Managing Software Development

Recommended Prerequisites

Programming, Databases, and basic skills on Software Engineering and Information Systems. As classes and study materials are in English, a reasonable knowledge of English is highly recommended. 

Teaching Methods

This course includes theorethical classes for detailed discussion of concepts, principles and fundamental techniques for project management, in parallel with practical examples focusing on enlarging the interest of the students in the theoretical concepts and examplify their applicability in real cases. The course is organized arround weekly practical assignments and a set of group projects. Most assignments and projects are discussed in classes in order to lead the students to reflect on the multitude of possibel solutions. 

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will be able to: write a software project management plan, addressing issues of risk analysis, schedule, costs, team organization, resources, and technical approach; be able to define the key process areas of the Capability Maturity Model and the technology and practices associated with each and a variety of software development life cycle models and explain the strengths, weaknesses, and applicability of each. Be able to understand the relationship between software products and overall products (if embedded), or the role of the product in the organizational product line.  Understand the legal issues involved in liability, warranty, patentability, and copyright. Understand the purpose and limitations of software development standards and be able to apply sensible tailoring where needed.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Base Concepts

1.1. Systems Engineering

1.2. Lifecycles

1.3. Engineering processes

2. Scope Definition and Requirements Management

3. Projects Planning and Tracking

3.1. Effort Estimation

3.2. Risk Analysis

3.3. Planning

3.4. Monitoring

4. Acquisition and Contracting

4.1. Identifying Alternatives

4.2. Models for Decision Making

4.3. Models for Cost Assessment

5. Managing Customer Expectations

5.1. Communication

5.2. Decision Making

5.3. Negotiation

6. Team and People Management

6.1. Relationship Management

6.2. Conflict Management

6.3. Leadership

7. Managing Quality Assurance.

Head Lecturer(s)

Marco Paulo Amorim Vieira

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Synthesis work: 15.0%
Research work: 15.0%
Project: 70.0%

Bibliography

1. Tsui and Karam (T&K), "Essentials of Software Engineering." 2007, Jones and Barrlet Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-07637-3537-1

2. Pressman, Roger S., 2005, "Software Engineering, A Prationer¿s Approach, Sixth Edition," McGraw Hill, ISBN 0-07-301933-X.