Predicting the Unpredictable

Pragmatic Approaches to Estimating Project Schedule or Cost

by Johanna Rothman

You’d like to estimate your project’s cost or schedule accurately. So far, none of your approaches have worked. It’s time to consider how you can create an accurate estimate.

You might not be able to develop an estimate at the beginning of a project that is good until the end. Few project teams can. Instead, learn a number of ways to see your project, and how to address your uncertainties in ways your managers will accept.

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If you have trouble estimating cost or schedule for your projects, you are not alone. The question is this: who wants the estimate and why?

The definition of estimate is “guess.” But too often, the people who want estimates want commitments. Instead of a commitment, you can apply practical and pragmatic approaches to developing estimates and then meet your commitments. You can provide your managers with the information they want and that you can live with.

Learn how to use different words for your estimates and how to report an estimate that includes uncertainty. Learn who should—and should not—estimate. Learn how to update your estimate when you know more about your project.

Regain estimation sanity. Learn practical and pragmatic ways to estimate schedule or cost for your projects.

• Errata, typos, suggestions

Releases:

• P1.0 2015/06/16

*Full Table of Contents

*excerpt: Chapter 3

*excerpt: Chapters 7 and 8

*excerpt: Troubleshoot

I consult, speak, and write on managing high-technology product development. I’ve helped managers, teams, and organizations to become more effective by applying my pragmatic approaches to their issues of hiring, project management, risk management, and people management.

I’m the author of Predicting the Unpredictable: Pragmatic Approaches to Estimating Project Schedule or Cost, Manage Your Job Search, Hiring Geeks That Fit, Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects, Manage It! Your Guide to Modern Pragmatic Project Management, Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (with Esther Derby), and Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People.