SPM AKTU PYQ 22-23 Solution
SPM AKTU PYQ 22-23 Solution
                                                        B. Tech.
                                      (SEM VI) THEORY EXAMINATION 2022-23SOFTWARE PROJECT
                                        MANAGEMENT
SECTION A
- Lines of Code (LOC): It measures the size of software based on the number of lines of code written. While it is a tangible and easy-to-measure metric, it doesn't
capture the complexity or functionality of the software as effectively as function points.
- SPI (Schedule Performance Index) > 1.2: Indicates that the project is ahead of schedule. The work performed is progressing faster than originally planned.
In both cases, it generally reflects positive project performance. However, it's essential to consider other factors, such as the quality of work, to assess the overall
health of the project.
SECTION B
c. Illustrate Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in context to software project and product.
d. Discuss Framework for management & control in context of cost and schedule.
- Healthcare Industry: A hospital might have a project portfolio that includes implementing a new electronic health record system, expanding facilities, and
launching community health programs.
- IT Services Company: A software development company may have a portfolio consisting of various software development projects, infrastructure upgrades, and
cybersecurity initiatives.
- Manufacturing Company: An automotive manufacturer might manage a project portfolio that includes new product development, process improvement projects,
and sustainability initiatives.
PPM helps organizations align projects with business goals, optimize resource allocation, and ensure that the overall project mix is strategically aligned.
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- Data Movements: Counting the number of data movements within and across the system boundaries.
- Control Movements: Counting the number of control movements within and across the system boundaries.
- Interfaces: Identifying external inputs, external outputs, external inquiries, and internal logical files.
COSMIC FFP provides a more comprehensive and abstract measure than traditional function points, considering the user's interactions with the software.
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c. Illustrate Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in the context of a software project and product:
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team. In the context of a software
project and product:
Each level provides a more detailed breakdown of the project's scope, making it easier to plan, execute, and control.
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d. Discuss Framework for management & control in the context of cost and schedule:
A Framework for Management and Control in the context of cost and schedule includes:
- Baseline Establishment: Defining a baseline for project scope, schedule, and budget.
- Performance Measurement: Regularly measuring and comparing actual project performance against the established baseline.
- Change Control: Managing changes to project scope, schedule, and budget through a formal change control process.
- Risk Management: Identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact cost and schedule.
- Communication Plan: Establishing a communication plan to keep stakeholders informed about project progress.
- Resource Management: Efficiently allocating and managing resources to ensure project success.
- Quality Management: Ensuring that project deliverables meet the specified quality standards.
This framework helps organizations effectively manage and control projects, mitigating risks and ensuring successful outcomes.
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1. Skill Variety: The extent to which a job requires a variety of skills to complete tasks.
2. Task Identity: The degree to which a job involves completing a whole, identifiable piece of work.
3. Task Significance: The impact a job has on other people or the organization.
4. Autonomy: The level of independence and discretion a worker has in performing tasks.
5. Feedback: The extent to which a worker receives direct and clear information about the effectiveness of their performance.
The model suggests that jobs with high levels of these characteristics are more likely to result in positive outcomes such as job satisfaction, motivation, and
performance.
---
                                                              SECTION C
  3.         Attempt any one part of the following:                                                                      10x1=10
              1. Specific: Objectives should be clear and well-defined, leaving no room for ambiguity. They should outline precisely what needs to be
              achieved.
              2. Measurable: Objectives should include quantifiable criteria that allow for the measurement of progress and success. This helps in assessing
              whether the project goals are met.
3. Achievable: Objectives should be realistic and attainable within the constraints of the project, such as budget, time, and available resources.
              4. Relevant: Objectives should align with the overall goals and strategic objectives of the organization. They should contribute meaningfully
              to the organization's success.
              5. Time-Bound: Objectives should have a specific timeframe for completion. This helps in setting deadlines and milestones, promoting
              accountability and focus.
              6. Strategic Alignment: Objectives should support the overall strategy of the organization, ensuring that the project contributes to broader
              business goals.
              7. Accepted: Objectives should be agreed upon by key stakeholders, including project sponsors, team members, and end-users. Consensus
              helps in avoiding conflicts and gaining support.
              8. Flexible: While objectives should be specific, they should also allow for some flexibility to adapt to changes and unforeseen circumstances
              during the project lifecycle.
     9. Understandable: Objectives should be communicated in a way that is easily understood by all stakeholders, promoting a shared
     understanding of the project's purpose and goals.
10. Challenging: Objectives should be challenging enough to motivate and engage the project team, encouraging high performance.
     1. Establish Clear Baselines: Define clear baselines for scope, schedule, and budget. Baselines serve as benchmarks for measuring actual
     performance against planned performance.
     2. Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify and establish KPIs that align with project objectives. These metrics help in quantifying
     progress and performance.
     3. Regular Reporting: Implement regular reporting mechanisms to keep stakeholders informed about project status, issues, and achievements.
     Reports should be timely, accurate, and tailored to the needs of different audiences.
     4. Use Earned Value Management (EVM): EVM integrates scope, schedule, and cost to provide a comprehensive view of project
     performance. It helps in forecasting and identifying variances.
     5. Implement Change Control: Establish a formal change control process to manage changes to project scope, schedule, and budget. This
     helps in preventing scope creep and maintaining control over project changes.
     6. Risk Management: Continuously assess and manage project risks. Identify potential risks, develop mitigation strategies, and monitor risk
     triggers to prevent or address issues promptly.
     7. Performance Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews with the project team. Assess individual and team performance against
     established goals and expectations.
     8. Quality Assurance: Integrate quality assurance processes into project activities. Monitor and control the quality of deliverables to ensure
     they meet predefined standards.
     9. Feedback Mechanisms: Establish feedback mechanisms for team members, stakeholders, and end-users. Solicit input on project progress,
     challenges, and potential improvements.
     10. Adaptability: Be adaptable to changes in project conditions. Anticipate potential issues and be prepared to adjust plans and strategies as
     needed.
     11. Continuous Improvement: Encourage a culture of continuous improvement. Learn from project experiences and apply lessons learned to
     enhance future projects.
     12. Stakeholder Communication: Maintain open and transparent communication with all project stakeholders. Address concerns promptly and
     ensure that all stakeholders are aligned with project goals.
     By following these principles, project managers can effectively control and monitor projects, leading to successful outcomes and satisfied
     stakeholders.
b.   The status of cash flow for four projects is given in the following table. (Negativefigures at the end of
     year 0 represent initial investment).
      Cash flow for four projects (Figures are end of year total in rupees)
      Year                Project 1          Project 2           Project 3          Project 4
      0                   -100,000           -1,000,000          -100,000           -120,000
      1                   10,000             200,000             30,000             30,000
      2                   10,000             200,000             30,000             30,000
      3                   10,000             200,000             30,000             30,000
      4                   20,000             200,000             30,000             30,000
                5                   100,000            300,000                30,000          75,000
              Calculate Net Profit (NP), Payback Period (PP), Return on Investment (ROI) and Net Present Value (NPV)
              on the basis of above table. You may assume discount rate to beas 10%.
Let's calculate Net Profit (NP), Payback Period (PP), Return on Investment (ROI), and Net Present Value (NPV) for each project based on the given cash flow
table and a discount rate of 10%.
Project 1:
1. Net Profit (NP): Net Profit = Cash inflows - Initial Investment
  - NP = (10,000 + 10,000 + 10,000 + 20,000 + 100,000) - 100,000 = 50,000
Project 2:
1. Net Profit (NP): Net Profit = Cash inflows - Initial Investment
  - NP = (200,000 + 200,000 + 200,000 + 200,000 + 300,000) - 1,000,000 = 100,000
Project 3:
1. Net Profit (NP): Net Profit = Cash inflows - Initial Investment
  - NP = (30,000 + 30,000 + 30,000 + 30,000 + 30,000) - 100,000 = 50,000
Project 4:
1. Net Profit (NP): Net Profit = Cash inflows - Initial Investment
  - NP = (30,000 + 30,000 + 30,000 + 30,000 + 75,000) - 120,000 = 95,000
These calculations provide an overview of the financial performance of each project based on the given cash flow data and a discount rate of 10%.
The Rapid Application Development (RAD) model is an iterative and incremental software development approach that prioritizes rapid prototyping and quick
feedback over extensive planning. RAD is particularly well-suited for projects with dynamic requirements and a need for fast delivery. Here are key features and
components of the RAD model:
1. Iterative Prototyping:
  - RAD relies on the creation of prototypes to illustrate and refine system requirements. These prototypes are continually reviewed and refined based on user
feedback.
2. User Involvement:
  - Continuous and active participation of end-users and stakeholders is a fundamental aspect of RAD. This involvement helps in refining requirements and
ensuring that the delivered product meets user expectations.
4. Time-Boxing:
  - RAD projects are time-boxed, meaning that there are fixed timeframes for each iteration or prototype. This ensures a sense of urgency and facilitates better
project management.
6. Incremental Delivery:
  - RAD involves delivering software in increments or iterations, with each iteration building upon the previous ones. This facilitates early delivery of a working
product.
7. Focus on Quality:
  - Despite the emphasis on speed, RAD does not compromise on quality. Continuous testing and refinement are integral to the development process.
8. Strong Communication:
  - Effective communication among stakeholders, developers, and users is critical in RAD. Regular meetings and feedback sessions contribute to a collaborative
and transparent development process.
Agile methodologies represent a set of principles and practices that prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction in software development. Agile
approaches emphasize adaptive planning, iterative development, and continuous improvement. Some popular Agile methodologies include:
1. Scrum:
  - Scrum is an iterative and incremental Agile framework that focuses on delivering a potentially shippable product at the end of each iteration, known as a sprint.
Key roles in Scrum include Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Development Team.
3. Kanban:
  - Kanban is a visual Agile methodology that emphasizes continuous delivery by limiting work in progress and optimizing flow. Work items are represented on a
Kanban board, and teams aim to balance the flow of work to maximize efficiency.
6. Crystal:
  - Crystal is a family of Agile methodologies with different variants tailored to specific project characteristics. It prioritizes communication, simplicity, and
frequent delivery.
Agile methodologies share common values and principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto, including individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working
software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan. The specific
practices and techniques used may vary among Agile methodologies.
    a.             Formulate following Using CPM (i) Construct the project network. (ii)Perform Project Time
                    estimation using forward and backward pass (iii) Identify the critical path.Thetable contains the activity label, itsrespective duration (in weeks)
                   and its precedents.
                     Activity              Duration (in weeks)             Precedents
                     A                      6                                -
                     B                      4                                -
                     C                      3                                A
                     D                      4                                B
                     E                      3                                B
                     F                      10                               -
                     G                      3                                E, F
                     H                      2                                C, D
To formulate the Critical Path Method (CPM) for the given project, we'll follow the steps to construct the project network, perform time estimation using the
forward and backward pass, and identify the critical path.
```
        [Start]
          |
      +----|A (6)----+
      | |         |
      | +----|C (3)-----+
      |           | |
      |           +----|H (2)
      |
  [Start]----|B (4)----+
      |         |
      |         +----|D (4)
      |         |
      +----|E (3)----+
      |         |
      |         +----|G (3)----[Finish]
      |
      +----|F (10)----+
```
Step 2: Perform Project Time Estimation using Forward and Backward Pass:
Forward Pass:
Start with the initial time of 0 for the start node and calculate the earliest start (ES) and earliest finish (EF) for each activity.
```
Activity ES EF
Start 0 0
A        0    6
B        0    4
C        6    9
D        4    8
E        4    7
F        0   10
G        7   10
H        9   11
Finish 11
```
Backward Pass:
Start with the project duration (EF of finish node) and calculate the latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF) for each activity.
```
Activity LS LF
Finish 11 11
G     7 10
H     10 11
C     9 12
D     8 12
E     7 10
B     0 4
A     0 6
F     0 10
Start 0 0
```
Summary:
- Project Duration: 11 weeks
- Critical Path: Start - B - D - G - Finish
The critical path activities are B, D, and G, and any delay in these activities will lead to a delay in the overall project completion time.
  b.              Design an activity network diagram by taking a suitable example using PERT Technique. Find project
                  schedule time and Critical path.
```
Activity | Duration (weeks) | Predecessors
-------------------------------------------
A         |     2        | -
B        |     4        | A
C        |     3        | A
D         |     5        | B
E        |     2        | C
F       |      4       | D, E
G         |     3        | F
H         |     2        | G
```
```
       [Start]
        |
        A (2)
        /\
       B C
      | |
      D E
       \ /
        F (4)
          |
          G (3)
          |
          H (2)
          |
       [Finish]
```
For each activity, we use the PERT formula to estimate the Expected Duration (TE):
Let's assume the optimistic (O), most likely (ML), and pessimistic (P) durations for each activity:
```
Activity | O | ML | P
--------------------------
A        | 1| 2| 3
B        | 3| 4| 5
C         |   2|   3|   4
D         |   4|   5|   6
E        |    1|   2|   3
F        |    5|   6|   7
G         |   2|   3|   4
H         |   1|   2|   3
```
```
Activity | TE
----------------
A         | 2
B        | 4
C        | 3
D         | 5
E        | 2
F       | 6
G         | 3
H         | 2
```
Perform the forward and backward pass to calculate the project schedule time:
Forward Pass:
```
Activity | ES | EF
-------------------
Start | 0 | 0
A         | 0|2
B         | 2|6
C         | 2|5
D         | 6 | 11
E        | 5|7
F        | 11 | 17
G         | 17 | 20
H         | 20 | 22
Finish      | 22 | 22
```
Backward Pass:
```
Activity | LS | LF
-------------------
Finish | 22 | 22
H         | 20 | 22
G         | 17 | 20
F       | 11 | 17
E        | 5|7
D         | 6 | 11
C        | 2|5
B        | 2|6
A         | 0|2
Start | 0 | 0
```
Critical Path:
The critical path is the path with zero slack (total float), indicating the sequence of activities that determine the project's minimum duration.
In summary, the project is expected to be completed in 22 weeks, and the critical path includes activities A, C, E, F, G, and H. Any delay in these activities will
impact the overall project completion time.
Earned Value Analysis (EVA) is a project management technique that integrates cost, schedule, and scope measures to assess project performance. Key metrics
used in EVA include:
Given variables:
\[ CV = EV - AC \]
\[ SV = EV - PV \]
\[ CPI = \frac{EV}{AC} \]
\[ SPI = \frac{EV}{PV} \]
\[ EAC = \frac{BAC}{CPI} \]
\[ VAC = BAC - EAC \]
Summary:
  b.          You are managing a project which is six months of its execution. You are now reviewing the project status
              and you have ascertained that the project is behind schedule. The actual cost of Activity A is ₹ 2,00,000 and
              that of Activity B is ₹ 1,00,000. The planned value of these activities is ₹ 1,80,000 and ₹ 80,000 respectively.
              Activity A is 100% complete. However, Activity B is only 75% complete. Calculate the schedule
              performance index and cost performance index of the project on the review date.
To calculate the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI), we can use the following formulas:
\[ SPI = \frac{EV}{PV} \]
\[ CPI = \frac{EV}{AC} \]
where:
Given data:
- \( EV_B \) (Earned Value of Activity B) = 75% of ₹80,000 = ₹60,000 (since Activity B is 75% complete)
For Activity A:
For Activity B:
Overall Project:
To find the overall SPI and CPI for the project, we can sum up the EV, PV, and AC for all activities.
Summary:
  a.         Discuss the factors that influence staffing decisions in SPM and evaluate the impact of poor staffing
             decisions in project outcomes.
Staffing decisions in Software Project Management (SPM) are crucial for the success of a project. Several factors influence staffing decisions:
- Larger and more complex projects require a diverse set of skills and expertise. Staffing decisions should consider the scope and intricacy of the project.
  - Tight project schedules may require a larger team or a team with specific expertise to meet deadlines. The timeline of the project influences the number and
skill set of team members needed.
3. Budget Constraints:
- Budget limitations may impact staffing decisions. Project managers need to optimize resources to deliver within budget constraints.
  - The required skills for the project must align with the expertise of the team members. Staffing decisions should ensure that the team possesses the necessary
technical and soft skills.
- The experience level of team members is crucial. A mix of experienced professionals and fresh talent may be necessary for a balanced team.
6. Availability of Resources:
  - The availability of resources, including both human and technical resources, affects staffing decisions. Constraints in resource availability may lead to
adjustments in staffing plans.
7. Risk Mitigation:
  - Anticipating potential risks and challenges in a project helps in making informed staffing decisions. Having contingency plans for unforeseen events is
essential.
8. Communication and Collaboration Requirements:
  - The nature of the project may necessitate a high level of collaboration and communication. Staffing decisions should consider team dynamics and the need for
effective communication.
9. Regulatory Compliance:
  - Projects in certain industries may need to comply with specific regulations. Staffing decisions should take into account the knowledge and expertise required
for compliance.
- Understanding client and stakeholder expectations is critical. Staffing decisions should align with delivering outcomes that meet or exceed these expectations.
Poor staffing decisions can have several negative impacts on project outcomes:
- Insufficient or improperly skilled staff may lead to delays in project milestones and overall project completion.
2. Decreased Productivity:
- Inadequate staffing may result in overburdened team members, leading to decreased productivity and burnout.
3. Quality Issues:
- Lack of expertise or experience can compromise the quality of deliverables, leading to defects and rework.
4. Increased Costs:
- Poor staffing decisions may result in additional costs due to overtime, hiring replacements, or addressing quality issues.
- Ineffective staffing decisions can negatively impact team morale, leading to increased turnover and potential loss of key talent.
6. Reputation Damage:
- Project failures due to poor staffing decisions can harm the reputation of the project manager and the organization.
7. Customer Dissatisfaction:
- If project outcomes do not meet client expectations due to staffing issues, it can lead to customer dissatisfaction and strained relationships.
- Inadequate staffing may lead to non-compliance with regulatory requirements, resulting in legal risks and penalties.
1. Client Confidentiality:
 - Project managers must ensure the confidentiality of client information and sensitive project details. Unauthorized disclosure can lead to legal and ethical issues.
2. Accuracy in Reporting:
- Providing accurate and truthful information in project reports and status updates is essential. Misleading stakeholders can result in trust issues.
3. Conflict of Interest:
- Project managers should avoid situations where personal interests conflict with the best interests of the project or the organization.
  - Treating team members fairly and without discrimination is crucial for maintaining a positive work environment. Unfair practices can lead to legal
consequences and affect team morale.
- Ensuring transparent and open communication with stakeholders promotes trust. Hiding information or misrepresenting project status is considered unethical.
- Adhering to relevant laws and regulations in the software industry is a professional and ethical responsibility. Non-compliance can lead to legal consequences.
7. Professional Development:
- Project managers should engage in continuous professional development to stay updated on industry best practices and advancements in technology.
- Respecting intellectual property rights and avoiding plagiarism or unauthorized use of others' work is a fundamental ethical principle.
9. Social Responsibility:
- Considering the social and environmental impact of software projects and adopting socially responsible practices is an ethical consideration.
  - Project managers should avoid exploiting team members, vendors, or clients for personal gain. Fair and ethical practices contribute to a positive project
environment.
Maintaining high professional and ethical standards in software project management is essential for building trust, ensuring successful project outcomes, and
upholding the reputation of the project manager and the organization.