Functional size is the primary (though not the only) determinant of software project duration and cost. Function Point Analysis (FPA), which can be applied early in the software life cycle, is a recognised and mature method for measuring the functionality provided by software intensive systems. FPA provides clear mapping to modern software engineering processes, methods and techniques. Many other factors affect accurate estimates: organisational delivery capability, clarity of specifications, technical platform, programming language and more. The course delivers practical, industry-standard techniques for assessing each of these factors.

"Good judgment comes from experience... ... and experience comes from bad judgment."

This is especially true for those charged with the difficulties of 'guesstimation' of software development projects where cost and duration estimates early in a project's lifecycle can often underpin later budget 'overruns', unmet deadlines, bickering team members and dissatisfied clients. This overview course will provide you with management strategies and industry-standard practical tools to create, manage, track and communicate estimates, from early specification, team constitution and budget discussions through to Post-Implementation reviews. The techniques learned here are closely coupled to scope management, which is reviewed in the context of the estimation process. The course has been developed in association with the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) and includes material from the International Function Point User's Group (IFPUG), two of the leading organisations in the expanding field of software metrics. We draw on industry experience of what works and what doesn't, as well as actual estimating experiences from the completed projects contained in the ISBSG software project repository