Effective Software Project Management

Why another book on software project management?

For some time, the fields of project management, computer science, and software development have been growing rapidly and concurrently. Effective support for the enterprise demands the merging of these efforts into a coordinated discipline, one that incorporates best practices from both systems development and project management life cycles. Robert K. Wysocki creates that discipline in this book–a ready reference for professionals and consultants as well as a textbook for students of computer information systems and project management.

By their very nature, software projects defy a “one size fits all” approach. In these pages you will learn to apply best-practice principles while maintaining the flexibility that’s essential for successful software development.

Learn how to make the planning process fit the need

• Understand how and why software development must be planned on a certainty-to-uncertainty continuum
• Categorize your projects on a four-quadrant model
• Learn when to use each of the five SDPM strategies–Linear, Incremental, Iterative, Adaptive, and Extreme
• Explore the benefits of each strategic model and what types of projects it supports best
• Recognize the activities that go into the Scoping, Planning, Launching, Monitoring/Controlling, and Closing phases of each strategy
• Apply this knowledge to the specific projects you manage
• Get a clear picture of where you are and how to get where you want to go

Table of Contents

Part One: The Evolving State of ESPM
Chapter 1: The Changing Landscape of Software Development
Chapter 2: SDPM Roadmap

Part Two: Linear ESPM
Chapter 3: Linear SDPM Strategy
Chapter 4: The Linear SDPM Scoping Phase
Chapter 5: The Linear SDPM Planning Phase
Chapter 6: The Linear SDPM Launching Phase
Chapter 7: The Linear SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase
Chapter 8: The Linear SDPM Closing Phase
Chapter 9: The Linear SDPM Strategy Summary

Part Three: Incremental ESPM
Chapter 10: Incremental SDPM Strategy
Chapter 11: The Incremental SDPM Scoping Phase
Chapter 12: The Incremental SDPM Planning Phase
Chapter 13: The Incremental SDPM Launching Phase
Chapter 14: The Incremental SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase
Chapter 15: The Incremental SDPM Closing Phase
Chapter 16: The Incremental SDPM Strategy Summary

Part Four: Iterative ESPM
Chapter 17: Iterative SDPM Strategy
Chapter 18: The Iterative SDPM Scoping Phase
Chapter 19: The Iterative SDPM Planning Phase
Chapter 20: The Iterative SDPM Launching Phase
Chapter 21: The Iterative SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase
Chapter 22: The Iterative SDPM Closing Phase
Chapter 23: The Iterative SDPM Strategy Summary

Part Five: Adaptive ESPM
Chapter 24: Adaptive SDPM Strategy
Chapter 25: The Adaptive SDPM Scoping Phase
Chapter 26: The Adaptive SDPM Planning Phase
Chapter 27: The Adaptive SDPM Launching Phase
Chapter 28: The Adaptive SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase
Chapter 29: The Adaptive SDPM Closing Phase
Chapter 30: The Adaptive SDPM Strategy Summary

Part Six: Extreme ESPM
Chapter 31: Extreme SDPM Strategy
Chapter 32: The Extreme SDPM Scoping Phase
Chapter 33: The Extreme SDPM Planning Phase
Chapter 34: The Extreme SDPM Launching Phase
Chapter 35: The Extreme SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase
Chapter 36: The Extreme SDPM Closing Phase
Chapter 37: The Extreme SDPM Strategy Summary

Part Seven: In Summary
Chapter 38: Where Are You?
Chapter 39: Where Do You Want To Go and How Can You Get There?

Appendix A: What’s on the Web Site?
Appendix B: Bibliography
Appendix C: The Project Overview Statement
Appendix D: Requirements Gathering
Appendix E: The Work Breakdown Structure
Appendix F: Estimation
Appendix G: The Project Network Diagram
Appendix H: The Resource Schedule
Appendix I: Organizing the Project Team
Appendix J: Project Performance Reporting
Appendix K: Business Process Flow Diagramming