| p>Software project planning is a Key Process Area | | | | Team process. If your project entails drafting a |
| (KPA) that spans many of the knowledge areas from | | | | proposal in response to an RFP (Request for |
| the PMBOK as it describes activities performed during | | | | Proposal), then these documents should assign key |
| the planning phase of a software project. The | | | | engineering group resources to this work. The |
| knowledge involved include: Integration Management, | | | | documents should also assign responsibility for review |
| Scope Management, Time Management, Cost | | | | of the work commitments to the engineering group. |
| Management, Human Resource Management, | | | | 2. Software planning is initiated in the early stages of, |
| Procurement Management, Risk Management, and | | | | and in parallel with, the overall project planning. It is. |
| Communications Management. The only area not | | | | 3. The software engineering group participates with |
| touched is Quality Management. Many project | | | | other affected groups in the overall project planning |
| managers also define a change management process | | | | throughout the project's life. This participation will be |
| that covers each area of the project and describe | | | | defined by the Project Staff Assignments document, |
| that process in a Change Management plan. This plan | | | | and other project plans which define roles and |
| also supports the Software Project Planning KPA. | | | | responsibilities. These SMEs should also be assigned |
| CMM divides this KPA into goals, commitments, | | | | responsibility for providing analysis and estimation for |
| abilities, activities, measurements, and verifications. | | | | change requests in the Change Management plan. |
| This article will attempt to relate each of these to its | | | | 4. Commitments made to external groups are |
| PMBOK component. | | | | reviewed with senior management according to a |
| Goals | | | | documented procedure. This procedure will be your |
| CMM defines 3 goals for this KPA: software | | | | Gate Review meetings as described previously. |
| estimates are documented and used to plan and | | | | 5. A software life cycle with predefined stages of |
| track the project, activities are documented and | | | | manageable size is identified or defined. The |
| planned, and affected groups agree to their | | | | Software Development Lifecycle Method (SDLC) |
| commitments. These goals are supported by the | | | | should be specified in your project charter as part of |
| Time Management knowledge area with the | | | | your approach to the project. Stages or iterations will |
| exception of the agreement of "affected groups" to | | | | be further defined in the WBS and schedule. |
| their commitments. Agreement of senior | | | | 6. The project's software development plan is |
| management and other stakeholders to the plan is | | | | developed according to a documented procedure. |
| accomplished by Gate Review meetings described in | | | | This documented procedure is called the Project |
| the Communications Management plan and | | | | Management Plan. This can be one document or |
| agreement of other team members is described in | | | | many. This activity also specifies that the plan is |
| the Human Resources Management plan. | | | | negotiated with the software engineering group doing |
| Commitment to Perform | | | | project work and other groups that are stakeholders, |
| The first commitment is that a project software | | | | and that the plan is managed and controlled. |
| manager is designated for managing the work. This | | | | Management and control activities are specified in the |
| would be you. The Project Charter is the document | | | | Project Management plan and Change Management |
| that speaks to this. The next commitment is that the | | | | plan. |
| project follows a written organizational policy for | | | | 7. The plan for the software project is documented. |
| planning a software project. Unless your organization | | | | Documentation will be the Project Management plan, |
| includes a PMO, or PMC, you won't be able to meet | | | | including the project schedule. This activity specifies |
| this commitment to perform; your plans apply only to | | | | software configuration management and this process |
| the current project and aren't part of a standard | | | | should survive the project. If there is no software |
| applicable to all projects. Some of the specifics of this | | | | configuration management plan in place for your |
| commitment can be supported by your plan, | | | | project to use because you are creating a new |
| however. Some will be supported by your Project | | | | system, your project management plans should |
| Management plan. This could be one document or a | | | | include creation of a configuration management plan. |
| compilation of plans for each of the knowledge areas. | | | | 8. Software work products that are needed to |
| The second commitment requires negotiation of the | | | | establish and maintain control of the software project |
| requirements with the project manager, software | | | | are identified. This refers to the files that will be |
| project manager, and other software managers. This | | | | checked into the source library and managed by the |
| process is described in your Scope Management area | | | | configuration management plan. These files will be |
| in the Requirements Gathering process. The process | | | | specified in Detail Design Documents (DDDs), the |
| of negotiating the participation of the various | | | | WBS, and the project schedule. |
| software development groups on the project should | | | | 9. Estimation is done according to a documented |
| be described in your Human Resources Management | | | | procedure. This activity specifies that organizational |
| plan. This is described for you in the Acquire Project | | | | experience in estimation be used to guide the current |
| Team process. Keep in mind that while the PMBOK is | | | | estimation and that historical information be consulted |
| referring to the entire team, CMM refers to only | | | | when available. This refers to the "Enterprise |
| those groups engaged in software development. | | | | Environmental Factors" and "Organizational Process |
| The second commitment also specifies that senior | | | | Assets" which are inputs to many PMBOK processes |
| management reviews all software related | | | | including the Activity Duration Estimation process. The |
| commitments made to external stakeholders. This | | | | activity further specifies that the estimates should be |
| review should take place at a Gate, Phase Exit, or | | | | agreed to by the folks performing the work. |
| Business Decision Point review meeting which will be | | | | Although this is not spelled out in the PMBOK it is |
| described in your Communications Management plan. | | | | always a good idea to have the resource agree to |
| Keep in mind that this meeting will review all project | | | | the work and deadline they are asked to commit to. |
| commitments, not just software related ones. These | | | | This agreement and commitment needs to be |
| reviews are described in more detail for you in the | | | | documented somewhere in the Project Plans. |
| Context and Integration Management areas of the | | | | 10. A documented procedure is used to estimate |
| PMBOK. | | | | project effort and cost.These procedures should be |
| Ability to Perform | | | | documented in the Time Management plan and Cost |
| CMM requires the work of the project to be | | | | Management plan. Agreement to effort estimations is |
| described in a Statement of Work (SOW). Again, | | | | described above and agreement to cost is achieved |
| CMM only refers to that portion of the work related | | | | during Gate Review meetings described in the |
| to software development. The PMBOK describes the | | | | Communications Management plan |
| SOW and its use in the Integration Management and | | | | 11. A documented procedure is used to estimate |
| Procurement Management knowledge areas. The | | | | critical computer resources. This is a specific instance |
| description in the PMBOK will deliver an SOW that | | | | of the resource estimation produced by the Estimate |
| satisfies CMM criteria. Although the PMBOK specifies | | | | Activity Resource and the Activity Duration |
| this artifact for work that is procured externally, an | | | | Estimation processes and captured in the Time |
| SOW must be produced for each project to satisfy | | | | Management plan. |
| the CMM criterion. | | | | 12. The project's software schedule is derived |
| The second ability requires responsibility for | | | | according to a documented procedure. This is |
| developing the project plan to be assigned. This is | | | | accomplished by the procedures described in the |
| your work and responsibility should be defined in your | | | | Time Management area, up to and including the |
| Project Charter. The third ability speaks to the | | | | Schedule Development procedure. |
| provision of adequate resources and funding. The | | | | 13. The risks are identified, assessed and |
| Estimate Activity Resources and Activity Duration | | | | documented. This is part of your Risk Management |
| Estimating processes in Time Management describe | | | | plan. |
| how resource requirements are derived. Human | | | | 14. Plans for the project's software engineering |
| resources are assigned to your project by the | | | | facilities and support tools are prepared. This is part |
| Acquire the Project Team process in the Human | | | | of the Estimate Activity Resource procedure. |
| Resources Management area and any other | | | | Acquisition of non-human resources is managed by |
| resources, such as software testing tools, are | | | | the WBS, or the Procurement Management plan |
| acquired by the Procurement Management plan. | | | | where resources must be procured externally. |
| Funding is addressed in the Cost Management area, | | | | 15. Software planning data are recorded. The |
| but CMM refers specifically to the provision of the | | | | estimates will be recorded in the schedule and |
| funding. This provision should be negotiated and | | | | estimation information, including assumptions, will be |
| committed to at the Gate Review meeting that | | | | recorded in the WBS. In most cases the schedule |
| happens between planning and implementation. | | | | and WBS will be one and the same document, your |
| Funding for planning activities will only be negotiated | | | | MS Project file. |
| and committed to when your organization is | | | | Measurement and Analysis |
| performing the project for an external customer | | | | CMM requires you to track the progress of your |
| under contract. | | | | planning activities. The Time Management processes |
| The fourth ability refers to your training in the area | | | | culminate in the project schedule so we can't say |
| of software project planning. This criterion can easily | | | | that this measurement is supported by Time |
| be satisfied by a project manager who has been | | | | Management. The initiation of the project will usually |
| certified by the PMI as a Project Management | | | | result in a preliminary schedule of planning events, |
| Professional (PMP). PMI is the most recognized | | | | milestones, and deliverables in your MS Project file. |
| certification body in the area of project management | | | | The planned and actual dates in this file are what you |
| and certification is relatively straightforward for those | | | | will use to track progress. |
| who meet PMI's criteria. Certification requires eligible | | | | Verifying Implementation |
| candidates to pass an exam testing their project | | | | CMM calls for project planning activities to be |
| management knowledge, including planning knowledge. | | | | reviewed with senior management periodically. These |
| There are numerous PMP courses or PMP exam | | | | reviews will be described in your Communications |
| preparation training products available to prepare you | | | | Management plan. The senior management referred |
| to pass the exam. | | | | to may be the project business sponsor, the project |
| The ability also calls for any other person involved in | | | | IT sponsor, or a Steering Committee, or a |
| planning to be trained in software estimation and | | | | combination of these. Your Gate Review meeting to |
| planning. This is a somewhat more difficult criterion to | | | | move the project forward from the initiation phase |
| meet. Since you will rely on Subject Matter Experts | | | | to the planning phase is also verification. CMM also |
| on your team to provide accurate effort estimations | | | | calls for a summary report from each of these |
| for the various tasks in the WBS, you will need to | | | | meetings to be prepared and distributed. Status |
| identify the process you will use to do the estimating | | | | review meetings are also called for and a summary |
| and provide any tools and training required to use the | | | | report is to be issued for these meetings. |
| chosen process. The process of training those | | | | CMM requires a software quality assurance group to |
| individuals will be described in your Human Resources | | | | review/audit the project plans. This audit or review |
| Management plan (Develop the Project Team). | | | | may be a service that your PMO or PMC provide, if |
| Activities Performed | | | | your organization has one. This software quality |
| Activities called for by CMM include: | | | | assurance group could be an existing group in your |
| | | | organization or that role could be assumed by your |
| 1. The software engineering group participates on the | | | | PMO or PMC. If your organization has neither of |
| project proposal team. The software engineering | | | | these groups, it will have to create one in order to |
| group will be engaged in the project as team | | | | satisfy this point. |
| members and SMEs as described in the Project | | | | PMP® and PMBOK® are registered marks of the |
| Charter (critical or key resources) and the Project | | | | Project Management Institute. |
| Staff Assignments produced by the Acquire the | | | | |