module specification

The module provides an understanding of project management in the context of software development.

Students will gain an overview of a standard project management method (e.g. Prince 2);  an understanding of the software development process and overview of a variety of specific system/software development methods; knowledge of a range of planning techniques; basic skills in financial evaluation; an understanding of team management issues.

The module aims to develop an understanding of project management issues in the context of software development – including the consideration of a standard method, software development frameworks, financial evaluation, planning, monitoring, control and team management – together with the ability to apply these as appropriate to a business case study.

1. System and software development activities.  Approaches to the development process – waterfall, incremental/iterative, etc, Agile methods. Overview of specific example methods – e.g. RUP, DSDM, SSADM with particular reference to project management issues. 
    
2. Overview of a standard project management method (e.g Prince 2).
    
3. Planning  - stakeholders, budgets, products; quality, contract, specification; relating timescale to requirements and software development method used;  risk evaluation and contingency planning;  representational techniques – e.g. Gantt chart, PERT; use of project managment software; monitoring and control;
    
4. Financial evaluation issues and approaches (costing, cash flow, NPV etc); estimation of effort – e.g. COCOMO,  other approaches; 
    
5. Use of a selected range of standard templates (e.g from Prince 2)
    
6. Team management issues – recruitment, day-to-day management, allocation to tasks, styles of management, legal issues.
    
7. Overview of legal issues relevant to software development  - e.g. data protection, equality, contract, employment; professional and ethical issues – including BCS code of conduct; social issues – privacy, economic effects, etc.

Students will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops.  They will be expected to carry out research using library and web resources.  Students will be expected to attempt regular sets of exercises and to work individually and in small groups.

On completion of the module the student should be able to:
LO 1 describe the system and software development process, explain the part played by a system/software development method, and compare the approach/structure and appropriate application of a range of standard methods;
LO 2 describe in overview a standard project management method;
LO 3 produce an outline plan for a software development project and explain the monitoring and control mechanisms that would be used during the project;
LO 4  produce an outline financial evaluation for a software project;
LO 5 produce a range of standard project management documents;
LO 6 demonstrate an understanding of key team management issues.
LO 7 demonstrate an understanding of key Legal, Social, Ethical and Professional Issues involved in software development.

C.Bentley  PRINCE2: A Practical Handbook (3rd edition) Routledge ISBN 978-1-85617-822-8

Bob Hughes, Mike Cotterell  Software Project Management, (5th edition) McGraw-Hill ISBN: 9780077122

Jacobson,  Booch, Rumbaugh,   The Unified Software Development Process,
ISBN 9780201571691

Bennett,  McRobb, Farmer Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design using UML
ISBN 978-0-07-712536-3 (4th edition)

Weaver, Lambrou & Walkley  Practical SSADM 4+  ISBN 0 273 62675 2 (2nd ed)
or Practical Business Systems Development Using SSADM ISBN 0 273 65575 2 (3rd ed)

Jennifer Stapleton, (DSDM Consortium)  DSDM : business focused development
ISBN  0 321 11224 5 (2nd edition)

www.prince-officialsite.com/

www.best-management-practice.com

BCS Code of Conduct