nanyang-system-developers

Project Management

Overview

Project management involves organizing and coordinating team efforts to deliver features and modules effectively. This guide covers key aspects of project management for collaborators.

Project Artifacts

Project artifacts are documents and tools that help track and manage project progress:

• Issues: Track bugs, enhancements, and tasks with clear descriptions and priorities
• Project Boards: Visualize work progress using Kanban-style columns
• Project Roadmaps: Plan strategic direction and timeline for development
• Pull Requests: Facilitate code review and merge feature branches

Stakeholder Communication

Working with Upstream Stakeholders

• Define clear interface requirements and specifications
• Document API contracts and data structures
• Regular check-ins to ensure alignment with project goals
• Early communication of potential technical limitations

Team Management

Work Allocation

• Break down features into manageable work units
• Consider team members’ skills and learning goals
• Ensure clear ownership and responsibilities
• Balance workload across team members
• Understand and respect different priority levels
• Use “Thirty Percent Feedback” concept for work in progress
• Recognize different work styles and preferences
• Account for varying energy levels and focus needs

Progress Monitoring

• Regular status updates and check-ins
• Identify blockers and assistance needs early
• Assess when issues exceed team member capabilities
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and pair programming
• Understand each team member’s preferred communication tools and style
• Respect different work environments and preferences
• Ask “How can I help?” when teammates face challenges
• Close communication loops by confirming message receipt and understanding

Communication Best Practices

• Don’t assume everyone uses the same tools or processes
• Adapt communication style to match team member preferences
• Set clear expectations for response times
• Respect different work environments (quiet vs collaborative)
• Account for different personality types and energy levels

Escalation Protocol

• Report deadline risks promptly to project leads
• Document bottlenecks and their impact
• Propose mitigation strategies
• Keep stakeholders informed of changes

Team Development

Training and Growth

• Identify skill development opportunities
• Rotate responsibilities to build diverse experience
• Encourage documentation contributions
• Support peer learning and mentorship

Planning and Estimation

Work Breakdown

• Apply abstraction to identify distinct components
• Define clear interfaces between modules
• Consider dependencies and integration points
• Document assumptions and constraints

Time/Effort Estimation

• Break down tasks into smaller units
• Consider complexity and unknowns
• Account for testing and documentation time
• Include buffer for unexpected challenges
• Track actual vs. estimated time for future planning

Sprint Management

Sprints are fixed-length periods (typically 1-4 weeks) where teams focus on completing a specific set of work items.

Sprint Planning

• Set clear sprint goals aligned with project objectives
• Select work items from the backlog that can be completed within the sprint
• Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable items
• Ensure team agreement on sprint scope and commitments

During the Sprint

• Hold standup meetings to discuss:
  • What was completed yesterday
  • What will be worked on today
  • Any blockers or challenges
• Keep sprint board updated with work progress
• Address blockers promptly
• Protect team from scope changes

Sprint Review

• Demonstrate completed work items
• Gather feedback from stakeholders
• Document lessons learned
• Update project metrics and estimates
• Plan improvements for next sprint

Best Practices

1. Keep communication channels open and active
2. Document decisions and their rationale
3. Regular reviews of project status and risks
4. Balance technical debt with delivery speed