what we'll measure (Gilb calls it ‘scale’) how we'll measure it (‘meter’) what the situation is like now (‘benchmark’) the minimum acceptable value, the break-even point for investment (‘constraint’) the desired value (‘target’)

The systems analyst tends to be a better estimator than either the programmer or the supervisor. He or she typically knows the work in as much detail, but is not hampered by the natural optimism of the person who’s actually going to do the job or the political and budgetary biases of the boss. Moreover, systems analysts typically have more estimati