Analysis of SDLC and Waterfall Methodologies in ICT Project Management

This report provides a detailed analysis of SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and Waterfall methodologies in the context of ICT project management. It outlines the core principles, steps, similarities, and differences between these two methodologies, highlighting their applications in project planning, execution, and control. The report also discusses the relationship of these methodologies to the Project Life Cycle (PLC), emphasizing the importance of integrating system development activities with project management processes. It further elucidates how each methodology addresses project requirements, adaptation to change, release strategies, customer interaction, cost-effectiveness, and documentation needs, offering a comprehensive understanding of their respective strengths and weaknesses in managing ICT projects. Desklib offers this document as part of its extensive library of student-contributed assignments.

Running head : ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Methodologies and role it serves in Project Management:
The project is going to discuss the waterfall and SDLC methodologies in detail. A
methodology is referred to a model, in which project head employ for planning, design,
implementation and achievements for their project objectives. There are several different
methodologies, which benefits the project. The main purpose of having a methodology is to grant
the permission for developing and controlling the project. It also allows decision making
effective and develops problem-solving quality, also guarantees the success of methods and
techniques used. Project management Methodologies are vital for developing a successful project
for an organization. The main purpose is to allow control over the management process through
effective decision-making and problem solving and ensures the success of the specific process.
There are two types of methodologies, traditional approach and modern approach(Marcelino-
Sádaba,2014). The traditional approach includes a series of consecutive stages in project
management. It is designed in step by step design to deliver a product. The modern approach
does not follow the linear process but approaches the project from a different angle. There are
several methodologies available:
• PRINCE2
• SDLC
• Waterfall
• Agile

2ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Similarities and difference between SDLC and Waterfall:
SDLC stands for Software development life cycle. This process is followed for a software
project, in an organization. This consists of the planning of each step in detail including
development, maintenance, or to enhance the project (Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017). This life cycle
provides a methodology that improves the quality of software and the development process
overall. The steps include:
Planning and Requirement analysis
• Defining requirements
• Designing
• Building product
• Testing the product
• Development in the market
• Waterfall Model
Waterfall model is the basic model and the simplest of all the model. It is divided into
different phases (Joslin, & Müller, 2015). In this, the output of the one step acts as the input of
the other. Steps included in the waterfall model are :
• Requirement analysis
• System Design
• Implementation
• Testing
• Development
• Maintenance

3ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The similarity between the two models is that both are simple and easy to use. Each step is
needed to be completed before the next step. The model of waterfall is the preliminary stage of
SDLC approach used for software development.
The difference between SDLC and Waterfall model
• SDLC is adaptive and iterative, whereas the waterfall model is predictive, planning
oriented and sequential.
• SDLC responds to change continually, whereas waterfall is less responsive to change.
• Waterfall model software is a result of one large release, whereas SDLC is the
incremental release of working software.
• Each step involves interaction with the customer, allows frequent changes and updates of
the requirement in case of SDLC, whereas in waterfall model interaction only happens at
the time requirements are being gathered and no requirements can be updated later.
• Waterfall model is a cost-effective model and requires less time to implement as
compared to SDLC (Burke, 2013).
• In SDLC it requires less documentation, whereas in the case of waterfall model elaborate
documentation is being done.
Methodologies related to PLC :
There are five phases in the PLC lifecycle including, project initiation, planning,
execution, monitoring and control and the last step is closure (Alshamrani & Bahattab, 2015).
This steps together represents the path of a project starting from the beginning to its expected

4ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
end, and this is referred to as the project life cycle. The PLC main focus is on the process, tools,
phase, knowledge and skills required to manage the project, while the SDLC focuses on
implementing and creating the product of the project. Project planning concerning resources,
tasks and estimates assigned depended on how the project team chooses to implement SDLC in
their project. Every project includes PLC steps. SDLC and waterfall model both contain PLC, as
many activities occur during the execution phase. The final stages of PLC, includes closing and
evaluating the project, and this occurs after the execution of the information system (Phillips,
2013). The incorporation of system development and project management activities is among the
important components.

5ICT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Reference
Alshamrani, A., & Bahattab, A. (2015). A comparison between three SDLC models waterfall
model, spiral model, and Incremental/Iterative model. International Journal of Computer
Science Issues (IJCSI), 12(1), 106.
Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.
Joslin, R., & Müller, R. (2015). Relationships between a project management methodology and
project success in different project governance contexts. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(6), 1377-1392.
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Marcelino-Sádaba, S., Pérez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A. M. E., & Villanueva, P. (2014). Project
risk management methodology for small firms. International journal of project
management, 32(2), 327-340.
Phillips, J. (2013). PMP, Project Management Professional (Certification Study Guides).
McGraw-Hill Osborne Media.