Software Teamwork: Taking Ownership for Success

Chapter Nineteen. Change

If a project is the novel creation of a product, it follows that we cannot reasonably define the final solution up front. Projects are rife with discovery, and we must acknowledge that change will occur. Although we still need to understand the project in as much detail as possible, as early as possible, we still need to accommodate change.

This chapter examines the various internal and external drivers of change here, and explains the necessity of managing all potential sources of change in the same context. Change management is not a replacement for avoiding up-front planning efforts, but is the complementary ongoing activity that preserves the initial investment.

Volatility Demands Versatility

With large projects that ...