Initiating+a+Project

This page is for the work on Chapter 2: Initiating a Software Project

Owners of this page, please introduce yourself:

Something that you like to do: || Say something about your experience with software || What would you like to learn from this course? || How would you like to learn from this course? ||
 * Name/ID || Name a hobby or
 * Fekri- 102-25-156 || Watching Movie || Software will be a big part of human life, I mean we can be compare it with basic needs of human. || I want to learn, how to manage a software development project || By course text book with the help of some real life example and some practical project work. ||
 * Enayet/102-25-166 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

Task 1: Summarise the chapter below in terms of bullets: (10 marks) Task 2: Explain the bullets in terms of the Grameen Bank Form 15 system. (10 marks)

Both Task1 and Task2 have answered together.


 * Chapter -2. Initiating a software project **

Projects, big and small, have to be //initiated.// All initiation really means is that everyone acknowledges that the project has a purpose (and that everyone agrees on what that purpose is): to solve a problem, to grasp an opportunity, or to meet demand for a new piece of software. Fundamental purpose, at this point in the project life cycle, is to understand why the project is being initiated. But another crucial element to successful project management is to be in tune with the structure of your organization. Talking to the stakeholders when a project is being initiated, we want to capture as much information as possible about the project goals.    Discussing high-level stuff with the executives. The executives want to know why any project is occurring because they want to confirm that the project aligns with their vision. If project doesn’t align with the company’s vision, kill it before someone else does. Questions need to ask executives, assuming you’ll be interacting with this crowd: What are the factors for project success? What’s your vision for the project result? What’s more important, time or budget? What risks do you anticipate for this project’s success? Playing nice with functional management. Who comprise functional works. Who are actually responsible for middle management. Their purpose is to carry out the vision of the executives. It’s at this level of the organization that tactics, strategy, and delivery of purpose to the employees take place. The functional managers must support the vision the executives have in the decisions they make. At this layer of the model, the functional managers need to understand the //what// of project management. The what centers on what the project will accomplish.    <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Feasibility plays an important role software development. Feasibility studies can answer questions, discover scenarios and unearth possibilities long before the project work begins. Some reasons to consider conducting a feasibility study are that these studies <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ **can save time and money.** Some project managers consider the time and initial capital invested in a feasibility study a waste. They are wrong. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When consider the amount of time and money needed to take a project from concept to completion, and the high likelihood of project failure, spending the time and money at the front end can protect larger amounts of time and capital in the long run. Feasibility studies just make good financial sense. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ **serve as a research paper.** It’s a factual exploration of the project’s likelihood for success. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ **cheerlead the project manager’s point of view.** For that matter, it’s neutral all the way around and shouldn’t promote anyone’s point of view. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ **present alternate ideas.** Your focus is on the merits and pitfalls of the project as it’s been articulated at this point. You shouldn’t be tweaking the ideas. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">__ **Offer advice on the project’s initiation.** A feasibility study just presents the facts; it doesn’t make a recommendation for the project to be launched or squelched. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Projects may get selected in one of two ways: <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ **Constrained optimization:** This is a complex approach that considers multiple variables, factors, and likelihood of project success. Selection committees use dynamic algorithms and linear and nonlinear programming to choose their projects. Doesn’t that sound like fun? <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ **Benefit comparison methods:** Most organizations use this approach. Benefit comparison methods use accessible formulas, comparison models, and systems to choose which projects should be launched and which should not. Because these are the most common, we focus on giving details on several models. Say you have a proposed project. The project manager, really want company’s project selection committee to choose project <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> **<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">//Example:// **<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project feasibility ensures the project base. Grameen Bank provide huge time and effort of there project feasibility purpose. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project consensus is very important in the respect of our country. Sometimes project initiating meetings are opportunities for stakeholders to shoehorn their own pet agendas, wish lists, and one-upmanship into project. The trouble, besides being a real pain, is that it’s tough to discern what’s central to project. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Understanding the project purpose during initiation is essential to guiding project consensus. Determining all the bits that go into the project scope comes later in the project. Right now, during the initiation processes, your goal is to get the majority of the stakeholders on the same page. To reach project consensus, your goal is to find common ground, and then to address ancillary requests that don’t infringe, change, or drive out the original project purpose. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Officially planning the project work. But as a rule, the earlier you know these details the better off the project will be. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A project charter accomplishes the following: <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ It identifies the project manager in writing. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ It identifies the project sponsor in writing. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ It authorizes the project manager to spend organizational resources on the project. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ It describes the product. That’s right; the description you worked so hard to create goes in the project charter. <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">_ It specifically identifies the business need that the project was undertaken to address. If you have a business case, you can pull information from there. A charter can’t solve all your power struggles, negotiations, and other miseries <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> — It’s not a panacea. But a charter does, more than anything else, authorize the project. Contracts, purchase orders, statements of work, and even work orders can be considered charters of sorts. See Chapter 12 for more information about contracts, vendors, and procurement. Planning the project. The second process group, the p//lanning process,// determines how the project will move forward after the project feasibility, description, and charter are complete. The planning process group gets the project rolling in a big way <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> **//<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Example: //**<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Grameen Bank observed different work plan of the project but finally choose one which is the best matched with the project **//<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">. //** <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">here are many reasons a project will fail to deliver as expected, such as being late or over-budget. Project failure is such a problem that the project manager must actively manage that project risk. This should be done as part of the project planning process and subsequently through project active risk management. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The project problem checklist is a simple planning tool to help the project manager identify project risks early and take action to avoid or reduce the chance of the risk becoming a problem. A simple categorisation of potential problems is: people, process and technology, with people often being the area with the most significant potential for causing project problems. Use the following checklist as a prompt for project planning. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"># Determining the project’s actual goal **
 * //<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Example: //**<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We can consider Grameen Bank as an example. Grameen Bank work with huge data. There were near about 600 branches all over the country. Branches were facing problems to managing data and providing reports. It has taken more time gather all reports to head office. Considering these issues Grameen Bank setup their Goals.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"># Managing various organizational bodies. **
 * //<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Example: //** <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To implement software in Grameen Bank. We have to manage all governing bodies of Grameen Bank including Professor Dr. Unus.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"># Analyzing the project’s feasibility **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> # Reaching Project Consensus **
 * //<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Example: //**<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">According to form 15 after analyzing the project requirements and feasibility of Grameen Phone we must ensure the Project Consensus.
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"># Unify the best work plan for the project **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"># Identifying probable problems of the project **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Potential People Problems **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wrong resource (lack of training, experience or expertise) identified for task
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Resource unavailable when needed
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project is under-resourced or lacks specific needed resource
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project team working relationship generally or in specific cases is not effective
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Poor project team working or communication with third party suppliers
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project team does not have access to expertise and external support
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Decision-making processes and authority is not clear for project team, project board or stakeholders
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">People are not empowered to make appropriate decisions or do not have the personal authority to do so
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Wrong stakeholders or specific stakeholders identified
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unclear communication with stakeholders
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ineffective engagement with stakeholders
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Passive resistance by stakeholders who do not see the benefits of the project or do not support it
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project structure is unclear or with undefined lines of communication, interaction and decision-making
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unclear or undefined process for escalation of project issues (scope, financial, resource...)
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Prioritization for people is unclear with potentially competing priorities
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Resource conflicts
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Potential Process Problems **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project methodology or approach is not clear or well-defined
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Project control mechanisms (change, documentation, configuration....) are not selected or inappropriate
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Processes defined for escalation, especially with third party suppliers
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unclear project reporting process [to whom by who, what, when]
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Clear process for contribution to project by external groups that contribute to project but may or may not be part of the project team (quality, compliance, infrastructure, network...)
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Relationship of project deliverables with organization’s quality management system or service management
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Process for managing paper or electronic documentation and approval
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Access to information or related system, especially for new project team members
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Training processes for staff to comply with procedures or to obtain foundation level of knowledge for project tasks
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Potential Technology Problems **
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Just released technology that may suffer from teething problems
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Technology that needs to integrate with other technology and that has not been proven yet
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Technology performance, availability, capacity or scalability is less than required
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Technology resilience or redundancy is less than needed (ability to continue after a fault)
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Technology does not exist yet i.e. potentially will be late, is new and consequently untried
 * //<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Example: //**<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">According to <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Grameen Bank there could be several problems //<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">. //<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There could be training problems, implementation and data migration problem, power failure problems.