Revealed: The golden rules of managing software projects

Buff up your halos

Reader poll

Q1. What is the main kind of project you are working on now?

a. New application developments
b. Significant updates to existing applications
c. Maintenance and minor updates to existing applications
d. Integration across multiple applications
e. Development of Web front-ends onto new or existing software

Q2. What is your role on the project?

a. Project or programme manager
b. Enterprise or technical architect/designer
c. Tester or integration role
d. Quality or configuration management
e. Other project role (please state)

Q3. What kind of development structure are you working within?

a. Formalised, using structured methodologies
b. Formalised, working with Agile methodologies
c. A combination of the above
d. No particularly formalised structure
e. Other (please state)

Q4. What kind of management approach/relationship is prevalent?

a. There is an excellent collaboration between managers and developers, on a peer to peer basis
b. Management is centralised but there is a good relationship between managers and developers
c. Management is very much command and control, developers are told what to do
d. Developers tend to manage their own activities with management playing an overseeing role
e. There is very little management visibility, developers are responsible for planning and delivery
f. Other (please state)

Q5. Which of the following measures do you use as your primary development metrics?

a. Lines of code produced
b. Effort necessary/used (person days)
c. Tests completed
d. Quantity of code tested (code coverage)
e. Requirements implemented
f. Bugs to be dealt with/fixed
g. Functional units delivered
h. Other (please state)

Q6. How much would you agree with the following statements?

	5 Agree Strongly	4	3	2	1 Disagree Strongly
We deliver software on time and to budget
All software is at a high level of quality prior to delivery
There is a high level of communication within the project team
All developers and staff are fully aware of project timescales
There is a great level of motivation within the team
The metrics and measures we use are appropriate and useful

Q7. Do you have any comments or anecdotes you'd like to share?