Ever had a contrct like this?

[MarillionFan]

Do that on a public sector project and you'll be out the door in no time!

Seriously, I made the mistake of trying to get a project moving that had everyone sitting around for 18 months and was quietly asked to leave.

Good point. I got the boot from the BBC after a week for the same!

[xoggoth]

Sounds fantastic. Just code lots of stuff up at random and get paid for it. Write your own test schedules to show it works, whatever it actually does.

[pacharan]

As I said, the lack of anything concrete to do has led to intense boredom setting in.

Before I started this one I was on a contract for a much lower rate but worked my ass off to hit the tight deadlines - all night sessions, the works.

This one is just torture.

[DimPrawn]

As I said, the lack of anything concrete to do has led to intense boredom setting in.

Before I started this one I was on a contract for a much lower rate but worked my ass off to hit the tight deadlines - all night sessions, the works.

This one is just torture.

Work on Plan b, get another contract, learn a new skill. The choice is yours.

[2BIT]

Bronze rule : A good subby adapts to the client culture whatever that may be. Aim to be a bit better than the average permie so they can see your worth but not better than the resident top dog no matter how low his standards.

why not be better than the top dog?

I'd suggest you continue to bill whilst learning a new skill, set yourself a target to learn something by a certain time frame and you should find yourself busy and stimulated

[Platypus]

It will be good experience anyways, and good CV fodder.

Spec should contain the functional requirements (be these the new functional requirements) or reverse engineered from the code.

If the project is already part written (without these requirements in place) then you will need to do a gap analysis of what is there versus the requirements. Then this gap analysis will become an impact analysis, which gives rise to estimates.

These estimates go into the project plan.

You need to be careful that you don't become everything to all men, you need to divide your time between the various activities. If you are doing 25% business analysis, 25% project management then you are only available 50% of the time to do coding. Then again, I would never 100% allocate someone in a plan.

Don't forget to allow a 30% Contingency for unit testing, system integration testing.

Also you need a commitment from the business to do UAT. Agree the terms of reference with the business and this includes their commitment, amount of man hours, responsibilites. Get this signed off as well.

I'm sure you meant well, but this doesn't 'arf sound patronising

[thunderlizard]

They often start out like that. After a couple of weeks you're able to read the signs, identify the position of supremacy and take it from there.

[configman]

No spec, nobody knows what they want, everyone contradicting each other, no project plan, you're just dumped with a load of code to look at and some very arcane business rules scrawled on the back of a fag packet. Nobody seems to give a toss either - they just don't care

What do you do? Sit around all day every day going round in circles or grab the "project" by the scruff of the neck and kick the useless permies into action?

You get to a point where it all just be ones very frustrating as it impossible to make any progress. Then you just get bored and demotivated. That's when the rot sets in.

I think we are working at the same place. I'm listening to my Mandarin course, looking busy, booking my currency, and organising the taxi to the airport - all paid for by current client who hasn't got anything for me to do. It would be immoral to waste the money/time they are giving me.

[pacharan]

I think we are working at the same place. I'm listening to my Mandarin course, looking busy, booking my currency, and organising the taxi to the airport - all paid for by current client who hasn't got anything for me to do. It would be immoral to waste the money/time they are giving me.

Not a certain motoring organization is it?

[Gibbon]

why not be better than the top dog?

I'd suggest you continue to bill whilst learning a new skill, set yourself a target to learn something by a certain time frame and you should find yourself busy and stimulated

Resident top dogs usually have friends in management.
Resident top dogs don't take kindly to been shown up.
Resident top dogs may have an influence on renewals.

Writing code/tests/specs never stimulates me anyway and definitely not in the way the girlie new starter does, being a team lead has it benefits in the instructional sense If I have nothing to do then I do some OU thinking or write some crap on here or plan my next holiday.