Think of the Triple Constraint as the boundaries in which you can work. Just as restrictions
enhance creativity, the Triple Constraint provides a framework that everyone in the project can
agree on. These metrics drive the project forward while allowing for adjustments as needed when
issues arise.
Managing a project is often a series of trade-offs and compromises to keep things moving
towards a successful completion. The Triple Constraint is a model that helps managers know
what trade-offs are going to work and what impact they will have on other aspects of the project.

What Is a Project Proposal?

A project proposal is a project management document that’s used to define the objectives and
requirements of a project. It helps organizations and external project stakeholders agree on an
initial project planning framework.

The main purpose of a project proposal is to get buy-in from decision-makers. That’s why a
project proposal outlines your project’s core value proposition; it sells value to both internal and
external project stakeholders. The intent of the proposal is to grab the attention of stakeholders
and project sponsors. Then, the next step is getting them excited about the project summary.

Types of Project Proposals

In terms of types of project proposals, you can have one that’s formally solicited, informally
solicited or a combination. There can also be renewal and supplemental proposals. Here’s a brief
description of each of them.

Solicited project proposal: This is sent as a response to a request for proposal (RFP). Here,
you’ll need to adhere to the RFP guidelines of the project owner.

11
Unsolicited project proposal: You can send project proposals without having received a request
for a proposal. This can happen in open bids for construction projects, where a project owner
receives unsolicited project proposals from many contractors.
Informal project proposal: This type of project proposal is created when a client asks for an
informal proposal without an RFP.
Renewal project proposal: You can use a renewal project proposal when you’re reaching out to
past customers. The advantage is that you can highlight past positive results and future benefits.
Continuation project proposal: A continuation project proposal is sent to investors and
stakeholders to communicate project progress.
Supplemental proje ct proposal: This proposal is sent to investors to ask for additional
resources during the project execution phase.
Project Proposal vs. Project Charter
A project proposal is a detailed document that’s used to convince the project sponsor that the
project being proposed is worth the time, money and effort to deliver it. This is done by showing
how the project will address a business problem or opportunity. It also outlines the work that will
be done and how it will be done.
A project charter can seem like the same thing as a project proposal as it also defines the
project in a document. It identifies the project objectives, scope, goals, stakeholders and team.
But it’s done after the project has been agreed upon by all stakeholders and the project has been
accepted. The project charter authorizes the project and documents its requirements to meet
stakeholders’ needs.
A project charter is a short document that lists the scope, objectives, deliverables, and
stakeholders of a project, and delineates roles and responsibilities of each member of the project
team. The project charter is the first deliverable of the project, used to secure stakeholder
approval for the project goals and terms, and establish authority for the project manager
Project Team and role of members in project cycle
Pure Project Teams A pure project team is a specially constituted work group formed within the
organisation and given a special assignment or task. The assignment could be any of the
following:
a. installation of a new computer system
b. design of a new product
c. design of a new service format.
Usually, members of a pure project team are nominated to join the team based on certain criteria.
A team leader or ma nager is usually placed at the head of the team. In most cases, after the
assignment has been completed, the team is disbanded.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

12
Project requirements analysis is critical to the achievement of development project.
Requirements should be measurable, actionable, and testable and also should be related to the
user’s expectations. Requirement without any ambiguity fulfill the user’s requirement make
project successful. While gathering requirements focused on “what” should be required rather
than “how” it is required
Projects requirements gathering techniques
Requirement gathering is the act of gathering the list of requirements to defined what is a project
is about and its goal. You can gather insights from the stakeholders, whether they are clients
employee users, customer or vendors.
Requirement gathering often acts as a blueprints of a project. Poorly established requirements
can have a negative impact, while properly established can lead to success.
There are two types of Requirements:
Functional: These requirements are the processes, information and interaction that the client
wants to built and includes how the system and its environment interact.
Non functional: These requirements are about operational and technical aspects, like encryption,
security, disaster recovery, hosting and business continuity.
Below are some of the techniques:
Interview
Interview is common technique used for gather data or information. In this technique interviewer
conduct a meeting with interviewee. Interviews questions should be according to the
interviewee’s level. Gather information according to his/her requirement. Questions should be
open ended however; interviewee can provide clear answer of your question.
There are three types of questions. These are structured, unstructured and semi structured.
Structured interviews are conducted where domain is specified. In this type specific questions are
asked and get to the point answer. In this way, all the questions are covered up in this type. The
other is unstructured interview in this type interviewer ask questions and require detail answer of
these questions. Interviewer applies only partial control over the way of discussion. In this way
some topic may be neglected. Semi structured is combination of both. The semi structured
interview, where elementary usual of the question is organized and used.
Questionnaires
Questionnaire is best technique for gathering information. In this technique questions are listed
in paper. Questions are filled by the stakeholders and get the answer of these questions. In this
technique stakeholders cannot express their idea. No new dimension can be defined.
Questionnaire type focused on the limited information eliminated unnecessary information.
Brainstorming

13
Brainstorming technique is group discussion in which members shares their ideas and find out
the solution of specific problem. Brainstorming generates or gathers new ideas rather than its
quality. This technique is more popular because of it is a group activity all the members share
own idea. It is more productive for the reason that groups. When members generate idea it is
more value able as of group product and members enjoy the group activity.
Storyboard
In this technique user, customer and developers draw picture of what they want to develop
software. Draw picture of all requirement like tool bar, main window, dialogue boxes etc. After
draw full picture of all requirements, all members agreed upon on it. It is just like paper
prototyping. Storyboarding is very common technique for designing about which you want to get
information for their project. Storyboarding is much realistic for understanding about software’s
structure for unknown persons who do not know about technical terms. There are some attribute
or elements of sto ryboarding, which explain basic points for draw storyboarding.
Prototyping
Prototyping is more significance technique for gathering requirement. Through prototyping
detailed requirements can be gathered if preliminary requirements are already collected.
Prototyping is much effective for gathering relevant information from users; users provide
relevant information and also provide feedback. This technique is useful when users or
stakeholders not aware about technical terms in this way they deliver right information and react
on their requirement which is develop by designer or developers. Sometimes this technique is
expensive in tenure of cost and time. Prototype can be flat diagrams. It helps us to prevent from
misperception.
Use cases
Use case analysis is a document that defines relationship between actor and system. Arrangement
of actions a user uses a system to complete a procedure. Define how system will behave in
particular situation. Use case can be used to represent business functionality.
An actor is used as interaction with system how to discuss with system or its environment. Use
case will be successful when its goal is satisfying. Use case description also include in use case
analysis. Use case steps are written in easy and understandable format of use case diagram.
System is preserved such as black box, in which actor presents as whom, what will be interact as
system and purpose or goal for interaction with the system without knowing about internal
system. Here is format of use case description. For example, in an online shopping system as we
can see in below figure:
Use case showing an online shopping system

14
JAD (Joint Application Development)
In this technique all stakeholders are include for solution of problem or gathering information.
With all parties decision can be made speedily. Main difference between JAD and brainstorming
is that system have previously recognized before stakeholders take part. JAD session is well-
maintained with define phases and role of
JAD (Joint Application Development) In this technique all stakeholders are include for solution
of problem or gathering information. With all parties decision can be made speedily. Main
difference between JAD and brainstorming is that system have previously recognized before
stakeholders take part. JAD session is well-maintained with define phases and role of
An assignment
1. Explain Project Requirement Analysis tools: Data Flow Model (DFM), ERM, Coloured
Petri Nets (CPN)
2. Outline the components of a requirements document: technical architecture, development
planning, testing etc.
Week5-6

15
Project planning involves a series of steps that determine how to achieve a particular community
or organizational goal or set of related goals. This goal can be identified in a community plan or
a strategic plan. Project plans can also be based on community goals or action strategies
developed through community meetings and gatherings, tribal council or board meetings, or
other planning processes. The planning process should occur before you write your application
and submit it for funding.
Project planning:
 identifies specific community problems that stand in the way of meeting community goals.
 creates a work plan for addressing problems and attaining the goals.
 describes measurable beneficial impacts to the community that result from the project’s
implementation.
 determines the level of resources or funding necessary to implement the project.
Why is project planning important?
Project planning help us to: Project planning help us to climate:
think ahead and prepare for the future clarify poor planning
goals and develop a vision identify issues that overambitious projects
will need to be addressed choose between unsustainable projects
options consider whether a project is possible undefined problems
make the best use of resources motivate staff unstructured project work plans
and the community assign resources and
responsibilities achieve the best results

Project planning activities: creating project plan, resource plan, Financial plan etc.
 Creating project plan: (this has to do with the initiating the overall project event)
 Resource plan: (this deals with allocation of resources at every phase of project
development)
 Financial plan (this has to do with the funding of the entire project) and many more….
Tools for project planning (e.g. PERT Chart, Gantt chart, WBS, RAM etc.)
PERT Chart: This is sometimes called a PERT diagram, is a project management tool used to
schedule, organize and coordinate task within a project. It provides a graphical representation
project’s timeline that enable project managers to breakdown each individual task in a project for
analysis.
The PERT chart template uses nodes drawn as rectangles or circles to present events and
milestones throughout the project. The notes are connected by vectors drawn as lines which
represent the various task that needed to be completed. PERT charts provide the managers with an
estimation of time needed to complete a project. Managers can also analyze the Work Breakdown
and task connections, as well as assess the risk associated with the project.

16
The critical path method (CPM) is a technique used by project managers to create a project
schedule and estimate the total duration of a project. It is commonly used in conjunction with the
program evaluation and review technique (PERT).
The critical path method (CPM), or critical path analysis (CPA), is an algorithm for scheduling a
set of project activities. It is commonly used in conjunction with the program evaluation and
review technique (PERT). A critical path is determined by identifying the longest stretch of
dependent activities and measuring the time required to complete them from start to finish.
A project consists of interesting activities which are to be executed in certain order before the
entire task is completed. These activities are interrelated in a logical sequence which are known as
precedence relationship.
Project is represented in the form of a work for the purpose of analytical treatment to get solutions
for scheduling and controlling its activities.
TECHNIQUES OF PROJECT MANGEMENT
i. CPM – Critical Path Method
ii. PERT – Project Evaluation and Review Techniques
Phases of project Planning
Planning:
 Diving into distinct activities
 Estimate time Requirement for all activities
 Estimate precedence relation among all activities
 Constructing of arrow diagram network
Scheduling: determine the start time and end time of each and every activity.
Controlling: using arrow diagram and time chart for monitoring and progress.
GUIDELINES FOR NETWORK CONCEPTION.

17
1. The starting event and ending event of an activity are called Tail and Head events
respectively.
2. The network should have a unique starting node (tail node)
3. The network should have a unique completing node (head event)
4. No activity should be represented by more than one arc in the network.
5. No two activities should have the same starting node and ending node.
6. Dummy activity is an imaginary activity indicating precedence relationship only duration
of a dummy activity is zero.
Consider the details of the project below in the table below:
Activity Immediate Precedence Duration (month)
A --- 2
B --- 5
C --- 4
D B 5
E A 7
F A 3
G B 3
H C,D 6
I C,D 2
J E 5
K F,G,H 4
L F,G,H 3
M I 12
N J,K 8

a) Construct the CPM Network

b) Determine the Critical path and Project completion time
c) Complete total floats and free floats for non-critical activities.
Note: critical path of a project network is the longest is the longest path in the network. This can
be identified simply listing out all the possible path from the start node of the project to the end
node of the project and then selecting the path with the maximum sum of activity time on that
path.

18
19