Managing software projects can be challenging; projects are over-budget, not meeting customer expectations, or simply late. Being responsible to deliver these kinds of projects can be challenging too. General consensus is software projects are different. Applying general project management principles and techniques frequently doesn't yield the results you want.

Strategies for managing software projects has been designed to give you the insights necessary to be successful, for you to personally deliver the value your organization is looking for. This two-day seminar focuses on the practices and strategies that make the difference between leading consistently successful projects and failing to deliver on expectations.

This workshop will enable attendees to understand the thorny problems that affect software projects and develop sensible strategies to manage those projects: how to deal with complexity, especially complexity that changes over time; cope with a large number of unknowns that have to be worked around; address management's high expectations of your project's outcome.

At the end of this seminar participants will be equipped with strategies to deal with challenges such as:

• Getting everyone to agree on the project’s goals and objectives
• Pressure to provide realistic estimates early, before much is understood about the end product of the project
• Ensure the project's development strategy satisfies business goals
• Deal with unique challenges of infrastructure projects or upgrades
• Coping when there's no consensus on what the project is to deliver
• Effective communications - don’t get caught by late involvement or project slips
• Working with limited authority or stakeholders who are not 100% committed
• The balancing act - Financial considerations, technology issues and team dynamics
• Managing the project on a part-time basis

Intended Audience: Designed for both new project managers and experienced project managers who wish to refresh their skills or develop an understanding of software project management processes and techniques. You will gain an understanding of the strategies and skills necessary to manage software projects of any size.

Outline: The focus is practical and based on “real life” projects. What do you have to do to get this project from the beginning to the end and deliver the value?

Be clear on what is the project manager supposed to do

• Being clear on what is important this time
• Getting agreement on success, setting expectations, Is it doable?
• Expectations, Estimates, Cooperation & Support
• Getting involvement & commitment
• Stakeholders, Teams, Contractors, People.

Disciplined thought, disciplined creativity

• Harnessing creativity – but don’t perfect perfection
• Focus on consistency of approach not adherence to process

Building the plan, selecting resources – perspectives on success

• Listen to what is important
• Focus on the customer

Optimizing success – balancing trade-offs

• Building confidence – dealing positively with unknowns
• Taming complexity, making it doable
• Focus on quality early and save time at the end
• Process, frameworks, standards, lifecycles
  – getting it right – “just enough”

Developing your instinct

• Building the confidence to succeed in you, your team, your stakeholders
• Understanding how software development happens
• Progress; is it happening?
• Scanning for early-warning signs
• How to identify risks worth the worry
• Conflict-proof your project

What to expect as development proceeds – managing as events unfold

• Delivering goals
• Don’t short-change quality
• Scope Creep – Kill-it on day-1
• Managing the dollars and people
• Be open to change, adjusting priorities and perspectives
• Balancing expectations with progress

As you wind down another successful project

• What did you achieve? Measure how successful the project was
• What have you learned? Making sure you learned it
• What can you pass onto others? How do you do it?

Instructor: Jamal Moustafaev is an improvement expert with Software Productivity Center Inc. His extensive background in project management and IT Development and software development projects enables him to relate to all of the issues at play when managing software projects for organizations such as HSBC Bank Canada, Kodak/Creo, Intrawest, and Workers Compensation Board of BC. Jamal also teaches at BCIT on the principles Project Planning and Scheduling. He holds a PMP certification, an MBA in Finance (Derivative Securities) and a BBA in Finance and Management Science from SFU.