Introduction to Project planning

This course is not specifically about planning projects but you will need to be exposed to some planning concepts in order to succeed in delivering to spec at the end of the semester. This guide aims to provide just enough to help you figure out some ideas that can be researched further on your own.

Project Management Triangle

Software projects are typically a balance of multiple constraints such as: Scope (Features & Quality), Time, and Cost. All fall within the goal of producing a successful deliverable. These can be represented as a triangle, or as it might be called, the "Iron Triangle"¹.

Scope

: The specification requirements for the project deliverable(s)

Cost

: The budget for completing the project. This constrains the amount of team and the tools available.

Time

: The amount of time available to complete the objective(s).

Advice

You can aim for perfection however it's going to be tough to reach that state.

The sections of this guide cover some main skill areas to consider for managing projects, but of course each can involve multi-year studies to become an expert. There are specialists who cover project planning and management, it may be a meaningful career path if it interests you.

Developing an Action Plan

In order to develop a reasonable action plan consider the following aspects.

• Stakeholders - who is involved in making decisions? How often will you touch base to review decisions.
• Time management - how much time do you have to dedicate towards executing on the requested features?
• Milestones - what are the major points of "delivery" and how would you define the deliverable(s)?

Each of the following sections covers a brief amount of information for each aspect.