Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects

by Tom DeMarco, Timothy Lister

Overview

The authors, consultants in risk and management, show how to identify and embrace worthwhile risks in software development and offer strategies for common risks that software projects face, such as schedule flaws, requirements inflation, and specification breakdown. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780932633606
Publisher:	Dorset House Publishing
Publication date:	03/01/2003
Edition description:	20%
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.25(d)

Table of Contents

	Prologue: The Ethics of Belief	3
Part I	Why	7
1.	Running Toward Risk	9
2.	Risk Management Is Project Management for Adults	15
3.	Denver International Airport Reconsidered	22
4.	The Case for Risk Management	29
Part II	Why Not	35
5.	The Case Against Risk Management	37
6.	The Onus of Uncertainty	42
7.	Luck	46
Part III	How	51
8.	Quantifying Uncertainty	53
9.	Mechanics of Risk Management	60
10.	Risk Management Prescription	73
11.	Back to Basics	80
12.	Tools and Procedures	91
13.	Core Risks of Software Projects	101
14.	A Defined Process for Risk Discovery	113
15.	Risk Management Dynamics	121
16.	Incrementalism for Risk Mitigation	128
17.	The Ultimate Risk Mitigation Strategy	138
Part IV	How Much	143
18.	Value Quantification	147
19.	Value Is Uncertain, Too	151
20.	Sensitivity Analysis	156
21.	Value Offsets Risk	160
22.	Refining the Risk Management Prescription	164
Part V	Whether or Not	169
23.	Test for Risk Management	171
Appendix A	The Ethics of Belief, Part 1	175
Appendix B	Risk Template	181
	References	183
	Index	191