SDPM - Lecture 2 -The STEP WISE Approach to Project Planning

Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

STEP WISE

The STEP WISE Approach to Project Planning Prof. Dr. Thomas Bäck

1 System‘s Development and Project Management - Prof. Dr. Thomas Bäck

Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science Dates

Feb. 1 14:45 – 17:30 Introduction, Project Description Feb. 2 13:45 – 16:30 STEP WISE Approach to Project Planning Feb. 9 13:45 – 16:30 Selecting an Appropriate Software Dev.

Approach Feb. 15 14:45 – 17:30 Activity Planning and Resource Allocation Feb. 16 13:45 – 16:30 Software Effort Estimation Feb. 22 14:45 – 17:30 Risk management, project escalation Feb. 23 13:45 – 16:30 Project monitoring and control Mar. 1 14:45 – 17:00 Exam Mar. 2 13:45 – 16:30 Software Quality Assurance Mar. 8 14:45 – 17:30 Managing People; Contract Management Mar. 9 13:45 – 16:30 Various Mar. 15 14:45 – 17:30 Trade Fair

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3

Deadlines

February 18, midnight Assignment 1: Project proposal (‘bid’)

February 25, midnight Assignment 2: Project Plan including functional specification

March 1, midnight Assignment 3: Deutsche Bank case, 5 ppt slides

March 1 (14:45 – 17:00) Exam March 15 (14:45 – 17:30) Trade fair March 16, midnight Assignment 4:

Personal reflection paper on project management


Save Energy Applications

!  Project Control Book: Template ! !   ProjectControlBook.doc (Blackboard)

!  Project proposal (bid) due by Feb 18, midnight



STEP WISE Approach to Planning !  STEP WISE Approach to Planning Software

Projects !  STEP WISE aspirations

!   Practicality •  Tries to answer the question „what do I do now ?“

!   Scalability •  Useful for small project as well as large

!   Range of application !   Accepted techniques

•  E.g. borrowed from PRINCE, etc. •  PRojects IN Controlled Environments



STEP WISE overview


1. Identify project objectives 0. Select Project 2. Identify project infrastructure

3. Analyze pr. characteristics

4. Identify products and activities

5. Estimate effort for activity

6. Identify activity risks

7. Allocate resources

8. Review / publicize plan 9. Execute plan

10. Lower level planning

For each activity

Review lower level detail


Example: A project scenario !   Hardware / software engineering company (C++

language of choice) !   Teams are selected for individual projects – some

friction has been found between team members !   HR manager suggests psychometric testing to select

team !   Software package to be used to test staff !   MS Access suggested as a vehicle for

implementation !   Usability is important – decision to carry out usability

tests 7 System‘s Development and Project Management - Prof. Dr. Thomas Bäck


Program management

!   Individual projects vs. Program components !  Collection of projects that contribute to the

same overall organizational goals !  Well-defined program goal, projects selected

and tuned according to this goal: !   Contribution and visibility !   Timing and resourcing !   Financial outcome



Feasibility study !   Introduction: identifies what the document is !  Description of current situation !  Problem description !  Proposed development:

!   Business and financial aspects !   Technical aspects !   Organizational aspects



Feasibility study (cont‘d) !  Estimated costs

!   Development costs !   Setup costs !   Operational costs

!  Envisaged Benefits !   Direct Benefits !   Assessable indirect benefits, e.g., increased

accuracy !   Intangible benefits

!  Recommendations



Cost-benefit evaluation techniques !   Net profit !   Payback period !   Return on investment (ROI)

!   The profit or loss resulting from a project

!   Net present value (NPV) !   An approach used in capital budgeting where the present value of cash

inflow is subtracted from the present value of cash outflows.

!   Internal rate of return (IRR) !   Often used in capital budgeting, it's the interest rate that makes net present

value of all cash flow equal zero. Essentially, this is the return that a company would earn if they expanded or invested in themselves, rather than investing that money abroad.

!   Decision trees, etc.



Step 1: Establish project scope and objectives

!   1.1 Identify objectives and measures of effectiveness !   How do we know if we have succeeded ?

!   1.2 Establish a project authority !   Who is the boss ?

!   1.3 Identify all stakeholders in the project and their interests !   Who will be affected / involved in the project ?

!   1.4 Modify objectives in the light of stakeholder analysis !   Do we need to do things to win over stakeholders ?

!   1.5 Establish methods of communication with all parties !   How do we keep in contact ?



Example: Continued !  Project authority

!   Should be a project manager rather than HR manager ?

!  Stakeholders !   Project team members to complete online

questionnaires: concern about results ? !  Revision to objectives

!   Provide feedback to team members on results



Stakeholders


!   = individuals/organizations that are involved in or affected by project activities. !   Can have tremendous impact on project development. !   Conflict among stakeholders is inevitable. !   Bargaining and negotiation required. !   Often, all stakeholder groups are slightly annoyed with the

project team. !   Tradeoffs among stakeholder groups.


Step 2: Establish project infrastructure !  2.1 Establish link between project and any

strategic plan !   Why did they want the project ?

!  2.2 Identify installation standards and procedures !   What standards do we have to follow ?

!  2.3 Identify project team organization !   Where do I fit in ?



Step 3: Analysis of project characteristics !   3.1 Distinguish the project as either objective or product-based

!   Is there more than one way of achieving success ? !   3.2 Analyze other project characteristics (including quality-based

ones) !   What is different about this project ?

!   3.3 Identify high-level project risks !   What could go wrong ? !   What can we do to stop it ?

!   3.4 Take into account user requirements concerning implementation !   3.5 Select general life cycle approach

!   Waterfall ? Increments ? Prototypes ? !   3.6 Review overall resource estimates

!   Does all this increase the cost ?



Example: Continued !  Objectives vs. Products

!   Use paper questionnaire then input results of the analysis ?

!  Some risks !   Team members worried about implications and do not

cooperate !   Project managers unwilling to try out application !   Design difficult to implement in MS Access

!  Answer ? – Evolutionary prototype ?



Step 4: Identify project products and activities !   4.1 Identify and describe project products –

What do we have to produce ?

!   PBS: Product Breakdown Structure


Usability testing

Change requests Test results Testing arrangements Selected subjects

Analysis report Completed questionnaire

Questionnaire design Booked machine

A product breakdown Structure (PBS)


Products !   The result of an activity !   Could be (among other things)

!   Physical thing („installed PC“) !   A document („logical data structure“) !   A person („trained user“) !   A new version of an old product („updated software“)

!   The following are NOT normally products !   Activities (e.g., training) !   Events (e.g., „interviews completed“) !   Resources and actors (e.g., „software developer“) – may be exceptions

to this !   Products CAN BE deliverable or intermediate



Product description (PD) !   Product identity !   Description – what is it ? !   Derivation – what is it based on ? !   Composition – what does it contain ? !   Format !   Relevant standards !   Quality criteria

Create a PD for „test data“



Step 4 (cont‘d) !   4.1 Document generic product flows

!   PFD: Product Flow Diagram Sequence in which products are to be created


Testing plan

Test results

Booked machine Questionnaire design Selected subjects

Change requests

Completed questionnaire

Questionnaire analysis


Step 4 (cont‘d) !   4.3 Recognize product instances:

!   The PBS and PFD will probably have identified generic products, e.g., „software modules“

!   It might be possible to identify specific instances, e.g., „module A“, „module B“ …

!   But in many cases this will have to be left to later, more detailed planning

!   4.4 Produce ideal activity network: !   Identify the activities needed to create each product in the PFD !   More than one activity might be needed to create a single

product !   Hint: Identify activities by verb + noun but avoid „produce …“ (too vague)

!   Draw up activity network



An „ideal“ Activity


Plan testing Design questionnaire Conduct tests Analyze results Draft change requests

Book machine

Select subjects


Step 4 (cont‘d) !  4.5 Add check-points if needed


Design system Design module B Test system

Design module C

Design module A

Code module B

Code module C

Code module A

Design system Design module B Test system

Design module C

Design module A

Code module B

Code module C

Code module A

Check-point


Step 5: Estimate effort for each activity

!  5.1 Carry out bottom-up estimates !   Distinguish carefully between effort and elapsed time

!  5.2 Revise plan to create controllable activities !   Break up very long activities into a series of smaller

ones !   Bundle up very short activities (create check lists ?)



Step 6: Identify activity risks !   6.1 Identify and quantify risks for activities

!   Damage if risk occurs (measure in time lost or money) !   Likelihood of risk occurring !   Problem of assumption

!   6.2 Plan risk reduction and contingency measures !   Risk reduction: activity to stop risk occurring !   Contingency: action if risk does occur

!   6.3 Adjust overall plans and estimates to take account of risks !   E.g., add new activities which reduce risks associated with other

activities, e.g., training, pilot trials, information gathering



Step 7: Allocate resources !  7.1 Identify and allocate resources to activities !  7.2 Revise plans and estimates to take into

account resource constraints !   E.g., staff not being available until a later date !   Non-project activities



Gantt charts


March April 5 12 19 26 2 9

Jean-Paul

Nita

Percy

Ali

Franz

Dylan

Design module A Design module B

Code module A

Code module C Code module B

Design module C Design module D

Code module D

Test module C


Step 8: Review / publicize plan

!  8.1 Review quality aspects of project plan !  8.2 Document plan and obtain agreement (from

stakeholders)

!  Step 9 and 10: Execute plan and create lower level plans



Upcoming project proposal („bid“) !   Use project control book template – project plan !   For the bid: Feasibility study outline - bid !   Distinguish between level one and level two

functionalities (must have vs. nice to have) !   Draft basic timeline, projects charts needed for later,

updated version !   Grading criteria:

!   Amount of detail !   Clarity !   Comprehensiveness !   Consciseness !   „Theory“ use



Summary of Terms


!  PBS: Product Breakdown Structure !   What do we have to produce?

!  PFD: Product Flow Diagram !   Sequence in which products are to be created

!  AN: Activity Network !   Identify the activities necessary to create each

product in the PFD


PRINCE II

An excursion Prof. Dr. Thomas Bäck



Excursion – PRINCE 2

!   Very similar to STEP WISE !   Also, very product based


PL1 Design Plan

PL2 Define and analyze products

PL3 Identify activities and their dependencies

PL4 Estimate effort for each activity

PL5 Schedule

PL6 Analyze Risk

PL7 Complete Plan


Excursion – PRINCE 2 !   Project Organization !   Users: Of products of the project !   Suppliers: Of goods and services needed by the project !   Executive: Ensures that project meets business requirements !   Represented on Project Board: Overall accountability for success !   Project Manager: Managing on day-to-day basis

!   Delegates to Team Managers for large projects !   Project Stages: More manageable segments. !   Each phase might have

!   Req. Analysis and specification !   Logical design !   Physical design !   Build !   Testing !   Installation



Excursion – PRINCE 2 !  Project Procedures


Programme Management

Project Board

Project Manager

Team Manager

Team Member

DP SU

IP CS

MP

SB CP

Project Management Team

SU: Starting up a project IP: Initiating a project DP: Directing a project CS: Controlling a stage MP: Managing product

delivery SB: Managing stage

boundaries CP: Closing a project PL: Planning


Excursion – PRINCE 2 !   Directing a Project:

!   Authorizing initiation !   Authorizing a project (agree after planning: go ahead) !   Authorizing stage – or exception plan !   Giving ad hoc direction !   Closing project

!   Starting up the Project: !   Programme management (group of projects) !   Project Mandate (document, identify customer, scope) !   Project Brief (document, objectives of project) !   Project Approach (document, general technical approach)



Excursion – PRINCE 2 !   Initiating a Project:

!   Project Quality Plan !   Project Plan

•  Major products to be created •  Main activities to be undertaken •  Project risks and counter-measures •  Effort requirements •  Time scales •  Key decision points



Excursion – PRINCE 2 !   Controlling a Stage:

ID Processes

CS1 Authorize Work Package

CS2 Assess Progress

CS3 Capture Project Issues

CS4 Examine Project Issues

CS5 Review Stage Issues

CS6 Report Highlights

CS7 Take corrective action

CS8 Escalate Project Issues

CS9 Receive Completed Work Package



Excursion – PRINCE 2 !   Managing Product Delivery:

ID Processes

MP1 Accept Work Package

MP2 Execute Work Package

MP3 Deliver Work Package



Excursion – PRINCE 2 !   Managing Stage Boundaries:

ID Processes

SB1 Planning a Stage

SB2 Updating the Project Plan

SB3 Updating the project business case

SB4 Updating the Risk Log

SB5 Reporting a Stage End

SB6 Producing an Exception Report


SDPM - Lecture 2 -The STEP WISE Approach to Project Planning

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Transcript of SDPM - Lecture 2 -The STEP WISE Approach to Project Planning