Estimation (project management)

In project management (e.g., for engineering), accurate estimates are the basis of sound project planning. Many processes have been developed to aid engineers in making accurate estimates, such as
 * Analogy based estimation
 * Compartmentalization (i.e., breakdown of tasks)
 * Cost estimate
 * Delphi method
 * Documenting estimation results
 * Educated assumptions
 * Estimating each task
 * Examining historical data
 * Identifying dependencies
 * Parametric estimating
 * Risk assessment
 * Structured planning

Popular estimation processes for software projects include:
 * Cocomo
 * Cosysmo
 * Event chain methodology
 * Function points
 * Planning poker
 * Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
 * Proxy-based estimating (PROBE) (from the Personal Software Process)
 * The Planning Game (from Extreme Programming)
 * Weighted Micro Function Points (WMFP)
 * Wideband Delphi