An initial kickoff meeting of up to an hour gets all participants up to speed on the estimation problem. The moderator explains the Wideband Delphi method to team members who aren’t familiar with it. He supplies the other estimators with the problem specification and any assumptions or project constraints. The moderator strives to give the estimators enough information to do a good job without unduly influencing their estimates.
The team reviews the estimation objectives and discusses the problem and any estimation issues. The participants agree on the estimation units they will use, such as weeks, labor hours, dollars, or lines of code. If the moderator concludes that all team members are sufficiently knowledgeable to contribute to the estimation activity, the group is ready to roll. Otherwise, the participants may need to be briefed more fully on the problem they’re estimating. The moderator might elect to replace certain estimators with others who can generate more accurate estimates.
To determine whether you’re ready to proceed with the Wideband Delphi session, check your entry criteria, the prerequisites that must be satisfied for you to proceed with subsequent process steps. Before you dive into the estimation exercise, ensure that the following conditions are satisfied:
Appropriate team members have been selected.
The kickoff meeting has been held.
The participants have agreed on the estimation goal and units.
The project manager can participate in the session.
The estimators have the information they need to participate effectively.