Prospectus

As has been discussed in class, you have substantial flexibility in choosing the specific form for the content of your deliverables. Below is a list of items that should be included in your first deliverable.

Due Date

January 21 1999, Thursday, in class

Objectives

The purpose of this document is to convince your customer (and since you are at school, your instructor) that you have a good understanding of what the project is all about and that your team is qualified to do this project.

Understanding

One of your major tasks for the current period of time is developing an understanding of the various technologies and tasks concerned with your project. This includes the tools and techniques that you will use in accomplishing your task as well as the technologies that you will be extending, enhancing, or changing.

In this deliverable you should reflect your newly gained understanding by writing an introduction to your project that highlights its various important aspects. You should also include a description of activities done in support of developing understanding - like interviews with the customer, for example. (One of the best ways, of course, to gain an understanding of a piece of software is to interview the original developer.)

Technical Marketing Sheet

Include a one or two page technical marketing sheet (a bit more technical than a "sales brochure") suitable for describing your product to a technically literate outside audience. This document should be successful in reflecting that you really understand what problem is being solved and can articulate how your product will add value.

Project Plan

Use the outline below in presenting your project plan.
  1. Introduction
    1. Scope and Purpose of Document (overview)
    2. Project Summary
      1. Objectives
      2. Major Activities
      3. Management and Technical Constraints
  2. Project Risks
    1. Risk Analysis
      1. Identification (what is the risk?)
      2. Risk Estimation (how big a consequence would it have?)
      3. Evaluation (how likely is it to occur?)
    2. Risk Management
      1. Risk Aversion Options (what can you do to avoid it?)
      2. Risk Monitoring Procedures (how do you keep track of whether it is going to occur?)
  3. Schedule
    1. Project Work Breakdown Structure
    2. Task Network (include more detail than just your major deliverables)
    3. Time-Line Chart (when are you going to deliver your various work products?)
    4. Resource Table (how is each team member going to be applied throughout the weeks of the project?)

      5. (You could use a tool like Microsoft Project to help you with parts of this task.)

  4. Project Estimates
    1. Historical Data used for the Estimates (personal data? team data? application-domain data (from other projects?))
    2. Estimation Techniques
    3. Estimates (how long is each sub-task going to take?)
  5. Project Resources
  6. Staff Organization
  7. Tracking and Control Mechanisms

    8. (How are you going to keep track of where you are at? How are you going to control your deliverables? (I.e. document management, version control, configuration control)

  8. Appendices (if needed)