Applying an estimation framework in software projects a local experience

This paper discusses our experience in building a framework for effort estimation and applying it in a local environment of sample Egyptian companies. The framework focuses on minimizing effort variance by enhancing the adjustments made to the functional sizing techniques. A special focus was made on the adjustment factors, which reflects the application´s complexity and the actual environment in which this application will be implemented. We introduced the idea of grouping the adjustment factors to simplify the process of adjustment and to ensure more consistency in the adjustments. We have also studied how the quality of requirements impact effort estimation. We introduced the quality of requirements as an adjustment factor in our proposed framework. We have applied the proposed framework on a sample of a group of Egyptian companies with an objective to enhance effort estimation in these companies.