Step-Wise Project Management

'Step Wise' Aspirations

• Practicality aims to answer what to do next
• Scalability is useful for both small and large projects
• Incorporates a range of applications and accepted techniques from sources like PRINCE

'Step Wise' Overview

• Step 0: Select project
• Step 1: Identify project objectives
• Step 2: Identify project infrastructure
• Step 3: Analyse project characteristics
• Step 4: Identify products and activities
• Step 5: Estimate effort for activity
• Step 6: Identify activity risks
• Step 7: Allocate resources
• Step 8: Review/publicize plan
• Step 9: Execute plan
• Step 10: Lower level planning

Project Scenario

• Hardware/software engineering company uses C++ as coding language
• Teams are selected for individual projects
• Teams have friction between members
• A HR manager suggests psychometric testing to select team

Project Scenario Continued

• A software package is to be used to test staff
• Visual basic is suggested as a vehicle for implementation
• Usability is important, usability tests are carried out

Step 1: Establish Project Scope and Objectives

• 1.1. Identify objectives and how to measure effectiveness
• 1.2. Establish a project authority to determine project leadership
• 1.3. Identify stakeholders in the project and their interests

Step 1 Continued

• 1.4 Objectives should be modified in the light of stakeholder analysis
• 1.5 Establish communication methods with all parties

Back to the Scenario

• Project authority should be a project manager, not HR
• Stakeholders are project team members who complete questionnaires and may be concerned about the results
• Objectives involve feedback to the team members on results

Step 2: Establish Project Infrastructure

• 2.1 Establish link between project and any strategic plan
• 2.2 Identify installation standards and procedures
• 2.3 Identify the project team organization

Step 3: Analysis of Project Characteristics

• 3.1 Distinguish the project as either objective or product-based
• 3.2 Analyze project characteristics including quality based

Step 3 Continued

• Identify high-level project risks and ways to mitigate
• User requirements concerning implementation are vital
• Select a general life cycle approach: waterfall, increments, or prototypes?
• Review overall resource estimates to manage costs

Back to the Scenario

• Key considerations are the objectives versus products
• Risks include team members unwilling to cooperate, project managers unwilling to try the application, and developers unfamiliar with features of VB
• Consider using an evolutionary prototype

Step 4: Identify Project Products and Activities

• 4.1 Identify and describe project products
• Usability testing breaks down into smaller segments such as selected subjects, testing arrangements, test results and change requests
• Selected Subject breaks down further in to 'Booked PC'
• Testing arrangements break down further into 'Questionnaire design'
• Test results break down further into 'completed questionnaire'
• Changes requests break down further in to 'Analysis report'

Products

• The result of an activity
• Can be a: physical thing ('installed pc'), document ('logical data structure'), person ('trained user'), new version of an old product ('updated software')

Products - What They Are Not

• Tasks which are activities such as training
• The completion of an interview schedule
• Software developers are resources

Product Description (PD)

• Important elements for a product description: product identity, description, derivation, composition, format, relevant standards, quality criteria
• Create a PD for test data

Step 4 Continued

• 4.2 Document Generic product flows, such as testing plan, selected subjects, questionnaire design, booked machine, completed questionnaire, test results, Analysis report, change of requests

Step 4.3: Recognize Product Instances

• PBS and PFD identify generic products such as software modules
• Specific instances can be identified such as module A or module B
• Detailed planning is left for later

step 4.4 Produce Ideal Activity Network

• Identify the activities needed to create each product in the PFD
• More than one activity is needed to create a single product
• Identify activities by verb and noun and avoid "produce"
• Draw up activity network

"Ideal" Activity Example

• Select subjects, plan testing, design questionnaire, conduct tests, analyse results, draft change requests with a booked machine

Step 4.5 Add Check Points if Needed

• Check points can be added during design to provide code for each system

Step 5: Estimate Effort for Each Activity

• 5.1 Carry out bottom-up estimates and distinguish carefully between effort and elapsed time
• 5.2 Revise plan to create controllable activities by breaking up very long activities and bundling up very short activities

Step 6: Identify Activity Risks

• 6.1 Identify and quantify risks for activities, including damage and likelihood
• 6.2 Plan risk reduction and contingency measures, with activities to stop risk from occurring and actions if risk occurs
• 6.3 Adjust overall plans and estimates to account for, such as adding risk reduction activities like training or pilot trials

Step 7: Allocate Resources

• 7.1 Identify and allocate resources to activities
• 7.2 Revise plans and estimates to take into account resource constraints such as staff availability and non-project activities

Gantt Charts

• Visualizations that show time allocated for an activity during the project
• LT (Lead Tester)
• TA (Testing Assistant)

Step 8: Review/Publicise Plan

• 8.1 Review quality aspects of the project plan
• 8.2 Document plan and obtain agreement

Step 9 and 10: Execute Plan and Create Lower Level Plans

• Execute the plan and create lower level plans