Conducting a Project Kick-Off Meeting

The business reasons for the project

• Where the project fits in the business
• How this fit influences your chances of success

The project customers

• Identifying stakeholders and their needs
• Developing strategies to effectively manage involvement

The project objectives

• What success looks like
• Making the team's success visible
• Managing the project to build customer confidence

Balancing Development Needs with Organizational Expectations

Selecting software development life cycle models

• Comparing SDLC models
• How to identify the right model
• Traditional
• Iterative
• Agile (RAD, XP, Scrum)

Designing a road map for your project

• Mapping your PM process to your project's SDLC
• Optimizing time, cost, function and quality
• Considering industry standards: PMI and PRINCE2^®

Translating Stakeholder Needs into Actions

Structuring content for your software project plan

• Providing initial top-down estimates
• Identifying tasks and phases using a WBS
• Calculating realistic bottom-up estimates
• Sequencing tasks into a network diagram
• Constructing Gantt charts to assess resource needs

Getting the right resources

• Identifying resource needs using your plan
• Delegating work effectively

Reality check for your project plan

• Testing the plan before you begin
• Assessing the project using risk management
• Involving the team in planning
• Building confidence for your plan
• Selling the plan to relevant stakeholders

Running the Project: Day-to-Day Decisions for Success

Focusing on the project management process

• Putting theory into practice
• Early warning signs
• Building team commitment and managing communication
• Day-to-day tracking and management
• Measuring progress with milestones
• Defect detection and prevention

Characterizing the software development process

• Pressures to expect at each stage
• The major stages and how they relate
• Key events in each stage
• Providing the critical deliverables

Building successful teams

• Getting technical teams to work collaboratively
• Ensuring participation
• Empowering team members
• Embracing the accountability factor
• Taking responsibility

Driving the Implementation: Recognizing and Overcoming Challenges

Tracking and control

• Measuring software progress
• Linking progress to success

Implementing change control

• Principles of change
• The details of change

Controlling risk

• Analyzing project risk
• Changing the risk profile
• Planning for contingency

Closing the Project: Learning from Experience

• Sharpening your project management skills
• Influencing the continuous improvement process of your organization