Project Task Page: Template

This page is a template. You are expected to replace the bulk of text on this page with text relevant to your task, be it a bug fix, new feature, new component, new system or new project. You may end up deleting things. It is expected that the larger the task, the more complete the page. For small tasks, especially those relating to a single task as definite subtasks, you may simply describe them as subtasks on the project task page for the parent project. (at minimum, delete this text!)

Description

• Short one line of what the task is designed to achieve/create.

• A practical, clear result of what will be possible as a result of achieving this task. This is best described in the case of a user story.
  

• The context in which this task sits. Has this task any history? Is it the result of any previous tasks - either within the project or outside.

• What benefits will be gained by working on this task, and achieving its goals? Speculative as well as certained/realistically expected benefits are valid here.

Inputs

This section is largely about WHO has influenced this task to do WHAT, and where possible WHY. It is also about WHO to contact with regard to this task to influence what's going on.

Task Sponsor: (can be main developer)

Task Owner: (likely to be main developer)

Developers involved in the task at some point

• There is likely to be at least one. One will be the task owner (if the project is not in stasis)
  

Users:

• Specific concrete users who have provided input

Interested third parties

• This will be specific third parties who have provided input to the project

Requirements

• Each requirement should have who the requirement came from attached to it
• Each requirement should have an indication of MUST/SHOULD/MAY/WOULD LIKE attached.

The people listed here should be real people. Unless you have agreement however, this this should be their initials rather than name.

Relevant Influencing factors:

• eg release of a tool doing the same sort of thing that renders this non-relevant
• people joining/leaving project
• change of sponsorship
• growth in users/thirdparties
• tool dependency suitablility
• unexpected complications

Outputs

This section is largely about WHAT has been produced, normally by WHO (in order to provide a point of contact)

Expected

• There is likely to be at least one thing expected
  

Actual

This can take many forms

• Code - what does it do, where is it?
  
• Reports - where is it, who wrote it, what was it about, when?
  
• Presentation - where is it, where was it presented, what was it about, who presented it, when?
  
• Events - eg The Brussels open space event
• Other - other actual strands of work arising.
  

Note: Especially with speculative tasks,actual outputs may be substantially different from expected.

Realistic possibilities arising as a result of activity on this task

Generally speaking there may or may not be anything here. The reason this is under outputs, is because this really is an output, even if it doesn't look like it at first glance.

Related Tasks

Tasks that directly enable this task (dependencies)

• example: Multicast transciever, internet subsystem
• This tasks should ideally be links to the project task pages for these other tasks.
  

Sub Tasks

• Example: Selector subsystem shutdown
• Each subtask here should ideally be a link to a project task page for that project
• It would be nice but not mandatory to note the subtask status
• For small subtasks, it IS acceptable to merely have subtasks as bullet points with the sort of information you'd put on a project task page, but for which it seems overkill to create a project task page for. (It can always become a full PTP later on)
  

Task Log

This is a list of time indexed day to day item. There should ideally be an entry here every time you work on this task. Ideally the time taken relating to each entry should be listed as well, preferably in man days, down to 1/4 day granuarity. (ie 2 hours). Sanity is expected to prevail when noting this down. They should be annotated by who made the entry, when, and any status changes.

When a task is running, then this is where most updates will occur.

Please put Output in bold prior to any entries where an output was produced
Please put Task status changed in bold when the entry relates to a task status change.
Example entries:

• Created the PTP page for the project, and brainstormed how to get started. Michael. November 27th 2006. Time spent 1/4 day
• Output: Produced report (added to output list), Michael. November 27th 2006. Time spent 1/4 day.
• Liased with sponsor (input to task). Michael, Sponsor, November 27th 2006. Time spent 1/2 day.
• Started working of frobbing the bibble, code is being worked in in /Sketches/MPS/Here/...
  Task status changed to running.
  Time spent: 1/2 day
  Michael, November 27th 2006
  
• Project blocked due to lack of access to kit, Michael, 27th November 2006. Time spent: n/a, Task status changed to blocked.
• Changed sponsor to Jimbo
• Added developer Matt
• Removed developer Michael
• Removed developer Matt
• Task status changed to stasis

This is however a task log. The format of entries hasn't be decided on yet. However there should ideally be an entry an minimum whenever the state of the task changes - that is new developers, sponsors, inputs from people, outputs from the task, whether the project is completed, finished etc.
The reason for including times is to assist in future time estimation exercises.
As a result each entry is likely to have:

• A note of any state change (new person, new input, new output, status change, new work started, completed etc) This can however simply be a note to say what's been done in that amount of time working on the task. eg code refactoring is none of the above, but is work, and is suitable for the task log, as is simply "coding, Michael, November 27th, 1 day", etc
• Who is making the entry
• When they are making the entry
• The amount of time spent in the process of effecting that entry. (eg 1/2 day writing a report, 1/2 writing code, etc)

I'd expect much of this text to be deleted.

Discussion

This is where random comments with regard to the project can be added. It's expected this section will be in thread mode rather than document mode, but people should feel able to refactor comments. If they do, these comments become inputs to the project, and the people who have added comments would be added under interested third parties.

Anything that doesn't fit above fits in here.

end note (delete from any actual PTP)

This is an idea of how to capture project tasks, their dependencies, etc. It's not expected to be followed slavishly but with common sense. If it seems dumb, try changing things, and see how it works out. Preferably with discussion!

-- Michael Sparks, November 27th 2006