01. Foundations of Software Project Management¶
At a glance
- Module: 01 of 13 · Part I — Foundations
- Sessions: S1–S3 (Weeks 1–2)
- Level: Beginner
- Estimated time: ~6 hours
- Prerequisites: One software development course
Overview¶
Worked examples throughout this module — and the whole course — use the software projects described in Example Projects. They are illustrative scenarios, not real case studies.
Before you can plan or manage a project, you need a shared vocabulary and a clear picture of what you are managing. This module establishes both. It explains what distinguishes a project from routine operations, how projects are organised into programmes and portfolios, how the life cycle of software work is structured, and what the people in a project actually do.
It also confronts the hardest question in the discipline: what does it mean for a project to succeed? Delivering on time and on budget is not the same as delivering value, and understanding that distinction shapes every decision that follows.
Why this matters¶
Almost every failure in software projects can be traced to a foundational misunderstanding — of scope, of who the stakeholders are, or of what success means. Getting these ideas right early makes the rest of the course coherent.
Learning outcomes¶
By the end of this module you should be able to:
- Define a project and distinguish it from operations, programmes, and portfolios.
- Describe the phases of a typical software project life cycle and the purpose of each.
- Explain the difference between predictive, iterative, incremental, and adaptive life cycles, with a reason to choose each.
- Identify the main roles in a software project and what each is accountable for.
- Explain multiple dimensions of project success — and why "on time and on budget" is insufficient on its own.
- Describe the professional and ethical responsibilities of a project manager.
Lesson plan¶
| # | Lesson | Session | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | What is Software Project Management? | S1 | Available |
| 02 | Projects, Programmes, and Portfolios | S2 | Available |
| 03 | Project Life Cycles and Development Approaches | S3 | Available |
Roles and accountability are covered in Lesson 1 and Lesson 2, and defining project success in Lessons 1 and 3. Professional ethics is not specific to foundations, so it is taught in Module 12, where it has the context it needs.
Lab¶
Lab 01 — Writing a Project Charter turns the module's ideas into a concrete artefact: the charter that starts every project. It also introduces the charter you will extend throughout the course. Lab 03 — Defining a Project Vision follows it, asking what would actually be different for users if the project succeeded.
Case study¶
Campus Event Portal — an illustrative scenario used to practise identifying stakeholders, constraints, and success criteria.
Self-assessment¶
Key terms¶
Project · Operations · Programme · Portfolio · Life cycle · Deliverable · Stakeholder · Constraint · Product owner · Project manager · Success criteria — all defined in the Glossary.