Page 278 - DCAP304_DCAP515_SOFTWARE_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Software Project Management

Notes
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Caution Not until this is done can you start listing requirements, building a task list and
moving forward in earnest.

14.1 Managing Small Projects

As both an active project manager and project management trainer, we often get asked whether
the project management best practices that are applicable for large projects can be applied on
smaller projects. This is a really important question and one which all project managers must
face up to when managing small projects.

Focusing on Project Delivery

One of the arguments against using project management methodologies is that they are very
process-centric resulting in vast quantities of project documentation which are simply not practical
or desirable on small projects. This is a powerful argument and any method which focuses on
producing documentation at the expense of delivering the real business benefits of the project
will be a hindrance rather than a benefit. After all, the name of the game in project management
is delivering business objectives, not producing reams of documents.
There is an ongoing and active discussion within the software development community about
the best way to produce software on projects. More recently, some software professionals have
argued for more agile methods of producing software rather than the more traditional
heavyweight methods which focused on producing vast quantities of documentation.
Agile methods focus on delivery of software rather than documentation. With this in mind,
I think project managers everywhere can learn something from the agile methods employed in
software development.

Task In short, this leads us to focus on project delivery rather than project documentation,
although the critical choice project managers everywhere need to make is how much
documentation is really necessary?
Apply the Best Practices

We believe in only producing as much as is required by the project. Nothing more and nothing
less. A simple rule of thumb is: if it’s useful in helping us to deliver the business objectives of the
project then produce it, if it isn’t useful in helping us to deliver the business objectives of the
project then don’t waste time to produce it. With this in mind, I believe that in all projects, at a
minimum it is best to apply project management best practices.
Let’s consider the best practices in turn and see whether or not the overhead lost in applying best
practices is worth the benefits which can be gained.

Defining Objectives and Scope

Even on the smallest project there will be objectives which must be achieved. As a project
manager, it is in your interest to define what these objectives are since you are likely to be
assessed on whether the project meets those objectives. It is your responsibility to ensure the
project meets those objectives and you are accountable for this. In short, the buck stops with you.

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