Software project management

Process

A sequence of inputs, tools, and outputs where the output of one process becomes the input of another.

Phases

Defined stages of a project lifecycle, such as requirements gathering, design, development, and testing.

Program

A collection of related projects managed together to achieve a larger goal.

Progressive Elaboration

Refining project details as more information becomes available over time.

Negotiating

Reaching mutual agreements.

Problem-Solving

Defining issues and resolving factors causing problems.

Cost Constraint

The budget allocated for completing the project.

Schedule Constraint

The timeline and deadlines for project milestones.

Quality Constraint

Ensuring deliverables meet defined standards.

Scope Constraint

The work required to complete the project.

4 Constraints in Iron Triangle

Cost, Schedule, Quality, Scope

Pursuit

Winning the project.

Program Execution

Development and delivery of capabilities.

Sustainment

Maintenance and continued support after delivery.

Entire Project Lifecycle

Pursuit, Program Execution, Sustainment

Forming

Team members getting to know each other in a self-organizing team.

Storming

Conflicts arising as roles become clear in a self-organizing team.

Norming

Team beginning to work well together in a self-organizing team.

Performing

Team reaching peak functionality and productivity in a self-organizing team.

Adjourning

Team disbanding once the project is completed in a self-organizing team.

Self-Organizing Team Phases

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning

PMP Initiating

Defining the project scope and identifying stakeholders

PMP Planning

Developing detailed project plans (budget, schedule, resources)

PMP Executing

Implementing the project plan and producing deliverables

PMP Monitoring and Controlling

Tracking project performance and making necessary adjustments

PMP Closing

Finalizing all activities and formally closing the project

Project Management Process Groups (PMP)

Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing

Principles of Agile

Flexibility, collaboration, and delivering value to the customer

Agile Scrum Framework

Focuses on Sprints with regular feedback and incremental progress

SDLC Phases

Initiation, Requirements Gathering, Sprint Planning, Spring Execution, Integration and Testing, Deployment

Agile Requirements Gathering

Understanding and documenting what needs to be built

User Stories

Simple and informal descriptions of features from an end-user's perspective, typically written in a specific format.

Testable User Stories

User stories that include clear acceptance criteria for testing.

Epics

Large user stories that can be broken down into smaller stories.

Testable User Stories Characteristics

Independent, Observable, Specific, Measurable, Feasible.

Prioritizing Requirements

Ensuring effective use of limited resources, time, and budget.

MoSCoW Method

Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have prioritization technique.

HML Priority

High-Medium-Low priority categorization.

Kano Model

Focuses on customer satisfaction levels (Basic, Performance, Excitement).

Value vs Complexity Matrix

Prioritizes based on value to stakeholders and implementation complexity.

Project Vision

High-level description of the project's purpose and goals.

Concept of Operations (ConOps)

Describes how the system will be used from a user's perspective.

Kanban and Scrum Boards

Visual tools used to track user stories and workflows

Product Backlog

Prioritized list of user stories and requirements that define the project scope.

Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)

high-level estimate of cost and effort, often used for changerequests in Agile projects

Velocity

Metric measuring how much work a team can complete within a specific time frame.

Product Backlog Creation

establish epics then establish testable user stories

Dependencies and Risks

Identifying external dependencies and risks is essential for managing project timelines and completion

ROM Estimation Process

Created using Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) phases and assumptions. Labor Category (LCAT) rates are applied to estimate costs.

Project Manager

Responsible for the project's outcome and decision-making authority over resources, budget, and scope.

What are the different Project Roles

Project Manager, Project Coordinator, Scrum Master, Product Owner, Sponsor, Stakeholders

Influencing

Accomplishing goals without formal authority.

What are the Key Project Management Skills

Leading, Communicating, Negotiating, Problem-Solving, Influencing

Waterfall Methodology

A linear, sequential approach where each phase must be completed before the next begins.

Agile Methodology

Iterative, flexible, and allows for feedback and changes throughout the development process.

Use Cases

Details how users interact with the system to achieve specific goals.

Story Points

Relative measure of the effort required for tasks in Agile estimation.

Planning Poker

Collaborative method for estimating effort using story points.

T-Shirt Sizing

Assigning relative sizes (small, medium, large) to tasks in Agile estimation.

Project

A temporary and unique effort with a specific purpose, consisting of interrelated tasks.

Portfolio

The total investment in projects and programs aligned with strategic goals.

Baseline

The project plan used to measure performance and control changes in terms of time, scope, and cost.

Lessons Learned

Documentation of variances and key takeaways after project phases to inform future efforts.

Technical Debt

Consequences of opting for quick, suboptimal solutions in software development leading to increased complexity and maintenance costs over time.

Examples of Technical Debt

code duplication, lack of documentation, untested code, quick fixes

Scrum Master

Ensures the Scrum process is followed in Agile development.

Product Owner

Defines and prioritizes features and manages the product backlog in Agile

Sponsor

Provides financial resources and support for the project.

Functional Organizational Structure

Employees report to functional managers, and project managers have limited authority.

Projectized Organizational Structure

Project managers have full authority over the team and resources.

Matrix Organizational Structure

A hybrid model where power is shared between project managers and functional managers, with variations in strength of authority.

Leading

Motivating and inspiring team commitment.

Communicating

Clear exchange of information.

What does Release Planning Do

Helps set expectations for stakeholders and ensures a steady flow of value to the customers

Increment Planning Sessions

Define increment goals, solidify estimates, and identify external dependencies.

How is Total Project Capacity Estimated

based on resources available for each team

How do you Calculate Capacity for Increment by product

X points for Product A, Y points for Product B, Z points for Product C, Total Points = X + Y + Z

How do you Calculate Total Capacity for Increment

(points_per_sprint x N sprints) for each Product

What is on a High-Level Schedule

Requirements submitted and finalized by Due Dates, Conduct quarterly releases with maintenance releases in between (sprints), and Major Phases and SETR events

What is the main purpose of a high-level schedule?

To communicate to customer, stakeholder and team about the key milestones of the project

What is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

A hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller, more manageable components or tasks. Each level of the WBS provides a more detailed breakdown, from major project phases to individual tasks. Basically a table of contents

What is the purpose of a WBS

It organizes and defines the total scope of the project by breakingdown the deliverables and work into smaller elements, oftenrepresented as a tree structure

What does the Project Time Management include

the processes required to accomplish timely completion of the project

What are the 6 Scheduling Basics

Activity Definition, Activity Sequencing, Activity Resource Estimating, Activity Duration Estimating, Schedule Development, Schedule Control

What are Work Packages in the Activity Definition Process

planned into smaller components call schedule activities to provide a basis for estimating, scheduling, executing, and monitoring and controlling the project work

What are the 3 types of dependencies in diagramming

Mandatory, Discretionary, and External

What are the 6 benefits of Network Diagramming

Show interdependencies, Show workflow, Aid in effective planning, organizing and controlling, Compress the schedule, Show program progress, Help justify time estimate

What are the 4 Artifacts involved in creating a project schedule in Agile

Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Burndown Charts, and Release Plan

How are the 4 steps to create a project schedule

Define project start and end dates, Add tasks based on our Agile Product Backlog, Set task durations and dependencies, Assign team members to each task

How do you Monitor Progress in MS Project

Update task status regularly, Review Gantt charts and reports to assess progress, Identify and resolve potential delays, Adapt the plan if required based on feedback and changes

Release Planning

deciding which items from the Product Backlog will be included in a release

What are the Increment Planning Objectives by Session

Requirements elicitation, prioritization, and product management executed in close collaboration with stakeholders.

What are the Primary Goal of an Increment Functional Review

Ensures that product backlog items are clearly identified and the release functional baseline is established.

What does an Increment Functional Review act as?

acts as the SRR for each increment and acts as the PDR for the upcoming increment release to ensure the system proceeding into development can meet requirements within the iron triangle

What is a WBS a Blueprint for?

laying out a project schedule

What is the Purpose of the Activity Definition Process

identify the deliverables at the lowest level in the Work Breakdown Structure, which is call theWork Package

What are MS Project Dependencies

dependencies between activities define the sequence and relationships between different tasks or activities in a project

What is the purpose of MS Project Dependencies

help determine the order in which tasks should be executed and how they affect one another

What are the 4 Main Types of MS Project Dependencies

finish-to-start, start-to-finish, start-to-start, finish-to-finish

What is Finish-To-Start

the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity is completed