Surprise! Now You're a Software Project Manager - Table of Contents

Surprise! Now You're a Software Project Manager

by Bas de Baar

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Mindset of the Software Project Manager
The Software Project Manager’s Problem
Focus on the Stakeholders
What Is It Worth?
Stakeholders during the Project
The Flow of the Stakes
You Must Know This Flow!
Not Everyone Will Be a Winner
Don’t Forget to Include Yourself!
Processes: Project Management versus Software Development
One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Project Potion

The Spiral Model
Risk Management
Stakeholder Analysis
Tailoring at Start-Up
The Scale-Up Method
Introducing Process Components to the Organization
What Makes Your Project a True Project?
For All the Right Reasons
Determining Cause and Goal
Determining Scope

Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder Identification
Stakeholder Expectations
Stakeholder Interests
What Drives Project People?
Sociodynamics
Stakeholder Influence and Its Role in a Project

Risk Management

Risk Assessment
Writing It Down

Tailoring the Approach

Project Strategy
Uncertainties and Priorities
Definitions and Strategies
Project Organization
The Chart
Participation and Influence
Of the People, by the People, for the People
Feedback

Getting the Requirements for the Product

Approach
Workshop: A Means for Getting the Requirements
Preparing the Workshop
Checklist
Conducting the Workshop
Formulating the Requirements
Getting the Right Information
Representing the Requirements
Policies are Requirements Too
Thou Shalt Use the Big O
What Language?
Are You Thin?

Getting the Requirements for the Process

Managing Constraints
Determining Constraints: Cost
Determining Constraints: Time
Even If You Don’t Know, You Have to Say Something
Convincing Management about Your Approach

Feedback on the Product

Meanwhile, Back in the Jungle . . .
Expectations
Right Idea, Wrong Idea
Ways to Provide Feedback
How?
Overview
Global to Detailed
Software Design
Global versus Detailed
Designs and Normal People
Enhancing the Chances of Success
Documenting It All
Get It Signed
Giving It a Try
Pilots, Prototypes, and Hollywood
Proof of Concept and Benchmarks
Plan It
Testing
Rolling with the Punches

Feedback on the Process

Driving Miss Project
Feedback All Over Again
But remember, it’s feedback time all over again.
Schedule
Road to Nowhere
Milestones or Millstones?
Budget
Show Me the Money
Telling Time
Getting an Estimate
Gantt and Pert: Great Graphs
PERT: Almost as Good as Gantt
Tardis Wallpaper
Agreement
What’s This Thing Called a Planning?
Stating Costs
Taking It like a Man
Extra Pot of Gold
Extra Tasks

Epilogue

The Flow Of Stakes
Project Potion
The Future for Hank

Appendix A: Using Methods

Different Circumstances, Different Effectiveness in Techniques: Big Design Up-Front
Not Every Single Process Component Is Effective Alone: Iterations
You Can Mix and Match: Burn-Down Chart Instead of Gantt
Method Components Have a Reason: Scrum (Sample)
Recommended Starting Point for Other Methods