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| <org.eclipse.epf.uma:PracticeDescription xmi:version="2.0" |
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| xmlns:epf="http://www.eclipse.org/epf" epf:version="1.5.0" xmlns:rmc="http://www.ibm.com/rmc" |
| rmc:version="7.5.0" xmi:id="-txho2faQkfNfyMw-X-Y_aA" |
| name="release_planning,_ijFkcB4sEd2bS8fFOQ7WWA" guid="-txho2faQkfNfyMw-X-Y_aA" |
| changeDate="2009-07-15T16:19:13.316-0700" version="7.5.0"> |
| <additionalInfo><h3>
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| Additional Resources
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| </h3>
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| <p>
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| For more information on the Release Planning approach, see the following:
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| </p>
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| <ul>
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| <li>
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| Kroll, P. and&nbsp;Kruchten, P. <em>The Rational Unified Process Made Easy</em>, Addison Wesley, 2003. Chapter 12:
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| Planning an Iterative Project.
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| </li>
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| </ul></additionalInfo> |
| <problem><h3>
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| Why adopt this practice?
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| </h3>
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| <p>
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| Release&nbsp;Planning improves the accuracy of project planning, the ability to predict resource usage, and the ability
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| to meet established delivery dates. In adopting this practice, the project team can better manage scarce resources and
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| focus on delivering scope with higher quality and value to the organization.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| In some development approaches, project managers would plan the whole project at project initiation, and then execute
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| the plan, with little or no modifications to the original project plan unless there were significant scope changes or
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| risks that derailed the project. These approaches depend a lot on the project managers' personal knowledge of the
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| scope, and the resources available to deliver the scope. In many cases, these plans would become inaccurate and useless
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| after the first one or two phases. At that point, many project managers would simply manage the milestones and abandon
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| the detailed tasks.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| Even seasoned project managers can benefit from Release Planning. As more and more software developers move to
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| iterative methods for delivering software, the need to perform just-in-time project planning is critical.
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| Planning&nbsp;for the next few weeks is always more accurate than planning&nbsp;for the next few months. The goal of
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| this practice is to balance the high-level and low-level planning such that detailed (low-level) planning occurs
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| just-in-time to support the successful delivery of the software products.<br />
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| &nbsp;
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| </p></problem> |
| <background><p>
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| Project planning is very inaccurate when you attempt to plan beyond the initial phases of work for any
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| project.&nbsp;The Release Planning practice ensures that your planning efforts are iterative in nature, aligned with
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| the software delivery to ensure a more accurate estimate of work efforts.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| In many cases, the planning horizon for a software project is a hard concept to understand. Software development
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| project managers tend to want to plan the entire project, and then let the team work the plan, resisting changes to the
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| plan as it executes. The Release Planning practice emphasizes the need to plan the next iteration in detail, while
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| planning the whole project at a high level. This practice also encourages the project manager to feel comfortable with
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| re-planning as needed to ensure accuracy in delivery dates and costs based on events that impact the project.<br />
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| </p></background> |
| <application><p>
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| The best way to read this practice is first to&nbsp;get familiar&nbsp;with its overall structure: what it is in it and
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| how it is organized.&nbsp;
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| Start with the available work products:
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| </p>
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| <ul>
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| <li>
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| <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../practice.mgmt.two_level_project_planning.base/workproducts/project_plan_1CDBB7E4.html"
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| guid="_0a6vcMlgEdmt3adZL5Dmdw">Project Plan</a>
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| <a class="elementLink" href="./../../../core.mgmt.common.extend_supp/workproducts/risk_list_C4B6F290.html"
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| guid="_Ckay8Cc_EduIsqH1Q6ZuqA">Risk List</a>
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| </li>
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| </ul>
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| <p>
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| Also, check the&nbsp;work product templates and&nbsp;reports. See:
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| </p>
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| <ul>
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| <li>
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| <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../practice.mgmt.two_level_project_planning.base/guidances/templates/project_plan_1534BA2B.html"
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| guid="_0c7hoMlgEdmt3adZL5Dmdw">Project Plan</a> template
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../practice.mgmt.two_level_project_planning.base/guidances/examples/project_burndown_report_example_847643C1.html"
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| guid="_Yiq2EDcGEdyTZ9G7ByfQTw">Project Burndown Report</a> example
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| </li>
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| </ul>
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| <p>
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| Finally, get more details on how to perform project planning and staff a project by looking at:
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| </p>
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| <ul>
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| <li>
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| <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../practice.mgmt.two_level_project_planning.base/tasks/plan_the_project_A4A80C96.html"
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| guid="_0lC70MlgEdmt3adZL5Dmdw">Plan Project</a>&nbsp;task
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| </li>
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| <li>
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| <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../practice.mgmt.two_level_project_planning.base/guidances/guidelines/staffing_project_70705561.html"
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| guid="_Jq64EJjsEduad8I_c-ogIA">Staffing a Project</a> guideline
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| </li>
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| </ul>
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| <p>
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| See more information on <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../practice.mgmt.two_level_project_planning.base/guidances/roadmaps/how_to_adopt_520D7115.html"
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| guid="_ihr3sOMPEdyM47cGD2jiaQ">How to Adopt the Two-Level Project Planning Practice</a>.
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| </p></application> |
| </org.eclipse.epf.uma:PracticeDescription> |