Effective Software Project Management

The Monitoring and Controlling Phase of an Iterative SDPM Strategy

Figure 21-1 highlights the Monitoring and Controlling Phase of an Iterative SDPM strategy.

Figure 21-1. The Monitoring and Controlling Phase of an Iterative SDPM strategy

As noted in a previous chapter, the Iterative SDPM strategy differs in principle from an Incremental SDPM strategy in one important way. In the Iterative SDPM strategy each iteration presents the customer with the complete solution. The Incremental SDPM strategy, on the other hand, presents the customer with a portion of the known solution at each increment. Monitoring the development of a known solution is quite different from monitoring the development of a partially unknown solution.

• Known solution— The monitoring can be based on the degree to which the solution is completely developed. The plan will reflect the complete solution and how it will be developed over time and at what cost. A number of metrics can be used, as can earned value analysis (see Appendix J for the details of earned value analysis). The focus on these metrics will be the extent to which the actual progress aligns with the planned progress—in other words, on the process.

• Partially unknown solution— Process metrics will not work. The focus on the deliverables will have to be the basis for the metric. Features planned for the next iteration compared to features delivered ...