Module in Software Engineering

7. MANAGING TIME DELAY 3. A third time delay to an important task is significant enough to consider re-planning and the project manager should convene a project team meeting of the experts and key stakeholders to consider the options

8. PROJECT MONITORING - All of these project tracking and time tracking activities will ensure that the project manager is in touch with progress and able to react to deviations from the project plan very quickly. - Reacting to a time delay is critical to a successful project and effective project monitoring is an important part of project risk management.

9. WAYS TO MANAGE PROJECTS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET Here are seven suggested ways to manage a project on time and on budget: 1. Clearly Defined Project Scope 2. Properly Identified Resources Requirements 3. Sustained Balance of ‘Process’ and ‘People’ Factors 4. Utility of Tools and Techniques 5. Keeping Responsible Team Members 6. Applying Constant Project Review and Evaluation, and Immediately Address all Setbacks 7. Regular Communication with the Relevant Project Players

10. A FINAL PROJECT INSIGHT - During the post-implementation review, the project is evaluated for client satisfaction, timing and resource effectiveness and individual performance. For a project well done, that is, on time and on budget, it is a fulfilling moment for the team to celebrate. - Managers who use these suggestions are most likely to succeed in their projects. And perhaps even deliver projects ahead of time and under-budget.

11. WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGER? - Good project manager is essential to a successful project but being a successful project manager is more than the result of project management training; it takes ability. - Asking the question -- what makes a successful project manager?

12. GOOD PROJECT MANAGER SKILLS Good project manager skills will include: 1. Understanding and possibly formal training in at least one structured project management (waterfall) methodology such as PMI or PRINCE2 and an iterative method such as Agile 2. Effective leadership skills, primarily the ability to get things done through other people 3. General soft-skills such as communication skills, problem-solving skills 4. General knowledge on related topics such as software development lifecycle, quality management systems, ITIL service management and the like

13. KNOWING-DOING GAP - The knowing-doing gap is like the keen tennis (or chess or project management...) amateur knowing what to do and how to do it but they cannot do it themselves or at least not to the standard that the professionals or world champions do. This knowing-doing gap is what really differentiates between those who can and those who think they can.

14. PROJECT REPORTING ON A PROJECT STATUS CHECKLIST - Project status reporting is a key communication tool for the project. Use a project report checklist to ensure that content is concise and complete for intended audience. - A project status report should be based on a set report format, preferably just one, which is then used for the content targeted at the various stakeholders. - The project should have already identified the various stakeholder groups, the frequency and type of project reporting. Importantly, if more than one report format is used the key project messages should be consistent.

16. PROJECT STATUS REPORT - STAKEHOLDER NEEDS 2. Barriers to successful project delivery and what the project team is doing to remove barriers 3. Understanding of business impact and change 4. What actions stakeholders need to take, if any

23. REASONS FOR PROJECT METRICS 5. Quality - quality defects and documentation 6. Software - a specialised subject with many potential measures such as lines of code, code complexity and function point 7. Defects - number and type of problems or issues recorded for the technology project during its test stage and warranty period or a defined time period

24. REASONS FOR PROJECT METRICS 5. Quality - quality defects and documentation 6. Software - a specialised subject with many potential measures such as lines of code, code complexity and function point 7. Defects - number and type of problems or issues recorded for the technology project during its test stage and warranty period or a defined time period

26. PROJECT EVALUATION A project can be terminated two (2) ways. Firstly, there is natural closure. This occurs when the project requirements have all been met. Secondly, there is unnatural closure. This occurs when some assumptions prove to be false, performance is inadequate or the project's requirements have changed and are no longer valid. The most frequent causes of unnatural closure are time and money.

29. RISK MONITORING AND CONTROL - Risk control is working the risk management plan while, at the same time, ensuring the plan is still valid. The project team must continuously make sure that assumptions are still valid. - They must also review the risks and probabilities for accuracy. - Risk monitoring control is performed at the concept phase of the project and ends at the close-our phase. It should be included in the regular communication process of the project. - Risk control is also performed prior and the during the risk event. It is performed whenever there are changes to the project scope and on a regularly scheduled basis.

30. RISK MONITORING AND CONTROL - Risk control is working the risk management plan while, at the same time, ensuring the plan is still valid. The project team must continuously make sure that assumptions are still valid. - They must also review the risks and probabilities for accuracy. - Risk monitoring control is performed at the concept phase of the project and ends at the close-our phase. It should be included in the regular communication process of the project. - Risk control is also performed prior and the during the risk event. It is performed whenever there are changes to the project scope and on a regularly scheduled basis.