Software Project Charter

Most (software) project management processes recognize the need for an initial high-level definition of what is expected from the project. PMI’s “PMBOK Guide” for example defines a “Project Charter“. On its turn the UP has a “Vision Document” which is very similar.

Very similar but with two important differences:

• Project Charter is business-agnostic, supposed to be usable in any project kind from building construction to off-shore exploration. Hence its Project Charter does not know anything about software development specificity or terminology.
• Vision Document is actually a requirements document (it is not included in the project management artifacts) and thus lacks some important information at this respect.

I long felt the need for an “unification” of both documents, including what is recommended by the PMBOK and what is needed in the context of software development.

The result can be downloaded here: Software Project Chater Template

Restarting

Restarting my blog. Once more. It seems that I just can’t stop blogging. Probably because I like to share thoughts and knowledge. My previous blog has been wiped out when I left Brazil… new life, new blog.

Anyway. As a first post I would like to share two previous works.

Software Architecture Document Template

The first one is about software architecture documentation. Project after project I try to enhance the structure of the “Software Architecture Document”s I write. I like the agile approach: write only the minimum information that is needed and useful. Or, in less empirical terms, write the documentation whose cost equals the cost of not writing it (an equilibrium that minimizes the cost of documentation). But I’m digressing. Digging in there could disinter a whole thesis. Revenons à nos moutons.

I also like to work toward a well defined and repeatable process integrating best practices, to avoid having to reinvent, redesign, rebuild, retest and redeploy wheels at each project.

Long story made short, I ended creating a SAD template containing both document structure, rationale and instructions. It can be downloaded here in OpenOffice format: SAD Template.

PMBOK Pocket Summary

Another aspect of my indefatigable, unceasing search for the perfect project organization, I got the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification from the international project management organization PMI. The PMI publishes regularly a guide to the project management best practices (PMBOK Guide). A very generic catalog of best practices that can be used in project management. A complete reference that is thicker than a bible and far less poetic.

Preparing for the certification I ended creating a “pocket guide” that i published on Leanpub. 88 pages of the PMBOK essentials. This book can be found here: PMBOK 5 Pocket Summary.