Module Code and Title:       CSC307          Software Project Management

Programme:                          BCA

Credit Value:                         12

Module Tutor:                       Phub Namgay

General Objective: This module will enable students to gain deeper insights into software projects and some effective and efficient management techniques thereof. Students will learn the definition and scope of project planning, project size estimation, project cost estimation, monitoring, and also gain hands-on experience with project management software. The module sets the stage for students to effectively pursue their own full-scale software development efforts.

Learning Outcomes – On completion of the module, learners will be able to:

1. Describe the basic software project management ideas, principles and skills for successful completion of projects.
2. Analyse software project management data, identify problems, and choose appropriate models or techniques.
3. Design a Software Project Management Plan (SPMP) document.
4. Use appropriate approaches and methodologies to plan a new project.
5. Design and implement different cost-estimation models while handling real-world projects.
6. Develop a suitable project tracking and controlling mechanism.
7. Discuss various risks that are likely to hamper software projects.
8. Utilize software project management software for handling sample software projects.

Learning and Teaching Approach:

Assessment Approach:

A. Individual Assignment: Portion of Final Mark: (10%)

Students should submit two assignments relate to project planning, scheduling and tracking to obtain this 10% and resulting in 500-1000 word responses for each. The first one will be before the midterm and it constitutes half of the total 10% allocated. The second one will be after them midterm. 40% will be awarded for explanation of purpose, 40% for content and 20% for illustrating its applications.

B. Project/Case Study: Portion of Final Mark (10%)

Students are given a problems related to the project planning and project scheduling to obtain 10% of the assessment. Each student will complete a case study of 500 words in the class and they will solve that case inside the classroom. Students will analyse the case, come up with a proper solutions and give their own views and opinions. 40% will be awarded for solving the problem, 40% for analysing the problem and 20% for the overall report

C. Presentation on Project/Case Study: Portion of Final Mark (10%)

The presentation is based on the project or case study that the students carry out. The presentation criteria are set, so that students are judged objectively. Separate mark is allocated for group synergy; this is to encourage collaborative learning among the students. 30% will be awarded for content of the presentation, 15% for preparedness, 10% for timing, 15% for group coordination, 15% for handling of Q&A session and 15% for presentation skill. The presentation will be approximately 10-12 minutes, and include power points slides.

D. Class Test: Portion of Final Work (10%)

This is a written test conducted within the class for duration of 30-40 minutes and cover 2-3 weeks of material. There will two such tests, one before midterm comprising of topics from the beginning to the quarter point of the subject matter and the other after the midterm comprising of topics from after the midterm to quarter pointer after midterm.

E. Lab Practical Exam: Portion of Final Mark (10%)

This component assesses the student’s practical knowledge. They will be assessed on their program designing skills, maintaining syntax, use of functions, testing and debugging a code. 35% will be awarded sub tasks completed, 35% Techniques used for each sub task, 10% for timing and 30% for output. Each class test will consist of 2 problems and  the students have to solve those problems in the class within predefined time.

F. Midterm Examination: Portion of Final Mark (20%)

This a college wide examination conducted at the half-way into the semester. This examination is conducted for 1 hour and 30 Minutes and it includes all topics till the half-way point in the subject matter.

Prerequisites: CAP204, CSC205

Subject Matter:

1. Project management fundamentals
   • What is a project? Scope of a project, project stakeholders.
   • Triple constraints
     • Time
     • Cost
     • Quality
   • Software Project life cycle
   • What is project management?
   • Role, responsibilities and qualities of the project manager
   • Project organizational structures
   • Different types of Software project management software
2. Project Planning
   • Software Project Management Document (SPMP document)
   • Metrics for project size estimation
   • Lines of Code (LOC)
   • Function Point Metric
   • Feature Point Metric
3. Project scheduling
   • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
   • Activity-on-Arrow (AOA) and Activity-on-Node (AON) diagrams
   • Gantt charts
   • Critical Path Method(CPM)
   • Forward and Backward scheduling
   • Network analysis and critical path identification
   • Practical session: Develop software project plan using Microsoft Office Project
4. Cost and resource management
   • Cost estimation techniques
   • Empirical Estimation Techniques
   • Expert Judgment Techniques
     • Delphi Cost Estimation
   • Heuristic techniques
     • COnstructive COst Estimation MOdel (COCOMO)
   • Analytical estimation techniques
     • Halstead’s Software Science
   • Costing and project selection
   • Resource allocation
   • Resource levelling
   • Project reduction techniques
     • Fast tracking
     • Crashing
   • Practical session: Resolve resource conflicts using Microsoft Office Project
5. Project tracking and control
   • Earned value analysis
     • Budgeted Cost of Work Schedule (BCWS)
     • Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP)
     • Actual Costs of Work Performed(ACWP)
     • Scheduled Performance Index (SPI)
     • Cost Performance Index (CPI)
     • Scheduled Variance Index (SVI)
     • Cost Variance indicator (CVI)
   • Project completion
   • Risk identification
   • Risk assessment and quantification
   • Project review and evaluation techniques(PERT)
   • Project Configuration Management
   • Practical session: Perform earned value analysis using Microsoft Office Project
6. Practical Components
   • LateX Programming:
   • Creating a LateX document
   • Common mathematical notation
   • Brackets, Tables, and arrays in LateX
   • List in LateX
   • Text and document formatting in LateX
   • Packages, Marcos, and Graphics in LateX
   • Errors and debugging in LateX
   • Office Package:
   • Project scheduling
   • Work breakdown structure
   • Activity on Arrow and Activity on Node diagrams
   • Gantt charts
   • Network analysis and critical path identification
   • Resource allocation
   • Project evaluation and review technique (PERT) chart

Reading List:

1. Essential Reading:
   • Billows, D. (2003). Managing Complex Projects: Advanced Techniques for Strategic Programs & Projects, The Hampton Group, Inc.
   • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide (5th Edition). (2013). Newtown Square, Pa: Project Management Institute.
   • Software Project Management (1st ed.). (2011). Cengage Learning.
   • Bennatan, E.M. (2000). On Time Within Budget: Software Project Management Practices and Techniques, 3^rd John Wiley & Sons.
2. Additional Reading:
   • Bennatan, E.M. (1994). Software Project Management: A Practitioner's Approach (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Publishing. Wysocki, R.K (2011). Effective Project Management: Traditional, Agile, Extreme (6th Edition). Indiana, USA: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
   • Mall, R. (2009). Fundamentals of Software Engineering (3rd Edition). New Delhi-India: PHI Learning Private Limited.
   • Software Project Management (1st ed.). (2008). Global India Publications.
   • Software Development. (2008). Flying A Books.

Date: May 30, 2015