INTRODUCTION . . . Global 2000 companies will merge their SDLC (systems development life cycle) and PM (project management) strategies to develop domain specific "ILDEs" (integrated lifecycle and development environments) . . . how dysfunctional large companies are if they run Project Management Institute (PMI) guidance in their Project Management Office (PMO) whilst running Rational Unified Process (RUP) as their SDLC in the IT organization. . . . The most competitive companies will be the ones who merge the two schools of thought to deliver optimal value and efficiency by eliminating dysfunctional competitiveness between the project management process and the software lifecycle process. Adapted from Melinda-Carol Ballou "Coordinating Project and Software Life-cycle Processes," META Group, November 2003, by David J. Anderson in a private communication We are experiencing the convergence of two disciplines that will result in the creation of yet another discipline. The two disciplines are software development and project management. It is a convergence that is being formed out of necessity. We call this new discipline effective software project management (ESPM). It is the topic of this book.

Why Another Book on Software Project Management?

Modern project management is about 50 years old. It grew out of the engineering discipline as a management approach for construction projects. Concurrent with this development, the computer emerged as a primitive tool for businesses. The concurrent growth of project management, the computer as a commercial tool, and software development brought the need for all three to be merged into a discipline to support the enterprise. Today, that need is even more visible for several reasons: The discipline of project management is faced with major challenges especially in its ability to support advances in the software development arena There is a need to bring together a unified body of knowledge on project management for the software developer The practices of project management and software development need to mature into a strategic partnership to lead the formation of processes for the contemporary enterprise There is a need for a practical "how to" book that combines in a balanced framework the best practices from systems development life cycles (SDLC) and project management life cycles (PMLC) These are the driving forces that led me to write this book. There is no book in the market that treats both of these topics in the integrated fashion and to the balanced depth as does this book.

What Is This Book About?

The literature abounds with books on information technology project management but they give passing treatment to how project management processes are applied to specific systems development methodologies. Similarly, there are a variety of books on specific systems development methodologies that do not provide in-depth treatment of project management as it relates to the systems development methodology. The missing piece is a book that gives equal treatment to project management as applied to specific systems development methodologies. Filling that gap is what this book is all about.

What Is the Purpose of This Book?

There are three purposes for this book: To be a professional reference for software professionals-The major software development models are discussed in this book along with the specific application of project management best practices to the management of those projects. In one place, software professionals can find everything they need to successfully manage their software development projects. In other words, this book is one-stop-shopping for the software development project manager. To give project management consultants a single source for software development project management principles and practices-For project management consultants whose clients are in the information technology business this book should be a constant companion. This book is a single source of in-depth application of project management best practices to the various needs of the information technology client. To be a textbook for students of computer information systems and project management-The companion book is Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme, Third Edition (Wiley, 2003). It was an experiment to write a book for both the professional reference market and the academic market. That experiment was a success as sales to the professional market continue to be healthy, and our new readers in the academic world adopt the book for their credit and non-credit courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. The book has been adopted in over 50 colleges and universities at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education markets. A number of training providers are also using the book as a supplement to their course materials. Our expectation is that this book will enjoy similar success in the academic market.

Who Should Read This Book?

The book is written both as a comprehensive reference for professional software development project managers and aspiring software development project managers and as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students of computers and information systems and project management. It is my hope that this book will become a de facto source for all your software development project manager tool, template, and process needs. Anyone who aspires to successfully manage software development projects or successfully manage those who manage software development projects is a targeted reader. Specifically, the target markets are listed in the following sections, and how this book serves the needs of those markets is briefly discussed.

Seasoned Project Managers

You might have a varied and successful career as a project manager, perhaps serving the needs of the software developer. In this book I bring together in one reference a number of best practices in software development project management. If you are a project manager who is looking for an introduction to the management of software development projects, this book will serve that purpose. It is both introductory and advanced and will have a long and useful lifetime for you.

Frustrated Project Managers

Perhaps you have a history of less than stellar performance in the management of software development projects. In many cases you have tried unsuccessfully to adapt your current toolbox of management practices with limited success. You are no doubt looking for more, and this book is just the place. In this book, a number of best project management practices are adapted to the specific management requirements of various types of software development projects.

"Wanna Be" Project Managers

If you are new to software development project management, this book provides a solid foundation as well as the more advanced topics for the special management needs of more complex software development projects. This book is a fast-track introduction and an in-depth treatment of all you need to launch and grow a successful career as a software development project manager.

Occasional Project Managers

This book is a ready reference for those you project managers who haven't mastered the more complex types of software development project management situations and need a reference that is "recipe oriented." Your need is for guidance from day one to day last in software development projects. This book is an excellent fit for you.

Project Management Consultants and Software Development Consultants

As a consultant, you don't often have the luxury of searching for that seldom needed solution. For you, this book is the reference for every viable integration of software development and project management. This is your "one-stop shopping" source.

Software Developers

Many software developers have depended on the systems development life cycle as a substitute for many parts of the project management life cycle. In many cases, the results have been less than expected. In this book, you will find a practical solution to the integration of software development and project management best practices. The result is to gain the skills and competencies to work smarter, not harder.

Software Development Managers

If you are a software development manager, by integrating project management best practices into the software development life cycle you will have a repeatable framework within which to better manage you business unit. This book contains a number of such management aids to meet your specific needs.

Project Management Instructors and Trainers and Software Development Instructors and Trainers

Because this book is applications-oriented, it can serve as a complete reference and support text for your project management and software development classes and training sessions. Each chapter contains a number of thought provoking discussion questions. Answers to the discussion questions can be found by contacting the author at rkw@eiicorp.com. See the companion Web site for this book at www.wiley.com/go/espm for more support materials as well.

Computer Information Systems Students

The integration of software development and project management is inevitable, and this book...