Overview
Delivery of the CUP project for Regione Puglia, as a consultant. I was both a hands-on backend developer and the person responsible for planning and coordination.
Problem
A public-sector programme with firm deadlines, several client stakeholders and a mixed dev and QA team. The risk was not only technical: requirements, priorities and progress had to stay visible and agreed.
My role
Senior Developer / Team Leader. Responsible for governance, milestones, stakeholder alignment and requirements gathering, while developing Java / Spring backend services.
Challenges
- Translate client requirements into a backlog the team could estimate.
- Keep milestones realistic while the scope evolved.
- Coordinate developers and QA without losing hands-on technical control.
- Surface risks and impediments before they became escalations.
Solution
Agile sprints with explicit planning, one prioritised backlog and regular alignment with client contacts. Staying in the backend code meant planning decisions reflected the real complexity of the work.
Architecture & approach
- Java / Spring backend services and REST APIs.
- Requirements → backlog → sprint planning → review loop.
- Progress monitoring and deadline tracking shared with the client.
- Risk and impediment log reviewed with stakeholders.
Technology
Outcome
Requirements, progress and risks tracked and shared with the client for the whole engagement, with one person accountable for both the technical and the coordination side.
Lessons learned
- A team lead who still writes code gives estimates people trust.
- Visibility prevents escalation.
- Stakeholder alignment is continuous work, not a kick-off meeting.