Explain why the process of project planning is an interactive one why a plan must be continually reviewed during a software project.?

Answer 1

no answer yet, who can help me?

Planning is iterative because you revisit the same steps as you learn more information. eg you might start with "build a boat" which is your first cut at a scope statement, then you might after a bit of research discover that there are several types and change that to "build a boat that can take 10 people and runs with an engine". So the task was "define scope", but the first cut was based on an idea and iteratively became more detailed as more information became available.

A plan needs to be reviewed continually because things change and more information becomes available as a project progresses. The plan sets down the baseline direction and activity that needs to be performed toward the outcome. Along the way, things always change and could change the final outcome. If you don't adjust the plan, you set the project up for failure and the plan would no longer reflect reality.

For example if the project is "build a boat that can take 10 people and runs with an engine", you might discover that engines are no longer available, so the original plan would have to become "build a boat that can take 10 people and runs with sails".

Does that clarify?? CAE

Answer 2

Creating a plan usually takes place before a project starts. This enables the Project Manager to determine whether the project is feasible and also what kind of budget will be required. However a project rarely runs smoothly, otherwise we Project Manager's would all be unemployed! Therefore the project plan merely becomes a baselined document by which project progress is measured. As things change so much the plan. This is especially true on software development projects where testing tends to take far longer than anticipated, as does bug fixing and regression testing. It is for this reason that a plan needs to be a living, breathing document which changes to meet the differing circumstances the project faces. It is also why Project Manager's need to have far more skills than knowing how to write a project plan. Susan de Sousa, Site Editor www.my-project-management-expert.com

Answer 3

In software systems development, iterative project planning adds agility to the development process by allowing the developers as well as the users to learn from, and build upon former software development projects. In particular, iterative development reduces development risks such as poorly defined user requirements; untenable architectures as well as untenable user interfaces. Iteration is defined as the process of repeating something as often as is necessary until a specific result is achieved. This certainly holds true when defining the exact user requirements of a computerized system before the design and development stages begin. It is often stated that if you can find an error or an oversight during the requirements definition stage, you can fix it with an eraser and a pencil. Finding the same mistake once the system has become operational, can be costly in several ways. A project plan is analogous to a road map that not only shows you how to get from point A to point B; but also lists various milestones along the way. A project plan is similar to a road map with the exception that it also includes the "what" and the "when" with respect to certain project resource requirements as well as their critical paths. A project plan must be continuously monitored to as to determine, at any point in time during the project, if the planned progress of the project corresponds with the actual progress of the project. A discrepancy can be the result of poor planning and/or the introduction of one or more factors during the project that were unforeseen during the project planning phase. If such a discrepancy exists, it must be intercepted at the earliest point in time possible so that immediate corrective actions can be taken, thus minimizing the possibility that the project will not be completed on time and/or within the allocated budget.