Chapter 8

The Project Management Plan

The project management plan (PMP) document is the culmination of all planning activities
undertaken by project managers. The outputs of the various planning activities appear
in this document, which becomes the baseline document guiding the overall execution
of the project. It should not be confused with the detailed project schedule, which
represents only the schedule and assignment of activities.
At Infosys, project plans are usually reviewed by a group that includes project managers,
members of the SEPG, and senior management.
8.1 TEAM MANAGEMENT
Software development is a team effort. High quality and productivity result when the team
members contribute effectively and remain motivated, and the overall team functions
smoothly and efficiently.
8.1.1 Team Structure
At Infosys, a hierarchical team structure is usually employed; a team is headed by a project
manager, who reports to the business manager or the account manager (or both). In
addition, a typical team consists of developers (DVs), the configuration controller (CC),
and the database administrator; all these members report to the project manager. A
large project may also have module leaders, each of whom reports to the project
manager and has some developers under him. Also, a defect prevention team is formed
from the existing team members; this team is responsible for performing the tasks
related to defect prevention.
An SEPG member known as the software quality adviser (SQA) is also associated
with each project. The SQA interacts extensively with the project manager
(and with the configuration controller) but does not report to the project
manager. Instead, the SQA has an independent reporting channel.
The project manager's objective is to get a balanced, self-reliant team that helps
to further the careers and skill development of the team members. Hence, in
determining the team structure, the project manager must factor in the
personal and growth needs of the team members as well as the project needs.
Following are some of the people factors that a project manager takes into
account:
• � Skills, background, and experience of the team members
• � Personal aspirations and career paths of the members
• � Mentoring and people development needs
8.1.2 Communication
A team that will work together for a few months toward a common goal must jell
well and must have good intrateam communication. The team communication
can be broadly divided into two categories: communication relating to the
project and de-stressing communication. A good people-oriented project
manager plans for both.
One way to keep the team members informed about the progress and problems in
the project is to give them access to the project status reports and associated
customer and business manager comments. In addition to these formal reports,
depending on the size of the team and the project duration, Infosys project
managers use any of the following methods to enhance team communication:
• � Project-specific bulletin boards for announcements, notices, status
reports, and so on
• � Project mailing list
• � Project Web site for publishing documents, home pages of team
members, relevant technical articles and notes, and training material for self-
learning
• � Project meetings for briefings and issue resolution
• � Best practice sessions and presentations by team members on their
work
• Moreover, because deadlines are usually short and everyone is under time
pressure, stress tends to build up. Communication aimed at de-stressing is
extremely important to ensure continued motivation. Many project managers
plan events that enable this "fun" communication. Here are examples of the
methods used:
• � Project parties (supported by a budget from the organization for all
teams)
• � Birthday parties
• � Events such as quizzes and games with prizes
• � Informal, free-wheeling "crib" sessions
Project teams often include many junior people. It is the responsibility of the
team and the project manager to enhance the personal development of these
team members. project managers use methods such as these:
• � Job rotation
• � Mentoring of junior members by more experienced team members
• � Reviews, appraisals, and feedback
• � Regular recognition of contribution at the project level
• � Coaching, training, and the like to help people having trouble
8.2 CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION AND ISSUE RESOLUTION
Status reports, one such means of communication, are designed to give the
customer a clear idea of the state of the project on an ongoing basis. However,
these reports, no matter how elaborate, are not enough. Project managers
should plan other means of communication, including weekly
teleconferencing or videoconferencing and regular e-mails. In a weekly virtual
meeting, the project leader walks through the status report with the customer
and explains the project constraints. A key point of discussion is resolution of
pending issues. The customer, on the other hand, seeks clarifications and
explains her perspective in these meetings. Overall, through regular
communication that goes beyond sending reports, both the customer and the
development team remain in sync. This prevents many potential problems
rooted in misunderstandings.
Despite the use of regular communication channels, issues crop up that the
representatives at the two ends cannot resolve. Such issues can potentially
delay the project and must be escalated. To facilitate resolution of such issues,
a project plan specifies the escalation channels at both the customer end and
at the Infosys end. The plan also clearly states the policies regarding when
these channels are to be deployed. In addition to providing a mechanism for
issue resolution, the specification of this escalation channel and policies
creates pressure on the two parties to resolve issues quickly and when
necessary to take them to the higher-ups.
8.3 THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
The project management plan template provided at Infosys has four major
sections. The project summary section gives a high-level overview of the
project. It includes information on the start and end dates, the project leader,
contacts at the customer end, project objectives, major commitments made to
the customer on milestones and deliverables, and assumptions made. The
assumptions made are explicitly listed because they frequently serve as a
source of risks. Details of billing may also be described (so that the business
manager can track them). The objectives of the project�from the customer's
perspective as well as from Infosys's perspective�are mentioned so that it is
clear to everyone why the project is being executed.
The project planning section lists the outputs of executing the various project
planning procedures. It includes the development process being used,
tailoring notes, the requirement change management process,
requirement traceability plans, effort and schedule estimates along with
their basis, and the people requirement by skill, role, monthwise, or a
combination of these. It also specifies the development environment
needed, the tools employed, and any project-specific training plans. The
quality plan and the risk management plan are also given in this section.
The project tracking section defines the measurements to be taken and the
systems to be used for recording data, various project tracking activities to
be undertaken, the frequency and nature of the progress reporting, and
escalation procedures.
The project team section defines the project team and its structure, as well as
the roles and responsibilities of the various people.