Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art

Chapter 21. Estimating Planning Parameters

The line between project estimation and project planning is wide and blurry. Numerous planning parameters need to be estimated, including how much effort to allocate to construction, testing, requirements, and design; how many testers to have for each developer; how many effort hours you can expect to apply to a specific project in a calendar week or month; how large the risk buffer should be; and many other figures that are needed for planning purposes.

When a project gets to the level of planning discussed in this chapter, the goals of planning tend to be antagonistic toward the goals of estimation. For example, once you estimate the amount of risk buffer you need, the purpose of risk management planning ...