Software Project Management


Software Project Management can be condensed into the following proverb:
.... Some days you will be the pigeon and some days you will be the statue - accept it!

Managing software projects is difficult under the best circumstances. Unfortunately, many new project managers receive virtually no job training. The following are some of the basic tasks new project managers will get involved with …but unfortunately, none of them is a silver bullet (See Brooks classical text) for their project management problems.

    Getting Started

  1. Define project success and product release criteria criteria
  2. Identify project drivers and constraints.
  3. Negotiate commitments
  4. Planning the Work

  5. Write a plan and decompose it into small(-ish) work packages
  6. Identify, plan for and manage risks
  7. Estimating the Project

  8. Estimate of effort.
  9. Plan contingency buffers.
  10. Tracking the Progress

  11. Tasks only have value when they are 100% complete
  12. Track project status  - objectively!
So tell me . How do I implement these basic ideas?  I hear you cry!

Unfortunately, nobody really knows . hence the need for Lean Driven Software Development and research into IT portfolio management and COTS Acquisition Processes ..... and .....