Usage Guidance |
The major effort occurs early in the inception phase; thereafter, at the beginning of each iteration (see Activity: Refine the Development Plan).
Estimation should ideally be based in the organization's own experience, which is then used to calibrate an estimation
model, such as COCOMO. If the Project Manager is starting from scratch, using default values for model coefficients, it
will be important to use other methods to validate the estimates. Just as important is to obtain staff and other
stakeholder agreement that the estimates are realistic and achievable. However, the Project Manager has to take into
account the experience of staff giving feedback about estimates. More junior staff may be just guessing numbers and
then adding large margins for error; conversely, their effort estimates may be naively low. The Project Manager must be
circumspect when dealing with estimates from junior staff, and be prepared to counsel them when necessary, and offer
the assistance of a more experienced peer. See Task: Plan Project for more information about estimation.
All enclosed plans and sections of the Project Plan should be evaluated through internal walkthroughs and reviews
before it is approved.
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