The increasing pace of technology change presents unique challenges to software cost and schedule estimation. Discussions at the last few Forums have pointed out the difficulty of adapting estimation models to new products, processes and organizations. Example phenomena include COTS lifecycle issues, web-based technologies, multimedia in all forms, Rapid Application Development (RAD) techniques, reuse, virtual organizations, round-the-clock distributed development, product line development, object-oriented and component-based approaches, high-level languages, application builders, etc. These new directions cause both the inputs and outputs of cost models to change. 

This year's Forum particularly solicits presentations that address software size/cost/schedule estimation involving new technologies and paradigm shifts. Besides these topics, the Forum also solicits papers on other software cost estimation-related topics such as risk management, software metrics, systems engineering estimation, process improvement and modeling. 

The program October 24-27 will consist of invited and contributed presentations, tool presentations and demonstrations. Two half-day tutorials are planned for October 24, followed by an evening COCOMO II Affiliates' meeting and dinner. The main Forum program and Tools Fair will be on October 25 and the morning of October 26. A related Affiliates' workshop will be held on the afternoon of October 26 and the morning of  October 27. 

Persons interested in making a 20 to 30 minute technical presentation or demonstrating a software cost estimation tool should send a 1 to 2 page abstract to: 

Ms. LaDonna Pierce 
Center for Software Engineering 
University of Southern California 
Los Angeles, CA 90089-078 
Phone: (213) 740-5703 
Fax: (213) 740-492 
Email: ladonna@sunset.usc.edu 

Due date for abstracts: 31 July 2000. Notification to authors: 11 August 2000. Copy of materials due: 15 September 2000. Please send materials in either ascii or as a mail attachment in MS Word. 

General Chair: Barry Boehm, USC Program Chair: Ray Madachy, USC and Litton - GCS Program Commmittee: Brad Ford (SEI and Software Metrics, Inc.); Sunita Chulani (IBM Research); Adrian Cowderoy (City University and MMHQ, UK); Richard Fairley (Oregon Graduate Institute); Dan Ligett (Softstar); Don Reifer (RCI)