Unit 13 — Project Management, Estimation & Risk¶
Learning objectives¶
- Decompose work while preserving outcome focus.
- Use estimates as decision support rather than promises of certainty.
- Identify and manage project risks.
Planning under uncertainty¶
Early estimates contain significant uncertainty because requirements, technology, team capability, and integration challenges are not fully known. Estimates should be updated as evidence improves.
Work decomposition¶
Break large outcomes into vertical slices that provide observable value. Avoid decomposition that produces weeks of isolated infrastructure with no demonstrable behavior.
Risk register¶
A simple risk record includes:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Risk | External API may enforce a lower rate limit |
| Probability | Medium |
| Impact | High |
| Indicator | Frequent 429 responses in integration tests |
| Mitigation | Cache results; add backoff; validate limits early |
| Owner | Team member responsible for follow-up |
Estimation reminders¶
- Estimate ranges when uncertainty is high.
- Separate effort from elapsed time.
- Include integration, testing, review, and documentation.
- Review actual outcomes to improve future estimates.