COMP07166 2018 Software Project Management

Describe the fundamentals of software project management and Examine different Agile project management approaches

Explain the importance of value-driven delivery and apply value-driven delivery techniques.

Illustrate how projects are planned

Classify and apply risk management techniques.

Explain how an environment and culture of high performance can be cultivated.

Will employ direct istruction, activity based, problem based and thinking based in class learning coupled with independent learning.  Students will work in teams during workshop exercises making use of innovation games, planning poker cards, flip charts, markers, post its, simulations, etc

Assessment will consist of both summative and formative continuous assessment and an end of year exam.


1 assessment  week 8  (30%)

Repeat exam and CA will be provided.

Describe the fundamentals of software project management and examine different Agile project management approaches

• Projects defined
• The need for project management.
• The iron-triangle: resource/scope/schedule.
• Measuring project success.
• Stakeholder management and engagement.
• Empirical vs. Defined view of a process.
• Agile Justification - stacy diagram etc, Agile Manifesto, Values, principles and practices (feature teams, communication driven, time boxing etc.).
• Main emphasis on Scrum (roles, meeting and artifacts)
• Extreme programming – xp engineering practices
• Lean Software Development – principles, categories of waste and how to reduce
• Kanban (Cycle time, WIP limits).

 Explain the importance of value-driven delivery and apply value-driven delivery techniques.

• Envisioning, Chartering. The product vision, desirable qualities, techniques for creating the vision (e.g. innovation games).
• Vision document format – Moore’s Template.
• Minimally Marketable Feature (MMF) / Minimal Viable Product (MVP),Product Roadmap).
• Prioritisation techniques : ROI, NPV, IRR, MoSCoW, Relative Prioritization, theme screening, etc
• The INVEST and SMART criteria for user stories and tasks and DEEP criteria for the product backlog.

 Examine how projects are planned

• Adaptive versus predictive planning
• Estimation: Cone of uncertainty, relative vs absolute sizing, story points, ideal time, tee-shirt sizes, velocity, through-put.
• Estimation techniques, e.g. Wide Band Delphi, Planning Poker & Affinity Estimating.
• Network diagrams - EST/FLOAT/EFT/LST/LFT - critcal path, critical activities.
• The agile planning onion.
• Date and feature driven planning.
• Iteration and Release Planning & Progressive Elaboration – planning cone.
• Monitoring and control – burn up/ down charts

Classify and explain Risk Management techniques.

• Typical software development risks
• Risk assessment – identify, qualitative and quantitative analysis , prioritise
• Risk response –avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept
• Risk register, risk burn down / burn up chart
• Risk-Based Spike.
• Risk Adjusted Backlog.

Explain how an environment and culture of high performance can be cultivated

• Project management tooling – proprietary tools, spread sheets, team space.
• Information radiators.
• Team formation,Tabaka's model for high-performing team,team participation, servant Leadership & adaptive leadership.
• Co-located Teams / Distributed Teams.
• Motivational theories, Emotional Intelligence, Learning Cycle, Productivity.