Tracing from Initial Questions to Final Findings
1.0 Interview Stage: Questions Asked and Answers Noted
Project Managers Questions
Question 1: Can you explain how you estimate the size of the product?
PM 1: My software manager does that, and all I see is the manpower figure.
PM 2: Sure, we calculate how many people we need for the job based on how many we needed for the last job.
PM 3: I depend on my software manager.
Question 2: Are you aware of anyone calculating for example if the product would be larger or smaller, or more complex or less complex than the last product?
PM 2: I am not sure what you mean. There was no change to the hardware.
Question 3: Are you aware of any formula (guideline, or even a template) that is written down that would help calculate the size of the product?
PM 1, PM 2, PM 3: No.
Software Managers Questions
Question 1: Can you explain how you estimate the size of the product?
S/W Mgr 1: Since this was a new project with a new methodology, I looked at every requirement and quickly estimated how many lines of code it would take to implement that requirement. We did try to look at function points, but we didn’t find it to be as useful.
S/W Mgr 2: I started with the lines of code from the last version of the product. I then estimated how many new and changed lines of code were needed for every new requirement.
S/W Mgr 3: Since this was an object-oriented project, we first calculated the number of objects we were planning to develop. We also came up with an estimate for lines of code. We are trying to see if one way of estimating is better than another.
Question 2: Are you aware of any formula (guideline, or even a template) that is written down that would help calculate the size of the product?
S/W Mgr 1: This is contained, along with our calculations, in the software management plan.
S/W Mgr 2: In the software management plan.
S/W Mgr 3: In the software management plan.
Question 3: Do you discuss how you calculate the size of the product with the project manager or senior manager?
S/W Mgr 1: Not specifically. The PM has never asked for it; he only asks for the number of people that we will need on the project. Executives have never asked me about how the size of the product was estimated or what it actually is.
S/W Mgr 2: No. It is best not to tell the project manager too much.
S/W Mgr 3: We have a new project manager, and these calculations were done before he arrived. He never asked to see the history. I did show the estimates to the old project manager, and I am not sure whether or not he showed them to the executives.
Project Team Leaders Questions
Question 1: Can you explain how you estimate the size of the product?
Team Leader 1: The software manager asks to me to give him lines of code estimate for my subsystem. I look at the requirements assigned to my subsystem and estimate how many lines of code it will take to do the job based on my experience.
Team Leader 2: I ask each of my team members to tell me how many new or changed lines of code it will take to do the changes they need to do for their job. I review it and then give a total figure to the software manager.
Team Leader 3: I work with the software manager to calculate the number of objects that I will be responsible for. For lines of code I give him my estimate.
Question 2: Are you aware of any formula (guideline, or even a template) that is written down that would help calculate the size of the product?
Team Leader 1: My software manager told me how to calculate the lines of code. It may be in the software plan. But to be honest, I never looked.
Team Leader 2: I have been doing this for 10 years. I just know how to do it.
Team Leader 3: I went to a class with the team, and in the class, we were taught how and what to calculate when using object-oriented design. Our notes certainly had the methodology we were supposed to use. Lines of code calculations I have been doing forever. I helped write Standard Operating Procedure 1-220 that describes how to do this.
2.0 Transferring Notes to Observations Using a Data Worksheet
Based on information noted previously:
Project Planning
3.0 Draft Findings: Project Planning
Strengths:
Size of product is calculated (lines of code and objects).
Weaknesses:
Not everyone reviews the estimates for the size of the product and how product size is to be used to calculate resources and schedule.
4.0 Response from Draft Findings Meeting
Participants suggested that the team be more explicit about which groups were not reviewing the size of the product. (In this case, the problem was that senior and project managers were not meeting their reviewing responsibilities.)
5.0 Final Findings: Project Planning
Strengths:
Size of product is calculated (lines of code and objects).
Weaknesses:
In most cases, senior management and project management do not review how the size is estimated for a product and how that estimate is used to calculate resources and schedule.
6.0 Rating for the Practice
The team agreed that the Project Planning PA specific practice 1.2 was largely implemented, and this result was noted in the determination of the rating for Specific Goal 1.
7.0 Recommendations in the Final Findings Report
In senior management project reviews, project managers should be required to report on the size estimates and explain how they impact resources and schedule estimates.