The `step wise´ planning approach to software projects

There is a growing awareness of the importance of software project management (SPM) to which recognition of software engineering as a discipline has contributed. Evidence of this includes the publication of PRINCE, the government standards for the management of IT projects; the Certificate in Project Management that is administered by the Information Systems Examinations Board and the formation of PROMS-G, the BCS special interest group for project management. The University of Brighton has responded to this interest. The original focus was on the development of a module for the inter-university Modular Masters in Software Engineering (MMSE) which allows industrial practitioners to obtain an MSc by completing modules of their choice from a range offered by a number of different universities in the UK. A module would require the attendance at a intensive course for a week, these courses being also open to others not participating in the overall scheme. The SPM material developed has subsequently been used in customised forms on a range of other courses, both undergraduate and post-graduate