TSE305_filp

Revised on March 31, 2021

Course Overview

0.1 Course Details

i. Course title: Software Project Management
ii. Course code: TSE305/05
iii. Credit hours: 5
iv. Learning hours: 200 hours
v. Course type: Core (BSEG), Core (BIFS)
vi. Offer in academic year: September semester
vii. Course coordinator/Lead: Respective appointed lecturer from School of Science and Technology

(SST)
viii. Tutor(s): Respective appointed tutor(s) from SST

1

No. Activities - ODL / ODLi No. of Hours
1 Guided learning (F2F), e.g., 42
108
participate in online guided learning: discussion and presentation,
participate in scheduled online lectures / tutorials, 50
and participate in online practical: hands-on and lab activities (if any) 200
2 Independent learning (Non-F2F), e.g.,
study learning materials - online materials, video clips, podcast,
attempt learning activities - online forum discussion, presentation, case studies,
attempt supplementary assessment: self-tests, quizzes, exercises, practical activities,
and perform online library search for supplementary learning materials
3 Continuous Assessments, e.g.,
online assignments,
online hands-on and laboratory activity (if any),
online laboratory test (if any),
online quiz (if any),
online mid-semester test (if any),
and final examination (if any or alternative assessment)

Total

Table 1: Allocation of Student Learning Time (SLT)

0.2 Course Synopsis

This course aims to equip the students with the understanding of software project management. It
introduces the project lifecycle, effective models of managing software projects, modern trends in
project management and also practical skills in using project management software applications.
The combination of theoretical and practical aspects introduced in this course enables the students
to immediately apply the concepts to real world scenarios.

0.3 Course Learning Outcomes

You should be able to:

i. Explain the processes, methods, techniques and tools for managing software projects. (C5,
PLO1)

ii. Analyse standard approaches in software project management practices. (C5, PLO2)
iii. Evaluate the methodology for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing projects.

(C6, PLO2)

2

0.4 Study Schedule

Topic Week ODL and ODLi Guided learning Independent learning
Topic and Focus
1 1 Introduction to Software Project Management F2F Non-F2F Non-F2F
2 2 Software Project Life Cycle
3 3 Software Project Management Process
4 4 Software Management Disciplines
5 5 Software Quality and Maintenance
6 6 Modern Practices (Agile methods)
7 7 Project Management Evaluation
8 8 Project Management Software (with hands-on)
9 9 Project Estimation (cost estimation)
10 10 Project Estimation (forecasting)
11 11 Project Management Planning

0.5 Assessment Methods

Assessment - ODL Weightage
Online assignment 1 (A1) 100%
Online assignment 2 (A2) 100%
Final examination (if any or alternative assessment)
Total

Assessment - ODLi Weightage
Online assignment 100%
Online hands-on (if any) 100%
Online laboratory test (if any)
Online quizzes (if any)
Online mid-semester test
Final examination (if any or alternative assessment)
Total

0.6 References

i. Dimtre Dimitrov (2020). Software Project Estimation: Intelligent Forecasting, Project Control,
and Client Relationship Management. Apress.

ii. Wysocki, Robert K (2019) Effective project management: traditional, agile, extreme, hyrbid. John
Wiley & Sons.

iii. Hughes, Bob (2019). Project-Management For IT-Related Projects, BCS The Charted Institute
for IT

iv. Sommerville, Ian (2016). Software Engineering, ed. 10th. Pearson Education, Inc. Addison-
Wesley

v. James A. Crow4r. (2015) Agile Project Management Managing for Success, Springer Interna-
tional Publishing.

3

vi. Alain Abran. (2015) Software project estimation: the fundamentals for providng high quality
information to decision makers, Wiley.

vii. WOU Course Team. (2019) TSE305/05 Software Project Management, Wawasan Open Univer-
sity.

0.7 Copyright

Copyright protection in Malaysia is governed by the Malaysia Copyright Act of 1987. Under the Act,
the copyright in a work is infringed when a person who is not the owner of the copyright, and without
consent of the owner of the copyright, makes a reproduction of the whole work or a substantial part
there of either in its original or derivative form for distribution to the public. Under certain conditions
specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorised to furnish a photocopy or other reproduc-
tion. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be used for
any purpose other than for private study, scholarship or research. The shared materials here work
around this fair use or fair dealing principle. Please take note.

4

Contents

0.1 Course Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
0.2 Course Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
0.3 Course Learning Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
0.4 Study Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
0.5 Assessment Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
0.6 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
0.7 Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1 Week 0: Welcome notes 6
1.1 What is a project? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1.1 Project characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.1.2 What creates the demand of a project? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.2 Project manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2.1 What it takes to be a successful project manager? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.4 Project Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.5 Endnote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

5

1 Week 0: Welcome notes

Welcome to TSE305/05 Software Project Management. The effective management of software
projects is crucial for the success of any modern organisation. Contemporary software projects
are complex undertakings that require effective planning, rapid and agile execution, the careful coor-
dination of resources, as well as constant monitoring. This course aims to equip you with the basic
knowledge and practical skills necessary to manage software projects successfully. It will give you an
understanding of the various aspects of software project management and introduce you to Microsoft
Project, a popular project management application.

This course is broadly organized into four main areas, each with reinforcing topics:

Major Areas Topics
Foundations of software project management 1, 2, 3, 4
Quality management 5, 7
Agile management 6
Planing, scheduling, estimation and risk management 9, 10, 11
Practices 8

Topics Ref. WOU PDF course material
1 Unit 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
2 Unit 2.1, 2.2
3 Unit 2.3, 2.4
4 Unit 3.1, 3.2
5 Unit 3.3, 3.4, 6.1
6 Unit 4.1, 4.2
7 Unit 6.1 (extra)
8 Unit 5, Decoupled lab sheet
9 Unit 6.2 (extra)
10 Unit 8 (extra)
11 Unit 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 (extra)

Figure 1 summarizes the organization of the course.

6

Figure 1: Plan of the course

1.1 What is a project?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project is a temporary endeavour under-
taken to create a unique product, service or result. A project is bounded by the project management
triple constraint as shown in Figure 2. These three attributes: time, scope and cost are dependent
on each other, i.e. changing one constraint will trigger the change on one or the other.

7

Figure 2: The project management triple constraint.

• Time
◦ Project is a temporary initiative.
◦ It is distinctive from normal business process (routine work) in that it has a start date and
end date.

• Scope
◦ The goal is the output of the project (e.g. product, service, result).
◦ The goal (output) together with the work done to create it is the scope. The scope of each
project is unique.
◦ If the scope is not unique, this is NOT a project. It is just a regular business process.

• Cost
◦ Cost is the resources specially dedicated to accomplishing the goal.

Beware that a project must relate to a business strategy. Making plan for a restaurant has a short
term goal and cost associated. However, it is not a project because there is no benefits to the
business or corporate strategy.

Remark: A project is a temporary initiative that is agreed, planned, and executed to achieve a
specific goal. Projects are complex initiatives.

1.1.1 Project characteristics

1. Established objectives.
2. A defined lifespan with a beginning and an ending.
3. Involves professionals from different departments of an organisation.
4. Specific completion time, cost and requirements.
5. Something that has not been done before

8

Routine work versus project Projects are non-routine and have some unique elements. Accom-
plishing something that has not been done before requires solving previously unsolved problems and
creating breakthrough technology. Ordinary work is repetitive but a project is done only once. A new
product or service will emerge when a project is completed. See Table 1.1.1 for some examples.

Routine and repetitive work Project
Writing class notes. Writing a technical paper.
Doing daily sales. Setting up a sales kiosk.
Supply-chain transaction Developing a supply chain system.
Manufacturing the Apple iPad Designing the Retina display for the iPad.

Table 2: Examples of routine work versus projects

1.1.2 What creates the demand of a project?

There are usually a few key triggers that will start business into executing a project enumerated as
follows:

• Market need. Your company many want to develop a product to address its client needs or keep
up with competition.

• Business need. During the financial crisis for example, many companies had to execute projects
to reduce cost or optimize processes to increase revenues and stay in business.

• Technological advancement. The improvement in technology, for example Artificial Intelligence
(AI), has called for many companies to moved into AI.

• Customer request. A key customer may ask for a customized request.

• Legal requirements. Regulation and laws change. The company has to comply.

• Social needs. This can be anything that the government or organization can do to satisfy a
social need.

• Ecological considerations. Companies are often required to adapt their industrial process to
comply to environmental concerns, such as reduction of CO2 emission.

Once the strategic goal is defined or the needs arise, the project will be the instrument to achieve
that goal. How does the corporation prioritize the project? The demand would require a project
proposal, and the project owner of the proposal will need to put it to the attention of the higher
management to compete for the limited resources of the organization. Management will then review
the project and decide which to execute, discard or postpone, if necessary.

Urgency is the key to the project selection. Project selection is an essential task for top manage-
ment. They must select the project the brings the most to the company – financial and non-financial.
In the eyes of the board of directors, projects are investments, they use resources. Hence, there
must be worthwhile return for the business.

As you may have guessed, several projects are usually on the go at the same time. When the board
of directors are presented with a set of possible projects, they often select several of them, and add

9

them to a portfolio. The top management then perform the project portfolio management. This
is the process of prioritizing projects, and the administration and controls of large set of projects.
Generally, the objective is to achieve the results and combine resources across projects in an optimal
way. As mentioned, projects are investments. Therefore, preliminary analysis is important!

1.2 Project manager

A project sponsor is a person or group who owns the project, and provides resources and support
for the project, program or portfolio to ensure its success. They are the essential person during the
project initiation phase. However, they do not manage the day-to-day operations of a project. The
project sponsor helps conceive and advocate for a project.
Conversely, the person who is held accountable for the day-to-day operations of a project is the
project manager. The project manager takes on a critical role in ensuring the success of the project
from the project planning phase onwards (see section 1.4. The project manager is accountable
for the tasks of all project-related parties, including assess, discuss, negotiate and adjust time and
resources, where necessary.

1.2.1 What it takes to be a successful project manager?
He/She usually possess the following skills (see Figure 3):

• Project management and business knowledge.
• People and workflow management skills.
• Strategy and leadership skills.

Figure 3: Skills of a project manager.
In general, a project manager must commit to the task professionally, be a morale support for
his/her team, uphold ethics, and establish strong credibility.

10

1.3 Terminology

Before we delve further into software project management, here are some common terminologies
that you may encounter in you career as the project manager.

Project Management PMO is the department responsible for managing, coordinating and
Office (PMO) consulting project-related work.

Project team A project team comprises the experts responsible for the execution of
the work. The team could include the following members depending
on the type of project: HR (human resource), engineer, web designer,
construction worker, ...

Project stakeholders These are all individuals and/or organizations, who participate in a
project, can influence or are influenced by the project work and results.

Program management It refers to the coordinated management of multiple projects, which
have similarities – similar goal, similar resources, etc.

Portfolio management It refers to the coordinated management of multiple programs and
projects.

1.4 Project Life Cycle

Recall the project management triple constraint (section 1.1). In a software development project,
it is essential to deliver a specified software solution within the given constraints of time, cost and
resources. A feasibility study has to be carried out and the overall requirements of the project have to
be determined during the conception stage. After the scope of the project is determined, the develop-
ment and implementation phases will be carried out. The software project will come to a conclusion
with the acceptance of the software solution by the customer, although continual maintenance work
will still be required.

While each project is unique, the project life cycle model can be used as a checklist to ensure that
nothing important is left out of the project. Figure 4 depicts two such models. Model I comprises
five project development phases from project initiation, planning, execution, control and monitoring,
to project closure. Notice that the project execution phase and project control and monitoring phase
usually run in parallel.

Different activities take place at each stage. Briefly, at the initiation phase, the project sponsor is
responsible for defining the project under the constraints of time and cost, and to identify the project
manager. At the planning phase, the project manager generally creates a project management
plan, which included the list of activities to be taken by the project, scheduling and timing, budgeting,
and project roles. Remember that a good plan is a strategy for winning. The actual work starts
at the execution phase. For example, if the project involves building a mobile tracking app, then
the coding and software implementation take place here. At the same time, the activities must be

11

controlled and closely monitored. The project manager will usually asks questions such as Is the
project progressing as scheduled?, Are we meeting the time-frame?, The budget is in control?, Are
there gaps or delays? etc. Finally, at the project closure phase, the project formally completes. The
result is handover to the customer, and the project team usually communicates on the lesson learns
and finalizes all the necessary documentation.
A comparable model is presented as Model II in Figure 4. You will learn more about the model in
Unit 2 of the full course material. Note that most of the activities are comparable in both models.

Figure 4: Typical project life cycle models.

1.5 Endnote

A project is a temporary initiative that is agreed, planned, and executed to achieve a specific goal.
Projects are complex initiatives. The project manager is the key person in managing a project. There
are various project life cycle models. While each project is unique, the project life cycle model can
be used as a checklist to ensure that nothing important is left out of the project.
You are now ready to dive into the course.

Remark: Your checklist to get started with the course:
Please download the full course material from WOU learning management system.

Happy learning!

12