TimeLine

V0.2a
8 Apr 2004

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The TimeLine process is used for short term planning of Tasks and for longer time planning of your project or whatever lies on the current planning horizon.

The description below is my first try to describe the process. In the coming weeks I will be working on refining it and to add explanations to the various parts. If anyone likes to comment, or wants to ask questions or clarifications, please join the effort. Mail me through the web form or direct.

Action Result Issues
Make Task List
Write down whatever you know you have to accomplish List of planned Accomplishments What you don’t know you cannot write down
List in order of Priority Prioritized List How to prioritize
Write the same down in Chunks of Results List of Chunks  
List these Chunks in order of Priority Prioritized list of Chunks How to prioritize
Translate the Chunks into Tasks: what you have to do List of Tasks How to translate Chunks into Tasks
Estimate the Tasks in hours of Effort List of Tasks with Estimations (hrs) How to estimate Effort
Cut Tasks with Estimated Effort of more than 6 hours in Sub-tasks List of feasible Tasks with Estimations (hrs) How to cut into Sub-tasks
Rethink priorities and change the order of the list accordingly CTL: Candidate Task List with Estimates What could cause changes in the priority order
Accumulate number of Estimated Effort hours starting from the top of the Candidate Task List (CTL) CTL with Estimated effort time needed  

Note:
Don't detail later work more than necessary: the requirements of later work will probably have changed when its time has come. So, detailing too much now is a waste of energy!
     
Short term planning
Determine how many Effort hours are available this {week, day} Number of Effort hours available How many real hours do you have available
Determine which tasks from the top of the CTL can be done in the available hours.
The Tasks that can be done are your tasks for the coming period. The other Tasks are now at risk not to be done		 Line in CTL between Tasks that can be done and Tasks that can not be done

 

 Too bad for the Tasks that will not get done (they will not anyway. However, now you choose which Tasks don’t get done. Otherwise it will be a random process]
Think of the consequences
   If you have accomplished the Tasks that appear to be the most important to do, will you have arrived at the best Result possible?
In case you are not sufficiently happy with the Result, iterate until you are Final Task List for the coming Period Don’t work on anything else. However, if anything new occurs, use the Interrupt process
     
Longer term planning
Determine the average Effort hours per week available Number of Effort hours per week available How many real hours do you have available. It could be the number available by the whole team.
Divide number of hours needed by number of hours available per week Number of Effort weeks needed for all the listed work Add some extra and you will get the expected finishing date
Think of the consequences   You may have to challenge what you though you had to accomplish
In case you are not sufficiently happy with the Result, iterate until you are TimeLine of what you probably will do in which order. What will be done at a certain time, what will not be done and what may be done. Seeing the result on the TimeLine may cause you to rearrange the Priorities.