The analysis effort method is a method for estimating the duration of software engineering

Software engineering

Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...

 projects. It is best suited to producing initial estimates for the length of a job based on a known time duration for preparing a specification. Inputs to the method a numeric factors which indicate Size (S), Familiarity (F) and Complexity (C). These, with a duration for preparing the software specification can be used in a look up table (which contains factors based on previous experience) to determine with length of each of the following phases of the work. These being Design, Coding and Unit testing and Testing. The method does not include any times for training or project management

Project management

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...

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This method should be used as one of a number of estimation techniques to obtain a more accurate estimate.