Page 30 - DCAP304_DCAP515_SOFTWARE_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Software Project Management

Notes 1.3.3 Project Methods/ Techniques

This section confers a number of project management techniques. These procedures can be
employed as an aid to estimate, track and evaluate different features of the project. We start with
a discussion of PMBOK, which is really not a technique in itself, but rather a collection of
industry-standard techniques. After that, we discuss COCOMO, MTA, EV and Critical Path.

Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

The Project Management Body of Knowledge is a broad term that explains the sum of knowledge
within the profession of Project Management (PM). As with additional professions such as law,
medicine, and accounting, the body of knowledge rests with the practitioners and academics
that apply and advance it. The full Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) comprise
knowledge of proven traditional practices that are extensively applied, as well as knowledge of
innovative and advanced practices that have seen more limited use. The PMBOK framework
splits the project processes into five discrete process groups: initiating, planning, executing,
controlling and closing.

Notes Note that these groups do not imply that the project has to go through each one in
this order; they are only provided in order to be able to structure and categorize the
different project processes.
PMBOK also recognize several project knowledge areas: integration management, scope
management, time management, cost management, quality management, human resource
management, communications management, risk management and procurement management.
By using this twin categorization in process groups and knowledge areas, we can categorize
project processes. The PMBOK Guide comprises summaries of generally accepted techniques
and methodologies that can be used to implement these project processes.

Application Area

PMBOK tries to imitate the growth of knowledge and practices in the field of project management
by capturing those practices, tools, techniques and other relevant items that have become
generally accepted.
Usually accepted does not mean that the knowledge and practices described in the PMBOK
framework are or should be applied uniformly on all projects; the project management team is
always answerable for determining what is appropriate for any given project. A few well-
known procedures included in the PMBOK framework are Earned Value (EV) management,
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) [PMBOK-PERT] and Critical Path Method
(CPM).

Advantages

 PMBOK provides a general project management framework in the form of process groups
and knowledge areas.
 PMBOK proposes a unified project management terminology.

 PMBOK gives a concise summary of and reference to generally accepted project
management principles.

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