COCOMO Development Time

What is this formula?

COCOMO Development Time estimates the calendar time required to complete a software project based on the estimated development effort.

In the Basic COCOMO model, development time is calculated from the effort estimate rather than directly from project size.

This relationship reflects the fact that adding more personnel does not reduce project duration proportionally.

When to use it

Use this formula when:

- estimating project schedules,

- planning software releases,

- evaluating staffing strategies,

- preparing project proposals,

- forecasting delivery dates.

Example

Suppose a software project has:

E = 145.3 person-months

Using the Basic COCOMO Organic coefficients:

c = 2.5

d = 0.38

Formula:

Tdev = c(E)^d

Substitution:

Tdev = 2.5(145.3)^0.38

Tdev = 16.6 months

Result:

Estimated Development Time = 16.6 months

Applications

- Software project planning

- Schedule estimation

- Resource planning

- Release management

- Software engineering economics

Note

COCOMO Development Time is an empirical scheduling model derived from historical project data. Different project categories use different values of c and d. Actual schedules may vary due to staffing constraints, project complexity, technology choices, team experience, and organizational factors.