IT project management methodology

An IT project management methodology is a standardised set of processes, phases, deliverables, tools and templates which an organisation uses to plan and manage its IT projects, covering both management and technical work. Schwalbe describes it as tailoring general project management practice (PMBOK) to the nature of IT work: intangible products, rapid change and evolving requirements.

Typical components

• Life cycle phases (e.g. concept, requirement, design, build, test, deploy, support).
• Process groups and knowledge areas used in each phase.
• Roles and responsibilities.
• Templates (charter, WBS, test plan, status report, change request).
• Tools (scheduling, version control, defect tracking).
• Governance: reviews, approvals, stage gates.

Developing a project management methodology for custom IT projects

1. Study the organisation and its projects: size, type (development, infrastructure, integration), clients, risk level, culture.
2. Review existing standards: PMBOK, PRINCE2, agile frameworks, ISO, CMMI.
3. Choose the base life cycle: predictive (waterfall), iterative or agile, or a hybrid, depending on requirement stability.
4. Define the processes needed in each knowledge area (scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, communication, procurement, change).
5. Develop templates, checklists and guidelines.
6. Define scalable levels (small, medium, large projects), so that documentation matches project size.
7. Pilot the methodology on a project; gather feedback.
8. Train staff and give management support.
9. Implement, measure and improve (lessons learned; maturity models).

Study needs -> Select framework -> Define processes
  -> Templates/tools -> Pilot -> Train -> Roll out
        ^________ improve ________|

Customisation factors

Benefits

Consistency, faster start, reduced risk, better quality, easier training and measurement.

Example: A Kathmandu software firm uses a hybrid method: a short waterfall initiation for scope and contract, followed by two-week agile sprints for development, with standard templates for status and change control.