Critical at both levels of outcome and work units.

Being symbolic artifacts, SW outputs are necessarily defined by the methodology or the lack of it. Costs could then be related to users' value, function points, or line of code.

https://caminao.wordpress.com/about/community/requirements-functionpoints/

Cost estimation is obtained by translating product metrics to tasks ones, and that will depend on the way work units are defined.

https://caminao.wordpress.com/system-engineering/project-management/work-units/

See also https://www.researchgate.net/post/Can_we_consider_Project_Methodology_as_one_among_the_various_Cost_drivers_for_calculating_overall_software_Effort (!)

Critical at both levels of outcome and work units.

Being symbolic artifacts, SW outputs are necessarily defined by the methodology or the lack of it. Costs could then be related to users' value, function points, or line of code.

https://caminao.wordpress.com/about/community/requirements-functionpoints/

Cost estimation is obtained by translating product metrics to tasks ones, and that will depend on the way work units are defined.

https://caminao.wordpress.com/system-engineering/project-management/work-units/

The methodology of the project is its structure and its can be determined by knowing all possible parameters that affect both the temporal and spatial costs.

Hi Mudasir Kirmani, 

In my own opinion, project methodology should be considered an essential, paramount  and integral parameter in determining overall software output or effort.

"Methodology itself represents a systematic and theoretical analysis of the methods (procedure for accomplishing particular task) and principles associated with a body of knowledge"

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodology

In Software Engineering projects, there is the need for budgeting. However, costing cannot be excluded when budgeting comes into play. Therefore, the overall effort of a software can be determined by how well and how excellent the project methodology is being executed or implemented.

Thus, in my own opinion, Project methodology should be included as a parameter for estimation of software effort.

Hope these help

Kind regards

Olugbenga Oluwagbemi

Yes this can be considered as a parameter for effort estimation. As different methodologies have varying complexity. Effort increases with the increase in complexity, hence more effort needs to be incorporated to this complex job.

It must also be noted that the methodology will not only affect the estimation, it will affect the cost itself ...