Support for Project Managers
Susan K. (Kathy) Land, MITRE
Total pages: 46
$29.00
Introduction
If you're a successful software project manager, you must be able to define your entire project from start to finish and ensure that your vision is realized. You must have a firm understanding of the status of requirements, associated risk, staffing, budget, and any number of other contributing factors that might influence the schedule and ultimate delivery of the software product.
You are responsible for defining and implementing the technical and managerial processes required to develop the required software so that it meets customer specifications and associated budgetary and schedule constraints. Once these processes have been implemented, you must then leverage these tools to effectively track, manage, and then report project status. You're responsible for planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling the production of software or systems. Simply put, you're ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the development effort.
The materials in this TechSet provide practical guidance for software engineering project managers who are beginning their careers and are looking for expert advice. They will help you define project targets and lead your teams to completion. These materials will help you answer the following questions:
- What makes software projects succeed?
- What does it take to be a successful software project manager?
- How do I manage distributed projects?
- What is effective risk management?
Any software project lead or software program manager should be asking these critical questions and looking for answers.
Keywords: management, project management, communication, distributed project management, requirements engineering, defining targets, leadership, new manager
Table of Contents
Understanding the Product Life Cycle: Four Key Requirements Engineering Techniques
Christof Ebert, Alcatel
Summary: A field study involving many industry projects revealed that only those that took a requirements engineering perspective in four key product life-cycle management activities were successful.
Decision Making: The Key to Successful Project Management
Ron Lafleur, Clarkson University
Summary: Ron LaFleur, whom Tom DeMarco called a legend in management circles, shares what he has learned in an interview with Ware Myers.
Risk Management Is Project Management for Adults
Tim Lister, Atlantic Systems Guild
Summary: Although technology, people, and process are critical to developing outstanding software, Lister argues that a project will still fall short of its potential unless these factors are combined with risk management.
Managing Software Projects
Richard Mateosian, Pacbell
Summary: The author looks at two books on software project management. One addresses a gap in current standard methodologies. The other provides a toolkit for a new kind of software development—one that has grown in popularity in recent years.
Evolving Distributed Project Management
Kenneth E. Nidiffer and Dana Dolan, Systems & Software Consortium
Summary: Industries in general can benefit from analyzing how the defense industry is changing to effectively meet the challenges of new drivers and enablers of complex, distributed project management.
Fear of Trying: The Plight of Rookie Project Managers
Roger Pressman, R.S. Pressman & Associates
Summary: How do we grow good project managers? Regardless of the training or mentoring approach you use, Pressman suggests focusing on four major attributes: communication, negotiation, organization, and facilitation.
In-House Software Development: What Project Management Practices Lead to Success?
June M. Verner, National Information and Communications Technology Australia
William M. Evanco, Drexel University
Summary: A survey of in-house software development practices investigated why projects succeed or fail. A clear vision of the final product, good requirements, active risk management, and postmortem reviews can all help increase the odds of success.
