Effective Software Project Management

Chapter 14. The Incremental SDPM Monitoring and Controlling Phase

My experience of the world is that things left to themselves don’t get right.

—Thomas Henry Huxley English biologist

Chapter Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you will be able to: Understand the Incremental SDPM strategy Discuss the role of project reviews in the Incremental SDPM strategy Implement strategies to handle the Incremental project from scope change requests Understand the role of the Scope Bank and management reserve and when to use them Adapt milestone trend charts to the Incremental SDPM strategy Understand the Incremental SDPM strategy for the Staged Delivery Waterfall model Understand the Incremental SDPM strategy for the Feature-Driven Development model

Like the Linear SDPM strategy, the Incremental SDPM strategy is plan-driven. Conformance to plan, schedule, and budget is of the utmost importance. That calls for a structured project performance reporting system, mostly electronic or hardcopy reports distributed on a scheduled basis to a targeted group of stakeholders. You will have versions for immediate managers, senior managers, customers, and other stakeholders. Reports within the team are usually electronic, especially as the team size grows and the team is dispersed around the country or the world. A higher level reporting takes place at milestone events, which typically line up at the completion of each of the increments. These reporting venues may be formal presentations ...