Working Late and Parallel Phased Projects

It's now 11:30 pm and I am still just on my way home. I am working on a project wherein I am the only developer. And now that it's just a few days from QA testing, I find it hard to test all my implementations and verify it against the FSD (Functional Specification Document).

The project started without the FSD. And since the project plan indicated that I should start without the FSD, so I did. It was tough. I had to rely on verbal requirements from the SA (Systems Analyst) and the verbal technical decisions from my team lead whom is located on the other half of the world. On top of that, I had to deal with the changes in the requirements that wasn't being tracked properly since it was verbal as well.

When the FSD finally came out, I had to recheck everything which is what I am doing right now and make the necessary adjustments. Oh by the way, I just came from a TSD (Technical Specification Document) review. These gives huge risks in the final product's quality and sacrifices traceability and coherence. Not to mention, it creates confusion and a lot of frustrations.

This post is not meant to be a rant. Just think of this as my way of sharing my experience so that other managers, leads, and analyst may learn from these. Ok ok I am in a way ranting... Hahaha!

So what are the lessons learned from these?

1. If you are a project manager and you want to do the requirements definition, technical analysis and design, and development at almost parallel, then use the appropriate approach like the agile methodology. Also, do a lot of risk planning.

2. If you are a developer and the above holds true, then record everything you can weather you ask questions through email or you record your discussions and give out minutes of every meeting with your lead and analyst. These will later on come handy when they are trying to find someone to blame for the not-so-good outcome of the project. It's so easy to point at unsuspecting developers believe me.

3. If you are a lead and the above still holds true, try to pressure your manager and analysts to stick to the requirments or finalize them as soon as possible. Also make sure that your whole team is on the loop and that all changes in any requirements and design are reflected back to the estimates and ultimately the project plan.

4. Lastly, for the analyst, make sure that the product owner or the ones giving out the requirements is comitted 100% to the project so that he can give out timely decisions and prioritization of requirments as well as to give clarity to what he wants as the project progresses.

So there, I hope this experience of mine might benefit one of you someday.

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sent through email via my mobile phone

Hayden vs the Philippines

It is very clear that Hayden did something very wrong.  In fact he admits those mistakes himself.  And I honestly think that he should be fined and jailed for what he did!  What I don’t understand is why it should be trialed by the Senate!  There are two things that I can think of that may be legitimate reasons for this; (1) Our courts is not capable in handling such cases or (2) this issue is more important that any case that is currently pending in our courts!

This is really making me ashamed of the Philippine government.  What will happen to us if (1) is true?!  So does this mean that all this time, decisions that have been given out by our courts are unreliable?  And what if (2) is true?!  Does this mean that this case is more important that the hundred pending cases of child abuse and pornography?  more important than the thousand rape cases?  even more important than all pending corrupt and malpractice cases?!  Is this such a national issue that it is almost at par with an impeachment trial?!  Shame shame shame!

All these senators are doing is riding in the publicity that is being generated by this case!  And if they are willing to go this far to be known to everyone and eventually win every elections, think of what they would be willing to do to win any election!  I bet they’ll do anything to win…

The issue that these senators should be handling is that fact that their laws for human rights protection is not enough!  They should not waste time trying to know who else Hayden slept with nor why he took the video, there are a thousand judges and courts that can handle that!  If there is someone that should be trialed in this caliber, it should be them for not doing their job as law makers and protecting the people!  If the people involved in those videos are just ordinary non-showbiz people, I bet no one would even lift a finger to take a look into this case.  Just think of the thousand rape and child abuse cases that goes unnoticed by these senators!

And for those regions/provinces who declares “Persona non grata” to whomever they think is worth it, I dare you to declare that to all politicians who have been proven to have performed malpractice or corrupt practices, weather its big or small.  In any case, corruption is a sin to every Filipino citizen!  Would you still welcome such people?  Yet these corrupt politicians are the ones who are gaining people’s trust and receiving praise from different sectors in the Philippines!

What is the Philippine government  transforming into?  A big circus act?!  WTF!

Note:  All contents of this post is the opinion solely of the author and does not represent any group or is claiming that it is a fact.  Any unwanted event that may arise due to this article is not the responsibility of the author.

Technorati Tags: rant,government,hayden,kho,scandal,trial,senate

Flying Away

My one week vacation is now over.

As I am writing this blog, I am aboard the Jetstar flight bound to Singapore. Tomorrow I will have to report back to work. There is much work that I left behind so I am expecting some extended working hours this week.

This entry's tone is sad as you might have noticed. It is because now I know how an OFW feels. When I first left to work in Singapore, I was very excited. In fact I couldn't sleep the night before my flight due to my excitement. But now, I just feel that my vacation wasn't enough, that I am not yet ready to go back and work under a foreign land. I already miss my parents, siblings, and especially my son.
Working in Singapore is not really that bad nor sad. After all there are many Filipinos there. And I have made quite a number of friends there both foreign and local on my almost one year of stay. But then again, a home is different from a house. Home is where my friends are. Home is where my relatives are. Home is where my mother, brother, sister, and son is staying.

Home is where someone is always thinking of you.

I'm just glad I also found a home in Singapore. She will be more than enough to keep me working until we can go back again in the Philippines.