ABSTRACT
It is of great benefit for a plan to be well-structured, ideally being composed of products, a timescale and a resource component. It must also be possible to observe different levels of detail, allowing those who are scrutinising it to see what is relevant to them, and providing more insight into the planning horizon which is most immediate. It is easier to estimate the effort and expense needed to develop a product once the quality characteristics of the deliverable are known. With a greater knowledge of the deliverable, it is also possible to determine what tasks will be needed to produce it to the desired standard. Where an incremental approach to development has been chosen, the quality expectations may be realised through an iterative process. However, it is still necessary to establish the time and resource requirements for the entire project. Whilst an estimate is, fundamentally, a guess, there are various techniques which help to inform that guesswork. These may be divided into those which depend on having data from previous projects, and those that do not. Key in arriving at a set of realistic estimates is taking account of people’s different rates of productivity. Once a draft plan has been assembled, the critical path – or paths – may be identified in order that it may be adequately resourced and not place the success of the project at risk. When the plan has been sufficiently refined, it may be used to secure the commitment of all stakeholders, particularly the Project Steering Group on whose approval its commencement depends.
