RGPV SOFTWARE PROJECT
MANAGEMENT - COMPLETE NOTES
UNIT - I: CONVENTIONAL SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT
Evolution of Software Economics
Historical Context
Software economics has evolved dramatically from the 1960s to present day. Initially, software
was considered a free add-on to hardware, but as systems became more complex, software
development emerged as a distinct discipline with its own economic principles.
Key Phases in Evolution:
1. Hardware-Centric Era (1960s-1970s): Software was bundled with hardware, minimal
focus on software costs
2. Software Crisis Era (1980s): Recognition of software complexity and cost overruns
3. Process-Oriented Era (1990s): Focus on systematic approaches and methodologies
4. Agile Era (2000s-Present): Emphasis on iterative development and customer
collaboration
Economic Factors in Software Development
● Development Costs: Personnel (60-80%), Tools and Infrastructure (10-20%), Overhead
(10-20%)
● Maintenance Costs: Typically 60-70% of total software lifecycle costs
● Quality Costs: Prevention, Appraisal, and Failure costs
● Risk Factors: Technical complexity, team experience, project size, schedule constraints
Improving Software Economics
Cost Reduction Strategies
1. Reducing Product Size
● Requirements Engineering: Thorough analysis to eliminate unnecessary features
● Reusability: Leveraging existing components and frameworks
● COTS Integration: Commercial Off-The-Shelf software utilization
● Prototyping: Early validation to avoid costly changes later
2. Improving Software Processes
● Process Standardization: Consistent methodologies across projects
● Best Practices: Documentation and sharing of lessons learned
● Continuous Improvement: Regular process assessment and refinement
● Metrics Collection: Data-driven process optimization
3. Team Effectiveness Enhancement
● Skill Development: Training and certification programs
● Team Composition: Balanced mix of senior and junior developers
● Communication: Clear channels and regular meetings
● Motivation: Recognition and career development opportunities
4. Automation Through Software Environments
● Development Tools: IDEs, debuggers, profilers
● Testing Automation: Unit testing, integration testing, regression testing
● Build Automation: Continuous integration and deployment
● Configuration Management: Version control and change management
Return on Investment (ROI) Calculations
● Cost-Benefit Analysis: Comparing development costs with expected benefits
● Net Present Value (NPV): Time value of money considerations
● Payback Period: Time required to recover initial investment
● Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Complete lifecycle cost analysis
Principles of Modern Software Management
Core Principles
1. Base Practices on Iterative Development
● Incremental Delivery: Working software delivered in short cycles
● Risk Reduction: Early identification and mitigation of issues
● Feedback Integration: Customer input incorporated throughout development
● Adaptive Planning: Adjustments based on lessons learned
2. Establish a Configurable Management Framework
● Scalability: Framework adapts to project size and complexity
● Customization: Tailored to organizational needs and constraints
● Standardization: Consistent application across projects
● Tool Integration: Seamless workflow between different tools
3. Establish Change Management Environment
● Change Control Board: Formal review and approval process
● Impact Analysis: Assessment of proposed changes
● Configuration Management: Tracking and controlling changes
● Communication: Stakeholder notification of changes
4. Enhance Human Resource Management
● Skills Assessment: Regular evaluation of team capabilities
● Training Programs: Continuous learning and development
● Performance Management: Clear goals and regular feedback
● Team Building: Fostering collaboration and communication
5. Improve Software Quality
● Quality Assurance: Systematic approach to quality management
● Testing Strategy: Comprehensive testing at all levels
● Code Reviews: Peer review and static analysis
● Quality Metrics: Measurement and monitoring of quality indicators
UNIT - II: SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT PROCESS
FRAMEWORK
Life-Cycle Phases
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Overview
The software development life cycle provides a structured approach to software development,
ensuring systematic progression from conception to deployment and maintenance.
Phase 1: Inception Phase
Objectives:
● Establish project vision and scope
● Identify key stakeholders and their requirements
● Assess project feasibility and risks
● Define success criteria and constraints
Key Activities:
● Stakeholder Analysis: Identification and engagement of all relevant parties
● Vision Statement: Clear articulation of project goals and objectives
● Feasibility Study: Technical, economic, and operational feasibility assessment
● Risk Assessment: Initial identification of potential risks and mitigation strategies
● Resource Planning: Preliminary estimation of required resources
Deliverables:
● Project charter and vision document
● Stakeholder register and communication plan
● Feasibility study report
● Initial risk register
● High-level project schedule and budget
Phase 2: Elaboration Phase
Objectives:
● Refine and detail project requirements
● Establish architectural foundation
● Mitigate critical risks
● Develop detailed project plan
Key Activities:
● Requirements Analysis: Detailed functional and non-functional requirements
● Architecture Design: High-level system architecture and design patterns
● Prototype Development: Proof-of-concept implementations
● Risk Mitigation: Addressing high-priority risks identified in inception
● Team Formation: Assembling and organizing the development team
Deliverables:
● Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
● System Architecture Document
● Technical prototypes and proof-of-concepts
● Updated risk register with mitigation plans
● Detailed project plan and schedule
Phase 3: Construction Phase
Objectives:
● Implement system functionality
● Integrate system components
● Conduct comprehensive testing
● Prepare for system deployment
Key Activities:
● Coding and Implementation: Development of software components
● Unit Testing: Individual component testing
● Integration Testing: System-level testing and integration
● Documentation: User manuals and technical documentation
● Performance Optimization: System tuning and optimization
Deliverables:
● Implemented software system
● Test results and quality assurance reports
● User documentation and training materials
● Deployment package and installation guides
● Performance benchmark reports
Phase 4: Transition Phase
Objectives:
● Deploy system to production environment
● Train end users and support staff
● Provide ongoing support and maintenance
● Evaluate project success and lessons learned
Key Activities:
● Deployment Planning: Rollout strategy and timeline
● User Training: End-user and administrator training programs
● Support Setup: Help desk and maintenance procedures
● Post-Implementation Review: Project evaluation and lessons learned
● Warranty Period: Initial support and bug fixes
Deliverables:
● Deployed production system
● Training materials and programs
● Support documentation and procedures
● Project closure report and lessons learned
● Maintenance and support plan
Artifacts of the Process
Management Artifacts
1. Business Case
● Purpose: Justification for project investment
● Contents: Cost-benefit analysis, ROI calculations, risk assessment
● Stakeholders: Executive sponsors, project managers, financial analysts
● Updates: Regular review and revision throughout project lifecycle
2. Software Development Plan
● Purpose: Comprehensive project roadmap and management framework
● Contents: Scope, schedule, resources, risks, quality plan
● Stakeholders: Project team, stakeholders, management
● Updates: Iterative refinement based on project progress
3. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
● Purpose: Hierarchical decomposition of project work
● Contents: Tasks, subtasks, deliverables, dependencies
● Stakeholders: Project managers, team leads, individual contributors
● Updates: Continuous refinement and detail addition
4. Status Assessment
● Purpose: Regular monitoring and reporting of project health
● Contents: Progress metrics, issue tracking, risk status
● Stakeholders: All project stakeholders
● Updates: Regular intervals (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
Engineering Artifacts
1. Requirements Specification
● Purpose: Detailed documentation of system requirements
● Contents: Functional requirements, non-functional requirements, constraints
● Stakeholders: Business analysts, developers, testers, customers
● Updates: Controlled changes through change management process
2. Design Models
● Purpose: Technical blueprint for system implementation
● Contents: Architecture diagrams, component designs, interface specifications
● Stakeholders: Architects, developers, technical leads
● Updates: Iterative refinement during elaboration and construction
3. Implementation
● Purpose: Actual software code and executables
● Contents: Source code, compiled binaries, configuration files
● Stakeholders: Developers, testers, deployment teams
● Updates: Continuous development and version control
4. Test Results
● Purpose: Validation of system functionality and quality
● Contents: Test cases, test results, defect reports, quality metrics
● Stakeholders: Testers, quality assurance, project managers
● Updates: Ongoing throughout testing phases
Pragmatic Artifacts
1. User Manuals
● Purpose: End-user guidance and reference
● Contents: Installation guides, user procedures, troubleshooting
● Stakeholders: End users, support staff, training personnel
● Updates: Synchronized with system changes and updates
2. Training Materials
● Purpose: Knowledge transfer and skill development
● Contents: Presentations, exercises, assessments, reference materials
● Stakeholders: Trainers, trainees, support staff
● Updates: Regular updates based on system changes and feedback
3. Deployment Package
● Purpose: System installation and configuration
● Contents: Installation scripts, configuration files, database schemas
● Stakeholders: Deployment teams, system administrators
● Updates: Version-controlled and tested deployment packages
Model-Based Software Architectures
Architecture Development Process
1. Requirements Analysis for Architecture
● Functional Requirements: Core system capabilities and features
● Quality Attributes: Performance, reliability, security, maintainability
● Constraints: Technology limitations, regulatory requirements, budget constraints
● Stakeholder Concerns: Different perspectives and priorities
2. Architecture Design
● Architectural Patterns: Layered, client-server, microservices, event-driven
● Component Identification: High-level system components and their responsibilities
● Interface Design: Communication protocols and data formats
● Deployment Architecture: Physical and logical deployment topology
3. Architecture Evaluation
● Architecture Trade-off Analysis Method (ATAM): Systematic evaluation approach
● Scenario-Based Evaluation: Testing architecture against specific use cases
● Prototype Validation: Proof-of-concept implementations
● Stakeholder Review: Feedback from various stakeholder groups
Architectural Views and Perspectives
1. Logical View
● Purpose: Functional decomposition and organization
● Elements: Classes, packages, subsystems, interfaces
● Stakeholders: Developers, analysts, testers
● Notation: UML class diagrams, package diagrams
2. Process View
● Purpose: Runtime behavior and concurrency
● Elements: Processes, threads, synchronization mechanisms
● Stakeholders: System engineers, performance analysts
● Notation: Activity diagrams, sequence diagrams
3. Development View
● Purpose: Code organization and development environment
● Elements: Source code organization, build dependencies, development tools
● Stakeholders: Developers, configuration managers
● Notation: Component diagrams, build scripts
4. Physical View
● Purpose: Deployment and physical infrastructure
● Elements: Hardware nodes, network connections, deployment artifacts
● Stakeholders: System administrators, network engineers
● Notation: Deployment diagrams, network topology diagrams
Workflows of the Process
Core Workflows
1. Business Modeling Workflow
● Purpose: Understanding business context and requirements
● Activities: Business process analysis, stakeholder analysis, business rules definition
● Artifacts: Business model, business glossary, business rules document
● Roles: Business analyst, domain expert, stakeholder
2. Requirements Workflow
● Purpose: Capturing and managing system requirements
● Activities: Requirements elicitation, analysis, specification, validation
● Artifacts: Use case model, supplementary requirements, requirements traceability
matrix
● Roles: Requirements analyst, stakeholder, system analyst
3. Analysis and Design Workflow
● Purpose: Transforming requirements into technical design
● Activities: Architectural design, detailed design, design review
● Artifacts: Design model, architecture document, interface specifications
● Roles: Software architect, designer, technical lead
4. Implementation Workflow
● Purpose: Realizing design in executable code
● Activities: Coding, unit testing, code review, integration
● Artifacts: Source code, executables, unit test results
● Roles: Developer, programmer, technical lead
5. Test Workflow
● Purpose: Verifying and validating system functionality
● Activities: Test planning, test case development, test execution, defect tracking
● Artifacts: Test plan, test cases, test results, defect reports
● Roles: Test engineer, quality assurance analyst, test manager
6. Deployment Workflow
● Purpose: Delivering system to production environment
● Activities: Deployment planning, system installation, user training, support setup
● Artifacts: Deployment plan, installation guides, training materials
● Roles: Deployment engineer, system administrator, trainer
Supporting Workflows
1. Configuration and Change Management
● Purpose: Controlling and tracking system changes
● Activities: Version control, change control, build management, release management
● Artifacts: Configuration management plan, change requests, version history
● Roles: Configuration manager, change control board, release manager
2. Project Management
● Purpose: Planning, monitoring, and controlling project execution
● Activities: Project planning, resource management, progress tracking, risk management
● Artifacts: Project plan, status reports, risk register, resource allocation
● Roles: Project manager, team lead, stakeholder
3. Environment Management
● Purpose: Setting up and maintaining development infrastructure
● Activities: Tool selection, environment setup, tool integration, maintenance
● Artifacts: Environment setup guides, tool configurations, infrastructure documentation
● Roles: Environment manager, tool administrator, developer
Checkpoints of the Process
Major Milestones
1. Life Cycle Objectives (LCO) Milestone
● Timing: End of Inception phase
● Purpose: Establish project viability and stakeholder commitment
● Criteria: Clear vision, stakeholder agreement, initial risk assessment, go/no-go decision
● Deliverables: Vision document, business case, risk assessment, initial plan
2. Life Cycle Architecture (LCA) Milestone
● Timing: End of Elaboration phase
● Purpose: Validate architectural foundation and project approach
● Criteria: Stable architecture, detailed requirements, risk mitigation, realistic plan
● Deliverables: Architecture document, detailed requirements, risk mitigation plan, refined
project plan
3. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) Milestone
● Timing: End of Construction phase
● Purpose: Demonstrate system readiness for deployment
● Criteria: Feature-complete system, acceptable quality levels, deployment readiness
● Deliverables: Complete system, test results, deployment package, user documentation
4. Product Release Milestone
● Timing: End of Transition phase
● Purpose: Confirm successful system deployment and acceptance
● Criteria: User acceptance, operational readiness, support infrastructure, stakeholder
satisfaction
● Deliverables: Deployed system, trained users, support procedures, project closure
report
Quality Gates
1. Requirements Review
● Purpose: Validate completeness and correctness of requirements
● Criteria: Traceability, testability, consistency, stakeholder approval
● Activities: Requirements inspection, stakeholder review, impact analysis
2. Architecture Review
● Purpose: Assess architectural quality and fitness for purpose
● Criteria: Quality attribute satisfaction, design principles adherence, risk mitigation
● Activities: Architecture evaluation, prototype review, expert assessment
3. Code Review
● Purpose: Ensure code quality and adherence to standards
● Criteria: Coding standards compliance, maintainability, performance, security
● Activities: Peer review, static analysis, code inspection
4. Test Readiness Review
● Purpose: Validate system readiness for formal testing
● Criteria: Test environment setup, test data preparation, test case completeness
● Activities: Test plan review, environment validation, test case inspection
UNIT - III: SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT DISCIPLINES
Iterative Process Planning
Principles of Iterative Planning
1. Evolutionary Development
● Concept: Software development through successive refinements
● Benefits: Early feedback, risk reduction, adaptive planning
● Challenges: Scope creep, architectural integrity, stakeholder management
● Best Practices: Time-boxed iterations, clear iteration goals, regular retrospectives
2. Incremental Delivery
● Concept: Delivering working software in small, manageable increments
● Benefits: Early value delivery, reduced risk, improved stakeholder satisfaction
● Challenges: Integration complexity, dependency management, quality consistency
● Best Practices: Potentially shippable increments, continuous integration, automated
testing
Planning Levels
1. Strategic Planning (Release Level)
● Time Horizon: 3-12 months
● Focus: Major features, architectural decisions, resource allocation
● Stakeholders: Executive sponsors, product owners, project managers
● Artifacts: Release plan, roadmap, budget allocation
2. Tactical Planning (Iteration Level)
● Time Horizon: 2-6 weeks
● Focus: Specific features, tasks, resource assignments
● Stakeholders: Development team, product owner, scrum master
● Artifacts: Iteration plan, task breakdown, acceptance criteria
3. Operational Planning (Daily Level)
● Time Horizon: 1 day
● Focus: Immediate tasks, impediments, coordination
● Stakeholders: Development team members
● Artifacts: Daily standup updates, task status, impediment log
Planning Techniques
1. Story-Based Planning
● User Stories: Requirements expressed from user perspective
● Story Points: Relative sizing of development effort
● Velocity: Team's historical delivery rate
● Burn-down Charts: Visual progress tracking
2. Feature-Based Planning
● Feature Breakdown: Hierarchical decomposition of functionality
● Feature Prioritization: Value-based ranking of features
● Feature Dependencies: Identification of prerequisite relationships
● Feature Completion Tracking: Progress monitoring and reporting
3. Risk-Driven Planning
● Risk Identification: Systematic identification of project risks
● Risk Prioritization: Assessment of risk impact and probability
● Risk Mitigation Planning: Strategies for addressing high-priority risks
● Risk Monitoring: Ongoing tracking and response
Project Organizations and Responsibilities
Organizational Structures
1. Functional Organization
● Structure: Team members organized by technical specialty
● Advantages: Deep expertise, efficient resource utilization, clear career paths
● Disadvantages: Communication barriers, limited project focus, coordination challenges
● Best Suited For: Large organizations with multiple similar projects
2. Project-Based Organization
● Structure: Dedicated project teams with cross-functional skills
● Advantages: Strong project focus, clear accountability, fast decision-making
● Disadvantages: Resource duplication, limited knowledge sharing, career development
challenges
● Best Suited For: Unique, high-priority projects with dedicated resources
3. Matrix Organization
● Structure: Dual reporting relationships (functional and project)
● Advantages: Resource flexibility, skill development, knowledge sharing
● Disadvantages: Role ambiguity, potential conflicts, complex management
● Best Suited For: Organizations with multiple projects requiring diverse skills
Key Roles and Responsibilities
1. Project Manager
● Primary Responsibilities:
○ Project planning and scheduling
○ Resource allocation and management
○ Risk identification and mitigation
○ Stakeholder communication and coordination
○ Progress monitoring and reporting
● Skills Required: Leadership, communication, planning, problem-solving, negotiation
● Interactions: All project stakeholders, senior management, customers
2. Technical Lead/Architect
● Primary Responsibilities:
○ Technical vision and architecture design
○ Technology selection and standards
○ Technical risk assessment
○ Developer mentoring and guidance
○ Code review and quality assurance
● Skills Required: Technical expertise, design thinking, mentoring, communication
● Interactions: Development team, project manager, stakeholders
3. Product Owner
● Primary Responsibilities:
○ Requirements definition and prioritization
○ Stakeholder representation
○ Acceptance criteria definition
○ Sprint planning participation
○ Product backlog management
● Skills Required: Domain expertise, communication, decision-making, negotiation
● Interactions: Stakeholders, development team, project manager
4. Development Team
● Primary Responsibilities:
○ Software design and implementation
○ Unit testing and code review
○ Estimation and planning participation
○ Technical documentation
○ Continuous improvement
● Skills Required: Programming, testing, design, collaboration, learning
● Interactions: Technical lead, product owner, other team members
5. Quality Assurance Team
● Primary Responsibilities:
○ Test planning and strategy
○ Test case design and execution
○ Defect identification and tracking
○ Quality metrics collection
○ Process improvement
● Skills Required: Testing expertise, analytical thinking, attention to detail, communication
● Interactions: Development team, project manager, stakeholders
Team Formation and Development
1. Team Formation Stages (Tuckman Model)
● Forming: Initial team assembly and orientation
● Storming: Conflict and competition phase
● Norming: Establishment of team norms and processes
● Performing: High-performance collaborative work
● Adjourning: Project completion and team dissolution
2. Team Building Strategies
● Clear Goals: Shared understanding of objectives and success criteria
● Role Clarity: Well-defined roles and responsibilities
● Communication: Open, frequent, and effective communication channels
● Trust Building: Transparency, reliability, and mutual respect
● Skill Development: Training and mentoring opportunities
Process Automation
Automation Categories
1. Build Automation
● Purpose: Automated compilation, linking, and packaging
● Tools: Maven, Gradle, Jenkins, GitHub Actions
● Benefits: Consistency, speed, error reduction, reproducibility
● Implementation: Build scripts, dependency management, artifact repositories
2. Test Automation
● Purpose: Automated test execution and reporting
● Types: Unit testing, integration testing, functional testing, regression testing
● Tools: JUnit, Selenium, TestNG, Cucumber
● Benefits: Faster feedback, improved coverage, reduced manual effort
3. Deployment Automation
● Purpose: Automated system deployment and configuration
● Approaches: Continuous integration, continuous deployment, infrastructure as code
● Tools: Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, Terraform
● Benefits: Reduced deployment time, consistency, rollback capabilities
4. Monitoring and Alerting
● Purpose: Automated system monitoring and issue notification
● Components: Performance monitoring, error tracking, log analysis
● Tools: Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack, New Relic
● Benefits: Proactive issue detection, faster resolution, improved reliability
Implementation Strategy
1. Assessment and Planning
● Current State Analysis: Evaluation of existing processes and tools
● Automation Opportunities: Identification of repetitive, error-prone tasks
● Cost-Benefit Analysis: ROI calculation for automation investments
● Implementation Roadmap: Phased approach to automation adoption
2. Tool Selection and Integration
● Requirements Definition: Functional and non-functional requirements
● Vendor Evaluation: Comparison of available tools and platforms
● Pilot Implementation: Small-scale testing and validation
● Full-Scale Deployment: Organization-wide rollout and adoption
Project Control and Process Instrumentation
Project Control Framework
1. Performance Measurement
● Metrics Categories:
○ Schedule Metrics: Milestone achievement, task completion rates, cycle time
○ Quality Metrics: Defect density, defect discovery rate, customer satisfaction
○ Productivity Metrics: Lines of code per day, story points per iteration, feature
completion rate
○ Cost Metrics: Budget variance, resource utilization, cost per feature
2. Earned Value Management (EVM)
● Key Concepts:
○ Planned Value (PV): Budgeted cost of scheduled work
○ Earned Value (EV): Budgeted cost of completed work
○ Actual Cost (AC): Actual cost of completed work
● Performance Indicators:
○ Schedule Performance Index (SPI): EV/PV
○ Cost Performance Index (CPI): EV/AC
○ Estimate at Completion (EAC): Projected total project cost
Core Metrics and Management Indicators
1. Schedule Metrics
● Milestone Performance: On-time completion of major milestones
● Iteration Velocity: Team's rate of story point completion
● Cycle Time: Time from feature request to delivery
● Lead Time: Time from concept to customer delivery
2. Quality Metrics
● Defect Density: Number of defects per size unit (KLOC, function points)
● Defect Discovery Rate: Rate of defect identification over time
● Defect Escape Rate: Percentage of defects found in production
● Customer Satisfaction: User feedback and satisfaction scores
3. Productivity Metrics
● Feature Delivery Rate: Number of features delivered per time period
● Code Quality: Code complexity, maintainability index, technical debt
● Team Productivity: Output per team member or team
● Resource Utilization: Percentage of available capacity being used
4. Financial Metrics
● Cost Variance: Difference between planned and actual costs
● Budget Burn Rate: Rate of budget consumption
● Return on Investment: Value delivered relative to investment
● Total Cost of Ownership: Complete lifecycle cost analysis
Life-Cycle Expectations
1. Inception Phase Expectations
● Success Criteria: Clear vision, stakeholder alignment, feasibility confirmation
● Key Metrics: Stakeholder satisfaction, risk assessment completeness, vision clarity
● Management Focus: Scope definition, resource planning, risk identification
● Typical Duration: 10-20% of total project timeline
2. Elaboration Phase Expectations
● Success Criteria: Stable architecture, detailed requirements, risk mitigation
● Key Metrics: Requirements stability, architecture quality, risk reduction
● Management Focus: Technical foundation, team formation, detailed planning
● Typical Duration: 20-30% of total project timeline
3. Construction Phase Expectations
● Success Criteria: Feature completion, quality targets, integration success
● Key Metrics: Feature delivery rate, defect density, performance benchmarks
● Management Focus: Execution monitoring, quality assurance, team productivity
● Typical Duration: 50-60% of total project timeline
4. Transition Phase Expectations
● Success Criteria: Successful deployment, user acceptance, support readiness
● Key Metrics: Deployment success rate, user satisfaction, support ticket volume
● Management Focus: Deployment coordination, user training, support setup
● Typical Duration: 10-20% of total project timeline
Process Discriminants
1. Scale Discriminants
● Small Projects (< 10 person-months): Lightweight processes, minimal documentation,
informal communication
● Medium Projects (10-100 person-months): Structured processes, moderate
documentation, formal reviews
● Large Projects (> 100 person-months): Comprehensive processes, extensive
documentation, rigorous governance
2. Complexity Discriminants
● Low Complexity: Well-understood domain, proven technology, experienced team
● Medium Complexity: Some new technology, moderate domain complexity, mixed team
experience
● High Complexity: Cutting-edge technology, complex domain, distributed team
3. Risk Discriminants
● Low Risk: Proven approach, stable requirements, experienced team
● Medium Risk: Some unknowns, moderate requirement volatility, adequate team skills
● High Risk: Significant unknowns, volatile requirements, new team or technology
4. Criticality Discriminants
● Low Criticality: Internal tools, non-critical functions, limited user impact
● Medium Criticality: Business applications, moderate user impact, some downtime
acceptable
● High Criticality: Mission-critical systems, high user impact, minimal downtime tolerance
EXAM WRITING STRATEGIES
How to Write Comprehensive Answers
1. Structure Your Answers:
● Start with a brief introduction/definition
● Use clear headings and subheadings
● Include examples and real-world applications
● Conclude with summary or implications
2. Use Diagrams and Flowcharts:
● Draw process flows for lifecycle phases
● Create organizational charts for team structures
● Use tables for comparisons and metrics
● Include timeline diagrams for project phases
3. Memory Techniques:
● Acronyms: Create memorable acronyms for key concepts
● Stories: Link concepts to logical narratives
● Analogies: Compare software concepts to familiar real-world examples
● Patterns: Identify recurring themes and patterns
4. Key Phrases to Remember:
● "Evolution of software economics demonstrates..."
● "The iterative approach provides benefits such as..."
● "Architectural quality attributes include..."
● "Project success depends on effective management of..."
● "Process automation enables organizations to..."
5. Important Numbers and Percentages:
● Maintenance costs: 60-70% of total lifecycle costs
● Personnel costs: 60-80% of development costs
● Typical phase durations: Inception (10-20%), Elaboration (20-30%), Construction
(50-60%), Transition (10-20%)
Question Pattern Analysis
Common Question Types:
1. Explain/Describe: Provide detailed explanations with examples
2. Compare/Contrast: Highlight similarities and differences
3. Analyze: Break down concepts into components and relationships
4. Evaluate: Assess advantages, disadvantages, and effectiveness
5. Apply: Show how concepts work in practical scenarios
Time Management:
● Spend 2-3 minutes planning your answer
● Allocate time based on marks (approximately 1-2 minutes per mark)
● Leave 5-10 minutes for review and corrections
● Prioritize high-mark questions
This comprehensive guide covers all the topics from your syllabus with detailed explanations,
practical examples, and exam-specific tips. Practice writing answers using these notes, and
you'll be well-prepared for your RGPV Software Project Management exam!
