More Related Content Similar to Kumar: Managing Documentation Projects (20) Kumar: Managing Documentation Projects2. The process
1. Plan
2. Execute, monitor, and control
3. Close
OR…
1. Execute
2. Lose control
3. Stop
4. Plan, execute, …
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 2
3. Challenges
• Getting started
• Scoping
• Estimating effort
• Scheduling
• Baselining
• Communicating
• Following up!
• Managing reviews
• Reporting
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 3
4. • If I can do it, anybody can
• Each one of us is a project manager
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 4
5. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Getting started Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Engage early Reporting
– Is it ever ok to engage late?
– Engaging early ≠ writing from day 1
• Participate in the project initiation phase
• Take charge
• Set aside time for doc planning
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 5
6. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Scoping Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Use data from all sources Reporting
• Consider lifecycle use cases
• Prioritize use cases
• Look for opportunities to reuse content
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 6
7. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Estimating effort Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Plan at as granular a level as possible Reporting
Use case / task Topic Type Potential Effort
for reuse (person
days)
UC0-Set up a Overview of clusters Concept Low 1.0
cluster Creating a cluster Procedure None 0.5
Configuring a cluster Procedure None 0.5
UC1-Manage Server lifecycle Concept Medium 1.5
the server Starting and stopping Procedure None 0.5
lifecycle server instances
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 7
8. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Estimating effort (contd.) Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Avoid calculators Reporting
– G-I-G-O
– Result not really objective
• Keep a buffer!
It takes more to write less than to write more!
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 8
9. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Scheduling Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Effort estimate: 50 person days Managing reviews
Reporting
Writers available: 2
Calendar days to complete the task: ?
• Look beyond the math!
– Task divisibility
– Task sequence
– People: skills, availability, interest
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 9
10. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Baselining Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• How much analysis is enough? Reporting
120
Reliability of the plan (%)
95
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Data available (%)
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 10
11. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Baselining (contd.) Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Practice progressive elaboration Reporting
• Get the plan reviewed
• Keep a running list of “opens”
• Commit only what’s feasible
• Minimize the unknown unknowns
• Be prepared to re-plan!
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 11
12. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Communicating Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
• Recognize communication channels Managing reviews
Reporting
2 people 1 channel, 3 3, 4 6
n x (n-1)/2
10 45!
• Communicate bad news early
• It’s ok to over-communicate
• Include all stakeholders
• Know your champion
• Listen!
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 12
13. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Following up Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Use all possible means Reporting
• Keep a running to-do list
• Push for an ETC date
• Set reminders, flag email
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 13
14. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Following up (contd.) Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
Reporting
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 14
15. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Managing reviews Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Plan Reporting
– Identify reviewers up front
– Define expectations, schedule, and process
• Execute
– Watch reviewers’ priorities
– Reiterate expectations
– Monitor progress
– Facilitate reviews: doc walkthrough,
incremental review, piecemeal review
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 15
16. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Reporting Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Report regularly Reporting
• Report w.r.t the plan
• Flag issues, early
• Focus on the future
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 16
17. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Reporting (contd.) Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Report on the future Reporting
Task Planned Work Work Revised
effort (days) done (%) remaining plan
T1 10 50 7 12
T3 10 50 8 13
Total 20 ? 15 25
Work remaining: 15 / 25 = 60%
Work done: 100 – 60 = only 40%
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 17
18. Getting started
Scoping
Estimating effort
Reporting (contd.) Scheduling
Baselining
Communicating
Following up!
Managing reviews
• Track the “burn” rate Reporting
100
80
Work remaining
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Time
Plan Actual Forecast
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 18
19. Think big picture
• Take the project seriously, not project
management
• There’s life beyond the project
© Kumar Dhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 19