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Kumar: Managing Documentation Projects
- 1. Managing Documentation Projects Kumar Dhanagopal tcworld India March 12, 2011
- 2. 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 Ican 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
- 20. Thank you! Questions? kumards_99@yahoo.com © KumarDhanagopal, 2011 tcworld India 20