Software Project Management - Old Questions

1. Explain the project management cycle. What are the five competencies of project management skills? Explain

Answered by Anonymous

Project management is the application of methodologies, tools and processes to successfully plan and execute projects. Project management intelligently makes use of teams and resources to complete project activities within the boundaries of time, cost and scope. Initiation: Project initiation is the starting point of any project. In this process, all the activities related to winning a project takes place. Usually, the main activity of this phase is the pre-sale. During the pre-sale period, the service provider proves the eligibility and ability of completing the project to the client and eventually wins the business. Then, it is the detailed requirements gathering which comes next. During the requirements gathering activity, all the client requirements are gathered and analysis for implementation. In this activity, negotiations may take place to change certain requirements or remove certain requirements altogether Planning: Project planning is one of the main project management processes. If the project management team gets this step wrong, there could be heavy negative consequences during the next phases of the project. Therefore, the project management team will have to pay detailed attention to this process of the project. In this process, the project plan is derived in order to address the project requirements such as, requirements scope, budget and timelines. Once the project plan is derived, then the project schedule is developed. Depending on the budget and the schedule, the resources are then allocated to the project. This phase is the most important phase when it comes to project cost and effort. Executing: After all paperwork is done, in this phase, the project management executes the project in order to achieve project objectives. When it comes to execution, each member of the team carries out their own assignments within the given deadline for each activity. The detailed project schedule will be used for tracking the project progress. During the project execution, there are many reporting activities to be done. The senior management of the company will require daily or weekly status updates on the project progress. In addition to that, the client may also want to track the progress of the project. During the project execution, it is a must to track the effort and cost of the project in order to determine whether the project is progressing in the right direction or not. Control and Validation: During the project life cycle, the project activities should be thoroughly controlled and validated. The controlling can be mainly done by adhering to the initial protocols such as project plan, quality assurance test plan and communication plan for the project. Sometimes, there can be instances that are not covered by such protocols. In such cases, the project manager should use adequate and necessary measurements in order to control such situations. Validation is a supporting activity that runs from first day to the last day of a project. Each and every activity and delivery should have its own validation criteria in order to verify the successful outcome or the successful completion Closeout and Evaluation: Once all the project requirements are achieved, it is time to hand over the implemented system and closeout the project. If the project deliveries are in par with the acceptance criteria defined by the client, the project will be duly accepted and paid by the customer Five competencies of project management skills are: a) Communication: One of the most important skills for project managers is great communication. Good communication and effective leadership typically go hand-in-hand. Project management involves leading teams from different departments who may not be used to working together. Members may have different skills and may be expected to bring something unique to the table. A communicator who can provide clear instructions and expectations for their teams may increase work productivity and efficiency. b) Time Managements: The ability to manage time and prioritize tasks is an essential characteristic of efficient project managers. Workers may respond better to managers who are able to stay on task, avoid procrastination and complete work on time. In addition to personal time management, project managers must be able to maximize productivity and minimize distractions in several key project areas. c) Organizational Awareness: There are several different types of organizational structure in project management and all have an impact on management style. In businesses with a functional organizational structure, a traditional business hierarchy tasks senior executives with overall project quality. In a project-based organizational structure, project teams are given a degree of autonomy to manage projects as they see fit, ultimately placing project managers in positions of overall responsibility. Awareness of how an organization is structured and how project teams are formed is very important for project management professionals. Managers must have a clear sense of the current chain of command and whether they or senior executives will bear responsibility for final deliverables. d) Leadership: It may seem obvious, but strong leadership skills are crucial for project managers. This trait combines strong communication skills with a calm temperament and a positive, can-do approach to problem solving. Leaders must also be able to form and manage teams and communicate with stakeholders. Effective project managers tend to be excellent decision-makers and are able to delegate responsibilities to the team members most equipped to handle them. e) Problem Solving: Project management tends to follow a specific problem-solving framework. While each of these points can certainly be discussed in further detail, successful project managers generally have at the very least a basic understanding of the following ordered problem-solving approach. • Be proactive in finding new, potential problems rather than waiting to see if anything goes wrong. • Clearly define the problem and what you are trying to solve to help provide a clear set of objectives and a pathway to success. • Analyze the problem in detail to uncover any variables that may help identify the root of the issue.