1. Principles of Software Project (Mandatory)
2. Risk Management
3. People Management (includes Communications)
4. Schedule and Budget Management
5. Project Control
6. Business Requirements
7. Status Reporting and Measurement
8. Software Development Processes
9. Verification and Validation
10. Software Environment/Tools
11. Configuration Management

Knowledge Category 1 ~ Principles of Software Project (Mandatory)

Domain Description:

• Vocabulary, concepts and principles of Software Project Management.
• Broad overview of the other domains.
• Major emphasis on the role of the Project Manager from start of a software development project to the conclusion.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• List of activities done by the candidate from beginning to end of a typical project in his/her organization
• A Project Plan

Knowledge Category 2 ~ Risk Management

Domain Description:

• Principles of risk
• Risk analysis
• Understanding of the risks that are unique or emphasized in software projects
• How to quantify risks
• Tradeoffs associated with emphasizing one software characteristic versus another
• Internal Control & Security.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• Sample of a completed risk assessment used by the candidate on a project and the risk management plan that accompanies it.
• Security Plan.

Knowledge Category 3 ~ People Management (includes Communications)

Domain Description:

• An understanding of how to man a software development project. 
• How to train individuals in the skills needed for software development. 
• All human resource issues associated with managing a project. 
• Customer Liaison. 
• Communication. 
• Teams, Groups, Leadership, Role of Senior Management. 
• Negotiation. 
• Processes used to interact with customers/users throughout the software development lifecycle - knowledge of how to assess customer attitudes about development, including concepts such as customer surveys, focus groups, assessment questionnaires, and how to assist customers in the acceptance testing aspects of software development. Emphasis is on service level agreements or equivalent. Procurement Management.
• Internal Control & Security. 

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• Sample of a resource/staffing chart prepared by the candidate that was used to assign personnel to a project.
• Sample of plans to train the assigned team.
• Sample plans of communication with the customer.
• Sample plans of internal communication.
• Plan to resolve customer requests.
• May include actual customer surveys, assessment reports, and questionnaires.
• Security Plan.

Knowledge Category 4 ~ Schedule and Budget Management

Domain Description:

• Principles on how to create a software project budget and schedule using either manual processes or automated packages. 
• Associated Techniques such as critical path, resource lending and re-calibration when changes are made to the project plan resources, budget, schedule and/or risk. 
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Estimation – FPA and other methods Cost & Budget Management.

Documentation Example:

• Sample of an MS Project Plan, or other S/W PM tool output or manual GANT charts, prepared by the candidate which includes how resources were allocated to a project. 
• How budget and/or schedule changes were compensated in the on-going plan. 

Knowledge Category 5 ~ Project Control

Domain Description:

• Relationship of control to risk.
• Types of control that can be incorporated into project management (i.e., preventative, detective, and corrective).
• Understanding of the principles of quality control.
• How quality control is used throughout the project to assure the processes are utilized correctly, the entrance and exit criteria are correct, and that problems are identified early in the process.
• Status reporting.
• Scope management.
• Change control plan

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• Software Quality Plan detailing a project's critical success factors and how the Project Manager intended to ensure the project quality. This is not the same as a RM plan, but the two may be combined into one document. 
• Document addressing changes

Knowledge Category 6 ~ Business Requirements

Domain Description:

• How requirements are defined,
• Attributes of a good requirement.
• Processes that can be used to define good requirements like - Joint Application Development (JAD).
• Change management.
• How to trace requirements throughout the software development effort using techniques such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• A representative sample (no more than 10 pages) of a requirements document actually used on a project that was managed by the candidate and the accompanying test plans (no more than 5 pages each) demonstrating traceability from requirements to end product.
• Clearly define which techniques were used (JAD,QFD, Other).

Knowledge Category 7 ~ Status Reporting and Measurement

Domain Description:

• Principles of measurement and how they apply to managing a software development project.
• How to develop reports that indicate the status of development of a software project (e.g., what percent of the project has been completed versus what percent of the time has been expended).
• Familiarity with measurement concepts such as key indicators and project management dashboards.
• What was measured in the project.
• Managing the status of the project time.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• Sample status report and/or measurement report that indicates what measures were being tracked and the degree to which the project met/is meeting its measurement objectives. These measures could be related to the critical success factors, budget schedule and / or resources.
• May be accompanied by samples of a project management dashboard if one was developed for the project.

Knowledge Category 8 ~ Software Development Processes

Domain Description:

• Understanding of how processes are developed and improved, including the components of a process which are policy, standards, procedures (i.e., do and check procedures), and guidelines.
• Understanding of the importance of entrance and exit criteria at each stage of software development.
• Types of software development processes (e.g., waterfall and spiral development processes).
• Understanding of the major phases of software development.
• Types of deliverables produced during each phase, and the objective of each deliverable.
• Prototyping.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• A document detailing the type of SDLC undertaken, how the project will be developed, tested, and delivered.
• Any alternative development methods that were proposed by the Project Manager.
• May also include process flows, ER Diagrams, cases or context diagrams developed for the project.

Knowledge Category 9 ~ Verification and Validation

Domain Description:

• Understanding of the process of software testing from the initiation of the project through the final culmination of a project (i.e. the "V" concept of testing).
• Various types of validation testing, such as reviews and inspections.
• Various types of verification testing, including unit testing, string of integration testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing.
• Understanding of a software test plan and how that test plan integrates into the project plan.
• Understanding of defects, defect management, defect description, and defect prioritization.
• Types of reporting that are most commonly associated with software testing.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

Examples include the project plan with specific reference to how the project was (or is to be) tested. May refer to a separate test plan.

• Sample defect management report either produced manually or using an automated tool.
• Sample test plans – SRS, STP, UTP, ATP, MTP, UAT(no more than 10 pages)

Knowledge Category 10 ~ Software Environment/Tools

Domain Description:

• Understanding of the type of environment that should be established to effectively develop software systems.
• Selection of specific software development processes and the tools associated with that process.
• A general understanding of the types of tools most commonly associated with software development.
• Training that is most commonly associated with preparing individuals to effectively develop software.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• Tools/methods that were used on the project and how the Project Manager ensured that the project team had the necessary skills.
• The interaction the Project Manager had with the development manager and test manager that ensured the successful completion of the project.

Knowledge Category 11 ~ Configuration Management

Domain Description:

• How the various components of software development are controlled such as releases, library management, and coordination of changes throughout multiple software development projects/applications.
• Activities associated with software maintenance/enhancements and how changes to a software system should be controlled throughout development and operation of a software project.
• Change control.
• Integration management.
• Configuration Management Board.

Documentation samples might include one of the following:

• Sample of a Configuration Management plan, or highlight in the project plan how CM is to be handled.
• Examples of revised requirements, design, test plans or the documentation showing revision numbers, sign-offs, etc. would be appropriate.
• List what items in their project required Configuration Management and if/how it was enforced.